JUMPING ON PEOPLE

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Barbara Baumgarten wants to know:

"I am just looking for a way to stop Dunkin from jumping out of excitement. He just jumps on people that come in the house and it takes time for him to jump out his excitement to take a walk and we can get the leash on him anyone that has an idea I would like to hear from thanx."

[Shelly Gouvas]

Do you think it can hurt the hind legs doing this?My son Tommy is six and I have seen him do that with Jake{dance}.We always tell Tommy to put Jake down.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's only going to work if it's only done when the dog jumps up. If your son is putting the dog into an upright "dancing" position when the dog has all four feet on the ground to begin with, that should definitely be discouraged. The "dancing" technique only works if it's a consequence of jumping up; if it happens to the dog any old time, the dog won't connect this unpleasant experience (and it is unpleasant for most dogs) to the undesirable behavior.

And when you do use the technique properly, to correct jumpoing up, it should only last for thirty seconds or so. That brief period isn't harmful.

[Sandra]

Ozzie is a jumper too. I finally have him trained to sit before I open the door when I get home and tell him to stay. If I have bags in my hands, forget it... he thinks its treats for him and he has to smell the bags. He is getting better at jumping on people that he knows, but strangers he gets too excited. I read about making the dog sit and trying that for now.

[Jennifer Goaring]

I like the "DANCE" technique... anyone else trying it?? It is like the knee popping up idea but a bit less harsh/negative (though before I read the dance one I was all for the knee thing too!) I also get you want to work on sit and down and stay and use all that to set up situations for the dog... but for a puppy, like mine, who clearly doesn't know stay yet... it is nice to have other options. We are in puppy training classes and working on a longer sit now but I asked about "WAIT" and "STAY" and the trainer says those are complicated commands and our pups aren't ready for that quite yet -- we are taking baby steps and the long sit is as far as I have gotten so far.

But... Sammy is a terrible jumper (and I agree it is the poodle in them!) and I like the idea of having other tactics and I tihnk the kids will all like the dancing idea and can manage it. Anything to encourage feet on the ground!!

Jen G.
-new DK member, new pet owner, new to puppies! and "mom" to 5 month old Sammy :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Knee thing doesn't work with mine. I knee them, they go down only to jump again. This mobbing me drives me nuts. The ones that don't jump dance around me, never jumping on me but jumping around me.

[Maria & Xena]

I would have neighbors come & ring our doorbell to practice this with Xena. I would put her leash on, make her sit & stand on her leash so she couldnt jump up when my friends would come thru the door. If she did good, Id treat her big. After awhile, a long while she got it. Sometimes she still gets a little excited. All I do then is show her a soda can that is filled with coins & she goes right into a sit. Man she hates that thing - I originally used it when she counter surfed. I tossed it at her so that it grazed her a bit. Only had to do this once. She only has to see that I have it in my hand & she knows Im not fooling around, but you cant over use it or it looses its effectiveness.

[Patricia and Jim]

My puppy hasn't gotten to that stage yet...but....I can understand the need to stop it....how long do the dogs need to go to training and would it be okay if there is a time frame in between the different sessions that they aren't being trained?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

The best training is the training you teach them. Not everyone does formal training, but all of us do need to continue everyday training. If you don't want him to jump up on people, never allow it, even once. That first time he does it, turn your back on him and give him a "sit" or down "command." Every dog is different but your pup will learn the best from you and what you allow. He wants to please and love on you. If he sees he gets hugs and pets when he jumps up, he will continue to do it. Training is ongoing and constant at a puppy stage.

[Adina P]

Depends on what your training goals are.  Most people, unless they have had experience training their dog through obedience before, really need to attend beginning through advanced classes.  Remember classes are just the place that you learn and practice a new skill the first time.  It's also where your teacher can give you feedback about how you're doing.  But the real 'training' happens every day when you use the stuff you learned in class and practice it with your dog daily.  Practice in the house, outside, in the real world, etc.  Training -- or at least USING what you've trained your dog to do -- should happen on a regular basis whether you're in class or not.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Jack was such a jumper, and still can if things get out of control. He never jumped in public when he was on a leash because since he was a puppy I would yank him down and say OFF very sternly. In the house it was a free for all until I started leashing him when the door bell rang. I started out putting the leash on him and when he went to jump, I would do the same firm off. I would let him smell the people and move on from there.

 

Now, all I need to do is keep the leash in my hand, I don't put it on him and he will greet people with about 80 percent chance of not jumping. If he jumps his leash goes back on and we start over.

 

There was a lot more steps involved because we went through all the training. He is only two and he did not have the discipline to sit stay when people came. The excitement challenge was to hard. He has made vast improvements. In fact, if you look at my birthday videos I posted of Jack greeting his guests which was a house full of people, you will see he had no leash on and didn't jump once.. (Proud mom here)

 

It takes consistent training you can not let them get away with it once or it confuses them. I will to this day put a leash on him if I think the situation warrents it..

 

Good luck