Entries Tagged 'Jumping' ↓
November 20th, 2008 — Jumping, Puppies, Q and A, Solving Behavior Problems
Hi Julie!
Well, Cody is 6 mo. old and here is where we are at: pretty well trained in many areas, still a big work in progress per jumping on people to love/greet them. Right now, I’m trying to figure out the following—in the morning (he rises about 6 so we do too!)and if I don’t have a chew for him, he is jumping on us in our chairs as we try to enjoy our a.m. coffee time, which WE enjoy. He won’t just sit next to us and let us pet him. I understand that he has been in his crate all night and wants attention. I will usually sit on the floor with him and pet him and hold a toy for him to chew, just to give him some love/human contact time. After a bit, I try to sit and have coffee. He jumps up on our chairs wanting continued attention. So far, no amount of “off” has any affect on him. He will get off IF you have a chew for him (fussy about those too—not at all interested in nylabones and several others). Keeping him in these certain chews is pretty expensive as the ones he likes last about 2 hrs. max. Is this normal per needing something to keep him occupied or is he spoiled brat!? He does the same thing later afternoon–wants to jump up on you demanding attention unless you have a chew. and this is after he comes home from a 1 1/2 mile woods walk. It isn’t like he doesn’t get attention. He is walked about 3 times a day equaling about 4 miles–play fetch often daily with him so he is running during this. I realize dogs don’t read or watch TV–ha!– but it seems he just can’t lie down or entertain himself, unless with the chew, of course. He knows when we are up and about–cooking, cleaning, etc. that he won’t get attention but when you sit down to read or whatever, he’s jumping up on you wanting attention. We have to ostracize him to the garage–which isn’t a cruel punishment as he seems to like lying down on the cool cement floor and has a few chews out there–when he gets wild running in circles in the house, which he does if we don’t respond to his jumping on us begging for attention. My instincts tell me that he needs to learn to “entertain” himself and that we have spoiled him? Are the chews the only answer to his entertainment that doesn’t involve us?? He has toys but they aren’t of any interest to him. Ignoring him doesn’t seem to work unless he has something to go to like a chew as he will keep jumping on our chairs for attention. Sorry this is so long, but it is a really big issue to me. I love him but he’s a monster at times when we want to sit and relax unless he has a chew. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Cody’s Parents
A:
Hi Cody’s parents!
Glad to hear how well most things are going for you.
It sounds as though he might know when you are tired and tend to give in. When you are sitting trying to relax…so often it is easier to give in to his attention in those moments and he is smart and knows it. It isn’t that he is a “spoiled brat”- it is that he is VERY smart! ha. So what is the answer?
Since jumping on you is the problem you need to let him know that he will not get any of your attention when he jumps. You mention that he “knows” when you are cooking or standing that he doesn’t get any attention. How do you think he “knows” that? You taught him!! With consistency you probably taught him over time that he wouldn’t get attention in those moments because you were busy, so he learned he wouldn’t get attention which is why he doesn’t jump on you seeking attention in those moments. But when you give him chew bones and attention for jumping on you when you are sitting he learned that he would get attention when you sit! So basically you have taught him he won’t get attention when you are up and about but he will when you are sitting and trying to relax! See how smart he is?! J
You basically have to do the same thing you did to teach him to leave you alone when you are working-remember what you did? Probably ignore him. Here are some suggestions:
1. I would suggest doing “practice sits”-meaning you sit down and pretend you are going to drink your coffee or relax but with the intention you are really going to do some training setups with him. He just needs to have some practice for what your expectations of him are in those moments so you are going to set up some practice for him! Once you do teach him what your expectations are of him you are going to have to be consistent for it to work in the long run. If you give in occasionally then he’ll forever keep pestering you to find out when you’ll give in. If he learns from today on it NEVER works, then he’ll stop.
2. So, we have learned that we need to teach him that he won’t get the attention at those times you are trying to relax. The best way to go about doing that is to ignore him when he is trying to get your attention. But, if he jumps up on you for attention you simply stand up, fold your arms, don’t move, and look away. You are now telling him he won’t get your attention when he is jumping on you. Now, I would give him a location you do want him to be in, like a mat or bed.
3. Bring him to that mat and say, “Go to your mat”. When he gets there and lays down, praise him and pet him. That might also be the time he gets his chew bone. Then, sit back down and try again. It shouldn’t take too many times for him to understand. Occasionally when he is on his mat like that it would good to give him attention and praise so that he isn’t ignored completely when he is doing a good job. The idea here is that he gets your attention when he is having good behavior and ignored when he is having unwanted behavior.
4. Now you have taught the “go to your mat” command as well and can use it when you want him to go lay down and have quiet time. Do not use it as a punishment place though. It should be a place he feels good to be in and receives praise for being there.
5. For any of this to work it needs to be done EVERY TIME. This is why I have you do practice sits when you are not feeling too tired to do them so you are prepared and ready for the training.
6. You mention he gets a good amount of exercise. That is wonderful and completely necessary. Depending on his natural energy level you might have to change your routine a little and exercise him a bit BEFORE your morning coffee. It just depends on how much energy he has stored up in the night but you might relax a little better if he is able to rest calmly after a walk.
I have a lot of faith in you because you have been doing a great job so far with him. He is still a puppy at 6 months so it is challenging I know. Keep up the good work and let me know how it goes or if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Julie
November 17th, 2008 — Jumping, Q and A
Q: My dogs are very well behaved most of the time, except when people come to the house, especially when it’s someone that they love a lot, like my mom, my sister or my vet. Then they go nuts jumping and trying to give kisses. The problem is that my mom is almost 80 years old now and I am afraid that they are going to either knock her down, or scratch her and make her bleed.
I have tried leashing them (which I can only do if I am expecting someone), having treats in my hand (again, I can only do it if I am expecting someone) and just plain putting them in the back yard until whoever it’s gets into the house. When they are let in, they still rush the visitor. Geez, Jasper is a certified therapy dog and he still jumps on people that come into our house! He would never, ever do that in public.
Some ideas on how to semi-control or manage this would be great! Thanks!
Julie’s Answer
Subject: Preventing your dog from jumping up during greetings.
This is a great question because it’s among one of the most common problems people have with their dogs so I am sure a lot of people will benefit from your question, so thanks for asking it!
The key to fixing this problem is to teach your dog to associate greeting a person with a calm, sit position. It takes some patient practice, but this can be done and the results are wonderful! The basic idea is that you set up situations for your dog to practice over and over until they are ready for the “real” greeting. Follow these steps:
Practice greetings near your front door
1. Teach a good sit on command. Hold a treat in your hand and ask your dog to sit. Say the dog’s name, then the command “sit.” Give the treat as soon as their rear end hits the ground. When your dog is consistently sitting for you, start to wait a second, then two, then three, etc… before giving the treat so that over time they learn how to sit a little longer before receiving the treat.
2. Practice having your dog sit on a mat near the front door.
Get a mat for the dog to go to and place it next to the front door in the spot you would like your dog to be during greetings. The mat is what the dog needs to be on when guests arrive. Keep treats near
the door and practice showing the dog to their mat, having them sit, and then offer the treat. Give it a name like “go to your mat.” Repeat until your dog consistently sits on the mat calmly.
3. Now practice the entry. Bring treats with you, leave the house and re-enter. Ask your dog to sit on their mat when you enter and treat them when they sit. Be calm and consistent. When your dog is doing well you can add the knock at the door and ringing the doorbell before entering.
4. Invite a friend. Now that your dog is consistently sitting on their mat and patiently waiting for their treat, you can invite a friend over to help you further practice your dog’s ability to do a proper greeting.
As you can see, the idea is that you intentionally set up circumstances for your dog to learn and be successful with. Then, with practice and consistency, they will soon learn that a greeting with a calm sit offers a delicious treat! Eventually when your dog is doing really well you can begin to slowly offer the treat only every other time, while replacing it with sincere physical praise. So sometimes they will perform the greeting and receive a treat, and sometimes a nice pet.
Tips
- Instruct your visitors not to pet your dog during a greeting unless they are sitting calmly.
- When your dog is sitting nicely it’s very important that they are rewarded for it every time, either with a treat or with genuine physical praise.
- As with all training it’s important to make sure your dog is receiving enough exercise. At least twice a day your dog should be taken out for exercise to the point they are tired out when they get home. A dog with too much pent up energy will not be able to learn a proper greeting.
- Use high-quality treats like cooked chicken breasts if more motivation is needed.
I hope you find this information helpful. Your hard work will pay off and I am sure your mother will feel more comfortable visiting and be happy with the results! Let me know how it goes!
Julie
November 3rd, 2008 — Jumping, Puppies, Q and A
Hi Julie!
Thank you for contacting us. Cody is doing well now walking–coming, sitting, fetching, etc. HOWEVER, our biggest challenge is his jumping on people. He just LOVES people and while he will sit well, etc., he just cannot contain himself. I have read your info about people coming to your house, etc. but our issue is just being “out” as we have a travel trailer and meet people walking, etc. On leash he is just straining to get to them and will ignore sit as he is just dying to greet them. He also likes to jump up on us. “Off” doesn’t really cut it to get him to stop it. People have suggested—can with pennies in it–rattle it when they jump? Or a water/vinegar spray when they jump. I haven’t tried either but was going to write to you for advice. This jumping is bad as he is getting bigger and could easily knock someone down. He responds well to treats but ignores all just to greet people. We would appreciate any suggestions per this. Thank you.
Sue
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My Answer:
Hi Sue!
Great to hear from you! Cody sounds like he is doing really really well for such a young age-YOU should be very proud of yourself for that accomplishment! I am proud of you!!
In regards to your training him to stop jumping you’ll need to first do some training setups before you do the real thing.
- Put him on collar and leash.
- Practice walking up to people (you can get some friends to help)and then when he begins to jump you say “OFF” and quickly move away off to the side away from the person he wants to greet. You repeat this over and over until he understands that all 4 paws need to be on the ground to get attention and for you to pet him.
**The idea here is that he does not get to have the attention when he jumps. For this to work it is essential that he DOES get attention and petting when he doesn’t jump. Your timing is important here so set this up when you are actually doing it as a training session, not when you really need to talk with someone. If you practice this well and consistently it won’t take you too long to teach him that he only gets pet when he isn’t jumping.
**Another important tip: if you sometimes allow people to pet him when he is jumping then you won’t fix the problem completely. I know this sounds tough but if you stick it out seriously for a couple weeks he should understand. When you greet people just explain you are training him and they’ll understand what you are doing.
Also make sure you are consistent about petting him when he does approach you or others and is well-behaved…because this will be his “payment” for not jumping.
If you are very clear that when he approaches and jumps he is taken away and doesn’t receive petting, but when he approaches well with no jumping he does get pet you’ll be on the road to success!
If you find he approaches someone, doesn’t jump and so gets rewarded with petting, but then does jump during the petting, you also need to say “OFF” and move away the same and repeat.
**It is VERY important that you repeat until he doesn’t jump for this to be successful as well. If you just take him away and don’t repeat he won’t learn what you are trying to teach.
I have a lot of confidence you’ll be able to accomplish this and I would love to hear how it goes!
Let me know you received this and good luck with it!
Talk soon,
Julie