PREVENTING JUMPING UP, BITING & CHASING CARS, CATS OR SHEEP!
We are seeing more and more dogs developing behavioural problems and I have noticed some recurring themes over the years. From a very young age our pups jump up clawing at us or our legs to get attention and we reward this by stroking them, petting them, cooing over them and picking them up so we are setting them and ourselves up for problems as our puppies grow into adult dogs.we will deal with adult dogs that jump in more detail later on however somebof this may also be useful if you have recently taken on a rescue dog.
It is quite normal for puppies to jump up to greet you however, once pup is fully grown this behaviour is usually no longer acceptable especially when humans are all dressed up in 'their sunday best' so to speak so as hard as it is it is essential that we try to teach them from day 1 that jumping up is not allowed.
Practice sessions where puppy is encouraged to approach and sit in front of you (perhaps for a stroke, a nice juicy treat or a toy) this will teach him that sitting or at the very least standing with all four feet on the floor is rewarded and not jumping up. Dont delaybthebreward too long or they may well jump up again. Vary the time between rewards i.e. 1 second 3 second 2 second 4 seconds 1 second 5 seconds etc to see how long you van buikd up the length of time they stay in a sit or a stand/stay.
IF you move your hand with the treat/toy in a rounded L shape towards your body and only reward when all four feet are firmly on the floor. If puppy persistently jumps up, do not push him away as this will encourage further jumping, (the touch & push like puppy play is rewarding) Simply take a step back and as he falls down, give the command word 'off or 'down' (be careful here if you want to choose the word 'down' as a 'lie down' command later on you cannot duplicate words or instructions for different actions - we've all done it - told a dog to het down if they are on the sofa cant help but laugh when they lie down on it instead!) Always praise and reward puppy for keeping his feet on the floor.
It is also a good idea to have practice sessions by the doors in the house, teaching pup to sit by an open door for a reward. Begin by opening the door only slightly by 2 or three inches, ask him to sit if you have worked up to this yet if not I woukd re-imforce with the word 'Wait' and a clear hand signal you want to associaye with that - then close door, praise and reinforce with a food reward as you say 'Good dog Sit/Wait', close the door, lead him away and then approach the door again repeating the procedure several times In each session gradually you can begin to open the door a little wider as youngrow in comfidence. To be extra safe place a lead on pup and place under your foot so he can not escape by accident when the door opens wider. Gradually you will build up the length if time and the extent you can open the door and they will remain in position.
CHASING
Chasing is a very common behaviour because it is instinctive still in the majority of our dogs. Descendants of the wolves they would be learning to hunt and chase their prey at this stage if they were not domesticated pets so small & large animals, joggers, cars, cyclists, and pushchairs etc., are very exciting to most dogs. It is important that your puppy is Introduced to all of these things (and more) in a controlled manner. Try to ensure no accidental meetings occur which may frighten other animals humans or excite the dog if you do not have control by means of a lead or collar. Never allow your dog or puppy free to run around animals they have not encountered as you never know what their reactions may be in the beginning. All things must be donenunder control to begin with and slowly as we see their reactions allow more freedom to approach one another or not.
CATS
Of you live with bith in your home here are soke tips when bringing in a new dog. There are two choices either confine the cat so it cannot run and have control of the dog (i prefer this method as cats can run and thus excite the dogs chase instinct further to start with) if youndo not want to confine the cats always ensure you have complete control of the dog or puppy by means of lead or line attached to collar halti or harness. Always make sure the cat has a means of escape or access to a high point out of reach if he cannot cope. It is not advisable to hold the cat as this may result in the cat panicking and/or injury to the person trying to hold it. Do not try to get the dog and cat too close on the first few meetings as this may result in the cat running in panic and distress which will entice the dog to chase.
When introducing to a new cat, keep the dog on lead while entering the room, start from a safe distance. Ignore the dog when he pays attention to the cat and praise and reward when he looks away. If he is overly interested in the cat, use a noise distraction to take his gaze away from the cat. Ideally someone outside the room could do this or throw a set of keys or other noisy objects behind you (but not near the dog). Try not to let him see you doing this. If it is all too much and the dog or puppy is going crazy frantic remove them and try again another day their reactions toneach orher will lesson over time.
TEACHING PUPPY NOT TO BITE
Mouthing and biting are normal puppy behaviours. These behavioirs they do with their own playmates before leaving them and they transfer this to their new human pack it is vital that puppy is taught that this behaviour is not acceptable with humans from day one. Too many adult dogs have biting issues because some owners have encouraged it throufh play and adult dogs thatbdo this are a serius risk.
Teaching pup at a young age to have a 'soft mouth' with humans is essential if we are to prevent problems in the future and there are several things you can do to discourage your pup from interacting with you in this way:-
We are seeing more and more dogs developing behavioural problems and I have noticed some recurring themes over the years. From a very young age our pups jump up clawing at us or our legs to get attention and we reward this by stroking them, petting them, cooing over them and picking them up so we are setting them and ourselves up for problems as our puppies grow into adult dogs.we will deal with adult dogs that jump in more detail later on however somebof this may also be useful if you have recently taken on a rescue dog.
It is quite normal for puppies to jump up to greet you however, once pup is fully grown this behaviour is usually no longer acceptable especially when humans are all dressed up in 'their sunday best' so to speak so as hard as it is it is essential that we try to teach them from day 1 that jumping up is not allowed.
Practice sessions where puppy is encouraged to approach and sit in front of you (perhaps for a stroke, a nice juicy treat or a toy) this will teach him that sitting or at the very least standing with all four feet on the floor is rewarded and not jumping up. Dont delaybthebreward too long or they may well jump up again. Vary the time between rewards i.e. 1 second 3 second 2 second 4 seconds 1 second 5 seconds etc to see how long you van buikd up the length of time they stay in a sit or a stand/stay.
IF you move your hand with the treat/toy in a rounded L shape towards your body and only reward when all four feet are firmly on the floor. If puppy persistently jumps up, do not push him away as this will encourage further jumping, (the touch & push like puppy play is rewarding) Simply take a step back and as he falls down, give the command word 'off or 'down' (be careful here if you want to choose the word 'down' as a 'lie down' command later on you cannot duplicate words or instructions for different actions - we've all done it - told a dog to het down if they are on the sofa cant help but laugh when they lie down on it instead!) Always praise and reward puppy for keeping his feet on the floor.
It is also a good idea to have practice sessions by the doors in the house, teaching pup to sit by an open door for a reward. Begin by opening the door only slightly by 2 or three inches, ask him to sit if you have worked up to this yet if not I woukd re-imforce with the word 'Wait' and a clear hand signal you want to associaye with that - then close door, praise and reinforce with a food reward as you say 'Good dog Sit/Wait', close the door, lead him away and then approach the door again repeating the procedure several times In each session gradually you can begin to open the door a little wider as youngrow in comfidence. To be extra safe place a lead on pup and place under your foot so he can not escape by accident when the door opens wider. Gradually you will build up the length if time and the extent you can open the door and they will remain in position.
CHASING
Chasing is a very common behaviour because it is instinctive still in the majority of our dogs. Descendants of the wolves they would be learning to hunt and chase their prey at this stage if they were not domesticated pets so small & large animals, joggers, cars, cyclists, and pushchairs etc., are very exciting to most dogs. It is important that your puppy is Introduced to all of these things (and more) in a controlled manner. Try to ensure no accidental meetings occur which may frighten other animals humans or excite the dog if you do not have control by means of a lead or collar. Never allow your dog or puppy free to run around animals they have not encountered as you never know what their reactions may be in the beginning. All things must be donenunder control to begin with and slowly as we see their reactions allow more freedom to approach one another or not.
CATS
Of you live with bith in your home here are soke tips when bringing in a new dog. There are two choices either confine the cat so it cannot run and have control of the dog (i prefer this method as cats can run and thus excite the dogs chase instinct further to start with) if youndo not want to confine the cats always ensure you have complete control of the dog or puppy by means of lead or line attached to collar halti or harness. Always make sure the cat has a means of escape or access to a high point out of reach if he cannot cope. It is not advisable to hold the cat as this may result in the cat panicking and/or injury to the person trying to hold it. Do not try to get the dog and cat too close on the first few meetings as this may result in the cat running in panic and distress which will entice the dog to chase.
When introducing to a new cat, keep the dog on lead while entering the room, start from a safe distance. Ignore the dog when he pays attention to the cat and praise and reward when he looks away. If he is overly interested in the cat, use a noise distraction to take his gaze away from the cat. Ideally someone outside the room could do this or throw a set of keys or other noisy objects behind you (but not near the dog). Try not to let him see you doing this. If it is all too much and the dog or puppy is going crazy frantic remove them and try again another day their reactions toneach orher will lesson over time.
TEACHING PUPPY NOT TO BITE
Mouthing and biting are normal puppy behaviours. These behavioirs they do with their own playmates before leaving them and they transfer this to their new human pack it is vital that puppy is taught that this behaviour is not acceptable with humans from day one. Too many adult dogs have biting issues because some owners have encouraged it throufh play and adult dogs thatbdo this are a serius risk.
Teaching pup at a young age to have a 'soft mouth' with humans is essential if we are to prevent problems in the future and there are several things you can do to discourage your pup from interacting with you in this way:-
- Keeping your fingers curled when you hand is approaching puppy for a stroke may also help as many puppies will not attempt to bite a loosely clenched fist as they would an open hand.
- Avoid aggressive play i.e. rough and tumble, wrestling etc., which will get puppy excited and may encourage the undesired biting.
- If puppy 'attacks' your hand/clothing use your 'Ah Ah', 'Oh Oh' in a stern tone if necessary to inform him that he has made a mistake and try offering an appropriate toy which you can make more exciting by moving it around quickly, throwing up and down. When he takes the toy give him lots of praise.
- Tug of war games — these are an excellent way of teaching puppy his teeth mustn't make contact with human skin. However, there must be some rules if we are to prevent future domimance problems, this smply means that puppy must not be allowed to 'Win' (pull the toy from you) every time. During play if pups teeth make contact with you can try a high pitched yelp or screech (In puppy language this means ouch & theybshoukd stop or back away - but of course not akways) stop play, withdraw your hand and if puppy stops praise and offer the toy again.
- If all else is failing or if young childen are getting nipped in the process you can try smothering hands in washing up liquid tabasco sauce, mustard or something that will taste unpleasant after a few attempts they will most likely stop of their own accord!
- Using time-out is an excellent way of teaching puppy that he/she has done something wrong. If pup gets too riled up and won't listen to you and starts biting after trying these approaches then isolating them for a brief period may be necessary for them to calm down and you can try again next time.
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