Jumping
Up
by David the Dogman
Recently
a man wrote to me about his dog jumping up and I produce part
of the letter and my reply:
"I
have been doing the off command as a dog trainer told me since
he was small and kneed him in the chest all to no avail. I have
put him on his leash with choke collar and he is still tugging
away. I use the sit command and eventually he calms down enough
but that initial greeting is a horror story every time. It has
become very frustrating and obviously not pleasant for others.
I'll just keep trying."
Give
up it will not work. The knee in the chest is so outdated and
in my opinion bad advice to ask any pet owner to knee his dog.
Pet owners have enough emotional problems and like you give up.
If
a dog is jumping up, most pet dog owners will have all hell trying
to get a dog to sit. Lets get it right, sorry for being blunt
but I shoot from the hip! Most people have never bothered to attend
a training school, read a book and now expect to train a dog by
letter, well I do not think it can be done.
Dogs
react to a trigger like a doorbell for excitement, it is an arrrival
of another member of the pack, I must jump to show I am the host.
With jumping dogs I like to consider removing excitable triggers.
The front door bell rings, before opening the door I put away
the dog. I am the host not the dog, this raises my status and
reduces the dogs.
I
bring my guests in. To me my dogs are not big, to me my dogs do
not smell, to others they are big, they smell. I also advise my
pet owners that what is acceptable to me is not always acceptable
to my friends. It is a good idea to remove all excitability when
entering your own home. Try walking in without looking, touching
or talking for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes then talk and love you
dog. This has removed the excitability trigger.
For
dogs that jump up we have to think that a dog will do what is
rewarding, if its good he does it, if it is not good he does not
do it. Simple as that.
When
a dog jumps up, do not be aggressive and knee, simply hold him
up by his front paws and in a loving voice tell him you love him.
He has jumped up so you react by holding him up. Do not let him
down, keep him up as long as you can. By keeping him up, I mean
stretching him up, and up and keep talking. He will then start
to mouth your hands, then and only then drop him down. Do not
place him, drop him.
When
he is on all four legs which God gave him, love him to bits, cuddle
and talk. Then encourage him to jump again, he might well try,
as soon as he does grab the paws and repeat the whole exercise.
It
is important to get the timing right, it is important that the
whole family learn. Your dog will learn in a few minutes that
to jump will make you react and he will not find this rewarding.
Its
easy, simple and kind..
Commitment,
Firmness, but kindness.
Do
you have any problems with your pet? Then why not send your problem
to DAVID THE DOGMAN. David is a Canine Behaviourist who works
and lives in Marbella, Spain.
Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388. His web site is located at: http://www.thedogman.net.
David has his own radio and TV shows, and writes for many newspapers
and magazines. David has been working with dogs for many years
and started his career in Israel, working on the Border Police.
He has been involved in all forms of training, including air sea
rescue, air scent work, and has trained dogs for finding drugs.
David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and
the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check
chains, or any form of aggression.
David
The Dogman is available for private consultations in your home,
for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388