Sorry, I only seem to post when I need your advice :-\ but need it I do! Cosmo is a BIG 9 month old, he has a really annoying habit of jumping up at people all excitedly if he's involved in a tear about with another dog. He nearly knocked an old lady over today whilst playing with her lovely little dog by jumping up and bashing into her face. I felt so awful and useless :-[. I put him straight back on the lead and said some harsh words. Not sure what the best thing to do is. Any advice appreciated.
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... This is a problem I still get occasionally. I ask people to turn sideways if she looks like she's going to jump. I also tell Harley 'no jumping' and have started rewarding when she doesn't jump up on people. This seems to be working as it now only happens with 3 or 4 people (family and friends). Might be worth trying?? When Harley would jump and ignored my command, I would put her on lead and walk off until she calmed down. Hope you manage to get this sorted. I know how difficult and embarrassing it is
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... Thanks bringing some very tasty treats out to lure him back to me if I feel he's going down that path today!
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... I think that teaching a fast response to the sit and trying to beat him to it with a sit is probably the way to go. Teach him that sitting around new people is way more worthwhile than leaping. You might need bbq'd steak or whatever your treat 'big guns' are for this initially
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... Molly is 5 months and I would say that the jumping up has been the hardest thing to deal with. I am having some success with "sit, wait" and I hold my hand in front of her face to remind her, it is also handy for grabbing her if she forgets her manners. Doesn't always work, but I feel we are getting somewhere.
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... It is a difficult one this. It can depend on how you have coped with Cosmo jumping up as a small pup? When a pup jumps up it is looking for attention, you must not push it down with your hands? Turn your back or use your knee to push it away. If you use your hands it has had its reward for jumping up, your hands on it. Only put your hands on a pup when it is sitting? This will ensure when the pup comes to you, it will sit if it wants attention. Now when you are out and about, trying to teach Joe public how to react if the pup jumps up is difficult as they all use their hands!! Try and get him to sit and wait till the person has passed by. If you can't best to put him on the lead till he has learnt not too. Try to avoid him having a tear about with other dogs it is most likely getting him too excited, by all means let him play but if you see it is getting out hand stop it. Not nice having 2 big dogs running out of control towards you, because they have only eyes for each other, not you!
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... Personally, I would avoid kneeing. It excites some dogs and may hurt others. I think that teaching a sit response and turning your back on anything else work the best Agree that it's impossible to teach others to do this, so that's where getting in first with a sit comes in.
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... Thanks for all the replies. Yes, I've been doing the sit and keeping his eyes on me, doesn't work 100% of the time but getting better. Also, you're right, tearing about with another dog is the main reason he goes loopy! Again though, he's been much calmer recently....must be a blip !
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... Thanks for this post! Pongo (15 weeks) is just beginning to develop the 'jump up at everyone' habit. I'm going to take this advice and use a lot of 'sit' and 'stay' with his favourite treats - he is quite good at sit and stay - and maybe I can break the habit before it gets hold. He also goes completely nuts when bicycles or cars go past on the road (we live in the country on a VERY quiet road, only four or five cars a day so each one is an event). And we really worry about how he is going to handle horses (more of them than cars); so far we've just kept him away when we hear hooves coming but we've got to face it eventually. So I think perhaps that 'sit and stay' might be the answer to all these? Any advice gratefully received!!! Rosie
Re: Jumping up at people whilst on a walk..... Rosie, if you think you know what time of day the horses are likely to pass, I'd head out into the garden with Pongo on a lead... Keep him back from the boundary so he's not too close to the horses, get him to sit facing you and treat him as the horse goes by. Do not reward him for paying attention to the horse - have a look online for videos showing the 'Look at me' command, which is all about getting his focus on to you. If you happen to know the owners of the horses, they may be prepared to help you - for obvious reasons, horse owners are pleased to encounter dogs who have been bought to behave around horses! You need to do the same with the cars too - if necessary, pop Pongo in the car and drive to somewhere with a little more traffic. Keep him on the lead, away from the roadside, and just expose him to the noise and sight of passing traffic. You really need to do this without delay - if he's 15 weeks already, if you leave it much longer, it will become much more difficult to accustom him to traffic. Clare
