I've had Jerry for just over a month now; he's a 5-month-old Australian Shepherd x German Shepherd cross ^^
I did plenty of research before getting him, and his training was going brilliantly. He loves learning, going out, running, and playing, and he's very affectionate.
But there's a little issue I need to sort out as soon as possible. My mum is a childminder, so she looks after toddlers under 3 at home.
The problem is that my dog jumps up all the time. Let me explain: he’s constantly jumping on the furniture, over and over again. He's been doing this for the last 2 or 3 days; before that, his training was spot on. He won't stop putting his front paws up when we're eating, and on the worktops—actually, I've noticed he does it most where my mum is cooking x) I'll be honest, I'm stuck for ideas on how to fix this, other than pushing him away and saying "no", but I'm not really a fan of that style of training. I need to sort this out ASAP. I'm sure you'll understand that with young children around, this behaviour isn't ideal ^^'.
Do you have any suggestions to help me out? Thanks :)
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Why not try distracting him so he isn't so determined to climb up? You could keep him busy with a Kong filled with tasty treats that he'll enjoy digging out, or perhaps a dry food dispenser?
No, at mealtimes he lies under the table and waits. Mind you, he mainly spends about 5 minutes trying to nose around the table, and once he realises he’s not getting anywhere, he settles down.
In the book "Puppy Training for Dummies" (the one featuring Catherine Collignon, a positive reinforcement trainer), they recommend using a house line. Just before your dog is about to jump up, you use the lead to hold them back—subtly, without saying a word. Since the dog then can’t jump, you give them loads of praise as if it was their own choice not to jump.
You should keep doing this until they eventually stop jumping up altogether.
Of course, it does mean you have to stay one step ahead and anticipate when people are arriving so you can put the lead on them "discreetly" too! :-)
Just a heads up when teaching "stay" – remember to use a release word to signal the end of the command. Otherwise, he'll just start moving again on his own and the whole thing will have been for nothing.
I also reckon that "no" doesn't really mean much to a dog if it's used every time they do something "bad", especially when you've already got commands like "stay" and so on. Anyway, I've started working on a few solutions for the furniture. At lunchtime today, I could see him starting to circle the table. Just as he was about to jump up, I told him to "sit" before he'd even moved. He sat down, and then I said "stay". He held it for a few seconds before trying again. I anticipated it once more and repeated the exercise. In the end, he did manage to get onto the table once while my back was turned. I told him "off" and he hopped down. I think this might work. I reckon he understands "off" quite well, considering how many times I've had to say it over the last few days x)
So, what do you think of this method? Any suggestions or anything I should change?
As for him jumping up at people, I'll have a chat with some of my relatives tonight. Most of them have dogs themselves, so I think they'll be on board with it.
Two-year-olds can definitely understand; you just have to tell them we’re playing a game—as soon as the dog tries to jump up at you, turn your back on him! If you do the exercise with them, you should rely on the older kids. Obviously, it’ll be trickier for babies under a year old, but they might still copy what the others are doing. Most importantly, once your dog understands that jumping on children is a no-go, it won't matter if they're one or two... well, I reckon so, anyway! 🙂
Since I assume you don’t leave the little ones alone with the dog, why not organise a game? You can sit with the toddlers on your lap, and as soon as the dog comes over and tries to jump, you turn away. Imagine a circle—the older kids on their own, the little ones with an adult, and the dog in the middle. If he approaches someone calmly, give him a pat and some praise (let’s avoid treats, as that might be a bit much for a child to handle). If he jumps up at a child, everyone turns away at once!
When it comes to other people, you need to be firm and tell them it's important. Maybe your mum should be the one to explain clearly how much it matters—after all, they won't want the dog jumping all over their kids when he's fully grown! It might even be worth making a bit of a point of it, like saying, "I’d like to have a quick word about something important..." Just don't try it right at the front door while the dog is jumping all over them and they’re busy giving him cuddles!
Ask your guests to do the same: when the pup jumps up on them, they should ignore him completely. As soon as he's got all four paws on the floor, though, they should play with him and give him some praise.
You don't have to ask every single guest to work with your puppy. Get some friends to come round (one by one, then in a group) to help you out a bit, and when you're expecting visitors, don't hesitate to tire your dog out beforehand!
As for him jumping on the furniture, are you sure he isn't just doing it to get your attention or to play? Does he do it when you aren't in the room, for instance?
Personally, I've never had to use "no" with my dog (actually, he does know "no", but it means "don't move" and was taught using positive reinforcement—it's not just a negative word that means nothing to a dog). I'm really against the way "no" is used by many owners.
