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Your Dog Training Headquarters |
Puppy
Training Tips - Jumping
Puppy
Jumping
As a little bundle of fur, there's not a lot of harm that your puppy can
do to you when he jumps up on you in excitement as soon as you walk in
the door. A year from now, however it could be a different story
altogether.
Jumping, in a puppy, no matter what the breed, is never a good habit.
Even if your dog is a small sized breed that will probably not be able
to injure you the way, say a Labrador or German Shepherd jumping on you
could, he could still injure a child. Not to mention that he can dirty
your clothes and mess up your hair, when you're all ready to go out.
Besides, your puppy can actually lose balance and fall over, injuring
himself if you don't break this habit.
The key to breaking your pup's jumping habit is to show him you don't
approve. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done! It's hard not to
enjoy the attention, and not feel flattered when your pup is yelping and
jumping excitedly all over you! There aren't too many humans who would
get that excited when you walk in the door!
Remember, every time you smile, and pat him as he is jumping, you only
establish his jumping actions as desirable and acceptable behavior.
You might be saying "No, "no" but all he hears is praise for his
jumping.
To nip this habit in the bud, ignore your pup as soon as he begins the
jumping action. Turn right around, and refuse to look at him. It can be
hard to do, but think of it this way. You're preparing your pup to grow
into a healthy and well adjusted dog that's completely accepted in
society. In short, you're doing it for his own good.
Don't shout at him as he is jumping - he doesn't understand what you're
saying. All he understands is that you are reacting to him and playing
with him. Shouting also doesn't help - again, he assumes you're playing
with him.
Reward him when he stops jumping on you by offering him a treat or
praising him. Don't reward him when he's in the jumping act - this is
extremely important. No patting, no words, just ignore him. Eventually,
he will understand that being on all fours equals "reward" while
standing on his hind legs equals "punishment."
Use the "sit" and "stay" commands to get him to stop the jumping action.
He can't jump if he is sitting. This will take practice. Try going out
the back door and entering the house again, and practice curbing his
jumping tendencies. Of course, the "sit-stay" method will work only if
these commands have been firmly established in your pup.
If you find he's jumping on guests, practice the "sit-stay" method with
them. Have them enter the house again (you might want to try this only
with your closest friends) and practice getting him to sit instead of
jump.
It will take some practice, but if you keep at it, you'll soon see your
pup preferring to stay grounded on all fours, instead of flailing in the
air as you walk in!
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