Meet and Greet People
You and your puppy will meet many people, some of whom have dogs. When you are out and about, it is important that your puppy learns to take these encounters in his stride, so that he remains under control and is neither fearful nor overexcited.
You can extend leash training and enhance your control over your puppy by practicing an exercise called “meet and greet.” At puppy school, we start by meeting a “stranger” (that is, someone your puppy is unfamiliar with)—someone who doesn’t have a dog with them. Instruct your puppy to “sit” while you greet the “new” acquaintance. Chat briefly, and then click-and-treat and praise the puppy before moving on. Aim to do this regularly when you see someone you know while you’re out walking your dog.
Step 1
When you draw near, keep the leash loose and allow the pups to “curve” as they approach each other.
Step 2
As you meet, let the puppies make their acquaintances, through sniffing each other briefly, before asking for a “sit.”
We then move on to include other puppy owners in your “meet and greet,” asking you to imagine that you had just met the other owner and his or her puppy while taking your own puppy for a walk. The two owners exchange greetings while the puppies sit quietly. practice this with a puppy-owning neighbor or someone you met at a puppy school. Make “meet and greet” a regular part of your training routine.
Take care when the two puppies walk toward each other that they do not approach head to head. It reduces the chances of the encounter leading to a playful rough and tumble, which may make gaining control difficult. In normal circumstances, it is basic canine etiquette for dogs to avoid meeting head on, as this is perceived as a threatening act. Instead, allow the puppies to approach slightly to one side, keeping the leashes loose. Stand still so that, if they choose to, the puppies can turn and sniff each other.
At puppy school, we arrange it so that everyone meets at least four other owners and puppies and follows the same routine—get the puppy to sit, chat with the other owner, praise the puppy and click-and-treat—then move on. Over time, you should extend the period that your puppy sits while you talk to the other owner.
TIP: DISTRACTION
If your puppy starts to play too boisterously with another dog, the best way to separate the two animals is to use a food lure. Simply place a treat on your pup’s nose and use it to draw him away.
Step 3
With the dogs under control, their owners can greet each other without worrying that their pets will start to misbehave. Seeing the extended hands, the puppy on the left here is looking for any hand signals.
Step 4
Rewarding the dogs when they behave well helps to reinforce the training process. It is equally important that the dogs do not start to become excitable at this stage, and they should only be encouraged to walk on again when a verbal command to do so is given.
