How Bentley the Pug Improved Guest Manners in Pittsburgh, PA

At A Glance

Bentley is a 1.5-year-old Pug who joined a 1 Week Board & Train Program with Off Leash K9 Training and trainer Rachel. Bentley is a sweet dog with some basic obedience, but his owner wanted help addressing unwanted behaviors around guests, including jumping and nipping. During his starting assessment, Bentley responded to “Come” but needed improvement with Sit, Place, and overall leash manners. His training plan focused on strengthening his obedience foundation and improving his household manners.

Dog: Bentley
Breed: Pug
Age: 1.5 years old
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Program: 1 Week Board & Train Program
Main Issues: Jumping on guests, nipping, inconsistent sit and place, weak leash manners
Outcome: Better guest manners, stronger obedience, and improved leash behavior

The Challenge

Bentley’s main struggle showed up around visitors. When guests arrived, he became overly excited, jumpy, and nippy, which can make greetings stressful and hard to manage. His owner wanted a way to keep the home calmer during arrivals and interactions.

Bentley also needed a stronger obedience foundation to support better manners. While he had some basic obedience, commands like Sit and Place were not consistent enough to reliably redirect him when he was excited. Leash manners were another area that needed improvement.

Bentley needed help with:

Jumping on guests
Nipping during greetings
More reliable Sit
Stronger Place skills for calm behavior
Improved leash manners and walking control

The Training Approach

Rachel planned to reduce the unwanted guest behaviors by strengthening Bentley’s obedience and giving him clearer expectations. The focus was on building consistent commands and using them to create calmer greetings and better day-to-day handling.

Training focused on:

Improving basic obedience consistency
Strengthening “Sit” under excitement
Teaching and reinforcing “Place” for calmer greetings
Addressing jumping and nipping behaviors around guests
Improving leash manners for better control on walks
Building reliability within the 1-week timeframe

The Results

This clip shows Bentley’s starting assessment and outlines the training goals for the next week. Rachel noted that Bentley needs work on unwanted behaviors and a more solid obedience foundation, with a follow-up expected after one week.

What improved:

Reduced jumping and nipping during greetings
More consistent Sit and Place responses
Improved leash manners
Better overall household control and reliability

Trainer Insight

Dogs like Bentley often struggle most when excitement takes over, especially during guest arrivals. Strengthening obedience commands like Sit and Place gives owners practical tools to redirect behavior and create calmer, safer greetings. When those skills become consistent, household routines feel smoother and less stressful.

Ready to Fix Jumping and Nipping Around Guests?

If your dog gets jumpy, nippy, or chaotic when people come over, focused training can build calmer greetings and stronger obedience fast.

Schedule a consultation today to help your dog reduce jumping, nipping, and chaotic behavior when guests arrive. Focused training can build calmer greetings, stronger obedience, and better household manners.