'Excessive greetings' is the term I would place on my enquiry form as I speak to people that struggle with this very common area of behaviour. Now this can vary immensely depending on the age and breed of dog.

To have an excessive greeting in a Chihuahua can be just as distressing for the owner as somebody struggling with a great Dane that is leaping about near the front door. The problem is relative, and I have seen all sexes and breeds of dogs for this problem alone.

In a junior dog the behaviour is often manageable and maybe the owner sees it as endearing at first, but once mature there can be more serious implications. Excessive greetings can develop into a more aggressive or dominant stance from the dog should it learn that it can, in fact, control this area and access to the home or family members.

Calmly taking back control is our aim, and a change in the owners (and visitors) interaction and behaviour goes a long way to resolving this over time.

We may also find other problems with excessive greetings or over the top behaviour such as submissive urination (an involuntary release of urine due to extreme excitement or stress). This can distress some owners depending on the size of the dog normally!