Has anyone actively trained their dog to not try to interrupt hugs between humans?

[Yuppity]

We have our dog only in kitchen/diner area at the moment and we don’t hug in front of her as she barks and tries to get between us. In the dog training advice and support Facebook page they say to slowly desensitise by giving treats. I would love to hear real life experiences of this. Does it take a very long time ?

I would say it's very much the same as I did when my dog always jumped up at me and visors.
Completely ignore them , carry on hugging then once they are quite walk away and make a fuss of them when you are ready , not when the dog wants it.

But you must be constant, for as long as it takes . About 2 weeks in my dogs case.

We tell ours to sit or send her to her bed if she gets too annoying (and praise her when she does), but mostly it just makes us laugh...

She's the only dog we've ever had that's done this. She is a very confident dog, and very protective of both me and our younger dog. She's not aggressive, just makes her intentions clear - a GSD eyed me the other day, just curious and friendly, but she decided he was too big and planted herself in front of me and gave him a look.

Dogs need constant company. Could the fact that she is kept in the kitchen be too stressful?

Mine used to do this after I met DP. I can't say we actively trained him out of doing it but he has stopped doing it of his own accord. I suspect he was a bit worried (as he often is in life) but now has a great bond with DP and so isn't worried about us hugging.

Ours just doesn’t like to miss out. It’s cute but we are trying to train her out of it as it’s probably not a good idea.

Yes we had to do this. She tried to join in and jumped up to join the hug.

We ignored and asked her to SIT. And then gave treat when she sat. Then stopped saying anything- ignored the fussing and jumping but immediately rewarded sitting with treat.
It mostly works now- except that once she sits if we don't have a treat she reminds us... over and over. Loudly
Took a month or so- she still needs reminding every so often. Now 1 year

I'm afraid I'd be a bit more firmer in my tolerance of any dog trying to get in on a hug, they'd be removed from the room pronto and/or ignored.

Dogs are welcome on the sofa in my house but only when invited, not when thet fancy it. They have to get off when told too.

I don't follow the pack theory and alpha crap but what I say goes, any dog barking or creating a scene when having a hug with a loved one would soon learn that's not tolerated.

Thank you for your replies. The kitchen diner is where we normally are. There are sofas there too. So she isn’t alone a lot. We leave her when I know she is tired and needs downtime. We have another lounge where I hug kids. I don’t in the kitchen as she barks at us. I would say it’s not attention seeeking: more like she perceives it as a fight, she looks worried. That’s why I want to make sure I don’t stress her with it. Interestingly when my youngest (10 years old) sits on my lap she doesn’t mind, it’s when arms hug each other or lean over each other. I read dogs sometimes perceive a hug as a fight so perhaps that’s why

Desensitisation is the best way to go as you want them to see humans hugging each other as a good thing.

We never had this issue but I know lots of people who have had success by scattering treats on the floor so the dog is focused on the food and not on you.

It teaches them that hugs = yummy treats so they create that positive association in their minds. Eventually you can phase out the treats as they'll automatically know that hugging is good and they won't feel the need to jump up.

It's also worth teaching "all four on the floor" as a general rule - it helps their impulse control and teaches them that having all four paws on the floor is a good thing to do.

It is nthing to do with joining in or being cute. Dogs will split up other dogs that get close together and that is what your dog is doing. Dogs dont hug each other so dogs getting that close together is usually the beginnings of a fight and that is what your dog is trying to prevent. A still dog will go between two dogs and split them up by standing between them.

Think of the behaviour you do want. So for me I would ask my dog to go to their bed, so train this first away from any hugging, add in distractions to send dog to the bed, eg you moving away from the bed, being further away from the bed etc. Then when the dog is on the bed add in distractions eg you jumping up and down reward dog for staying on bed.

Once value for the bed has been achieved you can send to the bed when hugging starts and they will be happy to stay there as long as you need them too.

They will soon understand what behaviour you want when hugging.

To teach 4 paws if they jump up at onther people you can get them to put 2 front paws on an object eg a washing up bowl lure them into the position, (you can cue) then throw treats on the floor and cue 4 paws. Clear indication to the dog that 3 paws on the floor gets rewards. Best to train this away from jumping up at people as that is highly self rewarding.

Thank you pollyroulson. Ideally I would like to try to get her to the point we can hug without it being a big deal. Anywhere at all so out and about in the kitchen, saying hello when kids come in from school etc. do you think I would need to start with the on the bed method first and eventually move on to other places?
I like your plan for four on the floor and I am going to do that

obvioulsy not 3 paws - sorry cold fingers!

Yep I would start with the bed and then it can be generalised to going into a down etc and gradually hugging will becoe a non event to the dog.

Thanks. Dh gave me a hug today before work when we forgot she was there and she didn’t react. So hoping it won’t take long to sort for us

That’s interesting @PollyRoulllson . Our little pest gets between DP and I when we have a cuddle on the sofa and we thought it was jealousy/ trying to join in.

Hope you get it sorted OP.