Managing entry of friend and two dogs/excitement chaos

[tritonx]

I don't want to be a bore about this, but I'm still working on ways to manage Fraser's extreme excitement when people come to house. My friend (with the two moppet dogs of previous chaotic events) is coming over for dinner. He could leave the dogs at home, but since we're close friends we want to work out ways for the dogs to be together even though one of them doesn't like Fraser though isn't aggressive unless F. gets too close.) Fraser's now 18 months and does settle down more quickly than when he was younger. It's that moment when the door opens, my friend steps in with the two dogs. His two dogs will be excited greeting me. We've taken to ignoring until they settle and then greet which works when I got to his house (but without Fraser). Also been working on ignoring Fraser until he settles (but without his dogs). It's this specific complicated situation where dogs are also interacting with each other in high excitement. I'm thinking of tossing a roast beef in the corner to distract Fraser, but it does seem a waste  Fraser has an excellent stay except in a high excitement situation. If I can take advantage of the knowledgeable people here one more time, how would you break down the combination of excitements in the greeting scenario I've described? Putting F. behind a baby gate will have him screaming to get out, but maybe we just have to put up with it until the initial friend's dogs/me greeting has died down...?

[MegandMolly]

Would it be easier to meet at the local park, let the dogs have their 'mad 5 minutes / wall of death greeting' outside, then bring 3 tired dogs back to have a snooze??

[lindseyp]

I was going to say the same as Sam but maybe a lead walk all together instead - mine can come back a little hyper after an excitable walk but less so when they've been onlead. Meeting outside before hand, may take the excitment off them coming into your home & hopefully they will all settle quicker ........ good luck though & let us know how you get on   

[johndoran]

I love being greeted by an excited cocker.

[tritonx]

So do I, but he's already terrified one little girl at the doorway. It gets dark so early these days, light almost gone by 4:30 and possibly raining when they come. However, if it helped to reduce the chaos, it's worth a try. I just got an email from him and he suggested leaving his dogs out in the car until the Fraser/him greet has settled a bit. It's just that there's so much snarling and snapping when it's a pile up. F has a big crush on the female and tends to mack on her (he's neutered, but still boy) so she snarls to get him to back off, but he's pretty persistent like many a teenage boy I knew in my youth  And if he goes near the other one in the general melee, the other male snaps at him and F. is now old enough that he sometimes meets aggression with aggression.  I think maybe the outside in the garden greet might be the best option, rainy dark or not, as it gives them much more space to sort things out. So we humans will do the pointed ignoring and let the dogs sort it out in a roomier situation. Heh, I can just see it. It's pitch black where I am next to the forest and the outdoor motion light doesn't cover much of the garden. I'm now seeing us hunting down the dogs with flashlights in my rather large garden. It's likely going to be worth videotaping for the comic possibilities. If I don't check in tomorrow, notify the RCMP 

[tritonx]

Well, RCMP were not required though there was a noisy exit of visitor dogs and Fraser who dived out the door because everyone else was leaving. Bouton (the male who doesn't like him) started barking at the dog next door, Fraser and Sophie joined in and soon all the dogs in the neighbourhood were barking. I managed to snag Fraser (dark roan in the dark, not easy, must get one of those blinking arm bands I was reading about) and got him inside while Bouton evaded his owner for the next 15 minutes. Took the advice to let them greet outside and that worked pretty well. Fraser spent the rest of the evening trying to seduce Sophie by sitting next to her with his nose stretched toward her as she gave him warning snaps and got in the occasional nuzzle and lick in her earhole which she accepted with faint grace. That alternated with thrusting his rear end in her face which equally left her barely tolerating his advances while muddying the message with a wagging tail. So, things went better than I was expecting and Fraser seems to settle more quickly nowadays than when he was younger, despite his failure as a lover. Can't understand it as he was adorable in his ardent yearning. Won me over. Don't know why Sophie didn't see it.

[Sarah.H]

Fraser you Romeo  . Charlie gave up trying to seduce Millie after she kicked his but a few times, but she will also occasionally except the odd ear nudge  . Maybe you could meet up and go for walks as well, they might bond better that way?