There are as many styles of greeting behavior as there are dogs, but if your dog’s big personality is a little too eager for your guests’ comfort, here are a few tips to make sure that that big ball of fluff is as good with guests as you are.

1. Have your dog step away and calm down.

One of the techniques we’ve had a lot of success with is to pick a specific place—a dog bed, a dog crate, or other place that your dog knows as theirs—and train them to go there in response to the command “place” (or “bed” or “crate”).

Once your dog has this command down, you can tell her to go to her place when guests first come in and give her some time to calm down before greeting everyone.

2. Train for short periods—and often.

To help your dog learn “place” or a similar training command, it’s best to practice for short periods of time multiple times a week. You can start out by reinforcing the behavior in calm moments with just you and your dog and then move on to having a friend come to the door when your dog has gotten the hang of solo practices.

3. Use positive reinforcement.

Have treats, a clicker, a snuggle, a dog toy, or all four ready, depending on what your dog is used to. When they get their greeting behavior right, make sure to affirm them with a big “yes!” and a reward.

With practice and positive reinforcement, your dog will be a well-behaved socialite in no time! Just remember that doggy manners, just like people manners, get better with time.

How do you train your dogs to greet guests with manners? We’d love to add your tips to the mix in the comments below and don’t forget to check out EzyDog for great training tools for your dog.