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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Help me keep 4 paws on the floor

47 replies

InvisibleHotPinkWeasel · 25/09/2012 10:22

Right. Hully is now 5.5 months and fucking ginormous! And strong.

Her recall is coming on nicely, I whistle she comes back.
Walking to heel excellent - apart from tugging like a bastard to try and get to other dogs and people she likes the look of.

People are my problem. She likes people.

Obviously I need her off the lead to train and she walks well with the dogs but I need to get her trained not to jump at people asap - she knows OFF but still can't help herself.

To put it in perspective I am 5.2" another Lab puppy she socialises with is 3/4 weeks younger than her jumps at me and comes up to my tummy. Hully's just below my shoulders and strong. But she rarely if ever jumps up at me as it is NOT ALLOWED.

What top tips do we have to stop her hurling her self with enthusiasm at fellow dog walkers, or possible innocent members of the public? I really think we need to work on this quite intensively.

OP posts:

RandallPinkFloyd · 26/09/2012 13:09

Seriously Wiggo, share the secret.

Mines nearly 4 ffs!

wiggofan · 26/09/2012 13:36

Randall - not sure if anything I did worked, if it was being told off by the Jack Russell or just that he grew up. The breeder told me he'd settle down and be less bouncy when he was two, maybe its a combination of everything.
I did all the usual things, put him on the lead when there were people about, but he often spotted them first. Sometimes I just made him sit and distracted him with treat or toy till person went past.
If he was on the lead and looked about to lunge at someone I'd say "NO JUMPING" and he'd back off.
What didn't help was that most people in this area seem to be dog lovers and were amazingly tolerant with jumpy dog. He would get admired and stroked and some even gave him treats which of course encouraged him to do it even more. Its hard to tell people off when they're being nice.

RandallPinkFloyd · 26/09/2012 14:00

It's so hard isn't it.

Mine is the friendliest gentlest thing but she just has no idea of social boundaries!

She's a rescue so we don't know anything for definite but from what we've pieced together she was separated from her Mother and litter far too early then went to a home where she was basically ignored for 8 months

The upshot is she didn't learn any early socialisation. Luckily her nature is lovely but she just doesn't read cues at all. If she so much a spots another dog out of the corner of her eye she's off at top speed and without so much as a sniff of the arse she's launched herself at their head.

Any growling/teeth baring/posturing goes completely unnoticed. She just has no concept of the fact that they may not want to play with her.

I hate having to keep putting her back on the lead all the time because if it wasn't for this she would never need it. She'd be one of those annoyingly well behaved dogs that just happily trots around you as you walk. (she has massive separation anxiety so keeps you in sight permanently)

RandallPinkFloyd · 26/09/2012 14:03

Missed out the part where she does the same with people as dogs but you get the picture!

I'm 5'8 and she can jump almost as high as my face

Original poster

InvisibleHotPinkWeasel · 26/09/2012 14:17

Oh Randell bless her she sounds so lovely though

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RandallPinkFloyd · 26/09/2012 15:15

She's the best

wiggofan · 26/09/2012 15:33

Randell she sounds lovely and its good that she's so friendly with everyone after such a bad start, but a handful for you. Difficult if she's missed out on the early socialisation, there are so many doggy body language cues they have to learn.
Perhaps you've already thought of it, but you could try just sitting with her on lead (with toy/treats) in a crowded place - we used to sit outside the railway station at commuter coming home time. Maybe she'll eventually get used to people being around and not jumping. Or have you thought about a behaviourist or a one-to-one training session?

SrirachaGirl · 26/09/2012 19:29

Signing in too. Lucy just cannot help herself. She gives every other command at least a half-hearted effort but she simply can't muster any restraint when it comes to giving people a full body hug. I,m wondering if a Halti/Gentle Leader might help as we're also having a problem with pulling on the leash (and she does know how to heel, but can't always contain her enthusiasm for getting to the park)?

Original poster

InvisibleHotPinkWeasel · 26/09/2012 19:45

I find using a lead I can strap over my shoulder easier for pulling. It means I can focus on treating and rewarding with both hands, but also when she pulls I stop and reprimand rather than instinctively pull back against her pulling.

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Original poster

InvisibleHotPinkWeasel · 26/09/2012 19:46

Well not reprimand, correct her position.

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RedwingWinter · 26/09/2012 20:34

This one is really difficult because so many people reward a dog for jumping with some kind of attention.

Can you get a group of friends to help, and arrange for them all to walk individually around where you are dog-walking, and to fold their arms and turn away (without speaking) if she jumps on them? It needs a lot of people to do this before a dog generalizes that they should not jump on anyone, rather than learning it specifically for the one person who does turn away.

I don't think I've seen anyone suggest a 'say hi' command yet. This involves training the dog to walk up to someone and sniff their hand (obviously with all four paws on the ground). It gives them an alternative behaviour to jumping.

Sounds like you are doing well with the leave command.

Good luck with it!

Original poster

InvisibleHotPinkWeasel · 26/09/2012 20:46

Had a lot more success with LEAVE!

That is a good point with the say hello, I will try that, we have a lovely bunch of tolerant dog walkers who are puppy friendly. We all encourage each others dogs/pups to sit and then reward when they do, so it's not beyond impossible I guess to start getting her to associate a command or word with it.

I'll be honest, I had forgotten how ill mannered young dogs can be, I think I blanked the trauma from my memory

OP posts:

Original poster

InvisibleHotPinkWeasel · 26/09/2012 20:47

Srry that should read a lot more success with LEAVE! today.

OP posts:

SweetieTime · 06/01/2013 17:20

I know this is a bit of an old thread but has anyone had any joy since last posting?

We have just come back from a very muddy walk with our 5.5 mo cocker pup. It was surprisingly busy with other dog walkers, kids on bikes/scooters, joggers, couples with prams etc and our pup didn't seem to have all 4 paws on the ground at anytime. It was a nightmare, especially the fear of her jumping up or on anyone else in such a muddy state. We don't let her off the lead unless it is very quiet as her recall is still developing very poor but today she was dying to be let off and I now have one arm 4 inches longer than the other from pulling her back.

I really didn't know what to do with her, should I have made her sit while the distraction passed (although we would have been there all day) or ignore the behaviour or something else?

Any tips very gratefully received.

HoneyDragon · 06/01/2013 18:23

Well, she is a lot better! Still has her moments.

I had a brilliant tip from a Dogs for the Disabled trainer which really helped. Whenever she has jumped up I have simply held her in place whilst she's up and ignored her. She gets really fed up and starts mouthing at my hands to get down.

When she then sits I praise and fuss. Everyone I have roped into to doing this with her she has stopped jumping at. And she understands no and settle better now to.

We are by no means perfect but very much improved

HoneyDragon · 06/01/2013 18:24

Doh' I'm the OP btw, I was in disguise.

highriggs · 06/01/2013 18:29

Kikopup has some very good training sessions on YouTube for this problem. She teaches the dog what to do first instead if what not to do first. She is just great at training dogs in a positive method.

SweetieTime · 06/01/2013 18:51

thanks honey, glad to hear your pup has improved. it makes me think there will be light at the end of the tunnel. I will try holding her up, I had tried holding down in a more wriggling sit!!

high I will also have a look on utube, I hadn't thought as looking on there but will give it a go.

HoneyDragon · 06/01/2013 19:12

I'm trying to work on the sit and meet still at best we manage a spin in giddy circles and meet

highriggs · 06/01/2013 22:19

She is very inspiring sweetie when I have given up all hope with my girl, a reactive staffie. Makes me think that I just have to readjust my thinking on dog training and then things will be so much better

highriggs · 06/01/2013 22:29

She is very inspiring sweetie when I have given up all hope with my girl, a reactive staffie rescue.

WifeofPie · 07/01/2013 01:50

Just back (with name change) to say that Lucy has been much better lately. We've been super consistent with OFF! in every situation and she seems to be getting it. I wear a bait-pouch in the house and walking so I can reward her immediately when she does as she's told. Also, she is never ever fussed or patted unless she's standing properly with paws on the floor or sitting. We've also just got a Gentle Leader that I use if I'm walking on-leash in busy places, to school etc. and that seems to be working really well so far...she knows heel and 'look at me' but often forgets when she's super wound-up in the morning...this seems to get her into focus and not lunging and wheeling all over the place. She's almost one though now, so it could be that she's decided to be a big girl .

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