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Jumping Question
Hi everyone! Good afternoon. I have a question that I wanted to deep dive into related to jumping. The reason I say deep dive is because is this. I don’t think it’s a simple fix, which will be good for me. I have a client’s dog is around a year old. He’s a neutered, black lab that is your typical black lab: Very people oriented, loves his owner, loves treats and toys, and has high energy.
Recently, his jumping has gotten worse, according to his owner. What I mean by worse is that he is now putting more force and energy into his jumps. My client is concerned because I believe there was contact made between tooth and face (not intentionally or in an aggressive way).
The root of the jumping is that this is how he says hi and it has worked for him so far. I don’t think is going to be as simple as “turn your back and wait till the dog has all four feet on the ground to pay attention to him.” He’s figured out that he can just shift around to my other side to get my attention when I do that. He’s a smart cookie! We’ve been working on “place” and rewarding for “four on the floor.” I try to praise him and acknowledge him in a calm voice with calm body language when he does “place.” I am also adjusting my approach to park down a half block from my client’s house (not in the driveway) so he doesn’t get alerted when I pull into the driveway and start closing car doors and such. He sees me through the window and gets amped.
I thought this would be an interesting question to pose to the group. Any other thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
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50 Replies
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What a great topic! I love how much detail you gave. Did this dog always jump to greet, and you are just coming into the picture now to help with it? I was trying to think how much it was the dog has had time to be reinforced for the behavior. How did the owners handle it when he jumped? I agree just turning your body may not make such a difference if he/she has been reinforced for almost a year. I applaud your idea of the place cue and rewarding all 4 on the floor. That’s great. And also parking away to lower the excitement. I wonder what other management tools can be put in place, I was also thinking maybe scattering treats all over the floor, so his mind is focused on the ground. I can’t wait to hear others chime in so I have ideas for the future. I have been lucky to work with younger dogs that it was not reinforced as long. Maybe even a cue like go say hi and the dog comes back to you for a treat, when on leash so again they are more focused on you! Please keep me posted I would love to hear what works!
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Thanks @pawsup ! I really appreciate the quick reply.
To answer your question, I’ve actually always been in the picture (this is my longest term client, he’s been with me for a while) and the jumping has never really been to this extent. I actually witnessed him launch at my face and essentially muzzle punch me lol. I’m used to it and I’ve endured worse but the owner is understandably upset and embarrassed when his dog does it to other people.
His owner gives a chew toy anytime someone comes over and this keeps him somewhat occupied. The dog sort of goes back and forth between saying hi to me and chewing the toy on his bed. It’s pretty adorable and funny. I make sure to calmly interact with him as long as the feet are on the ground. The keyword is calm. I’m also a realist in that sometimes its hard for dogs to control themselves (especially at just a bit over a year). I try to also converse with the owner very softly so I don’t rile his dog up and I try to stay in one place.
Thanks for the feedback and the support! Looking forward to more discussions!
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Hi @zaneb
I have had this client! Only it was a labradoodle. For my own dog I had to use a tether by the door even though we were training until he was 18 months old. He finally got the message and he’s a wonderfully polite greeter now but we had to get through the “terrible teens”. Here are three different things I worked into my labradoodle’s sessions and I’ll tell you the most effective at the end.
1. management with a baby gate so dog cannot get to jump on me when I arrive
So I walk in, dog is at the gate,throw a treat behind dog
dog goes to get treat and comes back
before dog gets to the gate, throw another treat behind dog
repeat two or three times
after a few times, as dog is getting to the gate cue a sit (assuming dog knows cue, if not, then train sit first), then throw treat behind saying “get it” (or your release cue)
repeat several times until dog is giving you an auto sit at the gate.
repeat entire sequence several times until you get an auto sit at the gate before even throwing treat.
Then remove the gate and repeat while dog is on leash. When successful, remove leash.
2. Hyper Greeting protocol by Denise Fenzi.
3. This is similar to Chirag Patel’s method here.
Have handler sit in a chair near the door with dog on the leash. Handler is ready to step on leash if needed to avoid dog jumping. As helper enters, handler places high value treats on the ground. If dog tries to jump, helper moves away while handler steps on leash. Repeat until helper can get close enough to greet without jumping.
I used all of these methods and #3 worked the best for this very easily aroused people loving dog.
For teenagers, hopefully clients understand that being an adolescent is rough. Steady training will pay off. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out.
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Thanks for posting all of this very helpful info, @abbie . ???? I’m especially interested in Denise’s technique and the idea that the hand covering the eyes reduces jumping (along with her other excellent instructions). Have you used this frequently and, if so, have you been pleased with the results? I work with many super-charged, spazzy doodles and I fear I’d have difficulty hovering my hand effectively over their eyes.
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Hi Virginia-
I tried all three methods for one client and Chirag’s was the most effective. WIth Denise’s hyper greeter method, I had to set up an ex-pen for a gate and it was difficult to keep my hand over the wiggly doodle’s eyes. We tried this for two sessions without much luck before switching to the Chirag method which was much more helpful.
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I appreciate your input, @abbie !
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Hi @abbie ! Wow! Thank you so much for all that. I really appreciate it!
It’s good to have choices and options! So, today was my first session with my jumper client and using the gate. It worked wonders. It really cut down on the dog’s ability to amp himself up. He was excited of course, who wouldn’t be when the “treat guy” comes over LOL. There was some high pitched whines while he was behind the gate but he wasn’t launching himself over or slamming into to try to get to me.
I think he only did one jump today and then he sat. I think it was really good how his owner went over calmly to the gate, with calm demeanor and a soft voice. He asked him to sit, and then calmly opened the gate. He then gave him a hand signal and Dax stayed until he was released! It was amazing. We started working on impulse control exercises (which we’ve done in the past) and started fine tuning them. We worked with some treats on the floor and I am going to send him some videos on using the flirt pole (we ran out of time for it today).
We’ll get it all fine tuned (I’m really excited that I am going to start using google docs with my client so he can update me and fill things in/comment on how things are going).
I also need to look back through the files and games here for LLW stuff. He’s been having some issues with his dog on leash. He has automatic check in’s down pretty good. However, what has become a pattern is this. He’ll reward for a check in, the dog will then go back to surging forward a bit and sniffing, and then he’ll make a huge circle, and come back and do it all over again. So, it’s become a bit of a behavior chain.
One of my shortcomings is teaching a proper position for the dog to be in and then putting it on cue (which I am not sure would even help in this case). I think I have this mental “hang up” from saying “heel” or watching other people say it and the dog not knowing what to do since it didn’t know the actual behavior. Not one of my more proud admissions, but anyone else experience anything like that? @catherine @david ?
Thank you again for all your support! love this group! So thankful!
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Thank you, @abbie ! I am just now seeing this very wonderful and typical problem (I love that you said Doodles! I say, Doodles-Doo, indeed!)
I think this is often a problem that returns with a dog in adolescence. Also, in large or giant dogs with smaller dogs in the same household. Thank you for the wonderful videos. I will use them with a couple of clients who are in adolescence and returning to jumping.
I like the management techniques with the leash and gate and owner being the main source of treats. Again, it depends a lot on the timing of the owner and capturing the dog with 4 on the floor, which, can be quite difficult for lots of people to catch.
Thanks again!!!
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I have found that over the years, just turning and ignoring the jumping does not work well. One simple exercise that works well is when the dog jumps, immediately have the client or dog owner leave and go to a place where dog can’t jump. For example, go into the bathroom and shut the door. Wait 30 seconds and re-engage with dog. If dog does not jump, mark and reward with high value treats. If dog jumps repeat steps
It’s important to ignore dog completely and separate yourself. I find this works better than putting dog in crate or x pen. The exercise works better if the dog can’t see you when you leave
I also incorporate hand targeting and find it as alternate behaviors if needed
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Another protocol I use a lot is (RRR) by Suzanne Clothier. It’s a technique I use all the time. It teaches a dog to learn how to relax. It’s just another tool to use.
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Hey Bruce, I’m not familiar with that protocol by Suzanne – can you describe the main points? @bmacwatt
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Basically it a protocol to calm dogs down, I use on a lot of Shepard’s and labs. It starts out where you have the dog in a non distracting environment on leash. I start in the house. 2.) count out 10 high value treats. 3) lure the dog into a down position. Don’t use a command. Eventually we want the dog to go into a down position on his own without command. 4) once dog goes down, reward the dog with 10 treats , one at a time. Treat per second. 5.) Once treats are gone then allow dog to get back up. 6) Get 10 more treats and repeat step. 7) after 2 or 3 repeats, then just stand or sit with dog on leash and wait for the dog to go down on his own You might have to wait. When dog goes down on his own then give treats again. 8) as you progress to different rooms and distractions you can then venture outside. You then can also fade out the treats and only treat occasionally . This helps with reactivity , jumping, etc. This is a brief summary but I am sure everyone gets the idea.
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Nice! Thanks for that description – yes, this is very similar to my “default down” – which is, “in the absence of any cue, the winning behavior is to lie down and watch me” – I teach it very similarly. And I LOVE it for those high-arousal situations where the dog is just wiggling out of their skin. (Or in my Joy’s case, screaming at the top of her lungs to go play agility, which is why I taught it to her! The only way she could go play is if she’d lie down first, and then we increased duration.) Thanks for contributing this idea.
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This is a great topic, @zaneb and such a common issue. Those gregarious big dogs can actually hurt people, when all they really want is to “say hi!” It is going to be really challenging for sure, to make lasting behavior change when the behavior has been reinforced for so long. Is the owner able/willing to ensure that this behavior NEVER PAYS OFF AGAIN? That’s a key starting point. They must commit to the change, if they want to actually change the behavior. If they can start by preventing the behavior from being practiced, that’s where we start. So, they have to plan ahead for EVERY GREETING.
A cable tether, bolted to a stud in the wall, is a good managment tool if they have a lot of visitors. With the dog on the tether (in a harness so he doesn’t wrench his neck!) the visitor/guest can stand several feet away until the dog calms. When the dog is on all four feet, sitting or lying down, the person takes one step forward. (Tossing a treat is optional – the reward is the person approaching.) If the dog leaps, lunges or does any other unwanted behavior, the person remains in place or takes a step back (I’ve used both, depending on the situation.) The goal is to get to the dog as quickly as possible. A key to this technique is that in the beginning, the consequences (person walking forward or backward) must happen REALLY FAST, so the dog learns the rules quickly. It may be best for you to demo this, as you are likely to be able to shape the dog toward calmer behavior within a few reps, more quickly than the owner will. Once the dog learns the game, the owner can play it with him, even adding distractions like a toy being twirled around, to increase arousal but helping the dog learn to inhibit the jumping regardless.
If they don’t want to put a bolt in the wall, you can do this outdoors, but it’s going to be much more difficult to transition to indoor greetings. Possible, but difficult. The reason for the bolt/tether is that the owner doesn’t have to try to stay in one place with a 70+lb dog dragging him around.
What do you think?
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This has been mentioned first by @pawsup and I just want to second it as an additional tool to all the great ideas being shared by everyone here: for food-motivated dogs I find the technique of “sprinkling” treats on the floor to be very effective. You do this immediately upon the guest entering. You don’t worry about asking for other behaviors, you just start to get the dog in sniffing, searching mode. You’ll be able to see pretty quickly if it helps. The dog starts to associate guest entries with an opportunity to find food on the floor.
No jumping is the byproduct. Then you can start to reward for four-on-the-floor. Not from your hand, but by scattering more treats on the floor. Your goal is to help the dog shift from over-excited/out-of-control mode to a thinking/self-awareness mode. You’ll see the light bulb click on when he looks at you, without jumping (maybe even for just a second at first) as if to say, “what should I do to get that reward again?” Again, the answer can be as simple as, look at me with four on the floor for one second. Then increase it two seconds, and so on. Eventually when you have a dog that is thinking instead of launching himself all over the place, you can ask for any cues you like. For active dogs I prefer hand-targeting or “get your toy” over sits and downs. The latter two can be difficult, frustrating, and very temporary for an excited dog. ????
Just like anything else, practice before the real guests come! Once you get past the initial high arousal segment of entry, consider giving the dog a chew or something to work on so the remaining energy can be channeled into a non-jumping activity.-
Great point, @David. I like the way engaging their foraging and sensing abilities overcomes the jumping. Love the technique you mentioned. Then the dog “decides” what is more rewarding.
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Thanks @zaneb for posing this question, and I am also very interested in the responses. I am training my first dog, Reba, who sounds almost identical to the lab you described. She is a red labrador retriever, which I had not seen before. They did her DNA testing, as she came from a shelter, and it showed 100% labrador retriever from two different testing companies. I’ve been working with her since January, and when we first started, jumping was one of the two main problems the owners were having with her. Good news is, jumping has moved out of the top 2! Still have work to do, but thought I’d share some of the things that have contributed to her reduced jumping.
Initially, when I first started going to the client’s home, I ignored Reba upon arriving. She was always so excited and jumping was her way to show that. I did not make eye contact with her, and tried just walking in and starting to talk to the client. When I saw she was calming down, and had four paws on the ground, I’d throw a treat on the ground. I’d continue to do that as long as she kept her paws on the ground. This evolved to me entering the house and before Reba could jump up, I’d immediately throw a treat on the ground and say find it, while walking into the kitchen. Not a surprise, Reba LOVES “find it” and we use it for many different things beyond jumping.
I realized after a few visits that the treat pouch I was wearing caused Reba to amp up when I came in, so I’d put plastic bags of food in the bag I brought in with a zipped top, and when we started training I’d get them out and grab some or keep them accessible on a table.
I also asked my client to put a leash on Reba when I’d arrive. I always text them when I get to their place and they would allow me to just open the door. Reba was excited and jumpy as I arrived, but I didn’t approach if she was jumping. As soon as she decided to sit, I’d walk in and reward. Initially, she was jumping up right after, but over time she has learned that jumping doesn’t get her the treats and sitting does. Similarly, on some of my visits, I’d ask my client if I could come in through the garage door vs. the front door. I was thinking/hoping that I could casually make an entrance and make it less of an event. That part didn’t work – Reba always got super excited when she saw me. However, what I did do, was walk back out the garage door, and try to re-enter after a few seconds. If she jumped, I’d go back out and try again. It took at least 5 tries the first time we did this, but she eventually realized that not jumping got me to stay in the kitchen. I would tell Reba in a calm voice “yes” for sitting and walk up to her and give her a treat.
What has helped with the training is that the owners are being consistent and not rewarding Reba for jumping. That said, their initial inclination is to say “Reba, down down down”, and then remember that we’re using “off” for not jumping so they’ll switch to that “off, off”. So, they are repeating words and at times, pushing Reba’s paws off them, which I’ve told them is rewarding for Reba. They are working on not saying any words and turning away. I’ve taught Reba touch, and she really loves that, so I am encouraging the owners to ask for a behavior they would like instead of the jumping, and paying Reba for the touch.
Lastly, as the trainer I assist with says in her classes, “a tired dog is a good dog”. When Reba is tired, she is much less inclined to be as jumpy as when she has a lot of energy. I’ve suggested to the owners to play with Reba and burn off some of that energy before I arrive for training. It’s not always possible, as they are working, but I have found it makes a difference when they are able to do it. I introduced them to a flirt pole, and just a few minutes of that tires Reba out. While that’s not a solution for jumping specifically, it speaks to the need to have a mental and physical enrichment plan for a dog to try to prevent or reduce unwanted behaviors.
Good luck and hope you find success!
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Thank you, @zaneb . I have had similar issues with goldendoodles, recently. When the 4 on the floor was being paid, started to work, the dog switched behaviors and after I turned my back on his jumping, started humping my leg…thank goodness he was a mini!
I look forward to hearing all the great ideas!!! Thanks again for posting!
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Hi @zaneb , thanks for bringing up this topic.
I recently experienced an 80lb lab husky mix jumping issue. Unfortunately, the parent was not willing to take part in any training. And yes ignoring and turning away doesn’t work in such cases when the dog is huge and finds ways to jump no matter how we position our bodies.
The management ideas we used were, as others have mentioned here – sprinkling treats all over and letting the dog sniff them out. And sometimes removing ourselves does also work. I used the front door as a barrier, and I come in only when the dog is on all four, if the dog bolts towards the door and jumping, I simply just close the door and out. After reps, the dog waited patiently on all four all the while the parent clicking and rewarding. After coming in I would let him sniff me and rewarding at the same time by tossing treats down not giving him a chance to jump.
In the initial stages, I also rubbed some treats onto my jeans near the knees to keep him engaged in that area. lol
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Hi everyone @programdev @david @rads @bernerlabreclectus and anyone else I missed!
I hope you’re all doing well. I wanted to chime in and give you guys an update on the jumping behavioral issue. I saw my client this past weekend and we actually had a really good session. I planned ahead and gave my client some instructions to scatter some food on a large rubber mat on the floor.
I parked a ways down from his house and calmly entered the house. Dax, the dog, saw me but stayed at his mat. He came over and said hi, then went back to it. I calmly greeted him. He did a few jumps but it was a lot better. Going to keep working on it.
I think what we need to achieve first is to get his brain thinking when these greetings happen and reinforce him keeping his feet down. Then work on him responding to cues such as “place” and getting him to relax. Thoughts?
Thanks everyone for your support!
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It’s great to get an update on this @zaneb
It sounds like you have the beginnings of a very effective plan.
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Thank you @david ! I really appreciate it. I am playing catch up right now (it’s been a busy few weeks). I think there is one more topic question I posted that I need to get to, I just need to find it. I had a good session this past weekend with this client. The food mat on the floor and the use of the chew toy have been good ways to manage the situation and keep him preoccupied.
However, I also tested out his “going to mat” behavior and it’s actually fairly decent. We are going to keep working on the actual behavior and strengthen that before we go any further. He’s doing very well at it. We aren’t quite at the adding of the cue yet but we will get there. Very proud of them.
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Sounds like you are doing great work!
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Hello @programdev @david @bernerlabreclectus and everyone else! Sorry, way too many names to tag heh heh.
I just had a session with my client yesterday whose dog is the jumper. It’s going a little better but turning my back definitely doesn’t do anything. I thought about walking back out the door if he jumped up on me, but at the last second I became unsure if that would trigger his excitement even more. It seems like people coming through the door is when the excitement kicks in.
We’ve definitely been throwing treats on the ground, using treat mats (although we have to change up the treats because pending further tests the vet believes he’s allergic to chicken), and we are working on the “place” cue. I wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on further management ideas.
What does everyone think about a tether? I don’t know if it’s even a safe idea because this dog is so strong and very excitable. I don’t want him to hurt his neck by lunging and pulling. But perhaps if he’s conditioned to settling with the tether on prior to actually using it? The only other idea I have for management is a x-pen or crate. Anyway, food for thought.
Thanks in advance!
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@zaneb If you use a tether it would need to be with a back clip harness I think, but he still might get himself twisted in the line based on the excitement level you’re describing. A gate or other barrier seems better for this situation.
How is he responding to the other elements you’re trying?
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@david Thanks! that’s what I was leaning towards. A tether would just be too chaotic in this situation. So, he is somewhat responding to the “place” cue, although he really doesn’t lie down, he just sits, which I need to think about to adjust that (maybe just a different cue and rework the behavior a bit).
Yesterday, he came towards me and I caught him before he jumped and asked him to sit and watch me. It worked until it didn’t (when the arousal kicked in). Even my voice (soft as it is) triggered him to come running. This is where I think definitely employing a baby gate at the end of the hallway just before it opens up into the living space/front door area (it’s a modular home) is what we need. He can settle on the other side of and not physically be able to get to me and practice the undesired behavior. The owner can also get him to relax and lay down and then when he’s calm, remove the gate. I think?
I also mentioned removing all toys because he gets very excited about them until he can think. I think they are just too stimulating at this point.
Thank you for walking me through this. This has been a challenge (yet a good experience!). I love the support of everyone here!
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@zaneb , if you wanted to try a tether, you could attach to the back clip of a harness vs the collar, for added safety. But being tethered with another person coming in fairly close by may lead to a lot of frustration before he finally gives up.
When I work with excitable jumpers, I often begin in a setting where it’s easy to create ample distance, so the dog doesn’t go into high arousal, and then having the person work on getting the dog to calmly focus on him/her, rather than the guest. Then we gradually reduce distance as the dog is ready for the challenge. And then we go inside and practice multiple entries, because by this time, the dog is probably much more likely to be able to control his impulses. When he’s not overly aroused, he can perform the calmer/desired behavior during guest entry, and isn’t rehearsing the unwanted behavior.
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This ????????
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Hi @virginiad ! Thank you so much for this. To get back to everyone’s replies regarding the tether, I was really hesitant to use it because I didn’t think it would help much. I figured it would just cause more frustration and possibly be a safety hazard.
I think that is a great idea about working in an environment where we can create ample distance. I think to start, one thing we are going to have to do is what @david suggested: the baby gate. It’s something I’ve been thinking about employing because an x-pen just won’t work: he’ll knock it over with just his nose.
The arrangement of the house is that the front door lets you into both the kitchen and living space. There’s a long hallway that leads to the bedrooms, laundry room, and outdoor relief area/play space.
I’m thinking perhaps of asking the client to put the baby gate at the end of the hallway and practicing attention games on the other side of it away from me until the dog calms down and is able to process. That way he’s managed on the other side and I can enter.
Thoughts? I think some management is definitely needed because right now it’s just a mad dash for whoever comes in.
Thank you!
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Sounds like a good plan, @zaneb . Please keep us posted on how it goes. ????
Have you already suggested the pet parent exercise the dog a bit well before an expected guest arrives, just to try to burn off a bit of excess steam? And I know it’s a long shot, but have you tried giving a superbly stuffed food puzzle (maybe a Toppl) when a guest arrives?
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@virginiad thank you so much. I definitely will. Yes, that is definitely one of the suggestions I’ve made (the physical exercise). The client is usually pretty good about it. I am going to add it into my updated training plan to make sure he gets it.
We have used toys that are stuffed with food. The dog is very stimulated and he will actually take the toy over with him to greet people. I want to come through for my client so I think trying your earlier suggestion of teaching calming behavior + baby gate is the way to go. What do you think?
I think the baby gate is necessary management at this point because the dog has learned to rush the door. I think kicking it up a notch will help. I want to help solve this problem so that my client can maintain his good relationship with his dog. He’s understandably experiencing some frustration.
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@zaneb I can’t remember… did you already try the flirt pole to teach the basic concept of impulse control? This has helped immensely with my puppy.
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Hi @programdev I haven’t yet. Are you thinking using this as a teaching mechanism for general/overall impulse control? I think he could definitely benefit from that.
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YES – it’s amazing how much the flirt pole game has helped Bliss stop and THINK in other situations! Like this quick video – look how she’s interested in moving forward to sniff the other dog, but maintains her Stay. I think the impulse control work we’ve done has a MUCH bigger impact for her than any amount of reps on “stay” – (Which we’ve never done this close to dogs before!)
0:24
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Not sure why I didn’t think of it sooner! 🙂 I think sometimes I get caught up in the hustle and bustle (especially when there’s a few different issues going on) of training. I have worked a flirt pole before with my dog, but is there a specific activity on here? I have a feeling that’s a yes so I am going to do a search and see if I can find it.
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@zaneb – in my question to you above, see where the text is bold and blue!? That’s a link I dropped for ya.
I’m hoping to get Bliss out and go through the steps of flirt pole training and video it soon – I’ll tag you when I do.
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whoops! derr! lol found it! thank you!
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Jumping can be very difficult. Remember jumping is an instinctual behavior. You have to change their neural pathway. This takes time. I like to use the ABC game. You are teaching impulse control and delayed gratification. The first step is you have to find a treat that is very high value. Secondly , start in non distracting environment. Third, start with a relatively monotone voice. Start saying the Alphabet. Say the letter “A” then mark and reward as long as dog has four paws on ground. If dog jumps right away then ignore. I have found that just ignoring the dog does not work well with jumping. When you add the ABC game it works very well. Do this 2 to 5 minutes in one session. Two to three sessions a day. I find that clients have fun with this game and it helps them remember where they left off. They don’t try to do to much but they remember that they can get to the letter “C”. It’s a good reference point for client and dog. Once you made it through ABC then you can add more criteria such as a higher voice or movement of your body. Gradually move to people greeting. Don’t rush this
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Thanks for sharing this nifty technique, @bmacwatt . By any chance, do you have video of this training in action? ????
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I don’t have a video of the ABC technique but I will put one together
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Poochas gracias! ????
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Jumping. It’s a problem when clients don’t follow up with recommendations. I do agree that sometimes ignoring and turning your back doesn’t work. But I usually start there. We’ve tried keeping dog on a leash when entering, scattering food on the floor. We recommend watching videos from APDT and Victoria Stillwell. I try various methods for various types of dogs to see what works best. We recently had a high energy lab 5-6 months old that was jumping all over us. The owners were instructed in these strategies. They created a barrier like gate. They also allowed the dog on the couch which proved to be a launching pad for her dive towards my back as I stood up and eventually walked away. When the dog is jumping all over us, the owner’s say nothing. Or they expect us to handle it. We hope that they can show us what they do when this happens. Oh but we don’t have anyone come over. Its just you! The training became a disaster as initially the wife said train me as the husband had no patience for the dog. During our 4th session, she walked out and said it’s “better you train her without me present. But I understand what to do. ” Ok last session, she left again and the husband sat on the porch and watched from a far. Neither wanted to interact and participate in the training. They claimed we are happy with her training and just come for the last session. She is so much better… BUT THAT WAS NOT EVIDENT.
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Yes Jumping is a tough one, many times clients don’t understand that jumping is an innate behavior in dogs. To change this behavior takes time and dedication from the owner. I try to explain to owners that we have to change a behavior that the dog is born with, its not easy
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Oh, that’s a challenging scenario, @denny .
We do the very best we can, but without full participation and follow-through from the pet parents, it can be hard to make progress.
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@denny Egads that’s a tough situation. I wondered if you might want to start a whole new conversation in ▶the Coaching channel ◀about “getting buy in” with clients to see if we can brainstorm together on ideas that might work? If you decide to do that, I recommend posting it with a cute photo to get some more attention. Maybe of yourself training a dog? Anyway – great discussion opportunity.
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hey everyone. Hope you’re all well! Does anyone happen to follow the Dog Decoder on social media? I just saw an article the other day that they posted about the phantom of the operant. it brought up some interesting points about letting them process their emotions and taking into account the drive behind their behaviors. Of course, jumping was on the list. It really got me thinking about not just teaching alternative behaviors but really taking the dog into account.
Thoughts?
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Nice – and yes! It’s great to not look at all behavior as the same. What’s the REASON for the behavior? And the underlying emotions! For example, your friendly dog jumping on a guest at the front door (HI!) is not the same as your fearful dog jumping on you at the dog park (HELP!).
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Happy New Year everyone!!!!!
I hope you’re all doing well. I just wanted to check in regarding this case/client. Since we started using the baby gate, the situation is defused and he’s a lot more calm. It’s not 100% yet of course, given how much time the dog had to practice this particular behavior, but my client’s family has noticed a drastic improvement, which is always good feedback.
What I am now working on with the dog now are down-stays, helping teach him to be calm, four on the floor, and impulse control. Specifically, I’m having my client focus on getting his dog to relax and roll onto to his hip while in a down. I think this will really help with enhancing his calm while he’s behind the gate. The one thing I made sure to emphasize was to give his dog plenty of exercise before working on calm behaviors, because after all, you have to be fair to the dog (especially because he’s a lovable, goofy, silly, typical lab that needs decent and appropriate exercise!)
Thanks everyone for the support! You rock!
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I love the update, @zaneb ! It’s so good to hear that the client is doing their diligence and that you had a solid plan for management and training that is communicating to the dog, without taking away the dog’s exuberance in personality. After all, WE LOVE LOVABLE GOOFY LABS!!!
Way to go!!!
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Thanks Paula! I just saw this client again this weekend. When I entered, he only jumped up once but he didn’t make any physical contact with me, so it was just an exciting jump into the air, which I thought was really good. Previously, he would have almost been in my lap lol. He’s excited, let him be excited. I want dogs I work with to be excited.
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