The huge mistake you make when you come home to your dog that professionals advise against

One of the best moments of the day for dog owners is coming home after a long day at work. You know your best friend will be waiting for you and will give you a big welcome as soon as you walk through the door. And of course, you’ll return the favor because you’ve missed them too. This is a ritual in almost every dog-owning household, but according to some experts, it might not be the best thing for your furry friend.

According to Steve Del Savio, owner of Pack Leader Dogs, this is exactly what you shouldn’t do. In a video posted on his TikTok account, Del Savio explains that it’s not a good idea to greet and shower your pet with affection as soon as you walk in the door.

How to greet your dog

The technique explained by Pack Leader Dogs is based on no touch, no talk, no eye contact. It may seem a bit extreme, but the video explains the reasoning behind it. And honestly, although it may seem nearly impossible, not focusing all your attention on your dog when you get home might actually make a lot of sense.

According to Del Savio, our dogs need to learn that there’s no need to throw a party every time someone walks through the door. If we teach them that people coming home are calm and collected, it can help the dog manage their energy and expectations.

In theory, this sounds easy, but putting it into practice could be one of the hardest things to do when training your pet. The level of self-control required to come home after a long day and not immediately greet and pet your dog is practically superhuman.

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Because of this, the comments on the post aren’t too enthusiastic. “I can’t not go crazy when I see my dog,” says one TikTok user. “When I come home is the best part of the day for my dog. I would not deprive him of that” comments another.

Some users have found the Pack Leader Dogs video helpful. “I accidentally started doing this. One day I realized it was much easier to walk through the door with my two 85lb goldens. Now I have a puppy golden so I’m glad I realized this,” says one commenter, who is happy with the results of this dog training technique.

What do other experts say?

Although Del Savio’s advice seems to make sense, other experts argue that greeting your dog when you come home is actually beneficial for them. A study by Psychology Today states, “At the sight of the familiar person returning, the dogs became more active, with tails wagging. The sight of that familiar person was obviously a positive event (...). When the familiar individual greeted the dog using both their voice and touch, the increase in oxytocin went up to much higher levels than it did when the greeting involved just voice alone.”

So what should we do? Some experts argue that it’s good to show affection when you get home, while others say it’s better not to excite them. There are opinions for every taste. One thing is clear: if we opt for the no touch, no talk, no eye contact approach, we’ll have to fight all our instincts. Whatever it takes to make our dogs happier.

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*This article was written in Spanish and translated with the help of AI.