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The puppy is 6 months old, and mostly chocolate lab, - very friendly, jumping on people and dogs, would rather choke himself on the choke chain than stop running towards strangers. Some of it is puppy behavior and will go away eventually, BUT he's very large - the size of a grown lab already. 80 lbs maybe? - haven't weighed recently. While he was small, I tried some tricks I read of - when he jumps on you, catch his paws and hold them just above his head until he's uncomfortable and starts whimpering. Did that, but he stubbornly keeps getting very excited with visitors. The only help is to put him in his cage when we know people are coming. Otherwise he will suffocate himself trying to reach a person, while I am holding him on the leash talking to anyone. Walking and random people passing by is a problem, too.
Ah, you mean "less excited" not less friendly. Teaching puppies self control is something every owner goes through. Victoria from "it's me or the dog" has some very good episodes on ways to teach dogs self control. I've been working with my dog at lying down on a rug while I greet someone at the door. He's supposed to wait until I release him from his down and then come sit in front of the guest to get his treat. He is still in the learning process and gets excited, but we're improving.
The problem isn't that he's too friendly. The problem is that he hasn't been taught any obedience. A lot of the puppy behavior will NOT go away without training. This is one reason why large, young dogs wind up in shelters so often. Behavior that wasn't stopped when the dog was a puppy isn't so cute anymore when the dog hits 80 pounds. Your best bet is to take him to an obedience class. In the meantime, turn away so he falls off when he jumps on you, say OFF! and completely ignore him until he's keeping all four feet on the ground. Then pat him and give him affedction. ask others to do the same. Crating him when people come over won't teach him anything, but you may need to do it until you've worked with him, preferably in a class. Maybe your most dog-friendly friends will help you work on it in the meantime.
The problem is that he hasn't been taught any obedience.
I would call this sentence jumping to a conclusion too fast. He does Sit, Down, Stay, Fetch, Out (as in out of the room), Heel, Drop, - all the basic obedience. The problem is that he does it when there is us only. He is too concentrated on another person when that person is around.
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Originally Posted by subject2change
In the meantime, turn away so he falls off when he jumps on you, say OFF! and completely ignore him until he's keeping all four feet on the ground. Then pat him and give him affedction. ask others to do the same.
This is what I am asking for, concrete suggestions. The problem: with me, the "top dog" he recognizes, he will keep keeping for attention for longer time than any grown, calm dog, would. In the morning, the "OMG I can't believe it's another wonderful day with you!" ritual goes like this: I am walking in our private forest for his toilet needs: circling his body around me, wagging his tail, ears down, making himself cute (I am walking, meanwhile, not paying attention to his cuteness). Eventually nipping at my hands. No further attention - eventually jumping nipping at my chest. No further attention - eventually light growling at me: "Pay attention to me!" By this time we are almost done with the forest, and he's done with me bcause he knows breakfast is next.
After naps, during the day, the shorter of the same ritual. With other people, he goes straight to the chest-nipping stage. With me, any distraction works: a stick in my hands, anything. With other people no distraction works.
I found asking others, even EXPERIENCED dog owners, to ignore him or to work him down, - DOESN'T WORK. They all exhibit body language with hands forward, warding him off - an insecure "Please don't" type of body language. A small part of it is that they don't want to teach someone's dog in the presence of that dog's owner, but mostly it's pure not knowing what to do with a large dog (the puppy part is an afterthought).
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Originally Posted by subject2change
preferably in a class.
Yes, this is what I need, total socialization, non-stop and and I don't know for how long. An interesting sidenote is that he has very little interest for squirrels, chipmunks and hares that we encounter during our longer walks. It's people and dogs. But the dogs will take care of themselves, - it's the people I need to take care of.
Ah, you mean "less excited" not less friendly. Teaching puppies self control is something every owner goes through. Victoria from "it's me or the dog" has some very good episodes on ways to teach dogs self control. I've been working with my dog at lying down on a rug while I greet someone at the door. He's supposed to wait until I release him from his down and then come sit in front of the guest to get his treat. He is still in the learning process and gets excited, but we're improving.
I found asking others, even EXPERIENCED dog owners, to ignore him or to work him down, - DOESN'T WORK. They all exhibit body language with hands forward, warding him off - an insecure "Please don't" type of body language. A small part of it is that they don't want to teach someone's dog in the presence of that dog's owner, but mostly it's pure not knowing what to do with a large dog (the puppy part is an afterthought).
Ahh...they're doing it wrong. The hands forward movement encourages him.
We worked on this a lot in my obedience class - the trainer was universally loved, and my dog just went insane whenever she's around. We spent an entire class working on this issue (the other dogs had it too). So what she did, and what her assistant did, was walk over to greet the dog - the absolute instant the dog had unwanted behavior (jumping up, leash straining) they turned around, arms folded, and walked right away. The dogs got no reward whatsoever from the interaction with that body positioning and the immediate departure of the trainers. This was done over and over again.
In the same class we also worked on sit (though my dog knew that) - she was able to easily make the connection that jumping up means nothing good, but sitting in front of people means stinky high value treats.
So if you could get those people to do that I really think it will work - with a puppy it might take a little longer.
I have the same issue with Dozer, its NOT a lack of obedience/training....insteada lack of focus.
when its just me and him or u at home wiht the other dogs, i can put him through the pces and hes sharp on point focuse and imediate...
but out in public he sees people an he literally LOOSES his mind.
dozer is also another highenergy 10 onth old large stuborn monster dog so i realy feel for you.
firstly if hes pulling on the choke chain, either relearn how to use it (it shou eb a short sharp shock and thats it...) or dont use it any more i only say that out of safety, chokechains when pulle against can an do cause ireeversable trecheal damage. if you want the control of a choke or the "short" correction an hes a puler go with a limite slip or a martingale instead, stil gives you the ability to give the chain correction (and prevent slipping out) but itll only tighten so much.
i woul also second the "ignore" suggestions.
keep treats on hand at all times...
1: teach him a "look at me" or "focus" command...at worse the dog will never calmly greet strangers so by taching a focus comman you can generally get them to at least ignore thestrnager untill the situation has calmed some...
2: have ALL people greet him the same way, people that wont do as you ask in terms of meeting him...ont get to meet him. he needs consistency.
have them walk towars him calmly an IGNORE him, you ask him to sit, if he sits he gets a treat and attention, if not the person continues to ignore him...
if he trie to jump up the person nees to imeiatly turn/walk away...once hes calmed they can come back.
he will quickly learn that only when he sits nicely does he get to meet new people...
I do also uggest a group obeience class (this is the next step with dozer) itll teach him to focus with distractions.
Some of it is puppy behavior and will go away eventually,
I wouldn't count on that.
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The only help is to put him in his cage when we know people are coming. Otherwise he will suffocate himself trying to reach a person, while I am holding him on the leash talking to anyone. Walking and random people passing by is a problem, too.
Some may vehemently disagree with what I am about to say but...
If the dog is straining against the leash and you are using a choke collar, you are using it improperly. The idea is to give short, swiftly applied pulls on the lease to get your dog to be more attentive to you, rather than what they were paying attention to before you did it. Rinse and repeat, even if it takes two hands until they are paying attention to your verbal and hand corrections.
However, that doesn't answer the root problem, proper socialization.
One question that you need to answer for yourself, is your dog getting enough exercise, especially in a group environment, either with other dogs (dog park) or with you? Just hanging outside by his/her self isn't going to lessen the dog's need for interaction.
This is Zeus. Note the size of his paws on the second picture - he will keep growing. The skin is still loose on him - to "grow into".
Last edited by nuala; 02-20-2013 at 01:00 PM..
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