How to Teach Your Puppy to Greet People Nicely
A guide to preventing jumping, nipping, and chaos with positive reinforcement training.
Your puppy sees a person. Their whole body wiggles with joy, tail helicoptering, paws flailing. And before you can say “sit,” they’re leaping, licking, or nipping in excitement. It’s cute at 10 pounds — but what about at 60?
Teaching your puppy to greet people politely is one of the most important life skills you can instill early. A well-mannered dog isn’t just easier to live with — they’re welcome in more places, safer around strangers, and far more confident in social situations.
At Wiggle Butt Academy, we believe the best greetings come from clear expectations, consistency, and lots of reinforcement for calm behavior. Let’s walk through exactly how to help your puppy become a social superstar — without the jumping, barking, or bowling people over.
Why Puppies Struggle With Greetings
Greeting people is exciting for most puppies. Humans smell good, they talk in high-pitched happy voices, and they often come with treats or affection. Puppies naturally want to get close — fast.
But here’s the thing: jumping, mouthing, and overexcitement are normal puppy behaviors. Your job isn’t to punish your dog for being social — it’s to teach them how to be social in a way that works in the human world.
We want to shift their thought process from:
“I see a person! I lose my mind!”
to:
“I see a person! I sit and check in with my human.”
And we do that with positive reinforcement and a clear, repeatable game plan.
1. Reinforce Calm Behavior — All the Time
Puppies repeat behaviors that get them what they want. If jumping, barking, or mouthing gets attention — even “no!” or pushing them away — they’ll keep doing it.
Instead:
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Notice and reward calm behavior long before your puppy starts to escalate.
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Use treats, praise, or gentle petting when your puppy has four paws on the floor.
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If they sit or stand quietly near someone, that’s your golden training opportunity.
Try saying “yes!” the moment they stay calm, and immediately deliver a treat. Calm behavior becomes the fastest route to attention.
2. Use the “Sit to Say Hi” Strategy
We love this classic technique because it’s simple, effective, and easy for guests to participate in:
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Teach your puppy that sitting = getting attention.
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When they approach someone, ask for a sit before allowing interaction.
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If they jump or get too excited, withhold attention until they reset.
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When they sit, mark (“yes!”) and reward with a pet, a treat, or praise.
Repeat this every time they greet you, family members, visitors, or even strangers on walks. It creates a reliable habit: “If I sit, people say hi to me.”
3. Practice With You First, Then Gradually Add Distractions
Before involving visitors or strangers, practice polite greetings in low-distraction settings with YOU:
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Walk in the front door as if you’re a guest.
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Ignore jumping and wait for your puppy to sit or settle.
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Mark and reward that calm moment.
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Slowly add excitement (“Hi puppy!!” in a fun voice), then reinforce calm again.
Once they’re successful with you, ask family members or trusted friends to help. Everyone should follow the same rule: No attention for jumping. Big rewards for calm.
4. Manage the Environment for Success
If your puppy is wildly excitable or still learning impulse control, use tools to set them up for success:
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Leash them when expecting visitors so they don’t bolt to the door.
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Use baby gates or x-pens to create a calm zone for greetings.
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Give them a stuffed Kong or chew to focus on while guests arrive.
Preventing chaos allows your puppy to stay below threshold, learn in bite-sized pieces, and build positive associations with visitors without practicing unwanted behaviors.
5. Teach an “Alternative Behavior” Like Hand Targeting
Sometimes a sit is hard for a wiggly puppy — so give them a job they can do instead of jumping!
Hand targeting is a simple cue where your dog touches their nose to your hand. It’s easy to teach, quick to perform, and channels their excitement into something productive.
Here’s how:
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Hold your hand out like a stop sign a few inches from their nose.
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When they sniff or touch your hand, say “yes!” and treat.
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Add the cue “touch” as they catch on.
Now when they greet someone, you can say, “Go touch!” and let them target a visitor’s hand for a reward.
It gives your puppy a clear way to interact with people without getting overly excited or resorting to jumping.
6. Keep Greetings Short and Sweet
Many puppies struggle with overstimulation during greetings. Even if they start calm, they may escalate quickly if petting goes on too long.
Coach guests to:
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Wait for a sit
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Pet for a few seconds
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Pause and step back
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Only continue if your pup stays calm
This teaches your puppy that calm behavior keeps the fun going, and wild behavior makes the fun pause.
7. Be Consistent With Everyone
One of the biggest mistakes people make is inconsistency. If you allow jumping when your puppy is small, or “just this once” with grandma, it’s confusing for your dog.
Set clear expectations:
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No jumping = more interaction
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Calm greetings = big rewards
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Everyone follows the same rules
You can even create a short script for visitors:
“Hi! We’re working on polite greetings. Please ignore him if he jumps and wait until he sits — then you can pet him!”
Trust us, it’s worth the awkwardness to help your puppy learn polite manners that will last a lifetime.
8. Reward Engagement With You
Your dog doesn’t need to greet every person they meet. In fact, teaching your puppy to stay focused on you in public can prevent a lot of pulling, barking, or impulsive jumping.
Practice:
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Rewarding check-ins (eye contact on walks)
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Teaching a “Let’s go!” cue to move past people
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Offering treats for ignoring strangers
This helps your puppy understand that you are the most rewarding thing in their environment — even more than that exciting person on the sidewalk.
9. Know When to Take a Break
Sometimes your puppy is just too tired, overstimulated, or not developmentally ready to handle polite greetings. That’s okay!
If they’re struggling, don’t push it. Give them a break in a quiet room or offer a calming activity like licking, sniffing, or chewing. Training works best when puppies are calm, focused, and relaxed.
10. Ask for Help if You Need It
If your puppy’s greetings involve jumping, biting, barking, or fearful behavior, a certified trainer can help create a plan tailored to your dog’s unique needs.
At Wiggle Butt Academy, we specialize in positive reinforcement puppy training that builds confidence, reduces stress, and sets your dog up for long-term success — in greetings and beyond.
Our team is Fear Free Certified, which means we prioritize emotional safety and relationship-building in every interaction.
Final Thoughts
Polite greetings don’t come naturally to puppies — they’re learned. With the right mix of structure, reward-based training, and a little patience, your puppy can grow into a well-mannered greeter you’ll be proud to show off.
Remember: puppies aren’t trying to be rude. They’re just excited. Your job is to teach them how to say “hello” in a way that works for everyone — paws on the floor, tail wagging, heart full of joy.
Need help getting started? We’d love to be part of your puppy’s journey.
Let’s train with kindness — and make every greeting a success. 💛🐾
For more information on puppy manners contact us anytime:
Dog Training & Dog Behavior Consultant | Wiggle Butt Academy | Texas
https://www.wigglebuttacademy.com/
469-444-1474
2257 Ridgeview Dr Plano, Texas 75025
Wiggle Butt Academy offers dog training and behavior services by professional, certified dog trainers. We combine kindness and animal learning science to teach new skills and change unwanted behavior. We help with puppies and dogs of all ages and stages. We are Fear Free trainers who don’t use fear, force or pain to train your family pet.
Are you ready to unleash your pup’s wiggle butt? Join us at Wiggle Butt Academy, where we use positive reinforcement to teach dogs and their families how to live happy lives together.
