Remember that these methods will probably be ineffective unless you work hard to teach your puppy the right behavior by offering her an acceptable chew toy. Jumping Up: When your puppy jumps up on you, she wants attention. When you push her away, knee her in the chest or step on her hind toes, she’s getting your attention! This becomes a rewarding behavior and therefore the puppy will continue to jump because even negative attention is attention. From the puppy’s point of view, negative attention is better than no attention at all. So, when your puppy jumps up: ›› Fold your arms in front of you, turn away from her and say, “off.” ›› Continue to turn away from her until all four of her feet are on the ground, then quietly praise her and give her a treat. If she knows the “sit” command, give the command when all four feet are on the ground, then quietly praise her and give her a treat her while she’s in the sitting position. ›› If she jumps up again when you begin to praise her, simply turn away and repeat step two, above. Remember to keep your praise low key. ›› Try to have every person she meets follow these same steps. When your puppy realizes that she gets the attention she craves when she stops jumping on you and sits, she’ll stop jumping up. Remember, once you’ve taught her to come and sit quietly for attention, you must reward that behavior. Be careful not to ignore her when she comes and sits politely, waiting for your attention. What Not To Do: Attempts to tap, slap or hit your puppy in the face for nipping or jumping up are guaranteed to backfire. Several things may happen, depending on your puppy's temperament and the severity of the correction: ›› She could become “hand shy” and cringe or cower whenever a hand comes toward her face. ›› She could become afraid of you and refuse to come to you or approach you at all. ›› She could respond in a defensive manner and attempt to bite you to defend herself. ›› She could interpret a mild slap as an invitation to play, causing her to become more excited andeven more likely to nip. A Note About Children And Puppies It’s very difficult for children under 8 or 9 years old to practice the kind of behavior modification outlined here. Children’s first reaction to being nipped or mouthed by a puppy is to push the puppy away with their hands and arms. This will be interpreted by the puppy as play and will probably cause the puppy to nip and mouth even more. Dogs should never be left alone with children under 10 years old and parents should monitor closely all interactions between their children and dogs.

Article submitted by: © Dumb Friends League/Humane Societey of Denver, Co.

Dog Behavior Problem Training: Dog behavior problem training encompasses every aspect of canine education, from the species specific responses that's inherent to canines, to learning theory and operant conditioning, to traditional training methods. When these training techniques are properly implemented, most people notice results immediately. A well mannered pet is now within your reach, all you need to do is optimally structure your pet's environment. A dog behavior problem can often be directed and controlled by training.  Dog behavior can be thought of as responses that are specific to their species. These responses are controlled and directed by manipulating the social and the environmental variables. We call this training. Training can increase responses that are desirable, just as those that are undesirable can be decreased. Your dog behavior problem is often a direct result of the animal's inability to cope with the stress of everyday life. The purpose of training is to raise the pet's stress threshold so your pet can tolerate higher levels of stress. A human and dog behavior problem should not be confused with each other.    The response patterns and intellect of a canine is very different from that of humans, although we do share some common traits. One of these traits is the drive to form close social groups with strong bonds to significant others. This bonding can be thought of as a kind of love. Even though this type of bonding is a natural trait in both canines and humans, we must avoid endearing our pets with human emotions.  Learning to differentiate and respect a dog’s different needs from our own human needs, is the first step in conquering a dog behavior problem.