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Should you greet your dog when you come home?

It's a big question that often causes confusion for dog guardians. Common advice is to ignore them for five minutes when you get back to avoid reinforcing over-excitement and only acknowledge them after that. Well, guess what? I'm a yeah-nah on that one (chuckles!).

In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the best approach to greeting your dog when you return home, focusing on maintaining calmness while also acknowledging your dog’s excitement.

Dogs Are Social Creatures
First, it’s important to remember that dogs are incredibly social animals. This is especially true for those of us who live in multi-dog households. When one dog is taken out and then returns, the others will naturally greet them. It’s simply what dogs do—they are pack animals that love interaction and social bonding.

So when you come home and your dog jumps up to greet you, it’s completely normal. The key question is: How should you respond?

The "Five-Minute Rule" - Does It Work?
You may have heard that some trainers recommend ignoring your dog for five minutes when you come home—don’t look at them, don’t talk to them, and don’t acknowledge their excitement. This idea is based on the belief that ignoring your dog will help them calm down and reduce the risk of reinforcing undesirable behaviors like jumping or over-excitement.

While the intention behind this rule is good, I actually disagree with it. Dogs are social creatures, and ignoring them when they greet you can cause confusion or even anxiety. Think about it this way: Imagine if your partner came home after a long day, and you greeted them enthusiastically, only to be met with complete indifference—no eye contact, no acknowledgment, just a cold silence. How would that make you feel? Probably confused, stressed, and even hurt.

It’s the same for your dog. If they’re excited to see you, ignoring them can lead to frustration or feelings of rejection. In my experience, it’s far better to acknowledge their greeting in a calm and composed way.

How to Greet Your Dog Without Over-Exciting Them
When you return home, it’s perfectly okay to greet your dog, but the key is to do so in a calm and controlled manner. Here are a few simple tips:

1. Be Calm and Low-Key
   When your dog greets you, try to maintain a calm, relaxed demeanor. You can say something like, “Hey buddy, how’s it going?” but avoid getting overly excited. If you greet them with too much enthusiasm, it can hype them up and cause them to jump or act out.
2. Don’t Reinforce Over-Excitement If your dog starts to get overly excited—barking, jumping, or acting hyper—try not to match their energy with your own frustration (and quite possibly annoyance). Instead, remain calm and avoid reinforcing these behavior. 
3. Managing Excessive Excitement: The "Place" Command For some dogs, especially those with higher energy levels, excitement can turn into chaos. If your dog has a tendency to jump up or act out when you come home, one effective solution is teaching them a "place" or "mat" command. The goal is to train your dog to go to a specific spot, like their bed or a designated mat, when you walk through the door. This helps them understand that greeting you doesn’t mean they get to jump all over you—it means calmly going to their place. To train this behavior, you can start by introducing the "place" command inside your home. Use treats or praise, to encourage your dog to settle on the bed or mat. Once your dog consistently goes to their place, you can begin practicing this behavior as part of your arrival routine. With time, they’ll learn to automatically go to their place when you come home.
4. Alternative Behaviors-Scatter Feeding: Another useful trick for calming your dog after you come home is scatter feeding. This involves scattering food or treats around the room to give your dog something to focus on while they calm down. Sniffing is a natural and calming behavior for dogs, and scatter feeding taps into this instinct. By giving your dog a task like sniffing for food, you can help redirect their energy in a positive way and allow them to settle down. This is especially effective if your dog tends to be overly excited or jumpy when you return.
5. Teaching an Alternative Behavior - Sit or Down: If scatter feeding isn’t your thing, or if you prefer more direct control, you can teach your dog an alternative behavior such as “sit” or “down” when you come home. Asking your dog to sit or lie down can prevent them from jumping or becoming overly excited. Plus, when your dog is sitting or lying down, they’re in a more relaxed state, which will help them settle faster. Like any new behavior, teaching your dog to sit or down when you come home requires consistency and patience. Make sure to reward them when they perform the behavior correctly, and over time, this will become their default response when you return home.

Final Thoughts: Balance is Key
Ultimately, the key to greeting your dog after being away is finding a balance. While it’s important to acknowledge your dog and show them affection, you also want to avoid reinforcing over-excitement or disruptive behavior.

• Greet your dog calmly and avoid over-the-top excitement.
• Teach them behaviors like “place” or “sit” to help manage their enthusiasm.
• Use techniques like scatter feeding to help them settle down.

Remember, dogs are social creatures who want to interact with you, but with a little training and consistency, you can create a more peaceful and relaxed greeting routine for both you and your dog.