Need help with jumping

Hi All. I'm going to be getting another foster next week and I've already been around her. She's a jumper - big time! Won't sit still. When you tell her "down" she gets down, but only for a few seconds, then jumps back up again. She's trying to jump a 4 ft. fence, and almost succeeding. She's already nose-butted me a few times. I need to work with her so she'll be ready for adoption. She's about 1 yr old (so, she's still a baby), very playful but "high maintenance." She steals things to chew, but when you say drop it, she does. But then she pics it up again when you turn around. :p She's really sweet, but I do need to work with her to make her available for adoption. So if anyone has any ideas on the jumping - someway I can train her to stop, - I'd appreciate it.

agilityk9trainer - if you have any suggestions, I look forward to it. I respect your knowledge about behavior problems - I see your advice all the time. :)

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Originally Posted by angelchampy

Hi All. I'm going to be getting another foster next week and I've already been around her. She's a jumper - big time! Won't sit still. When you tell her "down" she gets down, but only for a few seconds, then jumps back up again. She's trying to jump a 4 ft. fence, and almost succeeding. She's already nose-butted me a few times. I need to work with her so she'll be ready for adoption. She's about 1 yr old (so, she's still a baby), very playful but "high maintenance." She steals things to chew, but when you say drop it, she does. But then she pics it up again when you turn around. :p She's really sweet, but I do need to work with her to make her available for adoption. So if anyone has any ideas on the jumping - someway I can train her to stop, - I'd appreciate it.

agilityk9trainer - if you have any suggestions, I look forward to it. I respect your knowledge about behavior problems - I see your advice all the time. :)

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Wow. Thanks!

As you won't know this dog well yet, I'd take the all-posibie approach. I suspect she's jumping for attention, but that much jumping might indicate something more difficult to deal with. However, first try this method. If you don't start seeing results in two weeks (when everyone in the house hold is 100 percent consistant), then PM me and we'll look at something else.

You may know a lot of this, but I'll post it for others to agree or argue with anyway.

Jumping is an attention-getting behavior. Dogs who jump alot are trying to reach our faces and get our attention. Even saying "no" and putting the dog back down on the floor is all the attention some dogs need. In this case, you've got a dog that was owned by someone who obviously didn't have much control over the dog. The dog has learned this bad behavior, and it will take a bit longer to break it.

It's a very simple technique. You'll ignore it. When the dog jumps, you look up or away from the dog and walk away. Don't say a word. Don't give the dog any notice at all.

BUT, when the dog is being good and NOT jumping on you, lavish attention. Feed treats. Pet. Praise. If the dog is laying nicely at your feet, pet and praise it. Yes, it will probably get up and then may jump on you, but you're still rewarding the good behavior. Of course, if the dog gets up and jumps on you, it's immediate ignore. People have a tendency not to reward dogs when they are being good because they know it will make the dog get up and be annoying again. But, you must reinforce the good and ignore the bad.

BTW, this ignore technique only works with attention getting behaviors like pawing, jumping, barking, etc.

Now, here's an important part of the process. There's something called an "extinction burst." The problem will get worse before it gets better. See, the dog always has gotten attention by jumping up before, and now it's not working. So, the dog jumps up even MORE to get your attention. If you give in at athis point, what have you taught the dog? Yep. That he CAN get attention by jumping more. He's probably already learned this at his former home. You just stick to your guns. If the behavior gets worse, the program is working. Wait it out, and the behavior will be come "extinct." Hence the name "extinction burst." There is a burst of bad behavior before the behavior becomes extinct.

Also, this will only work if everione is 100 percent consistant at this. Giving in even one time can set you back to the beginning. If the dog jumps, you must ignore.

Now, about jumping the fence. This is much more tricky. A lot of trainers actually teach the dog to jump on cue to help with this problem. The idea is if you make it a command, it becomes less fun. Apparently it does work for some dogs. You can get or make a simple PVC jump. What breed is this dog? I can't remember what you foster. If the dog is a small breed, at 12 months it can begin jump training. If' its' a large dog, you want to wait until 18 months. If it's a giant breed, i'd wait unitl 2 years. The growth plates need to be hardened. So, if the dog is ready for jump training, get that PVC jump and set it about at the dog's knees (actually ankes). Teach the dog to jump with treats by luring it over the jump. Lots of praise and fun. When the dog has the idea of jumping, slowly raise the bar to just below the dog's shoulders. Don't got any higher than that.

(Just a note: for anyone thinking of competition agility, please do not jump train your dog this way. You'll need to do some good jump training work to get a nice jumping arch on your dog first.)

The only other way to keep a dog from jumping the fence is to fix the fence. With a foster, you probably don't want to go to the expense of putting a top on the fence that bends into the yard to keep this dog in. I'd try the jump training first and see if it gives you any results. It's not a fix all with all dogs, but some people have seen results.

Good luck and let us know how things progress!

Wow, that is something else. I never thought of all that with just jumping. Cassie is a Beagle mix. I believe she is either mixed with Blue Heeler or Aussie Cattle. She is about 40-45 lbs. She is starving for attention - just like you said. I didn't know jumping was an act of trying to get attention. I wouldn't have guessed b/c when I get on the floor with her to hug or snuggle, she's so wormy that she's still jumping - and I'm trying to give her a hug and giving attention. That's what threw me. She was getting attention but still jumping around. She was a stray, God only knows what she had before. Obviously, no discipline whatsoever. She also is very submissive. When I first saw her, she crouched down to the ground and crawled to me. But then when she got a little used to me, she started the jumping. She loves to chew too. :eek: (We'll have to work on that). She is at a shelter right now and I'm picking her up next week to work with her, i.e., housebreaking, behavior modification, manners, etc. I try and rehabilitate when I can. I have had many who have lost owners and are grieving, have separation anxiety, older ones who can't get up on their own anymore (I'm their legs), and sick ones that nobody wants. But I've never had a jumper! :p

I'm also glad you told me it will probably get worse before it gets better. I would have thought it wasn't working and given up. This is really important to know. I didn't know something as simple as ignoring it would make it stop. I definitely would not have thought of that.

I foster just about anyone that comes in that's an urgent matter - from small to large. Usually, they are dumped and have no place to go and may get put to sleep, so I will foster if my home is open at the time. I'm not used to having real young ones though (unless I'm just dog-sitting for the week). I haven't had a puppy for 15 years. :rolleyes: I'll have to freshen up on my puppy books.

Thank you so very much for your help. I can't wait to try it out next week. I'll keep you posted. ;)

Good! Let us know how it goes. If this doesn't work, let me know. We can go a different route.

As far as training her to jump over a jump, at hear weight, i wouldn't do it unless she's about 16 to 18 months old. Her growth plates should be closed by then at that weight.

Again, keep us updated on her progress. I'm always impressed with foster parents!

Thanks again. I'll keep you posted. ;)

I have seen that working dogs (you mentioned Aussie Cattle) need a job or purpose in life. My brother had a problem with his Australian Shepherd dog trying to herd the family (dragged me by my skirt) but when they started playing frisbee the dog felt like it found its place in life.
Besides training the dog not to jump, please give it an outlet for its energy like playing ball, taking walks or playing frisbee. That is also positive attention as well as burning of energy.

I'm going to get a few toys before I get her next week. I want to keep her busy. I just hate being gone so many hours a day (8 1/2) when I'm at work. I just hope she behaves and doesn't chew up anything. I'll keep her confined to the kitchen while I'm gone. She'll have her bed, food and water and toys to keep her busy. Hopefully, it'll be getting warmer out soon and I'll have her outside playing. I'll take her for walks too. Use some penned-up energy. :D Thanks for the advice. I'll do that.

I just want to second the motion for training to jump on command.

That's what i used with my Shepherd. He liked to jump up and put his paws on people to greet them. He loved doing so, I loved him doing so, but i know other people might be none too pleased. Easy solution... train him to only do it if told to.

It helps a lot of you have a "no" or "down" already taught. Even better is if you have a "wait." Of course "OK" is quite helpful too, though "come" could work to.

"Up" is where this training will be taught.

Once we established that King couldn't pounce on people all the time, he'd bounce in front of you a few inches if he was really excited. He'd do so though as not to get in the way or be annoying... just to show you that he was excited. Of course he was happier once you said it was Ok for him to pounce on you. :D

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Another method I've seen people use is where they keep the leash on the dog for the first couple weeks and have the dog follow them everywhere. It helps with the bonding. This could come in handy with the no jumping. What they do is step on the leash giving the dog only enough leash to be standing, while enforcing the "down" command.

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Though you have to choose if you want to use the "off" command instead. Some people prefer that "down" be used for the lay command.

So far though, personally I've had no trouble with the dogs i've had knowing that double "down" means lay and one "down" means off. My brain is telling me though it would not be a wise idea to attempt that with a dog that is an over excessive jumper.

While I don't want her to jump all the time and especially be well-behaved when she's adopted to a new family, I would still like her to come up to me and put her hands on my shoulders when I tell her to. (I love hugs) I just didn't want to confuse her by ignoring her to teach her to stop jumping and then telling her to come up. Wouldn't that just confuse her? I know if I were her, I would be like "okay, lady, what do you want? - up or down - make up your mind?" :D :p

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Originally Posted by angelchampy

While I don't want her to jump all the time and especially be well-behaved when she's adopted to a new family, I would still like her to come up to me and put her hands on my shoulders when I tell her to. (I love hugs) I just didn't want to confuse her by ignoring her to teach her to stop jumping and then telling her to come up. Wouldn't that just confuse her? I know if I were her, I would be like "okay, lady, what do you want? - up or down - make up your mind?" :D :p

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To begin the training, you will want to be 100 percent four on the floor. After she has accomplished this and is successful for several months, then you can teach her to jump up on command. It would be confusing to her to say, "No jumping. But, yes, you can jump now" at the beginning of her training.

I'd teach no jumping and let the new parents decide if they want to add "hugs." I know a lot of families don't want any jumping. Personally, I let my smaller dogs jump all over me. I love it. However, I also realize that when they greet other people, they might not appreciate the "love" quite so much. I don't let my larger American Eskimo jump up, however. She's just too big, poor girl.

Great, I'll do that. You're right - some families might not want her jumping up to hug. My dogs were always all over me too. I loved it. But, some people are different. And if it makes a difference as to whether she's adopted or not, I have to make sure she's behaved. Too bad they're not all like us, huh? ;) I can't wait to get her and try this out. I'm picking her up this weekend. She's such a love. I'll have to behave myself. I love all the attention getting, licking, smiling faces but I have to restrain for her sake and make sure she's disciplined. Then after she's calm, I'll get down on the floor and get my kisses and hugs. :D I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I can rehabilitate them so they can get loving homes. Even if it is just to get them housebroken or simple commands. :)

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Originally Posted by angelchampy

Great, I'll do that. You're right - some families might not want her jumping up to hug. My dogs were always all over me too. I loved it. But, some people are different. And if it makes a difference as to whether she's adopted or not, I have to make sure she's behaved. Too bad they're not all like us, huh? ;) I can't wait to get her and try this out. I'm picking her up this weekend. She's such a love. I'll have to behave myself. I love all the attention getting, licking, smiling faces but I have to restrain for her sake and make sure she's disciplined. Then after she's calm, I'll get down on the floor and get my kisses and hugs. :D I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I can rehabilitate them so they can get loving homes. Even if it is just to get them housebroken or simple commands. :)

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you should feel a sense of accomplishment. It's very important work. Not everyone ca do it, either.