I have a dog that is about 1 year old. How do you keep him from jumping up on you? He gets overly excited.?

Question

We keep him chained up in the family room as he runs after our 3 cats and potties on the floors. When we keep him on a long chain, he doesn't potty indoors. I don't know how to break either habit: the jumping up on us or the pottying on the floors when he is off the chain when he chases after the family cats. Does anyone have any ideas? Other than these two problems, he is a great dog. He is a very loving dog. He is a chow/golden retriever mix. Thanks for any suggestions you may be able to offer.

Answer 1

House breaking is a process that takes a while. Don't just chain him. It is suggested that you put him on an "indoor leash" (about 3 feet or so) and keep him next to you at ALL times. This way you can keep an eye on him and when you see him "squat" or start to circle (as they often do before the deed) rush him outside with a treat in your hand (keep them close by). After he pottys outside, give him the treat. RIGHT after (only 2 seconds to reward for ANY kind of behavior for dogs to associate the treat with the behavior) He pottys indoors because he doesn't see the whole house as his den.

Have you crate trained him?? if not I HIGHLY suggest you do this. It is easy to do because it becomes his own personal "den." My dog loves his crate, especially on cold days as it means he doesn't have to go outside when we leave.

Crates are a place you can put him when you leave and a way to "punish" him. Before people start yelling at me for saying this, I got this tip from a professional trainer who is endorsed by many vet clinics in the US. To do the punishment effectively, you have to put him straight into the crate after he does an undesireable behavior. Now the key...WALK AWAY. No matter how much he yelps or barks, you must ignore him. The punishment is removing him from you, the person he wants to be with, not anythign else. I'm sure this could be a way to help solve the cat chasing problem, although teaching "leave it" and "stay" are good ways to do this too. My cat runs from my dog, and he doesn't realize she is scared of him and not playing, therefore we have to take control and tell him to leave her alone ("leave it") and she can go hide. (With a male, humping can become a small issue when he gets older especially if he is around children as he will try to claim dominance over them...it's all he's trying to do. If that happens, the crate is how we solved the problem COMPLETELY in my dog.)

As for the jumping, the best way to do this is to drop the "baby voice" when talking to him. Say things in a stern voice. Dogs learn what the tone of your voice means and teh baby voice just gets them ALL excited. When you come home, do not give him any kind of attention until he calms down. Not even negative attention. Every time he jumps on you, turn your back to him. He wants attention and to see your face. He will come around to the front and try again, do the same thing, turn your back on him. Eventually he will sit down and/or go away. This is when you can call him back (not using the baby voice) and give him attention.

Hope this helps! If you have any questions feel free to contact me!

Btw...dogs don't associate words like humans do. They don't put a meaning to the word "No" just to commands. For instance, if a dog is chasing a cat and the owner is yelling the word "NO" they won't necessairaly stop because it doesn't mean anythign to them. However, if they have learned the command "leave it" and you yell that, they know that they should stop what they are doing. It's the same with anything, you teach a dog to sit, down, and stay. Word=behavior, but what, exactly, is a "No"???

Answer 2

Your dog will not "out-grow" the jumping, like someone had mentioned here. If it's never taken care of, it's ALWAYS going to be a problem. Keeping a dog chained/tied up will make him neurotic. My brother in law kept a dominant Queensland chained up, and he's not a normal dog. This has also been said by many experienced dog trainers. You want to get a crate for this dog, and keep him there. He's taken out only when it's time to take him outside for potty breaks, walking, training, etc. When you're done with him, but him back into his crate. It will not take him longer than 2 weeks to accept the crate, GUARANTEED. He also needs a prong/pinch collar, for corrections. He needs to learn that cat chasing and jumping up is not appropriate. When he does any of this, say "NO" in a calm-assertive manner, and give him a jerk on the leash, WITH the prong collar on. Some dogs need a harsher jerk than others. Dogs who have a hard temperament (stubborn dogs) need strong corrections from prong collar. Soft dogs might just need a soft or tug on the leash. This is what you call giving a correction for inappropriate pack behavior. Jumping and cat chasing is pack behavior, and it needs to be dealt with. Also, it is VERY important that you give your dog some exercise. It will keep his sanity, and a tired dog will not jump or chase cats. Take him out for a daily 40min-1 hour walks, and/or if he has prey drive (likes to chase balls, toys) take advantage of his prey drive by tossing balls for him to retrieve. Trust me, this will get him tired. I have a stubborn, and very hyper dog who has high prey drive. I get him tired by having him retrieve toys. I also fixed his jumping problem, he had the same problem, apart from all the other behavioral problems that he had. If he's too strong for you, consider using an electric collar. If he has dominant tendencies (growls at you, growls when near his food bowl) then you should not try any of the things I just said because it might trigger handler aggression. Email me at [e-mail] and I'll give you more info on this

Answer 3

What was said above, but in hybrid, is my advice. Crate him when you are away. When you come home, go to the crate, leash him up, then let him out. Step on the leash if he shows signs of jumping, and turn away from him. He needs to know jumping is NOT rewarding and will not get him the attention he demands. Stepping on the leash simply prevents the habit from further cementing. Same with guests. When someone comes over, leash him before opening the door and instruct guests to ignore him until he calms down. Many people accidentally encourage jumping by acting very excited to see their dogs when they get home. Not a good idea. When I come home, I say a calm hell to my dogs, then I walk across the house, ignoring my dogs, set down my stuff and then ask for a "sit" before any attention. This way my dogs associate "sit" with attention and petting, not jumping up. My standard poodle (a breed notorious for jumping up) is a year old and has little problem with jumping. Again, remember, dogs repeat what they are rewarded for. Remove the ability to perform and the reward, and replace it with a rewarding desired behavior and you are well on your way to eliminating the jumping.

Answer 4

My suggestion is what I have been told when I asked around.. the Jumping and the chasing of the cats probably both start from the same problem, you have him tied indoors. he has alot of penned up energy so when he is let go, he jumps and chases the cats. when my dogs(i have 5) chase the cats i use a waterbottle, filled with wated and vinegar. i pit it on stream and spray them and say no!!! when they jum i use the bottle also and when they are on my jumping i knee them in the chest. not too hard!! i say down and knee them. or spray them in the facxe and say no. the potty thing is also because of being tied. try letting him out more and saying as he is going outside "go potty outside and reward him for that. hope i helped!

Answer 5

obendience school, took my 18 month old Border Collie rescued dog. It takes work from everybody in the house. The training for myself and learning to work with Willis. Was well worth the 2 hr a day 13 weeks it took. Then all the home work We had also. He turned out to be and active and a fun dog. Instead of the active and house wrecking dog

Answer 6

First with the jumping on you every time he does just put your knee up so it gets him in the chest you dont have to be rough. The other thing my vet told me is to step on his back foot again you dont have to be hard but be consistent. Everyone in your family has to be on the same page with his disipline. The other thing you need to make sure you let him out consistently to relieve himself,he is still a pup so you will get the excitement pee,but be consistent with letting him out frequently and this should get better. Also you may want to think about a kennel to have in you family room instead of a long chain.

Answer 7

over excited b/c he is chained up ; he needs training not a chain; he must feel like a real part of your family; the things that people come up with in lieu of time, effort, patience and training; do what is best for all and train; he is doing what comes naturally to mark his terrority when he gets a chance ; he sees the cats coming and going all day; what do you think that he is thinking; those darn cats in my territory; let me at them; dog breed doesn't have anything to do with be confined ; all hell will break out after being confined ; think about yourself; you would be wild if it was done to you; train, patience, time, effort ; won't happen overnight but he will thank you for making his life better with some common sense.

Answer 8

he will out grow the jumping, but he needs to be sent to an obendience school