Dog Training: How You Can Prevent Your Puppy From Jumping On People, Tugging The Leash And Roaming A

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Dog Training: How You Can Prevent Your Puppy From Jumping On People, Tugging The Leash And Roaming A

By: Jonathan Cheong

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Unfortunately, eliminating problem behaviors is one thing that

most dog owners eventually face. Here we will focus on a few of

the most commonly encountered behavior problems.

Problem #1 - Jumping up on people

One of the most frequently cited problems with dogs is that of

jumping up on people. Unfortunately, this is one of those

behaviors that is often inadvertently encouraged by well meaning

owners. After all, it is cute and adorable when that little 10

pound puppy jumps up on you, your family members and your

friends. Many people reward this behavior on the part of a small

puppy with kisses and treats.

This is a huge mistake, however, since that cute little puppy

may soon become a full grown dog who could weigh well in excess

of 100 pounds. Suddenly that cute jumping behavior is no longer

quite so cute.

In addition to being annoying, jumping up on people can be

dangerous as well. A large, heavy dog, jumping enthusiastically,

can easily knock over a child or an older or handicapped adult.

In today's litigious society, such an incident could easily make

you, as the dog's owner, the subject of an unwanted lawsuit.

The time to teach a dog that jumping up on people is

unacceptable is when he is still young and easy to handle.

Retraining a dog that has been allowed to jump up on people can

be difficult for the owner, and confusing for the dog.

When the puppy tries to jump on you or another member of your

family, gently but firmly place the puppy's feet back on the

floor. After the puppy is standing firmly on the floor, be sure

to reward and praise him.

It is important for every member of the family, as well as

frequently visiting friends, to understand this rule and follow

it religiously. If one member of the family reprimands the dog

for jumping and another praises him, the dog will be

understandably confused. As with other dog training issues,

consistency is the key to teaching the dog that jumping is

always inappropriate.

When praising and rewarding the dog for staying down, it is

important for the trainer to get down on the dog's level. Giving

affection and praise at eye level with the puppy is a great way

to reinforce the lesson.

The reason puppies and older dogs jump on people is obvious -

they are excited and happy to see them. Many people are

reluctant to discourage this exuberant behavior, but it is

important to redirect that happiness and energy in other ways.

Many well meaning owners, family members and friends

inadvertently encourage this jumping up behavior by picking the

puppy up, kissing it or otherwise providing encouragement.

One way to redirect the dog's happiness and excited ness from

jumping is to teach him to lift his paw when greeting you. This

"shaking hands" posture is an acceptable way for the dog to show

his happiness and his respect. Many people even teach their dogs

to do simple tricks, like rolling over, instead of jumping on

people.

Problem #2 - Pulling and tugging at the leash

Pulling on the leash is another problem trait that many puppies

pick up. Unfortunately, this behavior is also one that is

sometimes encouraged by well meaning owners. Playing games like

tug of war with the leash, or even with a rope (that can look

like the leash to the dog) can unwittingly encourage a problem

behavior.

The use of a quality body harness can be a big help when

training a puppy not to pull, or retraining a dog that has

picked up the habit of pulling on the leash. Try training the

puppy to accept the body harness the same way it accepts the

regular buckle collar.

When walking with your dog, try using a lure or toy to encourage

the dog to remain at your side. A training collar, when properly

used, can also be a good training tool for a problem dog. When

using a training collar or choke chain, however, it is very

important to fit it correctly, and to use a size that is neither

too big nor too small for your dog.

When walking with your puppy, it is important to keep the leash

loose at all times. If the puppy begins to pull ahead, the

handler should quickly change directions so that the puppy fast

finds itself falling behind. It is important to reverse

directions before the puppy has reached the end of the leash.

The leash should stay loose except for the split second it takes

the handler to reverse direction. It is important to use a quick

tug, followed by an immediate slackening of the leash.

When training a puppy, it is important to never let the puppy

pull you around. Training the puppy to walk properly while he or

she is still small enough to handle is absolutely vital,

especially when dealing with a large breed of dog. If your 150

pound Great Dane hasn't learned to walk properly while he or she

is still a 20 pound puppy, chances are it never will.

It is important not to yank or pull on the puppy's neck when

correcting him. A gentle, steady pressure will work much better

than a hard yank. The best strategy is to use the least amount

of pressure possible to achieve the desired result.

Problem #3 - Escaping and roaming the neighborhood

A responsible dog owner would never dream of allowing his or her

dog to roam the neighborhood freely. Allowing a dog to roam on

its own is irresponsible, dangerous (to the dog and the

neighborhood), and probably even illegal. Most towns have

ordinances which prohibit dogs from being allowed to roam around

free, so you could be in legal trouble if your dog is found

wandering the neighborhood unattended.

Of course sometimes that wandering dog is not the owner's idea,

and many dogs perform amazing feats of escape when left on their

own. The temptations for unattended dogs are many, including

passing bicycles, joggers, children, cats and other dogs. It is

much easier to prevent escapes than to recapture a loose dog, so

let's talk about some preventative measures every dog owner can

take.

Removing the motivation to escape is a big part of the solution.

A bored dog is much more likely to spend his day plotting the

great escape. A dog that is surrounded by everything he or she

needs, like lots of toys, a soft bed, and plenty of fresh clean,

water, is more likely to spend his or her day contentedly

sleeping or playing with toys until the owner returns.

In addition, a dog with lots of pent up, unused energy is likely

to try to escape. Try incorporating several vigorous play

sessions with your dog into your daily routine. Make one of

those play sessions right before you leave. If your dog has a

chance to work of his or her energy, chances are he or she will

sleep or relax much of the day.

Of course dealing with the dog is only half the problem. It is

also important to make the property as escape proof as possible,

through proper fencing and other measures. For dogs that dig, it

may be necessary to extend the fence underground by placing

metal stakes in the ground every few feet. For dogs that jump,

it may be necessary to make the fence higher. And if none of

these measures work, it may be necessary to confine the dog to

the house when you are not at home.

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<h1>Dog Training: How You Can Prevent Your Puppy From Jumping On People, Tugging The Leash And Roaming A</h1> Unfortunately, eliminating problem behaviors is one thing that most dog owners eventually face. Here we will focus on a few of the most commonly encountered behavior problems. Problem #1 - Jumping up on people One of the most frequently cited problems with dogs is that of jumping up on people. Unfortunately, this is one of those behaviors that is often inadvertently encouraged by well meaning owners. After all, it is cute and adorable when that little 10 pound puppy jumps up on you, your family members and your friends. Many people reward this behavior on the part of a small puppy with kisses and treats. This is a huge mistake, however, since that cute little puppy may soon become a full grown dog who could weigh well in excess of 100 pounds. Suddenly that cute jumping behavior is no longer quite so cute. In addition to being annoying, jumping up on people can be dangerous as well. A large, heavy dog, jumping enthusiastically, can easily knock over a child or an older or handicapped adult. In today's litigious society, such an incident could easily make you, as the dog's owner, the subject of an unwanted lawsuit. The time to teach a dog that jumping up on people is unacceptable is when he is still young and easy to handle. Retraining a dog that has been allowed to jump up on people can be difficult for the owner, and confusing for the dog. When the puppy tries to jump on you or another member of your family, gently but firmly place the puppy's feet back on the floor. After the puppy is standing firmly on the floor, be sure to reward and praise him. It is important for every member of the family, as well as frequently visiting friends, to understand this rule and follow it religiously. If one member of the family reprimands the dog for jumping and another praises him, the dog will be understandably confused. As with other dog training issues, consistency is the key to teaching the dog that jumping is always inappropriate. When praising and rewarding the dog for staying down, it is important for the trainer to get down on the dog's level. Giving affection and praise at eye level with the puppy is a great way to reinforce the lesson. The reason puppies and older dogs jump on people is obvious - they are excited and happy to see them. Many people are reluctant to discourage this exuberant behavior, but it is important to redirect that happiness and energy in other ways. Many well meaning owners, family members and friends inadvertently encourage this jumping up behavior by picking the puppy up, kissing it or otherwise providing encouragement. One way to redirect the dog's happiness and excited ness from jumping is to teach him to lift his paw when greeting you. This "shaking hands" posture is an acceptable way for the dog to show his happiness and his respect. Many people even teach their dogs to do simple tricks, like rolling over, instead of jumping on people. Problem #2 - Pulling and tugging at the leash Pulling on the leash is another problem trait that many puppies pick up. Unfortunately, this behavior is also one that is sometimes encouraged by well meaning owners. Playing games like tug of war with the leash, or even with a rope (that can look like the leash to the dog) can unwittingly encourage a problem behavior. The use of a quality body harness can be a big help when training a puppy not to pull, or retraining a dog that has picked up the habit of pulling on the leash. Try training the puppy to accept the body harness the same way it accepts the regular buckle collar. When walking with your dog, try using a lure or toy to encourage the dog to remain at your side. A training collar, when properly used, can also be a good training tool for a problem dog. When using a training collar or choke chain, however, it is very important to fit it correctly, and to use a size that is neither too big nor too small for your dog. When walking with your puppy, it is important to keep the leash loose at all times. If the puppy begins to pull ahead, the handler should quickly change directions so that the puppy fast finds itself falling behind. It is important to reverse directions before the puppy has reached the end of the leash. The leash should stay loose except for the split second it takes the handler to reverse direction. It is important to use a quick tug, followed by an immediate slackening of the leash. When training a puppy, it is important to never let the puppy pull you around. Training the puppy to walk properly while he or she is still small enough to handle is absolutely vital, especially when dealing with a large breed of dog. If your 150 pound Great Dane hasn't learned to walk properly while he or she is still a 20 pound puppy, chances are it never will. It is important not to yank or pull on the puppy's neck when correcting him. A gentle, steady pressure will work much better than a hard yank. The best strategy is to use the least amount of pressure possible to achieve the desired result. Problem #3 - Escaping and roaming the neighborhood A responsible dog owner would never dream of allowing his or her dog to roam the neighborhood freely. Allowing a dog to roam on its own is irresponsible, dangerous (to the dog and the neighborhood), and probably even illegal. Most towns have ordinances which prohibit dogs from being allowed to roam around free, so you could be in legal trouble if your dog is found wandering the neighborhood unattended. Of course sometimes that wandering dog is not the owner's idea, and many dogs perform amazing feats of escape when left on their own. The temptations for unattended dogs are many, including passing bicycles, joggers, children, cats and other dogs. It is much easier to prevent escapes than to recapture a loose dog, so let's talk about some preventative measures every dog owner can take. Removing the motivation to escape is a big part of the solution. A bored dog is much more likely to spend his day plotting the great escape. A dog that is surrounded by everything he or she needs, like lots of toys, a soft bed, and plenty of fresh clean, water, is more likely to spend his or her day contentedly sleeping or playing with toys until the owner returns. In addition, a dog with lots of pent up, unused energy is likely to try to escape. Try incorporating several vigorous play sessions with your dog into your daily routine. Make one of those play sessions right before you leave. If your dog has a chance to work of his or her energy, chances are he or she will sleep or relax much of the day. Of course dealing with the dog is only half the problem. It is also important to make the property as escape proof as possible, through proper fencing and other measures. For dogs that dig, it may be necessary to extend the fence underground by placing metal stakes in the ground every few feet. For dogs that jump, it may be necessary to make the fence higher. And if none of these measures work, it may be necessary to confine the dog to the house when you are not at home. More <a href="http://www.articlesroom.com">free articles</a> from <a href="http://www.articlesroom.com">http://www.articlesroom.com</a>

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