GETTING CONTROL OF YOUR DOG’S
JUMPING PROBLEM
Do you find it necessary to lock Bouncing Bowser in another room
before inviting friends and relatives in, so their clothing remains intact and their
hips and wrists remain unbroken? Do you walk Raucous Rover at odd hours of the
day and night to avoid meeting another living soul on the sidewalk? If so, it
sounds like you have a jumping problem.
Jumping problems are most often found with
adolescents (dogs 6 ‑18 months old); Toy, Terrier
and Sporting breeds (Italian Greyhounds, Poodles, Jack Russells, and Labrador
Retrievers are notorious jumpers); and just plain dominant,
belligerent dogs (the Rottie that puts his feet on your
shoulders to better stare you in the eye or the Pit Bull that uses you like a
basketball backboard).
Peak jumping behavior is observed around the high points of your
dog's day‑‑mealtime, your homecoming, walk time (you
pick up the leash and the bouncing begins), out on the walk itself, and when
friends and relatives come to call. This problem can be solved by calm,
consistent training. The proper amount of exercise for your dog's breed type
would be of great help, too. Lack of exercise leads to an out‑of‑control
whirlwind
who could not focus on a command if he wanted to.
WHAT TO DO:
‑‑Give the behavior a name, so you can turn it on and
off. At my house, it's called “leapin
lizards" but "paws up" or "feet up" can suffice. Teach
your dog how to jump up on command,
then add the word "no" as in "no paws up" to let the dog
know you don't want him to jump up.*
‑‑Give the dog something else to do. Obedience
training is a strong plus when trying to get a jumping problem under control. A
dog holding a sit or down‑stay is not a jumping dog.
When placing the dog in a sit or down‑stay, avoid pushing, shoving,
flapping your arms or other fast, excitable movements, along with raising your
vocal tone or whining. All extra‑movement will feed the dog's
excitability. Here is a situation where the old Bauhaus motto, "Less is
More" really applies.
‑‑To aid the dog in holding his sit or down when
visitors arrive, put him on a leash before opening the door; this way, you have
a means of correction at your finger tips.
‑‑For a bouncing maniac, give him just enough leash to
do a sit or down‑stay and step on the rest. If the dog attempts to move,
he will experience a collar correction. (This may not work for a 100
lb. woman with a 200 lb. dog, but it works well with small
and medium sized dogs.)
‑‑Be consistent. Never let the dog jump up without
being directed to. A dog cannot distinguish between dirty, old blue
jeans and a designer suit. He will not be able to tell which days it is okay to
jump on you just by what you are wearing or what the weather is like. ("If
it's cool and dry and I'm wearing my jogging suit, jump away. If it's raining
and I'm wearing my white Chanel suit, don't you dare lay
a paw on me.")
‑‑Be consistent with strangers, too. Do not let
someone confuse your dog by stopping you in mid‑correction by their
crooning, "It's OK, I just looove dogs," while kissing and
stroking your dog‑‑thus rewarding him
for his misbehavior. There is nothing wrong with asking people not to pet your dog unless he is on a stay
command. Guests to your home are no
exception. Warn them beforehand. ("I'm training my dog not to jump up
unless commanded. I could really use your help, so please don't pet him or even
acknowledge him unless he's holding his stay.")
For the slow‑learner, jumping set‑ups are in order. On
a week‑end or vacation day, arrange for a friend, neighbor, or relative
to ring your doorbell every 10‑15 minutes for several hours. Each time,
put your dog on a leash, place him in a down or sit‑stay and open the
door. (Sometimes, giving the dog a place such as a small
foyer rug, helps him to focus on his job‑‑"go to your
place and lie down.") Your visitor can give your pup a treat or a tickle
if he is behaving, but would ignore him completely if he were not.
Once the dog is under control, the visitor leaves, only to return
again in another 10‑15 minutes. This goes on until Rover understands that
his job is to stay put until he is told to do otherwise.
WHAT NOT TO
DO:
Remember that your dog is your friend and companion, there is no
need to knee him in the chest, squeeze his front paws until he is frantic
(By the way, this often leads to a more serious behavior problem‑‑mouthing.),
or stepping on his back feet‑‑solutions you may
come across in other literature. By teaching him the acceptable behavior and
rewarding him for carrying it out, you become a fair, humane leader, the
benevolent dictator every dog needs.
Jacque Lynn Schultz ASPCA
Tulsa Animal
Shelter – 918-669-6299
www.tulsa-animalshelter.org
Reprinted with permission
of the ASPCA.