# Having a party at my house, need some tips.



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

I am having a party at my house in mid-April. We had a party this same time of year last year, but my GSD was only 7 months old at the time. I was worried then about him being stressed out with having 50+ people coming and going over the course of the night, but he did VERY well. Was very friendly to everyone, was very calm, just kept going between the backyard and the inside of the house to check things out. 

Well, a lot has changed, now that he is an 18 month old. He is a lot more cautious of strangers and can be territorial at times. Overall, when we have people over at our house, he wants to sniff the person walking in the door immediately, but doesn't show aggression towards them. There have only been about 3-4 incidents where he barked at someone once they were inside, but I immediately gave those people treats and had them give him a command and had them give him the treat. No problem. He has been very friendly to company, but these are times when there are less than 10 people at our house.

We had a smaller party at our house (about 15-20 people) in November (Doc would've been between 13-14 mos) and he was very stressed out the whole time. We were having a bonfire in the backyard and everytime someone would come through the backdoor and into the backyard, he was circling them, barking, jumping and nipping at people's clothes. At one point, when all of us were around the fire, he was running circles around us at full speed. (herding??) I'm not sure, but I think that he was maybe being territorial, since he loves his backyard... that is his potty area and his play area. I didn't see this, but a couple friends said that when they came into the house through the front door, he displayed the same behavior. He hasn't displayed this behavior since then and had never displayed this behavior prior to this, even at the first party I mentioned, and we had a bonfire and various people in the backyard. Since then, when I've had company in the backyard (which has been about 2-3 people at a time since that incident), he has been more along the lines of "please throw the ball for me!" but no jumping, nipping or circling. On the night of that incident, I had taken him on a long walk in the afternoon and threw the ball for him in the yard for a whole hour right before people started coming over and even the first couple guests that came were throwing the ball for him, so I was hoping he would be a lot calmer for the party. 

So with this party coming up in less than a month, I would appreciate some tips and suggestions. Either some training I could start with him now to prepare for the party or some things I should do (or have the guests do) the day of and during the party. Some things I plan on doing is taking him for a long walk and go to the dog park during the day. And about an hour before the party starts, take him to a hockey rink near our house to throw the ball to get those last bits of energy out. I think playing ball with him before the party somewhere OTHER than his own backyard may ease the territorial aggression a bit. I plan on getting a very high value bone for him to chew on, so that he has something to do. I also plan on having a new box of treats to have on hand, so that I can have various party guests give him a treat. If the jumping, nipping, aggressiveness, etc starts what should I do?! I do have a mesh muzzle and we do have a crate, but I want to make the experience as positive as possible for him, so that for future parties I don't have to worry about this. Everyone knows that when you are hosting a party, there is so much to do and keeping everything running smoothly, that the last thing you want to deal with is having to keep an eye on your dog the whole time.

Sorry so long! Please help!


----------



## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Crate + bowl of hot dogs near crate, have guests pick up a hot dog and toss it into the crate as they walk by. It's up to you if you want strangers feeding your dog but your dog can't stay upset at everyone when they all end up being potential hot dog vending machines. They needn't linger, just pick up pieces, toss, make sure the pieces made it into the crate, then walk away. Or put up your dog in a part of the house/yard that is INACCESSIBLE by anyone but you. Keep your dog safe AND your guests safe.

Very smart thinking with planning all the exercise. That will help a lot!


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

You think that I should keep him crated throughout the whole party?! I think that might make him even more stressed out with all of the commotion going on and people walking by. I only wanted to use the crate as a last resort in case he was getting outta control. The door leading into the garage and the door leading to the backyard is in his eyesight from the crate.


----------



## law1558 (Feb 20, 2008)

If your dog is crate trained, I'd also encourage using it. Unlike that PETA article posted on another thread, having a dog crate-trained is a perfect solution for this situation...my dogs consider their crates as their "safe zones". When they were younger, we'd put them in their crates on July 4th because our city hosts a fireworks show at the high school close to our house or whenever we expected a lot of people over. Now, the doors to the crates are kept open, but Zeus still seeks his out if he needs a break from the chaos of our household!


----------



## Maraccz (Sep 3, 2005)

When I had parties of that size I either board my dogs or put them in a back room where NO ONE can get to them. My guys are friendly, but on mistep on to a paw and that can change. And depending on the friends and type of party. Parties at my place can get loud or have drama...my guys are happier away from it.


----------



## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

I would crate him or even consider boarding him. 50 people is a lot of people and would stress me out alone a dog.

No way would I have him loose, just too many variables that you can't control.

Plus this way you could relax and enjoy the party!


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I agree with safety for the dogs sake...crate, quiet room or maybe on leash if he would be up to that. It is stressful to have an invasion on the dogs territory and probably a bit confusing. Add alcohol to that and dogs are even more vulnerable, better to play it safe.


----------



## chruby (Sep 21, 2005)

Wow, that's a whole lotta dog prep for a party.









Honestly, with that many people I would crate him unless you have a chance to leash him and work with him on "proper" introductions, etc....Letting him engage in any negative behavior that may occur due to your being busy, would not be a good thing. 

I have 4 GSD's so when I have a party, at best, one is loose and the rest are crated. As the party winds down and people start to leave I may let the rest out to mingle since I can devote more time to them. 

It's just not worth the risk of any problems if you cannot devote 100% attention on him, especially since you have not been comfortable with his behavior in the past with crowds.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Since you already know he gets stressed out around a lot of people, I agree with crating or boarding him. With my dogs it's the opposite - the more people, the better they are. They love people and tend to get overly excited when someone comes over and they want to jump all over them and give kisses. Once they get past that initial excitement they're fine, but it can be a PITA. The last big party we had was around 30-35 people, and after the first few arrivals it went from "Woohoo, COMPANY!!!!" to "oh, somebody else is here? meh...." We got amazed compliments from the latecomers about how well behaved our dogs were, and our thought was "you should have been here sooner...." (When they were AWFUL!!!







)


----------



## law1558 (Feb 20, 2008)

Could you turn the crate in such a way that the doors to the garage and to outside aren't visible?

It kind of sounds like the crate isn't an "escape" or "safe zone" for your dog like it is for mine. If your dog isn't already comfortable with being in his crate, maybe our suggestions won't work for you.

If that's the case, I would consider putting him in a quiet back room or boarding him like someone else said. I'm trying to picture 50 people in my house, along with my two dogs and I break out into a cold sweat just thinking about it - too much stress, IMHO, to subject your dog to, no matter how well behaved he is. And if you're stressed about his behavior, he'll pick up on it. Like others have said, there are just too many variables you can't control and the outcomes could be long-term....for you, for your guests and especially for your dog.


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

Well, like I said in my orginal post, this was an isolated incident and he hasn't shown this kind of behavior since then. Do you guys think that there is no chance to create a positive experience for him at the party? We live in a very small, one level house (no basement, only a crawlspace.) with hardwood floors, so even if I put him in my room, he will still hear everything that is going on and I think that would stress him out more, since he is the very social type that likes to be in the middle of the action instead of hiding from it. 

Cassidysmom - that is exactly how he was at the first party we had when he was 7 mos old and thats how he reacts when we have company over now. I just don't know if the jumping/nipping behavior will resurface when there are gona be 10-15 people in the backyard at any given time at the party.

*sigh* I don't know what to do. I've never boarded him before, so maybe this would be a good time to try out a place just overnight, so for the future I have a place that I would feel comfortable boarding him for a couple days if I needed to. I just figured the party would be a good learning experience for him, especially if I am prepared to have him all exercised out and have guests give him treats. Do you think if I maybe had him removed (I could bribe a couple friends to take him for a long walk!) for the first hour or so of the party and then when he returned there would already be people inside the house and backyard. Because at our small party where the incident happened, it was people coming into the backyard one-by-one and that is when he would run up to them and jump. *shrugs* Just trying to come up with alternatives to crating and boarding.

I have been to friends' parties where dogs were being social with everyone and totally soaking up all the extra attention and not being territorial. If they weren't soaking up attention, they were just content with laying down by the owner or on their dog bed. A couple have been GSDs too! I just want my boy to be like that!


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

For a dog that has major issues with fear or control crating makes sense, but for a dog that just needs to be taught how to act in this situation (which is what this sounds like to me) crating teaches nothing. I have large parties like this few times a year, and I want my dogs to be a part of them. Stress comes from having to assess these situations on their own. Until they know how to behave and relax around that many people they are on leash. I am there to show them how to behave, and if I cannot be there I have someone that is relatively dog savvy or at least will stay relaxed and calm and follow my direction assist me by handling them on leash. This way they get used to a large group. I want my dogs to be as much a part of my life as possible. Eventually, you don't have to worry about it because they know that gatherings like this are FUN. If I do not like the dogs energy then they get crated. As with everything, positive experiences build positive feelings in the dog for group situations and vice versa. At Christmas this year my sister in law commented on how Diesel was now on leash instead of Lowen (she was last year). I just said "freedom is earned", and it really clicked for her as she watched my 15 month old female working line schutzhund dog with tons of prey drive calmly interact with her toddler son. All of this behavior needs to be taught and cultivated just as much as a recall or a heel.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: Doc_BrownWell, like I said in my orginal post, this was an isolated incident and he hasn't shown this kind of behavior since then. Do you guys think that there is no chance to create a positive experience for him at the party?


I think there is a chance, but it will take some time and effort. Will you be able to devote that amount of time and effort with a house and yard full of people? If you can, I think it's definitely a worthwhile endeavor.


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

Oh, one more suggestion: What about having one of his playmates come over during the party? When other dogs are around, he could care less about other people. Do you think distracting him with one of his familiar playmates would be a good idea?


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: ZeusGSDFor a dog that has major issues with fear or control crating makes sense, but for a dog that just needs to be taught how to act in this situation (which is what this sounds like to me) crating teaches nothing. I have large parties like this few times a year, and I want my dogs to be a part of them. Stress comes from having to assess these situations on their own. Until they know how to behave and relax around that many people they are on leash. I am there to show them how to behave, and if I cannot be there I have someone that is relatively dog savvy or at least will stay relaxed and calm and follow my direction assist me by handling them on leash. This way they get used to a large group. I want my dogs to be as much a part of my life as possible. Eventually, you don't have to worry about it because they know that gatherings like this are FUN.


Exactly. I prefer my dogs to be a big part of our lives too, so I would much rather teach them how to behave than to have to segregate them from the fun.


----------



## law1558 (Feb 20, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Doc_Brown
> I have been to friends' parties where dogs were being social with everyone and totally soaking up all the extra attention and not being territorial. If they weren't soaking up attention, they were just content with laying down by the owner or on their dog bed. A couple have been GSDs too! I just want my boy to be like that!


Maybe at a smaller gathering to start....50 people in one place is a lot to deal with, especially if things got too stressful at the party of 15-20 people. I certainly think it's something to work towards, but if you decide to try it this time and it doesn't go well, how long will it take to un-do the damage?


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: Doc_BrownOh, one more suggestion: What about having one of his playmates come over during the party? When other dogs are around, he could care less about other people. Do you think distracting him with one of his familiar playmates would be a good idea?


NO. Once you work through this issue, sure. But this is about you teaching him how to act in a group. Relax, have fun and show him to do the same.


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

Thank you ZuesGSD. You took the words right outta my mouth! I want him to be a part of my life and this is why I am so concerned with having him involved in the party and not tucked away in the bedroom or crate. I could possibly have him on the leash for the beginning of the party as people start coming in and also have close friends who are aware of Doc's issues and could possibly be his handler if I wanted to take a break.


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: LAW1558
> Maybe at a smaller gathering to start....50 people in one place is a lot to deal with, especially if things got too stressful at the party of 15-20 people. I certainly think it's something to work towards, but if you decide to try it this time and it doesn't go well, how long will it take to un-do the damage?


There is virtually no difference between 20 and 50 unless you are in one room, which I doubt would be the case. On leash you can control it so no damage is done.


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: Doc_BrownI could possibly have him on the leash for the beginning of the party as people start coming in and also have close friends who are aware of Doc's issues and could possibly be his handler if I wanted to take a break.


Be prepared to have him on leash throughout the party. It is possible that he will settle in and you could let him off leash, but then you need to watch him like a hawk. Put in the work now and you'll enjoy him at parties for the rest of his life.


----------



## law1558 (Feb 20, 2008)

And I guess I'm answering this question with a skewed viewpoint, as I don't think _I _could devote 100% of my attention to my dog(s) if I was hosting a party, too. Just having my in-laws over for dinner sometimes puts me into a panic!









As much as I want my dogs to be a part of my life, I think I would have to work up to the comfort level of having them be totally comfortable around a houseful of people....and it would take a lot of trial runs before I would feel like they'd be OK and I'd be able to enjoy my guests AND my dogs at the same time. 

I certainly think it's do-able, but for me, it would take me a longer than a month to prepare.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

When Basu was alive I had many parties where there were upwards of 20 people in the house. He was extremely territorial and also fear aggressive (excellent combo!







). I never crated or removed him. I made sure he got good exercise the day of the party and made sure to have lots of really good treats handy. When the first few people would arrive he would go through his usual routine of looking like he wanted to eat them.









I told EVERYONE coming to my house that I had a dog who looked and acted very scary but that I had him under control and that they should ignore him (he hated it when strangers looked at him!). When they arrived I put him through his usual routine of sending him to his bed and giving him treats for staying there and being quiet. After 7 or 8 people he was like, "Oh, we're having a party, big deal" and settled right down. Of course he would usually start barking anytime any of the men got out of a chair and moved but then I would just put him back through his down stay routine. As whacky as he was (neglected and abused for 4.5 years) I never had a problem with him in the house with strangers. He knew exactly what was expected of him because we did the *same thing* every time 1 or 30 people came over. Over the years he became accustomed to the whole party thing and settled down really quickly once he realized what was going on. 

I think the important part is to develop a routine that your dog understands is always the routine when people come over. That does NOT involve jumping on or nipping at people! You can practice beforehand by having friends come over and doing the same thing every time someone comes over. Teaching him a place command and rewarding him for being calm is key to this routine. This will make him feel more secure because he knows what's expected of him and also because he knows you've got the situation under control!


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeow I made sure he got good exercise the day of the party and made sure to have lots of really good treats handy.


Excellent point Ruth, and one I forgot to mention. Stack the deck in your favor and exercise the crap out of the dog earlier in the day and then feed him. Anything to take the edge off and promote relaxed behavior.


----------



## chruby (Sep 21, 2005)

I think that most of us like our GSD's to be part of our everyday life, myself included but with 4 dogs, for the sake of chaos I do not let them ALL out mid-party but they can have a chance to interact or at the end when it is less hectic.

I think the bottom line here is that if you can devote time to properly teach him how to react to people, etc., then certainly, have him out with you but again, not saying that your dog is aggressive but if there is ANY potential there for a snap or even him jumping up on little kids and scratching them, be very careful. It has happend more times than I would like to see with various board members. 

I would not feel guilty crating him if needed and if he is not used to being in his crate, I would certainly teach him that it is a safe place. You never know when something may pop up where you have to crate him, even with a bunch of people over.


----------



## Qyn (Jan 28, 2005)

If I was having a party of 50 plus people, there is a distinct possibility that at least one of them would *not* be either dog friendly or dog aware. So, I would crate my dog in a place where he is out of the way but could still observe people. I would then announce, earlier rather than later in the evening, that I was taking the opportunity to introduce my dog to larger groups and anyone willing to give the dog a treat (hot dog, liver or whatever) was welcome to take them from an already prepared bowl. I'd take the dog on loose leash through the crowd and hopefully make it a positive experience for all concerned. I'd then take the dog on a quick potty break and recrate my dog.

There are a lot of people who, when they attend a party, just want to concentrate on having a good time or want to display their cool party look or clothes and they do not need or wish to cater the host's dog's needs. When alcohol is concerned a lot of people can appear quite unco-ordinated and scary to a sober person let alone a possibly wary GSD and most people do not need dog slobber on their clothes when they have been invited to a party not a dog socialisation event.

I'm someone that (when I go to a party) I will seek out any resident dog, if I have even the slightest encouragment to do so. But IME not too many people relish that side of a party, so my main concern regarding my dog would be to avoid any negatives rather that expect too many positives. All the best ... I hope it is a great party.


----------



## Lola1969 (Mar 6, 2007)

We had the same size party last June, and Ozzy has never been a fan of strangers in his house. The party was in our back yard as well as in our house.

Ozzy was on a leash the entire time, held by my mother who sat outside the entire time with him. Ozzy would bark in the beginning when he saw people come into the yard, but by the end of the evening, he was fine. People would come over and give him treats. He was never allowed off leash and near the end, he was really enjoying all of the attention he was getting.

I think the leash made him feel secure and he was not constantly going in or out of the house to check things out.

It worked out really well.

Just an option in case you're not interested in the crate. I do agree that I want my dogs to share a lot of what I do. We thought initially about crating him upstairs but decided we would see how he did before we did that. And he did well.


----------



## chruby (Sep 21, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Qyn
> There are a lot of people who, when they attend a party, just want to concentrate on having a good time or want to display their cool party look or clothes and they do not need or wish to cater the host's dog's needs. When alcohol is concerned a lot of people can appear quite unco-ordinated and scary to a sober person let alone a possibly wary GSD and most people do not need dog slobber on their clothes when they have been invited to a party not a dog socialisation event.


Great points.







That would certainly include some of my guests.







It's a lot easier to do it in a smaller gathering, that's for sure.


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

Nothing wrong with anything you say here. For me though, my main hobbies are my dogs and cooking/entertaining. I have most holidays at my home, and I have parties of 10+ people at my home often. It is a top priority that my dogs are comfortable in these situations and know how to react, and this includes behavior towards children. My dogs actually often come with me to large parties like these at others houses because they are well behaved and welcome. Diesel is not there yet (but he has never just been crated for an entire gathering, I work on it with him), but Lowen absolutely is and Zeus was the dog that laid all the groundwork with the "non-dog people" I knew. Now, I have never had a fearful dog. That is totally different, and must be handled in a manner to keep dog and people safe. But for a normal GSD this can be achieved, you just need to put in the work. As with anything it's easier to start when they are young, but good nerves are good nerves and if you are consistent with your expectations and teach a dog what proper interaction is with guests in your home you end up with a dog that loves parties. The people that are not dog friendly need not come to my home. That is my bottom line.


----------



## Skye'sMom (Jul 11, 2004)

While I understand wanting to have your dog(s) be a part of your life, this sounds like a huge party. If the OP was not at least somewhat unsure of having the dog loose, he would not have posted.

Not only could this turn out to be a bad experience for the dog, it could have deathly results. What if the dog gets scared and bolts? Guests leave doors open, gates open - do you really think they will be watching for your dog?

Lots of people, food and a dog - not a good combination until the dog is more mature.

I vote for crating him in a quiet area. If the OP wants to get him once in awhile for some on leash visiting, keep it brief. Make sure it stays positive.

Good luck to you.


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

That is exactly why I suggested to...



> Originally Posted By: ZeusGSD
> Be prepared to have him on leash throughout the party. It is possible that he will settle in and you could let him off leash, but then you need to watch him like a hawk. Put in the work now and you'll enjoy him at parties for the rest of his life.


----------



## chruby (Sep 21, 2005)

Skeye's Mom-- exactly right. I was trying to convey the same thing.









For me it's not that my dogs aren't comfortable, it's more what a previous poster said about the guests not all wanting to be brushed past by a dog or have fur on their clothes. In my perfect world, everyone would love dogs but that is not reality. I also have triplet nieces and nephew who's parent's have never socialized around dogs.







Not everyone likes dogs so I have to respect that. 

However, all of my dogs are comfortable and very well mannered in crowds.









In reality I do not feel that I can keep family members away from my home if they do not like dogs. Family relationships are important too.


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

Thank you to everyone for the responses. This is probably the most responses I've ever recieved for a question/concern that I've posted. 

Just this past weekend, one of our neighbors who Doc knows very well, volunteered to take him in for the night of the party. This may work to our advantage. We were thinking of keeping him around for the beginning of the party, when there will only been a small amount of people. Once the party gets going at about 10:30 or so, we will walk him over to the neighbors house. This plan isn't set in stone yet, we may still keep him around for the whole party because, like mentioned above, we want him to be a part of our lives and learn how to behave in these situations. Depending on how much practice and training we get in before the party will probably determine what we will do with him.


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

That could be a perfect solution. Work with him a while early, and then eventually he can relax and so can you with your guests and maybe even a beer.


----------



## chruby (Sep 21, 2005)

Doc, sounds like a very reasonable approach.









I think slowly increasing the crowd would be a good approach to things, since you are unsure of his response. 

Keep us posted and of course, have fun at your party!!


----------



## Shandril2 (Nov 26, 2003)

I wouldn't crate just because my dog would have howled the whole time thinking that he'd have to be out with us to supervise everything. Last time I had a party that size I brought him to a quiet place he lived previously to spend the afternoon in quiet.


----------



## sleachy (Aug 10, 2001)

Personally, I am too paranoid that something would happen to my dog. What if someone left the front door open and the dog ran into the street? What is someone leaves a plate full of chicken bones from the hotwings on a chair? What if someone thinks it's funny to give beer to the dog? For my animals safety and my sanity, I would have my dog either attached to me or put away where no one could get to her.


----------



## thaliasmom (May 3, 2007)

This was timely for me as we just had a large party (about 125 people) at our house last weekend. It was our first large party since we got the puppy (who just had her first birthday) and we were worried. Locking her up really wasn't an option - she'd go nuts hearing all the commotion and not being able to "supervise."

The good news is that parties usually start in trickles. In our case, we had a few friends come over to help us move some furniture beforehand. All but one had met the dog before, they all like dogs. Dog supervised furniture moving, food placing, etc.

Eventually, the rest of the party showed up. First two or three, then more, pretty soon there were 30 people hanging around. Everyone meets dog, everyone likes dog. Lots of people throw the ball for the dog, and tell her how adorable she is. Dog likes parties so far. 

At about 50 people, dog starts to get a little overwhelmed. Traffic is starting to intensify, more people are going in and out and in and out, noise is getting higher - dog realizes there's *no way* she can supervise all these people OR play with them all. 

Dog went on leash and retired to a quieter corner of the yard with Dad. There was still plenty of activity, but being on leash and attached to me or my DH meant that she didn't have to be in charge of supervising all these people. 

Or, at least, that was how it looked from my perspective. It worked out really well.


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

Well.... we had the party on Saturday. Here's what happened:

Our final plan was to take Doc to our neighbor's house who had volunteered to take him in for the evening. To make sure he would relax and just go to sleep once we took him there, we took him to our nearby park in the early afternoon and threw the ball with the 'Chuck it' (one of those long plastic sticks that launches tennis ball 5x farther than I can throw with my arm alone). Doc still didn't seem tired out after that, so at about 5:30pm I took him to the dogpark to get out some more energy. After throwing more tennis balls with the 'Chuck it' and running with other dogs, he was pooped. We took him to the neighbors around 9pm. 

Around 1am, we got a phone call from our neighbor, saying that Doc could hear all the people in the backyard and was whining and crying all night. My roommate went over to the neighbors and took Doc back home. At this point of the party, it was very crowded and lots of people there that Doc hadn't met before. He was very excited to be back home and see all of the excitement going on. He was pacing through the house and backyard, checking everyone out. Overall, he wasn't too bad. There was one time he got out the front door cause someone wasn't paying attention. A few of us stood on the front step waiting for him for about 10 minutes. When he came back in sight, the few of us who were outside, quickly got up and starting talking in the 'excited and silly' voice saying "Come on Doc, let's go get a treat!", running back towards the front door and he followed. After that, we had friends that stood by the door to either let people know to not let the dog out or were ready to catch Doc if he was gona be sneaky. Another thing that happened, was people were pretty liquor-filled by this point, so some people when they saw an excited dog walking around, just automatically reached their hand over his head to pet him and try to be silly with him... he didn't like that very much. I saw him snap at one person and quickly put him on the leash after that. I had different people give him different commands and give him a treat for listening to them. He was fine after that.

So yeah, overall, he behaved besides those isolated incidents. 

From here, we are going to work with him more when we have smaller groups of people over (5-6) on how to behave when there are unfamiliar people coming to our house, so that one day we can work up to having him calm and relaxed with bigger crowds over.


----------

