|
How To Stop a Puppy Jumping Up
The main reason you're
likely to have a problem with a puppy jumping up you
is that you actively encourage it yourself!
Go on, admit it, it gives you a lovely,
warm feeling when your new puppy excitedly jumps up
and makes a fuss of you, doesn't it?
And what do you do in return? That's
right, you make a fuss of him right back, don't you?
The signal you give him by doing this
is that he's pleasing you and winning your approval.
And you'll perhaps not be surprised to learn that this
is exactly what your puppy is looking for and just reinforces
the behavior.
Pushing him off isn't an answer, because
he'll see this as a game. Remember, play fighting is
a part of a puppy's natural instinct and learning process.
Shouting at him isn't an answer, because
he interprets that as getting attention, and that's
just what he wants.
What you really need to be doing to
break the jumping up habit is the exact opposite of
what you actually are doing.
That's right. Ignore your puppy. Completely
ignore him. Pay him no attention whatsoever. Yes, I
know it's hard but it's the only way you'll ultimately
break this antisocial habit.
Ignoring him means no verbal interaction
(don't talk to him) and no touching. Turn you back on
him and fold your arms to keep them out of his reach.
If your puppy jumps at your back, take
a step away from him. If he comes around the front of
you, turn your back on him again.
To repeat: don't give him any acknowledgement
whilst he is jumping up at you.
As soon as he gets down on all fours
and stops jumping at you, go down to his level, make
a fuss of him and give him a tidbit.
In other words, reward him for doing
what you want him to do, and give him nothing he can
construe as a reward when he's doing what you DON'T
want him to do.
So, to sum up, you want him to understand
that four feet on the ground is what will get your attention,
two feet on you will not.
It's also important to make sure that
any visitors to your house also understand this drill.
It may seem an impossible task now,
but if you're consistent with the above exercise, you'll
be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your puppy gets
the message that remaining on the floor is what will
get attention.
1howto.com
--------------------------------------------------
Please
Share Your Tips with Us
|
