Biting Clothing, Leash and Jumping

[tess_girl1]

I really hope someone can help me. I've posted once before for advice on the jumping and biting, but it just goes on and on. We've finished classes and quite frankly they were a waste of time....in fact, I walked out a couple of weeks ago and didn't even bother returning for the final class. The trainer really didn't give me much help and I really need it. Puppy is a lab cross now 6 months old, so she's not a small dog. She is a very quick learner and you can see she wants to please and really does well with all the commands and tricks. The main problem is she won't stop jumping up on me and biting my clothes and it's very difficult getting her to open her mouth. She also likes to bite her leash and again won't give it up. We've tried everything we've been told and read, but nothing seems to work. I forgot to mention that she always tries to jump on people too, not just me. Sorry to go on, but we're desperate!
Thanks!
Val

 

[sharbatt]

Have you tryed a Head Halte? I bought one for my dog. It really helped. If you get one you need to get the one that comes with a dvd. You can get this at Petco, or Pet Smart. I also used time out, I put him on a down. I make sure that I say time out when I do this. I release him when he is calm. I found by put him on time out when he touchs the leash. He quits. Try bitters apple on his leash. As for as jumping if you have someone to help you, try putting him on a leash let that person hold the leash. When he starts to jump on you have them jerk the leash and you say no at the same time. I hope this will help you Sharon

 

[leema]

Jumping solution:
Click for four feet on the floor. Regardless of what she does before or after, treat her for four feet on the floor.
Start being exciting and click four feet on the floor again. Once she is doing this reliably, be more exciting!
The idea is to entice jumping up by being exciting, but for the dog to realise that, regardless of what you do, four feet on the floor gets the food.

I find that, if you push whatever is in their mouth back into their mouth, they'll spit it out. Also if you press gums against their teeth they seem to spit.

Will your dog hold her lead even if you give her food?

Some people choose to use a metal chain lead as dogs find this less pleasant to have in their mouth.

 

[CollieMan]

Leash problem: spray the leash with citronella or other substance that your dog doesn't like. Repeat as many times as necessary. (I'll bet it won't be many .)

Jumping problem: What are you currently doing when the dog jumps up at you? Whether you realise and appreciate it or not, your dog is jumping up at you, because it's currently rewarding to do so. Many people make a fuss of their dog when they jump up, some start raising their voice, others start trying to tug their arms out of reach, some combine all three! Whatever they do, they are rewarding the dog by giving it attention.

The simplest solution for jumping is also the easiest: just turn around, say nothing, and do nothing. Stand perfectly still. The dog may persist for a wee while, but it will soon give up once it realises there's no reward. He may persist a few more times, but it will become less and less. Dogs always repeat what they find rewarding, and they generally always give up what doesn't reward them. It's that simple.

Good luck.

 

[tess_girl1]

Thanks for all your advice, some of which we've already tried, and some we will work on. We're willing to try anything. Even when I turn my back and ignore her, she still tries to jump on my back and very often bites my clothing. She likes the bitter apple, but we do have a chain leash that someone gave us to try and of course when she starts biting that, she doesn't keep it in her mouth very long. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[sarhaspups]

HI! When Ace was a puppy he used to tug on his leash when I was walking him (out of play) and I started to down him when he did it and wait for him to drop it and then continue our walk and if he did it again, back down. I did this for a while and it worked, he figured out that the walk ended and he had to down when he bite/tugged the leash. Now if he does it (which is less often) I tell him to give. Maybe you could teach your pup to give? It is pretty easy to train. I started to train the give command by playing tug and then stop tugging and ask him to give. He caught on very quickly. Or you can do that and say give and offer a treat so he lets go of the toy?
Good luck.

 

[l_l_a]

I did the same as Sarhaspups for biting the leash - my dog still does it sometimes if he's in class and gets too wound up or over aroused. I tell him to let go (same as when playing tug) and he does. Then I have him do a long down to calm him.

For jumping on you and biting your clothes: if she keeps doing it even when you're ignoring her, then it seems to me to be either:

1. She figures she just needs to do it longer and eventually she'll get your attention. If in the past you were ignoring her until finally you couldn't take it anymore and "did something", then that could reinforce her to just keep trying longer and harder. So, if this is the case, just stick to your guns and wait her out however long it takes and however annoying it is. You might want to wear old clothes that you don't mind getting torn!

Or,

2. she finds jumping/biting inherently self-rewarding so she really doesn't care if you're ignoring her or not, she's having fun all on her own at your expense! If that's the case, then I suggest you remove yourself from the situation. If you're not there for her to jump on and bite, then her fun ends. Simply say "ah ah" or "woops!" the exact moment she starts it and then unemotionally and calmly leave the room for at least a minute if not longer (has to be longer than just a few seconds so that the dog feels your absence and the stark contrast of fun/no-fun). Then return and be prepared to repeat this again. And again.... note that it's important to say the word and start heading out the room the exact moment she begins acting up, not after you've already been trying to ignore her for some time. You want her to associate the onset of her behavior with your leaving the room, each and every time. It may be that the first session you will have to keep repeating this scenario over and over again for quite some time until she makes the connection between her behavior and your leaving, so you may want to plan ahead... (You can set her up to succeed by telling her to sit so you can reward her for that.) If this works no matter how long it took for the first session, then the next session should go faster, and the next one faster still.

 

[tess_girl1]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer and give your ideas and advice, I'm so grateful. I've been trying to get her to 'give', but it's not working too well. Many of the other commands she's learned almost instantly, but not this one....I guess I just have to keep at it. It's good to know there are lots of caring people willing to help.
Thanks!!

 

[noddie]

my dog jumps on me and I'm going to try the four on the floor idea.. thanks.

she's six months old too and I had a problem with the biting. For two weeks everytime she did it, I distracted her by getting her attention with working on sits, downs, spins or anything to get her mind off biting. It worked! What used to happen everytime I walked to the bathroom, bedroom - anywhere - no only happens on very very rare occasions. Yes, it slows me down because I had to stop and ask her to sit (plus carry treats with me) but it's paid off in being able to walk to the bathroom nip free!!

I wish you the best of luck... now if I can just get Lucy to not jump on me and greet people without knocking them over..

Noddie

 

[drgnrdr]

Some really good advice on here, I just wanted to add my 2 cents:
I posted some tips for you, also, for the leash pulling tugging, that's a way for the dog to try and control the situation, if you're in charge they don't do it cause when you tell them EH! EH!! and stare them in the eye and tell them to knock it off in a very low tone, they do,
but, they put their scent on it, when they do this they go back to it they know it's chewed on before so it is safe to do so, so try and clean the scent off, then put something they don't like, find something, grapefruit juice, lemon, tabasco, chinese hot oil, why? it causes the leash to correct your dog, so they know it taste nasty. Watch for your dog to grab it's leash, tell them EH! EH! as they start to. Be proactive, not reactive. Because then it becomes tug. You can teach drop it but I have had some do this and come to me because now the dog grabs the leash to get a treat, they know when they do the owner says drop and they get a treat, they grab it again owner does it again. Same as barking, but that's a diff thread..LOL
Some dogs are too smart for their own good..LOL
As a leader (if your dog sees you as so) you tell them to stop they should.
Alot of owners have trouble with this leash thing, I can tell the dog to knock it off in class, and just walk towards them in a very calm and confident manner, take the leash in hand, snap my finger for attention, tell them EH! and they look at me I have scowl on my face and I point a finger at them and they drop it, I praise them and give them a toy to chew and praise them for chewing on it..
If you get frustrated at them they try and play with you to calm you down and all kinds of puppish stuff, it is really hard to not get frustrated, it one of the hardest things to teach my students.
Good Luck,, let us know how it's going.
P.S. sorry your trainer was inadequate, there are some out there that shouldn't be doing this.
Try another if possible, watch them, see if they have control of their class, watch how they move around the room etc..every trainer is diff.

 

[drivingtenacity]

I don't know if this would work for you, but Zena used to jump on me when excited. I thought it was cute, so instead of discouraging it alltogether, I taught her the command 'jump up'(I'd stick out my forearm,and pat it with my hand while saying 'jumpup', and she'd jump and put both paws on my forearm). As I was hoping, since she associates jumping with the command to do so,and the extended forearm, she no longer jumps unless asked.

 

[jeepdog]

Ok here's my .05 cents...
I use a cheap plant spray bottle on Grady when he is doing something he is not suppose to do or something I want to change his behavior on. I take out the sprayer filled with water and spray him in the face. This get an immediate reaction from him I tell him to sit and praise him for the sit. This has worked on jumping, barking and pulling. Now if he see's me go for the bottle he will sit then I praise him.

 

[tanis60617]

I don't want to sound like a Ceasar Milan advocate or anything but I really did find with my Border collie that if i could exercise him thoroughly than he was to tired for jumping and leash biting. Then i would reward him for the good behaviors like walking at a heel. All of the suggestions here are great just make sure the dog is getting plenty of exercise.
I am currently training my Neighbors dog and she has a severe jumping problem. So far I have taught her to sit which helps prevent jumping and the i will simply turn my back to her. She craves attention so when she realizes jumping doesn't get it she eventually comes and sits in front of me and i reward her. The exercise is definately helping in her case as well.

 

[snooks]

dogs do things because there is some reward in it. it sounds like attention seeking. have u tried stepping over a dog gate and out of reach?? don't even look, don't scold since that is attention too, don't speak. click treat for 4 on the floor...be very fast. don’t talk, the treat is enough. tossable and small. you can also walk into another room and shut the door.

EVERYbody at home needs to be on board. if one person gives attention it may take 20+ times for him to think, oh darn i guess that didn’t work. it will get worse before it gets better so hold fast as he tries desperately to get it to work like it did in the past. a tether might also help. u step out of reach and click treat 4 on the floor even if it's only to launch for another jump. never leave unattended on a tether tho.

my pup used to launch and bite my hair. me saying owwww was a reward wheeeee. lol i started going to the powder room. if u have kids they need to understand too. no running and getting the prey drive going. all adults should calmly slowly slowly wordlessly walk away to the gate or door. ignore for only as long as it takes to calm, this isn’t a test. toss treat. no excited GOOD, stay low key. you can also throw treats away from you as reward for 4 on floor.
hope this helps

 

[silasandfocus]

We have TWO 5 month old australian shepherds and the jumping is driving me nuts!! We have taught "sit" so I will tell them to sit when we come home. Invariably one (usually Silas) will sit and while I am praising him Focus jumps on top of him and stands there. Ignoring her only turns into a frey between the two of them ... and they both start bouncing up. Not sure if you can picture it but it quickly turns into bedlum!! Any specific two puppy advice?? I want people to see their lovable side not be turned off by their exhuberance!!

 

[snooks]

i would leash/tether one and work with the other, separate and crate one with a goodie and work with the other, or crate both until calm and let out after 5 minutes. still using positive rewarding of what you do want. yes i can picture the bedlam...i have two goldens so it was like you describe but with more slobber in the past. i think addressing each dog's problems separately and getting it solid with click/treat would be the most workable. then try the two together. this seems to be more of a problem with younger dogs or same age dogs since it evolves from puppyhood and they surely can feed off one another with this behavior.

jumping work with a tether is pretty nice because you can step out of reach quickly, turn away, and ignore and then back in to reward without the chance that they will jump and get on you and get any sort of attention, even a nooo may be rewarding. just don't leave unattended/out of sight on a tether if they are jumping just to be safe.