How to Train Your Dog to Greet People Politely

Jumping up is one of the most common behaviour complaints dog owners bring to training classes. The dog isn’t being rude on purpose. When two dogs meet, they greet face to face, and your dog is trying to do the same thing with every human who walks through the door. The problem is that a 30-kilo Labrador launching at your grandmother’s chest is a safety issue, not just bad manners.

The fix isn’t complicated, but it requires consistency from every person in the household and every visitor who walks in. You’re teaching the dog one simple rule: four paws on the floor (or a sit) earns attention, and jumping earns nothing. That’s the whole game.

To train your dog to greet people politely, teach a reliable sit, then practise sit-to-greet with family first, then friends, then strangers. Everyone must ignore jumping completely and only give attention when all four paws are on the floor. Use management tools like a lead, baby gate, or place mat while the training is in progress. Most dogs improve noticeably within two to four weeks of consistent daily practice.

Why Do Dogs Jump on People?

Jumping is a normal canine greeting behaviour. Puppies jump at their mother’s face to solicit food and attention. When your dog jumps on you, the motivation is similar. The dog wants to get closer to your face, and standing on hind legs is the fastest way to do it.

The behaviour sticks around because it works. Even if you push the dog down or say “no,” you’re still giving attention. And for most dogs, any attention is better than none. Visitors make the problem worse by squealing “Oh, how cute!” while the dog scales their legs. The dog learns that jumping equals fuss, pats, eye contact, and excited voices.

A Cavoodle called Pepper at a Perth puppy class was a classic case. Pepper would launch at every person who came within two metres. The owner had been pushing Pepper down for months, which Pepper interpreted as a wrestling game. Within three weeks of switching to the sit-to-greet method, Pepper was planting her backside on the ground the moment someone approached.

Build the Groundwork First

Sit-to-greet only works if the sit itself is reliable. Before adding the complexity of visitors and excitement, your dog needs to be able to hold a sit in low-distraction environments for at least 10 seconds. If the sit falls apart the moment anything interesting happens, go back to basics and strengthen it.

Practise sit before meals, before the lead goes on, before going through a door, and before being released to play. The dog starts to learn that sitting is how you ask for things. This transfers easily to greetings because the dog already knows: sit = good things happen.

Use high-value rewards for this early work. Diced chicken, small cubes of cheese, or Zeal freeze-dried liver treats. Dry kibble won’t compete with the excitement of a visitor at the front door.

How to Teach Sit-to-Greet (Step by Step)

Stage 1: Family greetings

1. Start at the front door with a family member. One person stands outside with the dog inside on a loose lead. The person outside opens the door and steps in. If the dog jumps, the person immediately turns around and walks back out, closing the door. No words, no eye contact. Wait 10 seconds, then try again.
2. Reward the sit. The moment the dog sits (or keeps four paws on the floor), the person calmly steps in and offers a quiet pat and a treat. Keep the greeting low-key. Excited praise will undo the calm behaviour.
3. Repeat with every household member. Do five to ten reps per session. Within a few days, most dogs start sitting as the door opens because they’ve worked out that jumping makes the person disappear.

Stage 2: Friends and known visitors

1. Brief your visitors before they arrive. Send a text: “We’re working on Buddy’s greeting manners. When you come in, please completely ignore the dog until the dog sits. No eye contact, no talking to the dog, no petting until all four paws are on the floor.”
2. Use a lead for management. Have the dog on a loose lead so you can prevent the jump from being successful. If the dog lunges, hold the lead steady (don’t yank) and wait. The moment the dog sits or stands calmly, the visitor can greet.
3. Give the visitor treats. Hand your friend a few treats before they walk in. Ask them to drop a treat on the ground the moment the dog sits. This directs the dog’s energy downward rather than upward.

A sign on the front door can help: “Please wait, we’re training our dog. We’ll be a moment.” It takes the pressure off when the doorbell rings and you’re scrambling for the lead.

Stage 3: Strangers on walks

1. Keep distance at first. When you see someone approaching on the footpath, ask your dog for a sit before the person reaches you. Reward the sit. If the dog breaks the sit, increase distance next time.
2. Recruit willing strangers. If someone asks to pat your dog, say “Sure, but could you wait until the dog sits?” Most people are happy to help. Hand them a treat if you have one.
3. Walk away if needed. If the stranger ignores your request and reaches for the dog while the dog is jumping, politely turn and walk away. Protecting the training is more valuable than being polite to one person.

Management Tools While You Train

Training takes time. In the meantime, you need to prevent the dog from practising the old behaviour. Every successful jump reinforces it.

Baby gate at the front entry. The dog can see the visitor arrive but can’t physically reach them. Once the excitement settles, open the gate and cue a sit.

Place mat or bed. Teach the dog to go to a mat near the front door on cue. The mat becomes the “greeting station.” The dog goes to the mat, sits or drops, and waits for permission to say hello. This takes a few weeks to build but is one of the most reliable long-term solutions.

Lead on at all times when visitors arrive. Keep a lead draped over the door handle or hooked near the entry. Clip the dog on before opening the door. You control the approach.

Scatter treats on the floor. As the door opens, toss a handful of small treats on the ground near the dog’s feet. The dog’s nose goes down, not up. This buys you time and redirects the excitement toward the floor. Trainer Chirag Patel calls this the “feed your shoe” method and it works well for high-energy greeters.

The Hardest Part: Training the Humans

Here’s the uncomfortable truth. The dog is usually not the biggest training challenge. The humans are.

It only takes one visitor saying “Oh, I don’t mind, I love dogs!” and petting the jumping dog to undo a week of work. One family member who lets the dog jump “just this once” sends a confusing message. The dog can’t tell the difference between “jumping is okay sometimes” and “jumping is okay always.”

Everyone in the household needs to follow the same rule, every single time. That includes the kids. If your six-year-old rewards the dog with squeals and hugs when the dog jumps, the dog will keep jumping on the six-year-old. And eventually on nanna.

This is especially worth thinking about in Australia where dog-friendly cafes, pub gardens, and shared paths are part of daily life. A dog that jumps on strangers at a Bondi cafe or a Yarra Trail footpath isn’t just embarrassing. It can lead to complaints, or worse, a bite incident if the dog startles someone who reacts with fear.

What Not to Do

Don’t knee the dog in the chest. This old-school advice can injure the dog and doesn’t teach an alternative behaviour. The dog may stop jumping on you but will still jump on everyone else because the punishment is linked to you specifically, not the action.

Don’t grab the paws and squeeze. Same problem. It’s aversive, inconsistent, and doesn’t transfer to other people or situations.

Don’t yell “down” or “off.” To the dog, yelling is attention. And if you also use “down” to mean “lie down,” the dog gets two conflicting meanings for the same word.

Don’t use a spray bottle or rattle can. These startle-based methods can increase anxiety and erode the dog’s trust in you around visitors. You want greeting time to feel safe, not scary.

Special Cases: Puppies, Big Dogs, and Seniors

Puppies: Start now. It’s much easier to teach a puppy never to jump than to retrain an adult dog. Every time a puppy jumps and gets attention, that’s a rep of the wrong behaviour being reinforced. Puppy school is a great place to practise greetings in a controlled setting.

Large breeds: Urgency is higher. A jumping Labrador or German Shepherd can knock a child or elderly person to the ground. Use management tools from day one and make polite greetings a non-negotiable part of daily life.

Older dogs: It takes longer to change a behaviour that’s been rehearsed for years, but it absolutely can be done. Be patient and increase the value of the reward. An older dog that’s been jumping for five years will need more motivation to try something new.

Anxious or nervous jumpers: Some dogs jump because they’re overwhelmed, not because they’re happy. Watch the body language. If the dog’s ears are pinned back, the tail is low, or the dog is lip-licking during greetings, the jumping may be a stress response. These dogs benefit from being given space rather than being forced to greet. Let the dog approach on their own terms.

---

When to Get Professional Help

If your dog’s greeting behaviour involves mouthing, nipping, or growling, or if the jumping hasn’t improved after four to six weeks of consistent training, it’s time to bring in a professional. Look for a qualified reward-based trainer with experience in greeting manners and impulse control. Members of the Pet Professional Guild Australia or trainers accredited through Delta Society Australia are a good starting point. Your vet can also refer you to a veterinary behaviourist if the issue is linked to anxiety.

---

Frequently Asked Questions