Do you have a puppy-jumping-up problem?
If you do not want your dog jumping up as an adult, then do not let it do it as a puppy.
• Nadine Whittal, dog trainer writes:
When we bring a puppy home, it is super exciting. This little bundle of constant happiness brings a smile to our faces and love to our lives. There are some things that can be a bit frustrating though.
A common issue with puppies is that of jumping up. It is a completely natural action for dogs to jump, and puppies are much like toddlers. They want your attention all the time and the only way they can think of to get that attention is to jump up against you. This probably does not cause much of an issue when your puppy is small. They really cannot do that much damage. But what about when your dog gets older?
Dogs don’t grow out of jumping up. You need to help them control this behaviour. Puppies that will grow into big adult dogs are a particular problem. Having your German Shepherd puppy jumping on and playing with your child probably doesn’t seem like an issue. Fast forward a few months to your fully grown German Shepherd jumping on and flattening your poor child and now, all of a sudden, it becomes a problem.
The best advice that any dog trainer can give is to start as you mean to go on. If you do not want your dog jumping up as an adult, then do not let it do it as a puppy. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first is to teach them to do something that prevents them from jumping up. Asking your dog to sit or back up when it sees you come home, and praising and loving it for this is an effective way of preventing the jump. Giving your dog tricks to do is also a nice way to strengthen your bond with your dog and impress your visitors.
You could also refuse to give the dog attention when it jumps up. Turning your back on your dog and refusing to acknowledge it until all four feet are on the ground will teach it that the only way to get attention is by remaining firmly planted on the floor. When all four feet are on the floor, it is important that you give the dog love and attention to reinforce this desirable behaviour.
Remember, it is important to be consistent from puppy to adult!
