Why Dogs Jump Up & Counter-Surf
When you first brought your puppy home he probably jumped up on you, scratched at your shins, or performed a similar, 2-paws off the ground maneuver in an attempt to get your attention. If you’re like most pet owners, you immediately stroked the pet, cooed at him or picked him up. An owner’s good intention to soothe the pet unwittingly rewards this behavior and encourages the dog to repeat it. Like children, dogs repeat behaviors that are rewarding to them and avoid behaviors that are not rewarding.
What’s cute when the dog is an eight-pound pup can turn into a dangerous and annoying problem as they become older and heavier in weight. There’s nothing cute about a fifty-pound dog jumping on you. Owners often call us baffled that they can’t stop their dog from jumping up. In the interim, kids and grandparents are toppled over and guests entering the home get injured or soiled by dirty paws and sharp toenails. By the time we get the call for help, owners have had it, their guests have long stopped coming to their homes, and gates, for safety sake separate children and their pets.
There are numerous ways to train a dog to unlearn jumping behaviors and in most cases, it requires a combination of several techniques. Your dog trainer will discuss various options with you and identify the tools that will be most successful for your pet. In all cases however, retraining begins at home with two basic principles:
- Completely ignore a dog that jumps on you. Do not talk to the dog, touch him or give him eye contact. Simply turn your back and walk away.Â
- Give the dog an alternate behavior to perform such as sitting for your attention.
Both of these principles set the ground rules for the pet and put him on notice that jumping no longer works to get your attention. It also sets him up for success for the more advanced techniques you’ll need to change this behavior.
If you have a counter or table-surfer, they have also been rewarded for their jumping…usually by obtaining a tasty snack! Counter and table-surfers are motivated to repeat this behavior because something yummy awaits them every time they jump.Â
For surfers, environmental control is the first step to retraining. Never leave food, toys or products your dog is attracted to within their reach. The basic rule of thumb is, if it’s made available for him, it’s fair game. Your dog trainer will help you identify the appropriate, advanced techniques required to change this behavior as well.
Additional tips for success:
- Never use your hands to push a dog off of you or a surface. While this is negative attention, it still delivers attention to the dog. Additionally, you risk teaching your dog to become afraid of hands.
- Be forgiving with the dog and with yourself. Jumping is correctable, but once your dog has learned this behavior, it generally takes a professional dog trainer to help eliminate this behavior.
The goal of all dog training is to find peaceable solutions to everyday problems so that pets and their owners live harmoniously.
Paws in Training provides dog training, dog behavior evaluations, consultations and education in Raleigh, N.C. and surrounding areas.