Jumping

Jumping is a normal behavior for dogs.  Puppies jump for our attention and to get to our faces to lick.  Jumping is best solved by a combination of: Training, Ignoring, and Management.

It is best to start working on Jumping Issues from day one! Unfortunately, we as humans tend to get caught up in how cute and tiny the little guys are (totally forgetting that some of these cute little guys are going to grow up and may weigh 50 or 90 plus pounds!) and allow them the chance to continue the behavior we ultimately do not want.  Keep in mind the longer you set up the behavior to occur, the longer the puppy has repetitions to learn the behavior, thus the harder it will be to fix later in life.

I remember in my younger years people use to use punishment for jumping (like kneeing in the chest and smashing toes with their shoes=OUCH!), unfortunately generally dogs still jumped either because at least negative attention was still some type of attention or because they learned how to out dance their owners and continue to leap up.

Training is your and your puppy's best friend.  Think about what you would like your puppy to do instead of jumping?  How about a "Sit" (if a puppy is sitting then he's not jumping). Start by teaching your puppy all rewards (food, treats, pets, loves, toys, games, and exercise) occur after your puppy is in a "Sit" position.  Once you have down to an automatic reaction, start involving friends to help out with the "Sit" for everything Training Process.  Expand your puppy's training to other people (go back to the beginning of the process, start easy, then ask for more as the puppy understands the game).

Management works in this area as well as in the other puppy training areas.  Think ahead so you do not set the behavior up to occur and thus set the puppy up to fail.  Example:  say your colleagues from work are stopping by in their suits or family prepared to go out to a fancy dinner. Prepare ahead of time, puppy has pee'd/pooped, played, eaten, pee'd/pooped, they put away in it's Crate or Pen with a yummy fun stuffed Kong Toy to keep it busy while you are away.  By thinking ahead, the behavior never has a chance to occur during a time it is not realistic to work on it!  Or if the young or elderly is coming over, put your puppy on a leash and keep attached to you at all times.  Puppy learns how to just hang out and calm down, and never gets close enough to jump on the guests.  Guests may pet when puppy is calm and not jumping "only".

Ignore the Jumping.  Keep a visual picture in mind, if the puppy is jumping, there is "NO" puppy there, thus ignore the puppy.  If the puppy has 4 feet on the floor (eventually will want a "Sit" after you have worked on "Sit" Training exercise).  No attention means exactly that, no talking to the puppy, no eye contact, no physical contact period anytime the puppy does not have all feet on the ground.  If the puppy jumps on you turn your back to the puppy and/or walk away. If you are sitting and the puppy jumps in your lap, stand and walk off.  Once puppy's feet are on the ground, start the process over.

Lots and lots of repetitions are required to not only to get the process started and off on the good foot, but must continue long term.  Puppies take time, and will sometimes revert back easily when really excited.  Stay patient and consistent.  Use any of your doggy friends who will listen to you and are willing to help.  (Do not use the friends who although may mean well, set you and your puppy up to fail, by saying "oh I don't care if he jumps, he's sooooo cute!".  Next time have puppy tired and put away in advance of their arrival.  That way puppy's taking a nap and the behavior you do not want never occurs and no feelings are hurt on the human side, a win/win for all.)

A good way to start on Jumping is within your own family unit in your house.  Make your comings and goings no big deal and a quiet non-event!  Practice in your comfortable clothes so won't be trying to protect your clothes at the same time trying to ignore the puppy.  Get some yummy treats ready, you are about to become an instant vending machine of goodies anytime puppy decides four feet on the floor is the right behavior versus jumping.  Four feet on the floor gets a treat dropped on the floor.

Start by entering the house, puppy will be excited to see you, be ready with your treats.  If the puppy jumps, simply turn your body away and take all attention (verbal and eye contact) away, if needed plant your face and body into a wall or corner and wait for the puppy to stop jumping (keep quiet and relaxed, no laughing).  The instant you glance and see he had four feet on the ground, say "Yes" and "toss" a treat on the floor.  Then turn around towards the puppy after he has eaten his treat.  If he jumps again, repeat the process.  Continue the process until the puppy can either stand or sit quietly to be greeted/petted.  Once the puppy can do it when you are calm, then you can get more animated and excited and start the process all over again.  Ultimately, you are only going to be rewarding the "Sit", but remember we need to start slow and somewhere, so four feet on the ground is a good start.

Once your family has worked on this numerous times you are ready to ask the assistance of friends and family members (in comfy clothes) who are willing to help and listen to you and your directions.  The game will be the same, but now it is time to start using lots of people and lots of repetitions so the behavior you really want starts to form and build.

Remember to use the opportunities where people will tolerate puppy's presence, but not the training exercise of him making contact on them jumping (example: the elderly, young, or nicely dressed) by putting puppy on a leash and keep attached to you at all times (judge your distance/pat attention so that puppy cannot accidentally jump and make contact).  The puppy will learn that he just has to chill and eventually relax, because nothing else is going on (yet your guests are safe, because he cannot make jumping contact on their bodies and/or clothes).  Keep in mind if it is not a good time to focus on the puppy that is okay, simply put him away in his doggy safe area and give your guests your 100% focus.  Pick your battles, set you and your puppy up to win the training game.

Cindy C. Smith, The Right Steps, 916-966-6883,

www.therightsteps.com

© 2007 The Right Steps & Cindy C. Smith. All rights reserved.

We welcome you to attend one of our:

"Free Seminars" on Positive Solutions to Problem Puppy Behavior include: Play Biting, Jumping, Housetraining, Management, Leadership, Chewing, Exercise and Toy Ideas as well as what to expect as your puppy matures from a Puppy to Adolescent to Adulthood to Senior.