Easy Steps to Stop Your Dog from Jumping on You

Easy Steps to Stop Your Dog from Jumping on You

When you bring home that adorable puppy her dog behavior is so cute. She puts her feet up on you to get your attention, jumps in your lap, jumps up and down on her hind legs begging to be picked up.

And what do you do? You reinforce all those dog behaviors. Give her attention, pick her up, make sure shes comfortable on your lap. Then, lo and behold, she grows from 15 pounds to 75 pounds and is still jumping on you. That cute puppy behavior is now bad dog behavior. In fact, its downright maddening and you cant get it to stop.

Humans often give dogs mixed signals — telling them to do one thing, but reinforcing very different dog behavior. Or expecting dogs to read our minds — is it ok to jump up sometimes but not others? Which is which? Dogs cant figure that out.

You probably dont even know youre sending mixed signals.

Situations change throughout the day- you love that your dog jumps up on the bed to wake you with sloppy, wet kisses; it is endearing to have your dog greet your return with the big stretch to reach up so you will pick them up or love on them; it is helpful when the dog jumps up on a chair to help you put the leash on the collar.

It becomes a problem when guests come over and the dog jumps on them; when you are dressed up and now dirty feet have ruined your outfit; or when it is just simply not convenient.

STEPS TO STOP THE JUMPING

As humans, its our job to teach dogs how we want them to behave. Here are some easy tips to change that unwanted dog behavior.

1. BE CONSISTENT

Figure out what you want and then be consistent with what you desire. Do you want your dog to jump or not? Dogs dont understand “sometimes”.

If the answer to the question is, I want the jumping to stop, then take a look at your situation and ask yourself these questions:
When does it happen?
What are your various responses?
When are you consistent?
When are you not consistent?
How can you be gentle and clear with your responses?

2. DO NOT REINFORCE THE BEHAVIOR

This seems obvious. But oftentimes its not. You have to change your behavior before you can expect Fluffy to change hers.

3. GIVE AN INCOMPATIBLE BEHAVIOR COMMAND

The very easiest way to correct this behavior is to give an incompatible behavior. For example, Sit is a great choice. Most dogs know it and it is easy to put a dog into a sit if needed.

4. GO STIFF

When your dog begins jumping, stop your body movement and go stiff. Turn your back slightly. Give the new command “Rover, sit”. Help Rover sit if needed.

Let this become your new response to Rovers jumping. PRAISE the sit. If Rover pops up out of the sit and jumps up, start over. Go stiff, give the command (Rover, sit), help with the sit if needed. PRAISE (and treat if handy) the sit.

As you are consistent, your dog will comply with your new desires. PRAISE each time your dog sits. This is the new polite way of getting your attention. PRAISE whenever your dog comes and sits in front of you. This is the signal “please” for attention, outside, treat, etc.

Super-exciting times to a dog will probably result in the old jumping but be consistent and patient, and as you do this, you gain leadership respect from your dog.

CONCLUSION

Dog behavior modification can be done very quickly and your relationship will get better and better. Be patient, kind, loving and consistent. Your dog wants to make you happy. Use these few simple steps to STOP THE JUMPING!

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Mar 13, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Trick To Cure A Nuisance Barker: Training Buddy to

Dog Trick To Cure A Nuisance Barker: Training Buddy to ‘Speak’ on Command

All breeds and sizes of dogs can be taught easily to speak, and the way to go about it is to call your dog, show him a treat and say Speak. He will not understand what you mean and will probably at first jump for it, and then sit down and eye it attentively; finally, he will get impatient and utter a sharp bark, which is what you have been waiting for, and the instant he does so reward him with the treat.

A dog which is slow in barking can be encouraged to do so by your imitating a bark, as the chances are he will reply to it, and if you reward him he will learn to bark as soon as he hears the word speak.

After a dog has been taught to bark once, you can teach him to bark any number of times, for when he has learned to expect a reward after barking once and you do not give it to him he is apt to bark again or until you give him a signal to stop.

Dogs are very observing and the signal to stop barking can be so slight that your friends will not detect it, such as a movement of the foot or hand, a dropping of the eyelids or a shifting of your gaze, and if you keep up a running fire of conversation and address your dog as if he were a human being his performance will be much more impressive and perplexing.

As an illustration, if you are exhibiting your dog to an audience and want him to speak, dont simply say speak, but address him something like this: Now, Buddy, all the ladies and gentlemen present are very anxious to hear you speak. Put a slight emphasis on the word speak and your dog will catch it, but it will appear to the audience as if the dog understood the entire sentence and not only the one word speak. Of course, when training the young dog you should use only the word speak and that distinctly and free from other words, so as not to confuse him.

If your dog knows how to speck on command, you can try to teach singing which is to teach him to howl on command. It is not expected that your dog will produce any melody but only repeat in a mechanical way a series of whines and barks.

Teach him to sing in the following manner. Try to imitate a whine yourself and try to get him to imitate the noise you make and to a certain degree, reach the pitch and style of noise make by you, be it a howl, whine or bark and with constant practice, a dog can and will learn to follow your tone quite accurately.

As your dog learn to follow your barking, say sing instinctively to associate this action. Praise and treat plentifully during training to encourage him further. Exercise him on a regular basis will help him to learn to sing in no time on your command.

Speak and Sing are useful lessons in curbing a nuisance barking dog. Let your dog understand that barking and whining is only allowed on command. Simply ignore your dog whenever he barks and whine for your attention. Vice versa, give him lots of praise or treats when he barks on command. If your dog understands this lesson, he will no longer be a nuisance barker and be a good quiet boy for a long time to go.

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Mar 02, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Treat

Dogs are a member of the family in most homes. This means they are rewarded for good behavior with dog treats. But that is not enough. Remember to praise the dog as you give the treat so it associates the praise with food. Use dog treats to reinforce or teach good behavior.

Dog treats can be anything that dog enjoys if he is easily motivated. They also help train the dog to do the things you ask him to do. A visit to the vet or a dose of medication can be made into a pleasant experience if they are followed by a dog treat each time.

Dog training involves use of dog treats or some type of snack after it has obeyed your commands. The training method is right to teach dog manners and obey commands; as long as the owner is in control of the treat box. Treat training is one of the methods of motivational training that encourages the dog to do It helps develop an obedient dog, who sits at commanded, comes at your call, and waits to be petted. It is also an easy way to make him take medicine, and learn tricks like jumping to catch a stick.
This procedure sometimes leads dog to expect a treat each time or it will not listen to your commands. So it is essential to slowly wean him off dog treats, while increasing number of commands given before a treat. This also helps the dog loose the expectancy of food. Instead, he will be happy by just a word of praise or petting as a treat for obeying a command.
However, most people appreciate the unconditional love they receive from their canine friends. And desire to reward them with only dog treats as a sign of appreciation. It also used to housetrain and correct bad habits.

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Mar 01, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training Tips that Work!

In dog training, the most simple acts often produce the best results. In any dog pack, the alpha sets the rules and the rest follow. Therefore, by establishing yourself as the alpha, you can be sure that your obedience training sessions will be that much more productive. The following is a list of 8 simple things you can do to teach your new puppy or unruly dog that you are the alpha in your pack.

1. Never feed your dog from your plate while you’re eating. A dog must learn that your are the alpha and that it can only eat when you are finished with your meal.

2. Never allow your dog on the sofa or on your bed. And if your dog sits on your path, gently shove it out of the way with your foot. By setting boundaries, you will instill in your dog that it must obey the alpha.

3. Never allow your dog to chew on your towels, socks, shoes, or clothing. Use bitter apple to discourage these behaviors.

4. NEVER HIT YOUR DOG FOR MISBEHAVING. Instead use the tone of your voice and a collar/leash to teach and make corrections.

5. Never allow a puppy to chew on your fingers. Otherwise, it will become a habit that will be very hard to break when it becomes an adult. Spray you hands and fingers with bitter apple and then allow the dog to proceed. The dog will learn not to bite your fingers without associating any negative thoughts about you as the alpha.

6. Never leave a hyper dog unexercised. Playing ball before you leave for work and after you return can help alleviate your dog’s pent-up energy.

7. Never keep your dog alone in a yard for days at a times. Without proper socialization your dog will become aggressive towards other dogs as well as other humans. A dog needs contact with its own species in order to learn how to behave in a dog pack equally as well as it must learn to behave in a human pack. A dog left alone for long periods of time will believe itself to be the alpha and try to dictate to its master instead of the other way around.

8. Never allow your dog to jump on you or your guests. Its fun when your dog is a puppy, but it isn’t fun when it becomes a 100lb behemoth. Practice with a collar and leash and set up situations where a neighbor rings your doorbell while your dog awaits their entrance. Make a sharp correction and command your dog to “sit” when as your neighbor enters the house. And, of course, don’t forget to praise the dog as soon as it follows your command. Once the dog knows what to do, try the same thing off leash, but this time use a water spray bottle and spray your dogs face with water as punishment for jumping with a stern vocal correction of “NO”. Proceed to praise your dog once again when your dog obeys your command. This way, it will learn to associate praise with correct action.

By following these steps, you will establish yourself as the alpha. And, you will have a head start in training your dog because it will have already learned to respect your authority as its leader.

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Feb 26, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training Schools Foolproof Choices

Okay the time has come. The puppy you have cherished for the past few months is ready to go to school. Where do you send him/her? Which establishment can be trusted? You want a school sensitive to your puppys needs as he/she begins the long and arduous task of learning to interpret you English commands and hand signals. However you also want a school that will respect your needs as the owner. Does such a place exist? What dog training school is right for you?

How do you make the decision? What research do you do? Well to start of the internet is of course always a great resource. The American Kennel Club is very well respected and has a list of good dog training schools in most states. Of course I am sure you also have friends with dogs that can give recommendations, but of course you wonder, will what was right for them be right for you and your precious little bundle of fur?

Of course there are also other things to take into account. What do you want the school to teach? Do you just want and obedience school or do you want one that teaches tracking, herding, retrieving? What is most important to you? How much of a star do you want your little guy to be?

From the many dog training school to pick from I am sure there is one that will fit your needs, as there is probably one for just about everything you could imagine out there. It will just take some long deliberation to decide what is best for both you and your puppy.

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Feb 26, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training Obedience Easy To Understand Methods

Training your dog to be obedient is a long and frustrating process. All you want him to do is listen when you call him and yell at him, can that really be that complicated? But then when you think about it you think about how difficult it is to train children to do what you say, to follow rules and obey. Training your dog to be obedient is actually quite easy in comparison.

Dog training in obedience can get to be tiresome but of course is necessary for a happy home and happy dog. It seems to be a widely-held school of though that a well trained dog is a happy dog and of course, you are a happier person when your dog listens to you and doesnt go to the bathroom on your carpet or chew on your furniture.

Most dogs are fairly smart animals and learn pretty quickly. And if all you want is the basics, dog training for obedience can go quite quickly. Sit, stay, heel, lie down, roll over, are all pretty easy concepts and things that most dogs do naturally so not really that hard to teach. Instead you only have to teach them to associate a hand signal or word you say with something they probably do every day.

Of course here is where the dog treats come in; the basic reward for good behavior that every animal craves. The only problem is that they tend to associate the act they are to perform not only with your words or hand signals but also with the following reward and are quite disappointed when the treat ceases to follow. If your dog is anything like my dog then they probably cease to do whatever it is you wanted them to do. At this point you realize that your dog is probably going to be getting fat for a while.

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Feb 22, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training Basics Its A Snap!

Okay so dog training basics, well there is a lot to say but I will attempt to keep it brief. During my recent research into training my dog I found some every interesting information about dog training.

First of all it seems to be a generally accepted fact that a trained dog is a happy dog. Apparently dogs are like children in this way and crave rules and boundaries in the family unit. They like to know their place and what they are and are not allowed to do. This I found interesting, especially when this information was followed up with the information that much like children, dogs will test their boundaries with you to see what they can get away. I guess this makes sense when you think about it, especially when you realize that your dog actually does test your boundaries even after you have had him for 13 years. Each time you let him out he will run to the edge of where he is allowed to go and then look back to see if you are watching before contemplating whether or not to go further.

The second piece of information that seems to be universaly agreed upon is that the most important part of the dog training basics is praise. I have heard it stressed over and over again that the important thing with training your dog is not yelling at him/her when they do something wrong, but praising them when they do something right. While I understand this, it is basic positive reinforcement theory, I also wonder about not yelling at the dog when they do something wrong. It seems as though you want o show them the correct thing to do but is the dog really capable of comparing the two behaviors and realize that one is used in place of the other? It seems as though in order for them to cease to engage in the incorrect behavior you would need to reprimand them for it. However I guess this thought of mine is incorrect, which is why I recommend one of the many books available on dog training basics. It is hard to know what to do as the most logically response to a problem is not always the correct response.

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Feb 20, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training and Your Relationship With Your Dog

My best friend is incredible!Shes one of those rare types who hangs on every word you say.Shes content to be quiet when I need stillness, even though shes one of those high-drive types.All I have to do is call and shes there in an instant, no matter what she was doing before.She puts me ahead of all her other friends, never fails to make me feel special, and is a redhead just like me.But shes not a person, even though shes sure she is.She is a butterfly dog; a Papillon.

When I brought this eight-week-old bundle of joy home, I didnt know what to call her.Im not very good at naming anything, so I usually just observe for a couple of weeks and let the animal name itself by its personality.This puppys name became evident in nothing flat:Tazzie.She whirled around the house, jumping up on furniture five times her size, zooming and zipping and totally charming me. She was, indeed, a Tasmanian devil pup.I quickly realized the athleticism of this dog and knew Id have to find her a job when she got a little older.High-drive dogs, that dont have jobs, will certainly find other outlets for their energy and those outlets arent usually things you would enjoy!

You already have a burning love for your puppy, but what is your relationship like?Does it come when you call it?Does it sit or lay or stay?From your first class, at your dog training school, your relationship with your dog begins to change.I will warn you, however, that anything you want to teach your dog wont come just with a once-a-week class, even if you have the best dog training school in the world.You have to practice with them, just a little bit, every day.

Tazzie was a very food-motivated dog, so the fact that she got food every time she did something right made training a blast for her, all by itself.And this happened every day!Bonus!She made fast friends at her new dog training school, so going to class was fun as well.She got to where she would whine, as soon as we pulled in the parking lot, until I finally got her out of that car.

So now youre taking your dog to classes in a place they love, and youre working with them every day.During that time, youre paying complete attention to them, teaching them to pay complete attention to you, and they get their favorite food as icing on the cake.This does incredible things for the bond between you and your dog.They learn to focus on you, no matter what, and good things will come.They get praised and fed, or praised and allowed to tug on a toy, whichever motivates the dog more, so your relationship cant help but blossom.

Ever since Tazzie and I started training together, she has claimed me as her own.When my other two dogs want to sit on my lap, shell push them out of the way to get the best spot because, I am her property, as far as shes concerned. I do give the other dogs personal time as well, but I have to put her in a sit/stay or a down/stay so shell let them come get love.

She is, by far, the one I can trust the most, not only because of her training, but from the bond we gained through the training.She never takes her eyes off of me, since we began at our dog training school, and it serves us well in the agility ring!

If you want to forever alter and solidify the bond you share with your dog, find yourself a good dog training school, for whatever discipline you prefer, and go for it.With a little time, money, and patience, your relationship will become a forever relationship.If you do, your dog will turn out to be your best friend too!

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Feb 19, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training And Obedience

Teach your pup to sit as his first lesson. There are several good reasons why you should start with this command. First, sitting comes naturally to dogs since they often sit to rest. Two, teaching the pup to sit is relatively easy, a lesson that he will learn very quickly. Three, you will find the sit position an excellent base or jump-off spot from which to launch the other commands. When the pup is sitting, he is quiet and under control. The sit position is akin to the five basic foot positions of the ballet dancer. From the five positions, the ballet dancer can execute any number of steps or combinations, from an entre chat to a capriole.

The sit position has practical applications, it is not just a trick. When walking the pup, you will find the sit useful at intersections, when meeting a friend, and in various other situations where you want the dog to be quiet and under control.

Start the lesson with the pup on the leash. You can place him on your left side; later he’ll be walking or heeling from that position. Hold the leash in your right hand, give the command “Sit!” and lift up on the leash. This will raise the pup’s head. With your left hand, push down on his rear end. Repeat these movements until the pup sits down without your having to lean on him. Then unsnap the leash and give the command. If he balks or sits down only halfway, put him back on the leash and start over. He’ll soon learn that when he doesn’t obey, he’ll be restrained with the leash. Praise him well when he gets the lesson right.

Next, introduce him to the appropriate hand signal. Move a pace or two in front of the dog, give the command “Sit!” and hold up your forefinger in an admonishing gesture. Let him see it. Keep repeating the lesson, using both the command and the hand signal. While the hand signal has its best use when working at a distance, such as in the field, there are many situations in which you will find it useful. One of these is when there is too much noise for your dog to hear your voice.

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Feb 19, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training Aids

You may think that dog training aids are out there for you to spend money and not actually reap any benefits from. That is not the case. Dog training aids are there to help you succeed in teaching your dog, this could be teaching him obedience, agility or any other type of teaching you want to do. There are many aids available but only a certain few will work with your dog and his temperament.

I find the best training aid to be treats, small pieces of human food chopped up and given to him when he has done something good has always worked wonders, that is unless your dog doesnt really have an interest in treats. This is a really cheap method of a training aid but if you want to blow some cash there are hundreds of options available for you.

For dog agility training aids that are available are things like anti bark collars, many dogs have a problem when they do dog agility that they bark constantly basically because o the hype involved. Anti bark collars do one of two things or sometimes both, they give a small electric charge when your dog barks and spray some water up into their face. People may think this is cruel but it is completely harmless it just lets your dog know that barking is not acceptable. These collars are available at pet shops and on the internet and are not to expensive.

For dog obedience some dog training aids that are available are dog clickers, the newest craze out on the market which allows owners instead of associating sit with a word they use a click instead and reward with treats, no punishment allowed. Another aid available is a harness; this gets fitted around your dogs upper body so when you are teaching him to heel a slight tug on the harness pulls him back completely. The harness is a widely used obedience aid and is greatly used for bigger dogs such as German shepherds and Rottweilers.

There are also dog training aids available for around the home and are simple and effective. Many people turn to dog training aids when nothing else has worked but they dont have to be the last thing you try, with aids so cheap these days there is no reason why you cant invest in something that will make your dogs learning process a lot more exciting!

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Feb 19, 2010 | 0 | Dogs