Max bumps into people all the time

[stacwase]

Whenever Max runs by a person, he bumps up against them. I absolutely must break him of this habit soon, because my 87-year-old father-in-law is coming to live with us in September and Max is large and could hurt him badly.

Any suggestions? My husband has started bopping him on the head when he does it.

[cocker_luva]

what kind of dog is he? how old is he?

[stacwase]

He's a German Shepherd/Rotteiler mix, we think. Neutered. He's 2 years old and we got him from the shelter about 3 months ago. He's well-behaved, usually. He just bumps into us a lot, and gets very excited about cats (he broke my finger a couple of weeks ago when he took off after a cat while my fingers were caught in the leash).

The next obedience class doesn't start until Sept. 23, and my father-in-law will be here before then.

[cocker_luva]

ok, well... i don't know what to say.

[KatieDog]

My dog does that too. I wonder whether it's the collie in her--kind of a herding thing. If I catch her at the right moment and ask her to sit, I can stop her. Perhaps just asking for another behavior and rewarding that one might help? And have you tried ignoring her when she does bump you? If you make a big fuss--even in a negative way--you might be helping to re-inforce the behavior.

Also, you might find helpful advice in Patricia McConnell's _The Other End of the Leash_ which talks a lot about how to "read" dog body language.

[ChloeLove]

I agree with what KatieDog said...it sounds like it is worth a try. Good luck

[stacwase]

Thanks, everybody!