Training Your Dog Not To Jump

When good behavior is consistently rewarded and jumping is ignored, dogs can quickly learn that keeping four feet on the ground is a preferable.

No Rewards Allowed
Training books and videos offer a number of methods for teaching a dog not to jump. However, many dog owners continue to be subjected to this often unwelcome advance. The biggest reason for this is in the way that dogs learn.

Any behavior that results in a reward will be repeated. Rewards may be obvious or may be subtle. When dogs are excited, they naturally jump up onto their target. Over the course of time they are met with hands petting them or pushing them away – with voices sometimes warm, at other times stern or surprised. All of these responses can be considered by the dog to be rewarding and, therefore, all of them may reinforce jumping up behavior. When such rewards are scarce and intermittent – they are even more powerful reinforcers.

Even if the family is working hard to ignore jumping up, the occasional reward supplied by a long-lost, third cousin can undo all the good work.

Take Action
What can be done to plant those four feet firmly on the ground? First, inform all family members and visitors that, from this day forward, jumping of any kind is banned. Peoples' only reaction to jumping should be no reaction. Everyone should remain utterly silent, averting their gaze and adopting an indifferent posture.

Enlist the help of a neighbor or friend who can knock and enter repeatedly. Leash your dog and arm yourself with small food treats. Tell your dog to sit before he jumps up, while he's still calm enough to comply. Reward non-jumping behavior with food treats and a "good boy" or "good girl".

Persistent attempts to jump can be corrected by saying, "OFF," walking your dog briskly in a circle, then telling him to sit (followed by a reward). Repeat the exercise as needed. Unlike pushing, petting or begging your dog to "get down," this exercise is unambiguous and rewards an alternative behavior – sitting. Your chance of success will be greater if you work with others who can "provoke" your dog by entering the house or passing you on the street, time and time again.

At each pass, tell your dog to sit and reward this preferred behavior. In time, shift the control from yourself to the "visitor," who supplies attention only when your dog sits. Before you know it your dog will earn your heartfelt praise by sitting calmly instead of jumping up.

A properly fitted head halter, such as the Gentle Leader, can be an invaluable tool for facilitating this type of retraining. All that is required is to pull forward and up to position the dog in a "sit" position. Then immediately release tension on the lead and praise the dog lavishly for sitting.

Selecting a Leash for your Dog

Like collars, leashes are available in many colors and designs from charming to chic. They are made of a variety of materials ranging from leather and nylon to hemp and metal.

Size matters
And as with collars, size is important. Make sure the leash is the proper size for your dog and for his collar. A thin, lightweight leash designed for a toy breed such as a Yorkshire terrier may not be strong enough to control a rambunctious Labrador retriever. The clip on the end of such a small leash also might break from the pressure of the metal ring on a large dog’s collar, allowing your dog to get away from you.

Several styles of leashes are available. Some are made for convenience, and some have special purposes.

Basic leash
Retractable leash
Bungee leash
Long line
Slip lead

Basic leash
Your basic flat leash is 6 feet long. A basic leash is quite versatile. Not only can you use it to walk your dog, in an emergency, you can use it as a slip lead or even make a muzzle out of it.

Retractable leash
A retractable leash consists of a thin cord wound onto a spring-loaded device inside a plastic handle. As your dog walks away from you, the cord unwinds. When he walks toward you, the cord retracts. A button on the handle allows you to control how much of the cord can be extended.

People like retractable leashes because they give dogs more freedom to explore their surroundings on a walk, but these leashes have many drawbacks and can even be dangerous.

Drawbacks to a retractable leash:
You have minimal control over your dog. Even if you pay close attention to your dog, he may still get far enough away from you on a retractable leash to run into traffic where he may be injured or killed, or rudely jump on people or other animals.
The cord can break. If you have a strong dog who suddenly takes off running at full speed, the cord can snap. If that happens, your dog will escape, or you may be injured by the cord as it whips back toward the leash handle. You and/or your dog could become entangled in the leash, resulting in cuts, burns, and possibly even amputation.
Retractable leases could also cause your dog's body posture to send the wrong signal to other dogs. His pulling at the end of the retractable leash may appear to approaching dogs as a sign of aggression, leading to a confrontation between the dogs.
The handle of a retractable leash is bulky. Your dog could easily pull the handle out of your hands and escape. He also might be scared if the handle hits his body as it falls or bounces on the ground behind him.

Tip: If you walk your dog at night, stay safe. Wear reflective clothing and get a leash and collar made of reflective material so you and your dog will be more visible.

Bungee leash
Bungee leashes stretch. They may be made of rubber tubing or may just have an elastic section. Bungee leashes are marketed as a way to help control a dog who pulls on a leash.
These leashes are designed to minimize the risk of injury to your dog's neck as he pulls. However, the best way to get your dog to not pull is to train him to walk politely on a loose leash.

Long line
A long line is a very long leash. It may be a thin cord made of nylon or plastic, or it may be flat and made of leather, nylon, or cotton like a basic flat leash.
Long lines vary from 10 to 60 feet in length. They are typically used for training your dog. You can be some distance from your dog and still have control over him so he can't run away. For example, as your dog learns the "come" command, you'll want to call him from greater distances—perhaps from across the yard instead of across the living room. Be sure to limit the use of a long line to safe areas like a field, not near a busy city street.

Slip lead
A slip lead looks like a regular flat leash except it has a metal ring on one end instead of a clip. You pass the handle end of the leash through the metal ring to form a loop. Then you put the loop over your dog's head. Pulling on the handle tightens the loop around your dog's neck. A slip lead allows you to walk your dog on leash when he's not wearing his collar.

Caution! Only use a slip lead when a regular collar and leash aren't available. Because you can't control the tightness of a slip lead, don't use it as your regular leash. You don't want to risk damaging your dog's windpipe or neck, or even strangling him.

Article originally posted March 2, 2010 on the Humane Society of the United States web site http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/leashes.html