If you have been a dog owner for any length of time you know that a dog jumping on you or others can be be frustrating and embarrassing. I know the situation all to well, you come home from a long day at work, you walk into the front door and boom, your greeted with a big wet kiss sharp paws running down your arms or torso, ouch! Or even worse your smaller child get caught in the excitement and gets knocked over and scratched as well.

Well guess what? Its all your fault.

Many unsuspecting dog owners encourage this behavior way before it be comes a problem and the next thing you know you have a dog with an unacceptable behavior problem. You see, you would encourage your cute little fluff ball of fun (when he was a puppy) to come running to you and jump on your leg. At that time he could barely reach your knee cap, if that. And then, like most everyone, you would reach down and pet him of maybe pick him up.

By doing this, your puppy just learned an important lesson: when I jump up on my owner I get the reward of love! Your dog doesn’t know the difference between the small pup that he once was and the large dog that he is now. All he knows is what you taught him early in his life, when dad or mom gets home I’ll run over and jump on him to show him how much missed him and they will love me back.

Is jumping ever acceptable?

You have to put your foot down and make it clear that jumping is no longer an accepted behavior. When is jumping O.K.? Many owners of toy breed dogs or smaller dogs expect their dog to jump up. This is totally up to you. But, when any dog jumps on an unsuspecting guest, it can cause a bit of an awkward moment. This is why teaching your dog the “off” command is also a good idea. You can train your dog to jump on your command; we will get into that later.

For larger dog breeds, there really is no debate on this matter. You should either never allow him to jump or at the very least work the “off” or “no jump” command in to their regular training. After all it is one thing to have to deal with scrapes or soiled cloths due to your own dog, it is quite another to have to deal with him jumping on a guest or stranger.

Why does dog jumping happen?

The number one reason dogs jump is most likely out of pure excitement after a long separation (returning home from work) or during playtime when adrenaline is running high.

A much more serious problem is when a dog jumps to display his dominance over you or whatever he is jumping on (another dog, a child or guest). Hailing from a pack mentality, dogs live by a hierarchy of social ranking and order. One of the behaviors a dog will use to exert his dominance over a lesser animal is to show his physical superiority by jumping up on or placing his paw or paws over the other dog’s shoulders.

That’s all well and good, but why is my dog jumping on me and how do I stop this behavior? First off, lets determine which type of jumping problem we are dealing with. This is pretty simple: If your dog jumps on you or anyone else out side of an excited welcome or high energy playtime, your dog is trying to dominate you or the person that he is jumping on. This will have to be dealt with in a much different way and you should bone up on your alpha dog techniques. (Tip: Secrets to dog training has a great course on dog behavior problems, you can find the link at the bottom of this page.)

Stop your dog from jumping on you.

How you approach your dogs jumping problem will determine whether or not you will succeed in ending your dogs jumping problem. You must stay consistent with your dog training routine, as with all dog training. To stop dog jumping, you must make it very clear that jumping is no longer allowed.

How you react to your dog jumping on you and others will determine whether or not he repeats this behavior. You will have to make a commitment to continuing effort and consistency in dealing with this problem. To stop dog jumping you have to make it clear to your dog that it is never acceptable to jump you or anyone.

The easiest way to stop unwanted behavior in dogs also happens to be the most effective way. Simply, ignore the bad or unwanted behavior and reward the desired behavior. No need to yell, beat or correct harshly, although your first instinct may be exactly that.

Here is the best way to stop dog jumping.

Here’s what you do

When you turn away from your dog, cross your arms and advert your eyes, totally ignoring his jump. You will see, by giving him the cold shoulder how quickly he will calm down.

Again, as soon as he has all four paws back on the ground praise him lavishly. Don’t worry that you may be confusing him, dogs have a very short “training memory” and they can only comprehend the reaction you give to his behavior at that moment.

Reinforce the good behavior, as soon as he keeps all for paws on the ground, reward him. If he gets excited again and goes to jump, give him the cold shoulder again. Don’t worry if the cold shoulder and the praise are within seconds of each other, dogs have a very short training memory and are only capable of associating the reaction you give with the behavior he is presenting at moment. So, it will work really well if you give extreme affection when he keeps his paws to himself and the cold shoulder a half of second later.

Suggested reading: For more helpful articles on unwanted dog behavior such as stop dog barking as well as dog training tips like leash train your dog in minutes check out Matt’s web site at www.ezdogtrainingathome.com

categories: Dog training,dog training tips,dogs,pets,animals,family

It can be difficult for a dog to learn to walk at our pace because they walk at such a quicker speed than us. Dog’s are naturally curious animals and want to go explore. It is up to the owner to help them learn to walk on a leash without pulling you around.

To begin with, you need to establish your authority with your dog. Don’t be cruel with your animal to show your authority, however. Simply build a good relationship with your dog because it will really help with the training process.

When teaching your dog to use a leash, there are different techniques you can use. The most popular technique is to give a fast snap on the leash whenever your dog decides to pull against the leash. Stop walking with the animal until he stops pulling, and then positively reinforce him every time he lets the leash have any slack.

Find a good training collar. Be careful when you use a choke collar as they may actually damage your dog if abused. The best types of dog collar are ones that won’t slip off, such as a sturdy nylon dog collar.

Find a dog leash that is comfortable to grip. Find a good, quality dog leash with great craftsmanship. The best size for dog leashes are usually between 4 and 6 feet.

Train with your dog by having him sit on your left side, with both of you looking in the same direction. Start walking with your left food. If you use your left foot every time you start to walk this will signal to your dog that you are about to walk.

Be sure to walk at your usual pace. Your dog will need to get use to the speed that you walk, and not their pace. Talk to your dog while you are walking so they have fun on the walk with you.

Walk a short distance and stop. Praise your dog and tell her what a good job she has done. Practice this several times a day and keep it fun, and your dog will be trained in no time how to walk with a leash.

Dog’s are naturally inquisitive animals. It can be hard for them to match their owners pace. It’s your job to help your dog learn to walk on a leash without dragging you along where he pleases. Jim Witt is an authority on Dog Training Collars and recommends visiting Country Brook Design for your dog training needs.

Every body dreams of a pet especially dogs. But the fear of them misbehaving takes the courage out of you to actually go and get a pet for yourself. Think about Dog training! Dog training is one tedious and time consuming job but the results are far from a verbal experience.

A dog can easily catch up with a ‘No’ command. You can use it to stop him from a dangerous situation or bad behavior. It is a good training technique that is sure to consistently come to your aid while nursing a dog.

A ‘No’ command should be followed by punishments. This helps your dog in recognizing that a ‘no’ can be a punishment because of his bad behavior. Punishments are generally of two kinds; negative or positive. Take away something that your dog needs when he misbehaves. This is a kind of negative punishment. You can also not give him food for a bad behavior. The negative punishments are preferred over the positive ones. Positive are the ones in which you correct through words or a simple tug on the leash. These are considered inappropriate in terms of effectiveness.

If you wish to bring about a difference in your dog’s attitude then award treats. Ranging from homemade recipes to consumer goods, one can pick anything. Homemade recipes can be sought from various websites over the Internet. If your dog is not much fond of a chew toy, then he is sure to like a tug toy. These make a huge change when it comes to obeying you. To get them to do something, you will surely have to do something in return.

It is very surprising to see the kind of commitment and duration of time a new puppy can demand. While you provide him with time and attention, a lot of work goes into his training. But your dog is surely worth the effort. No one can match the companionship your dog provides you. He leaves you with a senses of accomplishment and pride.

One of the most popular activities for rewarding your dog along with some exercise is the Fetch game. Dogs love this game and can play it all day long. As soon as they get their eyes on the stick, throw it as far as possible and send your dog to fetch it by pointing him the direction. This is sure to induce enthusiasm in your dog. So what are you waiting for? Get a Frisbee, ball or a simple stick and get your dog on his toes.

Of all the rules in effective dog training, being consistent in all your actions remain on top of the list. The dog training basics you as a dog owner must know, are not difficult at all. The purpose of dog training is to educate your dog in order to harmonies and adapt to the household and the conditions thereof and in order to react positively to you and your commands.

As said before, the success of your dog’s training depends on how consistent you are with your instructions and the way you give them. Dogs learn by example and experience. You can train your dog effectively by giving clear recurring instructions and exclaim the desired action commands each time and placing the focus on the reaction you want from your dog and award the dog for good and correct behavior.

The way you act and the attitude you present towards the dog during training sessions will have a significant impact on the way the dog will act out towards you. Negative and destructive behavior from your side will only be detrimental to the whole process. However, a friendly but firm approach will encourage the animal to react positively towards you and the training.

The way you modulate your voice need to make it clear to the dog whether you approve or disapprove of the actions he took on your command. A firm strict or decisive tone will send the message that you are serious and does not accept his way of behavior. On the other hand, an enthusiastic or happy tone will give the impression that what ever he was doing is acceptable and you are content with his behavior.

In general, dogs will react better towards short and plain commands and more so in short but fun filled, yet demanding training sessions. Executing your training this way, will ensure that your best friend enjoys his training and react favorable to your instructions.

While in the training process, reward your dog for his obedience to your commands. Rewards can take on the form of nibbles or chunks of treats or even play.

For as long as the training is constructive and your dog is conscious of your approval and acceptance of his conduct, you will end up with a happy K9 that are willing to keep up the good work and react favorable towards you in all conditions.

A hard to deal with behavior problem but also most common is dog separation anxiety. Leaving you dog alone creates high level of anxiety because they are social animals, needing a lot of interaction either with other dogs, other animals or humans.

In order to solve dog separation anxiety you will need to first understand this anxiety disorder that brings on a state of extreme panic in your dog. The main cause of the distress is the separation or isolation from their owner.

Different levels of anxiety are possible. Some dogs can deal with being left alone while others might start worrying the minute you have left home, or even as soon as noticing you are preparing yourself to leave.

There are dog breeds that are more prone to separation anxiety so it is important you do your research before buying a dog. If you know you are not going to be home very often and your dog will have to spend time on his own, you better not buy Airedales, Weimaraners or Springer Spaniels for example.

Plus a higher number of dogs that come from a shelter seem to develop dog separation anxiety easily. These dogs might have gone through some severe trauma before ending up in the shelter and once they are placed in a home with an owner they can trust, they will start relying on that owner a lot faster than dogs that havent experienced any trauma in their life already.

Another class of dogs with a higher risk of developing dog separation anxiety are the pups being taken away from their mother too early on in life. This is particularly common in the puppies you can buy in pet stores. They are separated well before the minimum age of 8 weeks and then left in cages waiting for their new owner to come along, which causes feeling of insecurity and anxiety.

Lets look at what causes this behavior problem now that we know which dogs are more likely to suffer.

Seeing that a dog needs a lot of attention, love and companion, neglecting to fill these needs is the major cause for your dog to develop anxiety. If you want your dog to be content and happy, you must take care to properly prepare your dog for those times you cant be with him.

A dog alone at home will start looking for distraction or try to find you. Realizing he is completely alone with nothing to do, anxiety symptoms will start popping up.

Some signs are dogs becoming nervous the moment you are leaving the house (or even as soon as they notice you are preparing to go) and in the extreme cases your dog will completely trash your house while you are away.

Finding the solution and helping your dog deal with separation anxiety can be a tedious time consuming process but when you are taking the right steps and doing the right things in order to build confidence in your dog, great improvement can be achieved.

I am happy to let you know that there are very effective ways to deal with your dogs anxiety problems, even if you already have “tried it all”.

As a dog owner myself and having dealt with dog separation anxiety on several occasions already, I know how hard it can be, coming home each time and find that your dog has been chewing on furniture, peeing everywhere and basically trashing the house, not to mention the number of angry calls from the neighbors.