I have a 14 month female Bernese Mountain dog named Sydney. She has been through training classes and is very obedient with the exception of two areas. Greeting people... She gets so excited that she will step all over you, nuzzle aggressively (men really have to watch out), and pretty much make a pest of herself to the point that visitors cannot wait to get away from her... She also has a problem with demanding attention. While reading or watching tv, she nuzzles your hand, or sits on your feet, and if you do not respond, she will bark and bark. How do you correct your dog for being happy to see you? Or for wanting to be close to you? There is myself and my husband at home, and our other dog Cheyenne (Newfie) who pretty much gets trampled during these episodes. Thanks for any help that you can be on this subject. - ChristineB

As you already know, Bernese Mountain dogs are VERY friendly, happy dogs that LOVE people. As my dog Happy would translate for you, your dog is thinking "WOW, I just have to keep nudging my way up to these people and they WILL pat my head or rub my face! The more I stick my nose up to them, the more hands I have to play with me!"
There are a few things you can try. Since she is aiming for the human contact attention, you can try using a water squirt bottle. Keep it by the door so when she attempts to approach without your approval, you can try spritzing her to back her off without patting her. Some dogs actually enjoy a nice water spray so this may not work. You can try making a barricade by the door so she cannot get directly to someone entering. It will take some training time, but make her sit and stay until she is calm. Once she is calm, approach her, reach over the barricade and pet her. A gate works better than a crate for this technique. Remember she is thinking more pestering = more hands on her for attention. Everyone should adhere to whichever technique you choose to try.

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