NO LEAPING LIZARDS:

GETTING CONTROL OF YOUR DOG’S JUMPING PROBLEM

Do you find it necessary to lock Bouncing Bowser in another room before inviting friends and relatives in, so their clothing remains intact and their hips and wrists remain unbroken? Do you walk Raucous Rover at odd hours of the day and night to avoid meeting another living soul on the sidewalk? If so, it sounds like you have a jumping problem.

Jumping problems are most often found with adolescents (dogs 6 ‑18 months old); Toy, Terrier and Sporting breeds (Italian Greyhounds, Poodles, Jack Russells, and Labrador Retrievers are notorious jumpers); and just plain dominant, belligerent dogs (the Rottie that puts his feet on your shoulders to better stare you in the eye or the Pit Bull that uses you like a basketball backboard).

Peak jumping behavior is observed around the high points of your dog's day‑‑mealtime, your homecoming, walk time (you pick up the leash and the bouncing begins), out on the walk itself, and when friends and relatives come to call. This problem can be solved by calm, consistent training. The proper amount of exercise for your dog's breed type would be of great help, too. Lack of exercise leads to an out‑of‑control whirlwind who could not focus on a command if he wanted to.

WHAT TO DO:

‑‑Give the behavior a name, so you can turn it on and off. At my house, it's called “leapin lizards" but "paws up" or "feet up" can suffice. Teach your dog how to jump up on command, then add the word "no" as in "no paws up" to let the dog know you don't want him to jump up.*

‑‑Give the dog something else to do. Obedience training is a strong plus when trying to get a jumping problem under control. A dog holding a sit or down‑stay is not a jumping dog. When placing the dog in a sit or down‑stay, avoid pushing, shoving, flapping your arms or other fast, excitable movements, along with raising your vocal tone or whining. All extra‑movement will feed the dog's excitability. Here is a situation where the old Bauhaus motto, "Less is More" really applies.

‑‑To aid the dog in holding his sit or down when visitors arrive, put him on a leash before opening the door; this way, you have a means of correction at your finger tips.

‑‑For a bouncing maniac, give him just enough leash to do a sit or down‑stay and step on the rest. If the dog attempts to move, he will experience a collar correction. (This may not work for a 100 lb. woman with a 200 lb. dog, but it  works well with small and medium sized dogs.)

‑‑Be consistent. Never let the dog jump up without being directed to. A dog cannot distinguish between dirty, old blue jeans and a designer suit. He will not be able to tell which days it is okay to jump on you just by what you are wearing or what the weather is like. ("If it's cool and dry and I'm wearing my jogging suit, jump away. If it's raining and I'm wearing my white Chanel suit, don't you dare lay a paw on me.")

‑‑Be consistent with strangers, too. Do not let someone confuse your dog by stopping you in mid‑correction by their crooning, "It's OK, I just looove dogs," while kissing and stroking your dog‑‑thus rewarding him for his misbehavior. There is nothing wrong  with asking people not to pet your dog unless he is on a stay command. Guests to your home are no exception. Warn them beforehand. ("I'm training my dog not to jump up unless commanded. I could really use your help, so please don't pet him or even acknowledge him unless he's holding his stay.")

For the slow‑learner, jumping set‑ups are in order. On a week‑end or vacation day, arrange for a friend, neighbor, or relative to ring your doorbell every 10‑15 minutes for several hours. Each time, put your dog on a leash, place him in a down or sit‑stay and open the door. (Sometimes, giving the dog a place such as a small foyer rug, helps him to focus on his job‑‑"go to your place and lie down.") Your visitor can give your pup a treat or a tickle if he is behaving, but would ignore him completely if he were not.

Once the dog is under control, the visitor leaves, only to return again in another 10‑15 minutes. This goes on until Rover understands that his job is to stay put until he is told to do otherwise.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

Remember that your dog is your friend and companion, there is no need to knee him in the chest, squeeze his front paws until he is frantic (By the way, this often leads to a more serious behavior problem‑‑mouthing.), or stepping on his back feet‑‑solutions you may come across in other literature. By teaching him the acceptable behavior and rewarding him for carrying it out, you become a fair, humane leader, the benevolent dictator every dog needs.

Jacque Lynn Schultz ASPCA

Companion Animal Services

Tulsa Animal Shelter – 918-669-6299

www.tulsa-animalshelter.org

Reprinted with permission of the ASPCA.