Teach the greeting before the guests arrive
Dogs jump on guests because it works: jumping gets attention, eye contact, and hands on the dog. Change the math by rehearsing a better greeting. Leash your dog when the doorbell rings, ask for a sit, and reward four-on-the-floor before the guest pets them. If the dog jumps, the guest turns away and the fun stops. Practice with family members first, then with a friend who can play the role of a guest.
For very excitable dogs, management is kinder than a failed rehearsal. Keep the dog behind a baby gate for the first ten minutes while guests settle in, then bring them out on leash once the excitement has dropped.
Give your dog a job during dinner
A dog with nothing to do during Thanksgiving dinner will invent a job, and you will not like it. The best job is a long settle on a mat with something amazing to chew: a frozen stuffed Kong, a bully stick, or a lick mat with peanut butter. Practice this in the two weeks before Thanksgiving so the mat means calm by the time it matters.
Feed your dog their own dinner at the same time you sit down. A full, tired dog with a chew is dramatically easier than a hungry, bored one.
Table food rules
Thanksgiving is the most dangerous meal of the year for dogs. Turkey bones splinter and can puncture the digestive tract. Onions, garlic, grapes, and raisins are toxic. Rich fatty foods can trigger pancreatitis, which is painful and expensive. Tell every guest, including the kids, the rule: no feeding the dog from the table, no exceptions.
Put the trash somewhere the dog cannot reach. A turkey carcass in an open kitchen trash can is an emergency vet visit waiting to happen.
Exercise is your secret weapon
A well-exercised dog is a well-behaved dog. On Thanksgiving morning, give your dog a long walk or a solid play session before anyone arrives. Tired legs make for calm greetings. This single step does more than any training drill on the day itself.
Watch the door
Guests coming and going means the front door opens twenty times. Put a sign on the door reminding people to close it fully, and consider keeping your dog leashed or gated away from the entryway during arrival and departure waves. Holiday escapes are common and entirely preventable.