Hi my 3 month old whippet puppy is really good in my company but very hyperactive when visitors arrive, so much so that I can't concentrate on any conversation. I carry her in my arms to let them in, let her say hello and have a good tail-wag all around them. But then I just can't get her to calm down. Today I held her by her collar to keep her on the sofa with me but she tugged and strained and whined so much I put her in the kitchen and closed the door. I hoped this would act like the naughty step but no way. She barked and howled and just didn't calm down. The noise was bad so I had to let her in and on the sofa again but the same tugging, biting and straining continued. When I eventually allowed her to get down she flew over to my visitor and had a mad five minutes leaping all over her and biting her - playful biting --but I just couldn't calm her down. Has anyone any suggestions please as with me she is quiet and calm, goes all through the night without toiletting in her crate, and comes back to me when called when out in the park. It's just the over-enthousiasm towards my visitors that's the problem. Thank you, Sarah.

Hi, when i had a dog like that i would put her on lead, while i had visitors, and when my dog sat and calmed down i would tell her good girl and give treat, then when calm i would walk over to visitors ,if she got hyper i would turn round and go and sit down again, as soon as dog calmed i would " good girl and treat ,and just carry on doing this, it really worked for me, mind you some of my visitors thought i was mad , but i found that my girl found out very soon if she was calm around people she got praise and treats, and by keeping her on lead it was not a case of her jumping over visitors or being shut away,

Thanks, I will try that. I think it's a trait with whippets though - ALL whippets I know have this "Oooh how super to see you lets go crazy for an hour" behaviour. Some people like it and some people don't. I think whippets tend to be a bit hyper anyway - cute and loving - but hyper never the less! But I will try what you suggest. Thank you.

Hope things work out , just had a thought what food is she on? some food is known to make dogs more hyper,

Can you put pics on ? i love whippits would love to have one, one day, i have met a few great ones in the past

Thanks, btw I really thought she'd cracked the toilet training bit but just found a little parcel under my dining table AND i caught her doing a wee on my carpet an hour ago grrrr! regarding pics I'm not sure how or where you put them on here. I've got loads but is it easy to put them on this site?

When your visitors come do they immediately make a fuss of her? Visitors coming are times of hyper excitement for a pup anyway, but if they are immediately paying her attention as soon as they arrive that will hype her up more, it will aso make the behaviour even more rewarding.

I would ask visitors to ignore her totally like shes not even there dont even look at her, come straight in and sit down. You can try two things, Either put her in another room before you let them in, let them sit, give her a few more minutes then let her out, carry on ignoring her completely until she has calmed down, and only then talk to her in calm voices and pay her calm attention and gentle stroking. Or you can bring her out on a lead, Or have her on a lead when you let them in. Whatever of the three works best.

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They do have lapses in toilet training again, Just go back to basics again and keep putting her in the garder consistently and regularly, and lots of praise and treats when she gets it right.

One other thing with the visitors coming, if she still doesnt calm down with the ignoring her in the visitors precence, then just keep putting her out, repeatedly until she does calm down. If your consistant they usually do get the message, that calmness gets attention and is rewarded, hyper behaviour doesnt.

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I have a stair gate when any pups are little, and shut them behind it before i open the door to visitors. Then they can see the visitors but i dont let them in/out until they are quiet and are sitting down.
You have to wait for the excitement to fade, i think thats where a gate helps rather than being shut behind a door and they cant see or hear and tend to get more excited

So you think it's better that the pup CAN see you? It's difficult for me and any visitors to talk though if she can see us as surely she'll keep making a lot of noise more? I was thinking of putting her in the kitchen behind a fixed baby gate where she CAN'T see us??

Every dogs different. what works better on some, doesnt work on others. Try what you were going to do first, you always have the other option to try and see what works best.

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