My dog really likes to jump on people and I'd like to know how I can get him to be more polite to our guests. The energetic behavior can be especially hard on our guests when they are children or very old in age. What can I do?
Ignore the behavior! Dogs do things that pay. If your dog jumps and the person speaks to him, pushes him off of them (basically giving attention) or anything similar, it is exactly what your dog wants. Have guests turn around and ignore your dog when he jumps. Then when all four paws are on the floor they can say hi. Another option would be to teach an incompatible behavior, such as a sit, meaning your dog can't sit and jump on someone at the same time. Teach your dog when greeting people he needs to sit before anyone acknowledges he's there. To get rid of jumping you need to be very consistent so don't let your dog jump on anyone at any time (at the front door, on walks, at the park, even on you, etc.) Eventually, your dog will realize that he gets what he wants (attention, treats, etc.) when he stays on the ground and that when he jumps up nobody pays him any attention.