# Guests visiting = Crazy V



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

We have always had this issue with Ruby to some degree, but I feel like she's getting worse despite me trying to control it more.

When guests enter our home she goes crazy. She'll run towards them, jump at them on occasion, whimper from excitement and do the zoomies around our house. She does this more so with my family members that she knows and likes but doesn't see on a daily basis. With our friends or other guests who she rarely sees, she isn't nearly as excited and it's not as big of an issue because she's a little timid towards strangers.

The other day I knew my mother in law was coming over, so I leashed Ruby and sat on the couch. When my MIL knocked on the door I shouted for her to come in. Ruby was already barking at his point. She continued barking and tried to pull towards her to say hello and was basically making a fool out of herself. I asked my MIL to ignore her. After about 30 seconds the barking stopped and Ruby whimpered for a bit but did eventually calm down. I let her off the leash after about 3 minutes and she was somewhat okay. Still excited to see her, but we avoided any jumping. 

If I kennel her when guest come over she barks and digs at the kennel to try to get out. She has such a loud and shrill bark it's impossible to talk over her!

She's 14 months old now and I am starting to get really frustrated and feel like we'll never get her to stop doing this. We've tried the whole asking guests to ignore/turn backs, etc. This does help to some degree and has her calm down QUICKER, but it definitely does not keep her from having this behavior in the first place. We have also tried squirting with water when she jumps up.

HELP!  Ruby is a good girl, but this is a major issue for us.


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

We have the same problem, and I've got 2 of them.


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## River (Sep 24, 2012)

Ruby probably knows who will allow jumping and over excitement around them, with our guest we have several, I have told them to ignore our dogs, if they don't want to listen. I leave it for them to deal with the dogs. And they know not to be nasty to my dogs, because they will then get it on the neck from me.

A gentle knee lift in the direction of the dog, not forcefall, and a hand out like they do when they say hello bear, you must have seen the nature programmes. Palm to the dogs face. Works for me with my with mine and other dogs.

I've even had friends saying what did you just do to my dog to get it not to jump on you.

I would tend to give them the chance to greet your guests, and if the don't remain calm then send her to her crate, till she calms down and stops whining. 

Turn the telly music up and ignore her.

As soon as she stops try her out, if it starts again back in. 



If its getting to you time to get tough. You know you can do it.


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## Watson (Sep 17, 2012)

I would suggest putting her into her crate when someone comes in and only letting her out when the barking stops. Let her dig/bark/roo and ignore until she settles. It will be annoying to deal with for a few minutes but after a few times she should get it. This is a self control issue which is not an easy thing for a V to get , but she eventually will. If ours can do it, I'm certain Ruby can too!


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

I feel your pain. I put mine out in the yard until everyone who is visiting has been around about 1/2 an hour or so and then let the guests visit the dogs outside for awhile before they are allowed back in. 

Even at 5 and 6 years old, they love to greet new people with enthusiasm. Part of who they are. They are good kids otherwise. 

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/07/notice-to-people-who-visit-my-home.html

RBD

Pictures from last Halloween on HVF. Loved it.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2012/10/vizsla-halloween.html


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Like everyone else so far, all I can say is, "Yup."

Same situation here. Squirting with the water bottle helps, but he gets really really excited when new guests arrive. He calms down after a couple of minutes, but he used to keep going for about fifteen when someone came in the house. He hasn't done the zoomies in a long time, but he did when my uncle visited a couple of years ago and ended up zoomie-ing right across his lap.

It's gotten better as he's gotten more mature, but I think he'll always be excited by new guests. Best we've managed to do is prevent jumping with the spray bottle, give the guests fair warning that a) this is his house; and b) he will want all of their attention, and then just let him at it for a couple of minutes. I've learned that the sooner I let him greet the new person, the easier it is to calm him. And I just don't invite non-dog-friendly people over. Which isn't always a polite option, but hey, that's the way it is in my house!


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## FLgatorgirl (Mar 11, 2013)

This thread makes me feel better as our girl does the same thing and is definitely more excited with people she knows than strangers. She just about lost her mind when my mother and mother in law were both here at the same time. She just took the crazy back and forth between the two of them, making sure everyone got equal spaz time. It was embarrassing, but I think the moms were happy that their granddog was so excited to see them. 

I have noticed that people who are overly excited to see her or speak in baby/squeaky voices only make the situation worse. People who are very calm, ignore her initially and speak to her softly and in a very zen state get the least nuttiness. 

For all of the jerks that meet Ellie and say, "your dog is hyper", they can shove it. I would rather have a dog wiggling it's butt off and yes, even jumping, than one that wants to a chunk out of your leg.


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## CrazyCash (Jul 12, 2012)

I feel your pain, my two are nuts and it's chaos when people first come over. I've gotten Penny to the point that she will just run around like a nut, but she won't jump on anyone. She used to have the terrible habit of jumping up and trying to nip people in the face, but I've completely broken her of that habit thankfully! 

Cash will run up to guests as fast as he can and jump on them. Let me tell you - he has a nasty left hook and tends to hit male guests in a not so polite area! Not only does he almost knock people over, but on more than one occasion he's jumped up and on the way down his dew claw caught someone's arm and cut open a nasty scratch. . My latest strategy with Cash is to put a short leash on him before the guests arrive and just let him drag it around, then when the guests come over and he's making his move to jump, I'll step on the leash and tell him to sit - once he sits down I'll have him stay sitting for a couple of minutes to calm down, then I'll release him. If he tries to jump again, I step and repeat until he calms down. I also tell people to ignore him unit, he settles. He will actually listen to some people, so for instance when my Dad comes over, if Cash is running towards him, my Dad will tell him to sit and then praise/pet him when he does it. 

All this craziness only lasts about 3 minutes and then they calm down, but it is a little embarrassing for those few minutes. I did feel good the other day when my Dad came over and commented on how much better Penny has gotten with her welcome - she will running around and do laps, but then she'll run right up to a guest and kind of do a side slide right next to them and sit. 

Even though it's a little embarrassing, I haven't had one guest that doesn't at least smile at the crazies, because it's hard to get too mad at a red tornado that is clearly full of joy and happiness, even if they can't contain it.


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm not sure you can do much about their basic nature. Having family members ignore her won't work then.

I'd have her on lead, and have the people come over to greet her calmly, while you reinforce whatever self control she can muster here...we're talking low expectations...like her being able to stay at her end of the lead and not strangling herself. Forget about crating her or otherwise secluding her, it will make her feel more deprived. And we know what that means to V's.

My experience has been that as long as your V feels totally involved in the activity..in this case, being a full participant in the social nature of some members of the pact returning, she'll eventually come to expect and tolerate this without the full on, psycho V reaction. 14 months might seem like a long time for you to tolerate this,but it's not, it might take some more time for her become acclimated to the pact returning.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Thank you all for sympathizing. Sometimes I feel like I have a crazy dog and there is something wrong with her. Then I remember I have a Vizsla, not just any dog.

Like I said, this is really our only issue with her. She's pretty well behaved otherwise. Her excitement gets the best of her!

I like the suggestions you all have made. We're also going to her very first obedience class on Friday and I'm going to talk to the trainer about this issue and see if they have any suggestions. I'll let you all know what he says!


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

I got really tough with the squirt bottle... our weimy was imposable... which transfer ed to the Vizsla when we got her. PARticularly with family members( because they identify them as just that...Family) and were elated to see them.
Our front door is upstairs, and has a landing so I kept the water bottle by the front door, and when the door bell rang, and the siege began, I would stand there and shoot blasts at both of them while commanding them to stay (at the bottom of the stairs)... It really didn't take many times, and when they would see me grab the sprayer, they would just wander away and watch the door to see who came in... then it was another struggle to teach the guest how to receive the welcome committee! If it wasn't some one I wanted in, I received them outside... on the other hand if it was guests, I would instruct them to please refrain from greeting the dogs until they were below, and the dogs were seated. It was working really well. Now we have pearl and she got the water when Foxy was around, and has not forgotten ... she has wonderful visitor manners...unless it is my son( she is really his dog) and she goes into the Howl-aluluia chorus!!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

This is easy, don't know why the dog should be secluded 
It is a high energy dog but far from out of control. 

Some think of jumping as a disobedient, rather dominant move. 
I sit the dog and make sure it keeps it's butt planted while the guests arrive and ignore him completely. Then, I walk around with the dog among the guests with some tasty treats, ask the dog to to keep focusing on me. 
Next, I have a day bed he can lie down on... Later, when he calmed down and doesn't need to be leashed, he can freely walk and interact without excitement.

PS 
Please DO NOT knee the dog in the chest if it jumps up at you. It is a sensitive dog not a water buffalo. 
Sit is a far more sensible approach.


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## River (Sep 24, 2012)

Datacan, is that aimed at me..?

Please don't not knee the dog in the chest.

I didn't say use force, whats wrong with a bit of space between you and your dogs, we have four limbs too. My dogs are not isolated, their crates are in the room with us. I'm 5 foot 2, what the 

why is it you are Always right, there are many methods, and they all get delivered differently by people and received differently by their pets, we are not all clones.

You and your side kick have really ruined this forum for me. You gang up on members, repeatedly, and get away with it, You like his threats and pictures, and he likes whatever stupid comment you make. You are so transparent.

I am going and will not returning, not under a different name, or as a guest, you are a prize [email protected], Well gone data good work.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Data ---

Ruby's crate is in our living room right where guests enter our home, so she definitely wouldn't be secluded. Your boy must be very well behaved. Ruby does sit/stay well in other situations, but when she's very excited (i.e. guests coming over) it's very hard for her to listen to commands. 

Anyway, I thought you all might be interested in watching this video. It explains a strategy for enthusiastic dogs and guests entering the home. The playpen they talk about in the video could probably be a large crate (which I'm sure most of us already have) instead. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrbA7cyp6K4


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I like Tab289, saw his videos. He also has a very different dog. That GSD mix girl is cute  
Mine sits on voice, I never forced sit, except for pushing his bum down with my hand.... but if anyone looks at him excited, I have to plant his bum back down. 


_River- I just read the whole thread..._ :-[ 
RBD's pictures are funny ;D 
I have seen many trainers suggest kneeing them in the chest, Dunbar warns against kneeing, and rolling the dog. My comment was in no way aimed at you. 

Have you tried to tap their chest (gently ) with your palm of your hand? Their heart is the general area where many trainers suggest to knee the dog. 

Julius


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

The craziness is part of their charm. They cannot get enough of us.

I'd still enjoy it, but maybe put a word to it so she can learn when it's Ok and wanted, and when it's not.


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