Absolutely! Whether you are at the dog park or your own house, it's encouraged to teach your dog manners. If not for you, the vet, your friends/family, or other animals, then, for your pup.
It's easy to get frustrated with a dog that doesn't know basic manners, but remember, we are responsible for teaching our dogs what is appropriate and acceptable. It's a very rare thing to find a dog at fault for bad behavior (medical reasons aside)...environment and conditioning play a part. So, before becoming frustrated or angry with the dog that constantly jumps on people, or bites guests hands and pees on the carpet, consider what is going on around the dog. Is your neighbor gone and the dog is barking because he's lonely? Maybe you can talk to the neighbor to see if there is a solution for a happier dog.
Take a look...are you rewarding unwanted behavior without realizing it? Sure, it may be cute for a new puppy to growl and bite your hand, but what happens when that puppy becomes a year old Mastiff that still "holds hands". I bet your neighbor who is walking by the rod iron fence won't think it's cute that your dog grabbed his hand...he could even sue you.
And what happens at the dog park? Never put it past a dog to be a dog. That's why there are posted rules at all official dog parks. Rules such as No Food--imagine two dogs that are food aggressive and you show up with your lunch. What would happen? Possibly nothing, probably some kind of fight between the two dogs. The dogs fault? I think not. Dog park etiquette is extremely important as we are solely responsible for anything our dogs do to other dogs (that's in the rules, too). Pay attention, be ready to intervene, and follow the rules for the good of all dog park pooches.
It's okay to have a dog that loves people so much that he has to express himself, showing his love and appreciation. The problem arises when the guest doesn't see it the same way and is annoyed. Part of dog owner etiquette is knowing when to jump in. If your dog always does a certain thing when guests arrive, be prepared in advance...if your dog jumps on people, put a leash on him and step on the leash so he can't jump...easy! That's just one example of how you can help your dog avoid acting innapropriately.
I have a Lhasa Apso that gets extremely happy when people come over. One of the ways he shows his joy is by using his voice, so when he starts "talking", I immediately ask him to sit. Most dogs really want to please their people, as this little guy does, so when you ask them to do something like a simple "sit", it takes their minds off of the behavior you are trying to alleviate and puts them in people pleasing mode.
Your dogs will appreciate all the love and praise they receive when they do something that makes you happy. Setting them up to succeed as "good dogs" feels great and helps you enjoy the pet owner role. Having two wacky dogs myself, I see the value everyday in all the years of training and hard work. And we absolutely enjoy eachother every single moment we have together. I call them perfect because they are perfect at being dogs.
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