Jumping up against visitors

[Rosemary]

We have been having a problem over the past two weeks with Ozzy. Every time someone comes to the house he jumps up onto them, and today Micah did the same.

When we got Ozzy we trained him not to jump up by turning our back on him and ignoring him when we entered the house. But for some reason, he has now decided that he wants to do the meet and greet 'his way'. It must be very daunting to visitors to have Ozzy standing up against them with his paws on their shoulders.

Over the weekend he even jumped up onto the couch and sat on my daughter's lap - in one jump, no sneaking up on her or anything, just jumped and sat as if it was the most natural thing in the world. My daughter is tiny and Ozzy is a big lump of a dog - her husband burst out laughing because she just disappeared under Ozzy. It did look funny but wouldn't have been funny at all if it had been my 75 year old mom he was sitting on.

I really need advice on how to deal with this. It is not easy trying to handle both of them going crazy at the same time.

[Kells xx]

it sounds harsh but we eliminated that problem in bear (rip) and echo by raising our knee, so that they would jump up and wind themselves.

if the dog is big you may need to raise your knee higher, but it hits them in the solar plexus* may be spelt wrong and winds them deterring them from it after a few tries.

hope this helps

kelly

[valkyries]

Get your family and friends to turn theit back and ignore when they visit, sounds like back to basics for a while. i stopped the jumping on the settee and use by baning them from the living room when ever they did it. Now they only come in when invited in xxxx

[Sarah]

one way of teaching is to have your dog on a training lead and stand on the lead so that when he tries to jump he can't, make him sit and when he's calm and not wriggling or bouncing, ask your visitor to give a treat and or affection. Ignore him when he wiggles about completely. once he sits when people come in try removing the training line and see hoe he goes, he may need a gentle reminder, or you may need to go back to the training line again

[lynnmw1208]

I saw on an episode of "it's me or the dog" to take the dog away from the situation and put them in a quiet room. When the dog is calm, bring them back out again and repeat until the dog doesn't do the behavior. Seemed to work rather well with the husky that was mauling the girl owner. we are doing this training with Pongo as of right now, but putting him in his cage until he calms and then let him out. It's a work in progress.

[Alex T]

I saw on an episode of "it's me or the dog" to take the dog away from the situation and put them in a quiet room. When the dog is calm, bring them back out again and repeat until the dog doesn't do the behavior. Seemed to work rather well with the husky that was mauling the girl owner. we are doing this training with Pongo as of right now, but putting him in his cage until he calms and then let him out. It's a work in progress.

Erm - isn't his cage meant to be his place of safety, a place where he associates positive thoughts! Maybe placing him in his cage for negative behaviour will cause problems further down the line.

Have you got another room he could be placed in - may be the room where his cage is, but not in his cage?

[Bec]

Ignoring them can be hard if it's become an ingrained habit. You have to be careful of extinction bursts which is when you ignore the dog and they just try the undesirable behaviour harder and faster to get it to work, because it's worked in the past.

Dogs jump up because they learn this is the best way to get attention, retrain them to sit instead. Instead of ignoring them ask them to sit and as soon as their butts hit the ground give them lots of praise and attention. Teach them that sitting is the best and quickest way to get attention.

[meeshsalts]

Hi

I have been greeted by huskies and mals all over the world and 99% have jumped up to say hello. It is something all northern breed dogs do. I just warn people before they pet the dogs that they will probably jump up. Most people say they don't mind.

My only problem is Talon who I hold down because he is a very large Malamute and can knock people over just with his wieght.

[Bec]

I don't think it's something Northern breeds just 'do'. Any dog will jump up to greet visitors if they learn that is the best way to get attention, and any dog regardless of breed can be trained not to jump up.

Personally the last thing I want is my 30kg Siberian Husky jumping up on me, or my visitors, or children who visit the house.

[Rosemary]

Thank you all for the great advice. As Linda says it is now back to basics, but we will certainly work very hard at it, can't have two over excited huskies jumping up on everyone.

[valkyries]

Good luck Rosemary let us know how you get on xxxx