Dog jumps up at people

cowzerp

My dog is huge-extra big rotty, he is super friendly but jumps up on people playfully, they might not understand that, i dont encourage this behaviour but dont know how to put a stop to it-any advice would be great..

Ruu_Old

Train him to sit on command, if he doesn't know already and require him to sit every time he meets a new person. Another thing you could train him to do is shake hands, another way to meet new people. They are easy dogs to train, normally because they are eager to please. Encourage correct behaviour with treats of course.

tinkerbell

We recently took our Newfoundland for training. He is absolutely huge so it was necessary as he's VERY outgoing and gets over excited easily. He jumps up on all of us.

The dog trainer taught us to get him to sit and to lie down. To make him sit, if you don't say the actual word, just point at his nose with your index finger and leave your finger there. Do not repeat the command (like don't keep shaking your finger at him, one "stern" point of the finger is enough") as it becomes a request than a command. Do it a few times with a treat in your fist (he will smell it so will cop on that to get the treat, he must sit). It seriously works.

To get him to lie down, point at him again with your index finger (have the treat in the same hand in your fist) and bring your finger down to the ground. If he doesn't lie down first go (ours didn't!), then you need to extend one of your legs (which would be perpendicular to the dog) and put your hand at the other side of your leg so that to get the treat, the dog has to go down to the ground to get the treat (like he has to lie down to fit his head under your leg). If that makes sense?!

Again, don't say the commands, sit or lie down, as dogs respond best to body language.

Also, regarding sitting and getting the dog to lie down, you need to give verbal praise first and immediately (within 5 seconds of them doing the act, otherwise he won't know what you are rewarding him for). So, when he sits, verbal praise, give him a rub and a cuddle, then the treat. Then after you have trained him to lie down, get him to sit first, verbal praise, rub, then to lie down, verbal praise, rub and then the treat (so he has to work harder for his treat). Once you have done this a few times, stop giving him the treats and keep up the verbal praise and the rub / cuddle. Then you can give him treats intermittingly. Do not give the dog a treat on a regular occasion, e.g. once every 3 goes as the dog will only perform his best on the third go. So keep the treats very very irregular. The day after we brought our dog to training, I was giving him a few treats during the day for sitting and to lie down (wouldn't give them all the time), but one of the times I was showing my dad and his friend and I'd no treat for the dog and the look I got after he lay down was brutal!!! Twas hilarious!!

To stop him jumping up on people, you have to stop him jumping up on you and your family. Me n my mom went to the trainer and she said that men are the WORST at this! She said that men are very hands on with dogs and to have fun, they have to get the dog to jump up on them. My dad usually sits down on the armchair and invites the dog to jump up on him like. She said that to make it effective, every member of the family has to co-operate (my dad was rightly annoyed at the time, as was my bro!!). When the dog jumps up on you, you turn your back on them, fold your arms and look away from the dog - do not make eye contact as this is a reaction (which will make them do it more). Keep doing it every time the dog does it and he will get the message. There is no use shouting at the dog as this is also a response. Silent treatment is what works. What happened then was that once you ignore the dog, they don't like that (just like human's ya know!), and then our dog would sit there quietly looking at you. When he does this, then you reward him (tell him he's good and give him a cuddle and a rub) so you need to constantly reward good behaviour.

Regarding giving the paw - we were also told that this wasn't good for the doggy (we were in shock!). It's a case of dominant behaviour, just like the dog jumping up on people and that by putting their paw over your hand, they are being dominant over you so you are not to encourage this behaviour.

Anyway, that's everything that we were told from the dog trainer, and it all worked - she was a miracle worker. So try that out!