Dogs jumping for joy
Let’s talk about jumping up on people because that is one of the most common behaviours things that get dogs into trouble. It’s a natural thing for a dog to do and he just wants to get your attention. But I can see no practical reason for anyone to encourage this action in a pet dog. He doesn’t know the difference between your gardening gear and your best dinner suit. He may trip up or scratch an elderly person with delicate skin. He may scare the heck out of a child (yes, even if he’s small). If you want to show him your love, don’t reward him for jumping, go and spend some time playing with him.
How often have you heard the expression “Don’t show your dog attention for behaviours you do not want repeated”? So let’s say you want to discourage from doing something. There are two parts to this. The first is to reduce or extinguish the unwanted behaviour. The second is to provide an alternative to the unwanted behaviour.
To your dog … looking at him is attention
pushing him away is attention.
speaking to him (or even yelling at him) is attention.
The recipient should completely ignore, freeze or turn away and not pay the dog attention for around 30 seconds. But if other house members or guests do not do the same, every time, guess what? Intermittent reinforcements are very addictive to your dog. And people too for that matter. Just say there’s a tree on your walk where your dog gets very excited when he sees a possum. If your dog only sees that possum every 4th or 5th time you pass by he will persist to look for the possum just as much, if not more than if he’d seen it every time.
Training a ‘sit’ (for example) as default behaviour is a nice easy way for a dog to ask politely and to please you. Believe me, for every visitor that says they don’t mind if your dog jumps on them there 10 that do mind. If your dog cannot sit for some reason you can simply wait until they are standing or plain old ‘calm’ before going ahead with whatever it is you want to do.
Please remember that ‘calm’ is gold and that even from a ‘sit’ position a dog can quickly spring up into a jump if excitement overcomes him.
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)