Jumping

[Lashes]

We have a precious Labradoodle named Lashes, (she has beautiful long blond eyelashes) She's about 7 months old and is a jewel. One thing we can't seem to get under control is her jumping on people. I take her for walks almost everymorning and when she see's me she starts jumping up on me. She is a 57 pounder so she's not small. I try to turn my back and walk away to ignore but she will follow me and jump up on my back and sometimes even mouth my arm. I'm not sure what to do next. So any helpful tips would be great. Otherwise she's perfect.

Thanks
Cristina

[Maureen]

[color=green]hey Christina, welcome!
I would recommend a trainer who could work with you directly, since I can't think how to give you training tips typed out!

In my experience the best trainers are people who do that for a living, with their name and reputation being the basis for their success, as opposed to a big franchise store transferring people around. And frankly, one that I recommend often is the same price as a class in a store!

Here's a link for finding a certified trainer: http://www.apdt.com/po/ts/default.aspx

Best wishes!

[Jac]

Hello and welcome!

We had that problem with our dogs too, they would be so excited to see us...I read on this forum that if you hold your dog's paws in the air and don't release them for a while, they would stop jumping...I tried it and it worked!

When our dogs jump up on us, we take their paws in our hands and hold them as high as we can above their head...they try to get away, but we keep their paws up. We talk to them in a nice voice, but they still want to get away...after a few times, they quit jumping up!

If this doesn't work, you can try squeezing their paws gently...just enough to make the dog uncomfortable, but not hurt him/her.

It really worked wonders with all of our dogs!

[Clippart]

Another thing to try is the OFF command. Whenever Kenai jumps up we tell her to get "OFF" and she immediately does now. When teaching this command give a treat as soon as your pup goes down (even if you have to help her down). OFF works for counter surfing and furniture hopping too!

Soon, she'll be staying down, or going down, without the need for treats every time. A treat now and then keeps it interesting for the dog, though.

[Chesterpal]

Hey Clipart, when you use 'off' for counter surfing do you give when she gets down? Archie is crazy with it. I've tried baking sheets with silverware on it to make lots of noise...he just shoved it out of his way. I heard mousetraps but can't imagine how it wouldn't hurt him.
He's starting to listen to 'off' but I'm not sure if giving him a treat right after tells him jumping on the counter will get him a treat or getting down will....

[movistar]

I use mouse traps.

They don't hurt. Well I guess I should define hurt. I tried it on my own finger first. It did hurt But it was more the surprise than anything. Like stubbing a toe I would say. It does no damage at all, like squeezing paws. The thing of it is I shouldnt have snapped my finger because they dont do anything but scare. I can tell you I never had a dog get a paw or hair caught in the mouse trap (not that I think it would have mattered, it just never happened because they are not like a mouse they do not have themselves positioned in a way that the metal bar comes down on them, they merely touch it and trigger the snap but arent positioned to get snapped) They set the trap off and it startles them right off the counter. (Or out of the potted plant or off the coffee table or out of the spare room etc) After a few times you dont even have to set the trap anymore. The mere sight of a mouse trap will make your doggy turn around! Put one over by your shoes and your dog will never pick up another shoe! They really are a great training tool. I used them in the kitchen trash too right on top of the lid and that stopped lid lifting. They really do work to block off a room when a gate doesnt fit or you dont have one, just line up traps about 1 foot apart and the doggy doesnt cross

Sometimes I would accidentally set one off (again it doesnt snap on you because you dont have your finder in it it just gets brushed) and it would startle me too!!

[NurseLeslie]

I have heard of the mouse-trap training tool, and I have been apprehensive.....But I think I'll go out and get me a few and try it on the couch...The beast just LOVES to jump on the couch as soon as I turn away...Of course, he jumps back down when I look and growl at him...I would like to be able to trust him for 5 minutes....I'll post how it goes....Leslie

[Clippart]

I give Kenai the treat after she's got 4 paws back on the ground. She knows exactly what OFF means, and gets up on the counters just because she's a sassy teenager and is curious too. Occasionally I'll catch her looking up there like she wants to jump up, and she might steal a glance at me too, but I say "STAY OFF" and coax her over to me with a treat.

The same thing happens with "LEAVE IT". I'll see her going for a shoe, or whatever, and yell the command. She looks back at me and comes over, knowing that she almost got in trouble! Sometimes she will just keep trotting in the direction she was going, trying to act like she wasn't going to do anything wrong at all! It's hilarious!!

It's so fun working with her. She is smart, but will try anything she can get away with too! I know she will learn and will demonstrate acceptable behavior more consistently as she gets older.

[Lashes]

Thanks for the ideas. I think I will try the paw idea and then the mouse trap tool. I've never heard of that way for training. But something has to work Luckily she's not a jumper on anything else. It's just people.

Moviestar~ How do you hold the trap when she jumps up?

[movistar]

I leave the traps on the counters (thats how I set the off occasionally!!)
She has to set one off to develop the not wanting to be near a mouse trap fear So put a few where she normally goes, or (I can hear my trainer in my head saying this!) set her up. My trainer was big on setting the dog up to teach them. For us it was bread. My dog was fanatical about getting bread off the counter so we set a piece of bread on the counter and put the traps around it. After setting a trap or two off the bread wasnt so desirable anymore. Remember our babies are smart and they will no if there is a mouse trap so this is not a fix all unless you want traps all over your house. I was taught to still give commands and praise when they got "off" (even if it was the trap) eventually they should learn proper counter behavior.

(I am certainly not an expert but I spent well over $1000 to send my old poodle off to "camp" and to have follow up training in my home. This is one of the techniques that was taught to us and it actually worked for us!