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| Author | Topic: Jumping lab. |
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jodi Member  Posts: 25 |
posted 10-05-2003 07:21 AM
 
We have a 4 month old lab who has developed the bad habit of jumping and biting at my clothes. He does not do this to my husband as much as he responds to his voice better when reprimanded. He has put numberous holes in my clothes. I've resorted to only wearing certain clothes when I'm home so they don't all get damaged! He does start obedience class end of this month after he is neutered. The instructor has told me how to try and break this habit of his. Using the choker collar with a leash, but it;s not working. He just grabe the leash and plays tugowar with it. I try pushing him away with my knee and saying sternly NO, but he just doesn't listen to me when reprimanded. I don't want to swat him with my hand or a newspaper because I've been told that can make him aggresive. Any advice on how to stop this? I don't want all my clothes or my winter coats to get ruined! Thanks, Jodi IP: Logged |
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sandman New Member  Posts: 3 |
posted 10-05-2003 10:13 AM
When he jumps, I would kick him in the chest with my knee, hard enough to slightly hurt and to knock him down. I would think he would eventually learn. My lab which I lost just days ago, had the same problem. I usually just locked him up when people came over. IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 10-05-2003 12:08 PM
I don't agree with the poster above, JMO but "kicking" the dog is not going to solve the problem. We tried raising our knee when our pup jumped and it worked a little. You only lifted your knee...you did not exert force in an effort to hurt the dog. We ended up using two techniques together. While home, I left a leash on him and when he would start to jump I placed my foot on the leash. I did NOT use a choke chain on him when doing this, I don't think that is safe. At the same time we were very consistent in saying "OFF" when he would start to jump. I always asked for a sit after...this tells him what I DO expect in the way of behavior. When I come home now, he sits as soon as I open the door. He knows he won't get any attention until he does that. You can also work on it using the same techniques and treats, rewarding him when he does what you want. It sounds to me like you need to establish yourself as higher in rank than him. You can do this by making him earn everything from you. Try feeding him by hand, make him earn each kibble with a sit, down, shake...etc. You don't have to do that for the whole meal, but maybe 5 minutes at a time before you let him have the bowl. Don't let him outside until he "sits" and "waits", then release him with "ok". Do that everytime you go through a door, in or out of the car etc. There are other more subtle things you can do throughout the day that send a big message to your dog. When he is lying on the floor and in your pathway...don't step over him, make him move out of your way. If he is allowed on your furniture or bed, do the same, make him get down for no apparent reason other than you said so. All of those things send a message to him that you rank higher than he does. Obedience classes are wonderful, he will gain manners and socialization and you will gain skills. The biting at your clothes...my Catahoula pup is very mouthy too, he puts his mouth on everything...we are still working on this one by saying "OUCH!" in a sharp tone and telling him "NO bite". He is getting it. I also put him on a down and stay everytime he does it. Again the release is "ok". I also will grab his cheek a little roughly and tell him "no bite" if the previous is not sinking in at the moment. Teaching your dog a vocabulary is key, sometimes breaking things down into steps will help you get results faster. Mostly it takes consitency, patience and practice. [This message has been edited by Maisey (edited 10-05-2003).] IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 10-05-2003 12:12 PM
One more thing...again just my opinion, but if you lock your dog up every time a person visits your house he will never learn how to behave when company is over. Like with kids, they learn from experience, if not allowed to make mistakes they can't learn from them. I do just the opposite, I take my dog everywhere, I take him to places where there will be tons of people and spend the time concentrating on teaching him manners. Training takes time...the more you put in the more you will get out. IP: Logged |
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jodi Member Posts: 25 |
posted 10-05-2003 04:38 PM
Thank you, Maisy for the great advice. I had a feeling I was losing the "dominant" role with our pup, but wasn't sure how to change it. I have started making him sit before I give him his evening meal and I have him stay seated for 5 to 10 seconds before I give it to him. If he moves, I repeat the sit command and again make him wait. I am going to try and do the raised knee technique with him. I want him to learn to be good around other people so I don't have to lock him up when we have company. Locking him up doesn't teach him anything. The only time I use his crate for anything but when he's sleeping or when we're away, I will put him in there when he's gotten exceptionally rowdy and this is just to calm him down. Not for punishment. I will also try what you suggested with the leash. Thank! Jodi IP: Logged |
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charmedagain Member Posts: 790 |
posted 10-05-2003 05:18 PM
this is to sandman, you should never use force or knee/kick, an animal when it does something wrong this is how agression starts, it can also make the dog affraid of people. maisey you have the right technique there good work. how can anyone kick or knee there animal if it does somthing wrong is beyond me i am just suprised there dog didnt turn on them for that... good luck with your lab jodi...oh just to add labs are very energetic animals and lost of exercise and praise's when he does what you want should work. at the moment he is looking at you as one of his follower's and he is the leader of the pack you need to establish a connection that you are the boss and not him, the reason he don't do this with your husband is becasue he has athourity in his voice and your dog understands this man won't be pushed about.. be firm but not to firm that he becomes scared of you. As they say patience is a virtue he will come around to your way of thinking.. good luck and keep us posted of his progress IP: Logged |
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*Beautiful*Girl Member Posts: 138 |
posted 10-05-2003 07:16 PM
My Yorkie has ruined a few of my nice jeans, He always nips at my ankles trying to play when I walk by, but it's aways on the days I have my expensive jeans or pants on, never my lounge arounds. IP: Logged |
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the_maine_pitbull Member Posts: 320 |
posted 10-06-2003 07:51 AM
Ahhhhh.. my two labs were so easy to break of this.. Both were very submissive dogs. Would pee if you looked at them sideways. Duke stopped it once he discovered females.. then again he was two when he started lifting his leg to pee. Glad I never had this problem.. I wanted to ask someone though while we are on the training topic.. everytime I give my puppy (APBT-five months old) the sit command she is fine.. but I have been working at shaking paws and she just doesn't get it.. she thinks I have food and tries licking my hands or trying to play following my hand. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.. I have tried as much as I could think of and it is not working.. Angie IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 10-06-2003 09:11 AM
hiya maine-pitbull, ask for a sit, have a handful of treats in one hand and actually pick up her paw saying "shake", give her a treat. Say "good girl", and start again. After you have done this a bunch of times, she will anticipate the order of events. She will know that first she shakes your hand and then gets the treat, always say "shake" soon she will associate the word with the action and you will be able to eliminate the treat everytime. Witt does shake, high five and big high five...whenever I ask him to sit..he assumes I am gonna ask for the high five..and he raises his hand, waiting. LOL, we never ask him for that when he assumes now. Remember...always shake the same paw and always use your same hand to do it. Later when you want to add high five or other tricks you won't want to confuse her. Good luck. IP: Logged |
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the_maine_pitbull Member Posts: 320 |
posted 10-06-2003 12:28 PM
See that is what I have been trying.. She goes nuts trying to figure out where the smell of treats are and if she doesn't do her trick.. she won't get anything. Once when I never had the other dog away from her.. I like to have them isolated from each other while training tricks.. Jekkyl somehow got in.. he sat shook his paws and sat pretty.. Saige is looking at him like he was super dog.. she tried to shake after I showed her a few times why Jekkyl was getting treats. But that was the only time. Yeah my first Pit Bull would sit shake both paws lay and put her head down then roll over and wait.. she figured.. "Hmmm.. the quicker I get this trick stuff done the quicker I get treats!!" My other Pit we had to put down, would sit and try to raise her paws to shake.. if you never took her paw she'd put it on your knee or scratch at your legs til you paid attention to her.. Even if you had no treats and she wanted one, she would sit and try to give you her paw. She knew speak too so she'd lift her paw and speak and all she could dfoo while being a wiggle butt squirming everywhere wanting treats.. Ahhh.. some people's kids! I think Saig ehas like puppy ADHD or some concentration issues. She has a hard time to focus on things.. seems to get worse with age so I don't think it is a puppy thing. Angie IP: Logged |
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Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 |
posted 10-06-2003 12:40 PM
My 4.5 month old puppy does the same jump and bite my clothes thing. We have yet to be successful in breaking her of this habit, although she behaves better for my husband than for me. I do make her sit before meals, and before I take her leash on and off, etc. When she jumps up, I tell her OFF! and push her to the floor. When she is totally out of control, I put her outside in the backyard by herself for a minute or two. She is usually more subdued when she comes back in. Another important part of the program is to get your dog to expend some of his energy. Labs are very energetic doggies. I find that if I can engage my puppy in a good round of fetch or frisbee or anything that requires her to run around like a madman (even if just for 5-10 minutes) she behaves much better afterwards. And sometimes I try to engage her mind with some obedience exercises, although if she is really riled up she can't pay attention. Even though we are still having problems after 5 weeks of this, I have been assured that some of it is puppy-ness that she will outgrow. There is only so much you can expect from a puppy. (This is not to say you should ignore the behavior - just realize they can't help themselves sometimes.) All you can do in the meantime is give consistent messages over and over and over again. Eventually (I hope) they will get it. Also, it is important that after you discipline the puppy (like when I toss mine in the backyard) you need to make up with him afterwards. I let her in and tell her she's a good girl (assuming she does not immediately start hanging from my clothes again, in which case out she goes for another minute or so) and pet her and play a little game with her.
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 10-06-2003 03:31 PM
the maine-pitbull....LOL, Dooley sometimes will go through a whole routine of tricks one right after the other when he gets excited, he is just a blur of fur. We ignore him, no treat, and just stand there quietly. He quickly settles down and focuses on what I am asking. He is so smart he anticipates what we will ask next, so we are always mixing it up. My pup is the food hound...he will chase my hand for the treat too, I just tell him no, and start again. When he plays dead...he lifts his head up and nuzzles your hand or licks the air wanting the treat. We tell him dead dogs don't do that..and then tell him "all the way dead", he is learning what we want quickly, and we don't have to tell him that as often. Keep doing the same thing over and over, she will figure out that chasing your hand for the treat is not going to get her one. You know I spent a really long time trying to teach Dooley to speak, I never could get him to do it. My 14 year old daughter taught him in 10 minutes. It just clicked with her one day, she had a balloon in her hand and was playing with the dogs with it, Dooley would bark at her in frustration cause he wanted it, she kinda snapped to and said Speak, when he did, she would bounce the balloon to him. Sometimes you have to find a new way or a variation to suit that dog. Keep trying. IP: Logged |
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tuttifrutti Member Posts: 478 |
posted 10-14-2003 06:25 AM
One of my friends had a lab, it jumped up on him once, and that was all. The first time she tried it, he shoved her off so hard she did a somersault. THis did not cause any aggression, I can't think of a sweeter dog! (except mine, of course  IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 10-14-2003 08:38 AM
tuttifruity, To each his/her own. I prefer to avoid vet bills. The dog could have been injured, and I can't help but wonder if "sweet" = submissive. I find that my dogs are willing to do anything I ask, when I am smart enough to figure out how to ask them in a way they understand. I know plenty of people who can shove, choke, jerk, kick and yell at a dog and make it do something. I myself have shoved a dog, it was because I was frustrated and didn't know what else to do. Getting the wanted result doesn't make the method correct or safe. I'm not jumping on people who use those kinds of methods, rather I hope to make them think about it and ask themselves if they can do it in a better safer way. I also have horses, it has always amazed me that a 1200 pound animal would be willing to carry me on their back and go and do what I want. Trust me, if a horse didn't want to, it could and would hurt you in a big way. Knowing that they are willing and that they want to please you (just as dogs do)is so incredible. That quality in an animal can be ruined so quickly with careless impatience and a lack of knowlege. Over and over again it has been proven that animals can, will and do learn with patient and gentle methods, in my opinion, those who use inhumane or abusive methods to illicit the behavior they want from a dog are lazy, lack intelligence or skill. I wouldn't pay someone to train my animal with those methods and I don't intend to use them myself either. IP: Logged |
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