How do I get my dog to stop...?
This sentence can end in so many ways. How do I stop my dog from… jumping, soiling in the house, barking at the kids, running out the front door? We get questions like these from clients every day. These are the questions that drive people to seek our help. Everyone wants a solution to the irritating behavior causing concern. Our callers are often at their wit’s end and just want it to stop! Many confide in us how they have tried to stop the behavior with reprimands (“no, no, no”), physical commands (pushing away, pushing on rump, pulling on leash, etc.) and sometimes prong collars or e-collars.
You might be surprised to know that when we start building a training plan for our clients, we focus first on what the dog can do instead. Stopping the behavior through some type of discomfort, like a reprimand, is actually not the first step to train dogs for better behavior. So if your dog is jumping on you or others, what would we like him to do instead? Sit? Keep his front feet on the floor? Lean into the front of your legs for a good scratch? Stay in his bed? Go get a toy? Lie down? Jump up only when invited? Talking about these goals is our first step so we have a clear picture of what you want your dog to do instead of jumping. But what do you do until your dog fully understands your expectations?
You can’t just ignore the behavior you want to change. So the next step is figuring out how you can prevent your dog from doing the annoying behavior in the first place. Luckily, we have the benefit of being smart humans who can stay one step ahead of our canine friends. If you can make a good guess about when your dog is likely to jump, you have the start of a plan. Is your dog jumping on you when you walk in the door from work? You could have a safety gate at the entrance to the house so you have time to get in the door without all that ruckus. Is your dog jumping up on visitors who come to the door? You can have your dog on a leash, in a kennel or behind a safety gate so your guests are not bowled over. Does your dog jump up on people you meet while out on a walk? Make sure you keep your dog on leash at a safe distance from others unless you want to make the introduction part of a training exercise. Being proactive by having a plan in place for this behavior will eliminate your frustration.
Now that you have a plan to prevent the behavior, you can focus on the training part. Teach your dog what you DO want him to do when he’s greeting someone and reward it highly when he gets it right. With your clear goal in mind, start rewarding your dog for that behavior. This means you may need to have treats ready when you walk in the door so you can reward your dog for sitting when you come home. It may mean you need treats on a walk so you can reward your dog for sitting to greet new people. Or maybe your dog loves affection and will lean into your front legs to get a back scratch. You are now well on the way to a dog who no longer jumps on you or others.
Quick tips:
No “no, no.” It is hard-wired into our brains to ask a dog to STOP annoying behavior, but next time you find yourself yelling “NO”, pause and answer the question “what do I want my dog to do in this situation”? If you can’t come up with an answer, your dog will also not know. If you’re completely at a loss, call us. We can help you come up with clear goals.
Set a goal that avoids the word “no”. For example, instead of “no barking at the kids when they play”, the goal can be “quietly watching the children play.” Instead of “no running out the door” the goal can be “standing on the rug next to the doorway while the door is open.” The clearer you are, the easier it will be to train toward your goal.
Know your dog. What does your dog find rewarding? Does he have a favorite treat? Is getting to meet a new person the ultimate joy of his life? Does he love having his ears scratched or is he moving away when you try to pet him? You will need to know what is rewarding to your dog to be successful training him to meet your goal.
