There's
a popular opinion among dog trainers: "There's no such
thing as a bad dog." While that may be the case, all trainers
will agree that there are some dogs with bad habits. To put
it simply, behavior is means of acting and reacting. When a
dog acts or reacts to a situation in a negative manner, we interpret
this as bad behavior. Yet, in the mind of the dog, it's just
what he does. Eliminating a bad behavior will require that you
give the dog a new means of behavior, or habit. One of the most
prevalent bad behaviors in dogs is jumping up on people. This
behavior is established when the dog is a puppy.
Puppies jump at their mothers to get attention
so that she will feed them. Dog owners think it is adorable
that their puppy works so hard to get their attention by jumping.
The naive owners give the dog the attention it demands, not
understanding that they have just rewarded the dog for barking
and jumping. Unfortunately, behavior that is cute in a puppy
usually becomes troublesome in an adult dog. Large dogs that
jump up on people to get attention can easily knock down and
possibly injure children and older people. Smaller dogs do not
have much ability to injure someone, but instead become a source
of extreme irritation to those who encounter the dog.
In either case, although you might not mind
your dog jumping on you, other people most likely do not feel
the same. Training your dog to sit in order to get attention
is the best way to break the jumping habit. To help your dog
learn the "sit for attention" habit, you must ignore
the dog when he/she jumps on you. You may have to turn your
back or simply walk away. If he follows you, turn quickly and
tell him to sit. If he does, pet and reward him. You can reinforce
this habit by having him sit before you feed him. Every time
the dog sits, he gets a reward of either food or attention.
Each time he jumps, there is to be no reward at all.
Another undesirable behavior is chewing. Destructive
chewing is usually an indication that your dog is bored. If
your dog chews destructively while you are away from the house,
it is probably because the dog had nothing better to do. Give
your dog the opportunity to exercise his body and brain. Lots
of exercise will tire him out so that he naps while you are
not paying attention to him. Pet stores sell a variety of toys
that will give your dog mental stimulation, such as doggie puzzles
that will keep your dog busy while you're away or busy.
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