July 27, 2007

Ask the Animal Behaviorist

How to stop your dog from jumping on guests

Courtesy of the Humane Society Silicon Valley
Special to the Times

Q: My dog gets so excited that he jumps on people constantly at the front door. What can I do?

A: Jumping up to greet people is a common behavior in dogs. The trick to solving the problem is two-fold.

1. First reward your dog for sitting at every opportunity. Use food treats to reward fast sits and then teach a stay as well using food treats. Have your pet sit for everything it wants for the next four weeks; sit to have the door opened, sit to be leashed, sit to be petted, sit for meals, sit for a toy to be thrown, etc. The more the dog learns to sit to get what it wants, the less the jumping will occur.

2. Secondly, your dog must receive no rewards for jumping up. Don't feed, pet, talk to, touch, etc. when your dog jumps up. Even to say no and push at the pet is rewarding that behavior. Simply turn away so the dog falls off of you. Ignore until the pet is calm and sits, then reward with a food treat. You can also leash the dog and put the leash under a foot so the dog is physically unable to jump up very far. Practice coming and going through the door 15 times in a row until you enter and the dog just automatically sits.

If you have guests coming who cannot do the above program, then teach your dog to go away from the door and lie on a bed or towel when the doorbell rings. Reward your pet with food treats for remaining there and being calm. If your dog can not do a down stay, then put a tie down in that spot and hook it to your dog's collar before you answer the door. Ignore your dog until he/she is calm and then let them off to greet guests (or keep a leash on to greet guests). If things don't improve within 14 days then we do recommend that you take your dog to a basic humane training class or do some private lessons in home to help you.

Humane Society Silicon Valley Adoption news

Charcoal, the tabby cat
Hi, my name is Charcoal. I am a stunningly good-looking 1-year-old tabby girl kitty. Volunteers say I am affectionate, intelligent, and sweet. I am very alert - nothing gets by me! If you are looking for a loving companion that will keep you on your toes, I would be purrfect! My ID# is 46661.

Daisy, the Bedlington Terrier
Hi there, I'm Daisy and I am a super sweet 5-year-old girl looking for my forever home. I'm a Bed-lington Terrier. Check out my fabulous wavy gray hair! Come see me and you will find that I also have a gentle loving personality. I would love nothing more than to go home with you and cuddle up next to you while we watch our favorite television shows together. I will walk nicely with you on the leash and hope you will show me new places and new people to help build my confidence. My ID # is 45967.

About Humane Society Silicon Valley
Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is an independent, non-profit agency offering quality adoptions, medical care and education programs to enhance the human-animal bond. Established in 1929, HSSV has served Silicon Valley for 77 years and has adopted more than 500,000 animals into permanent, loving homes. HSSV is an “open door” shelter and accepts animals 24-hours a day, seven days a week. HSSV’s medical center offers affordable spaying/neutering, vaccinations and microchips to the public. More information about HSSV can be found at www.hssv.org.