My 11.5 month old chocolate lab can't seem to shake the impulse to jump up at strangers / people I talk to on walks. The main issue tends to be when she has a sniff or play with other dogs in the park, she'll then turn her attention to the owner and leap up - often with a kiss on the lips for them! Not ideal at all! She will also do it if I stop and chat to somebody - currently at a safe 2m distance - she'll go from a perfect sit being rewarded and praised and suddenly leap up. Despite me holding the lead tight she is virtually airborne and I can't get her attention back until the urge has passed. A ball tends to be something she responds to when highly distracted more than even high value food treats, but even the ball doesn't stop the leaping. It's on and off lead. We've worked with a few trainers - sadly to no avail - getting Ember to sit or keep four paws on the floor and reward with treats when approaching people, letting her calm down before approaching people, but it doesn't stop her jumping up at other dog owners or strangers. It's also not everyone - it's sporadic so proving very hard to work out how to stop the behaviour. I should note she is well exercised, we train every day, we do a lot of 'find it' on grass outside, inside the house, have lots of puzzle toys and make our own games, but the jumping persists... Any tips or pointers much appreciated! Thank you!
This is one of the reasons I don't let strangers near my puppy. I socialize in controlled situations until trained. Strangers and puppies don't mix well. From my past experiences, they are more likely to tell you "Oh, she can jump its okay" and keep petting the puppy, than to actually respect the fact you are trying to raise a respectful pup. Also, dog parks are heaven for bad behaviors. Anyways, my anger toward puppy ruiners aside, here are my thoughts and tips: 1. Even if you think she is well exercised, she probably needs more. The exercise needs to occur before any obedience training. Don't let her meet people before exercise, but also don't wait too long after. You don't want her to recharge her energy before meeting people during training. 2. Don't take her to the dog park until she is reliable trained. 3. Don't approach any person with her who isn't already on board with your training plan. They should be able to stay calm and be consistent. If she attempts to jump on them, they should be able to turn away from her without looking at her, laughing, talking to her, or touching her with their hands. 4. As soon as her paws leave the ground, give a sharp verbal correction (Aught!), and immediately lead her away from the person. Do not return to the person until she gives you her attention. 5. Never let her lead you to a person. If she is pulling you to a person, even just trying to sniff, don't allow it. 6. Do not bring out her toys. 7. I would also recommend doing attention exercises. Reward her for looking at your face while sitting, walking, etc. Start practicing at home, then move to a yard, and slowly introduced distracting environments. 8. She should only get to greet the person if she never leaves the ground. Same with a treat. Some dogs will learn that they can get pets by first jumping up and then sitting down afterward. I realize this would be difficult to execute. If you are able to do it, though, it should work.
