Don Sullivan "The Perfect Dog" Training System

[Root Beer]

I seriously am at my wits end on the jumping though. Let me know!

 

I don't know how this particular system approaches jumping, but you mentioned a clicker and this is a great thing to train with a clicker.

 

Get yourself a small stool or something that you don't mind your pup putting his or her paws up on. Then encourage your dog (I use "up up!") to put his or her front paws up on the stool. Click/Treat.

 

Now give an "off" cue (I use "off") and toss a treat. Click as your dog removes his or her paws from the stool and they land on the floor. This is just another cued behavior like a "sit" or whatever.

 

Work this as a trick until the pup knows up-up and off as cues. I've found this to be one of the fastest things in the world to train, and one of the most enjoyable.

 

Once the dog knows the "off" cue, you can use it to cue "off" for a dog that is jumping up, putting paws up on counters, or is on furniture you don't want him or her on. (I like my dogs on the furniture, but at times I cue them off to fix blankets, or situate myself so we can all be comfortable) You can also use it pre-emptively, and this is how you can curtail jumping in certain situations. See the dog coming - "off" - reward/praise for keeping four on the floor (this is a great exercise to incorporate toys and play into since dogs are usually excited when they jump up).

 

The nice thing about this is that you don't have to worry about undoing your training if other people let, or even encourage, your dog jump up on them - and that happens. This way you can let the person enjoy your dog for a minute, and then have them cue "off" when they are finished. But at times when your dog needs to stay off, you have a way to communicate that quickly, clearly, and reliably.

[gcv-border]

I don't know how this particular system approaches jumping, but you mentioned a clicker and this is a great thing to train with a clicker.

 

Get yourself a small stool or something that you don't mind your pup putting his or her paws up on. Then encourage your dog (I use "up up!") to put his or her front paws up on the stool. Click/Treat.

 

Now give an "off" cue (I use "off") and toss a treat. Click as your dog removes his or her paws from the stool and they land on the floor. This is just another cued behavior like a "sit" or whatever.

 

Work this as a trick until the pup knows up-up and off as cues. I've found this to be one of the fastest things in the world to train, and one of the most enjoyable.

 

Once the dog knows the "off" cue, you can use it to cue "off" for a dog that is jumping up, putting paws up on counters, or is on furniture you don't want him or her on. (I like my dogs on the furniture, but at times I cue them off to fix blankets, or situate myself so we can all be comfortable) You can also use it pre-emptively, and this is how you can curtail jumping in certain situations. See the dog coming - "off" - reward/praise for keeping four on the floor (this is a great exercise to incorporate toys and play into since dogs are usually excited when they jump up).

 

The nice thing about this is that you don't have to worry about undoing your training if other people let, or even encourage, your dog jump up on them - and that happens. This way you can let the person enjoy your dog for a minute, and then have them cue "off" when they are finished. But at times when your dog needs to stay off, you have a way to communicate that quickly, clearly, and reliably.

I like this idea. It is worth a try. One of the hardest things I have found to train is NOT to jump up on people. My dog LOOOVES to meet anybody.

 

It is very hard to get unknown people to participate in appropriate responses to a jumping dog. So the dog gets intermittent reinforcement for their jumping behavior. My dog can be perfectly behaved in a class setting, but in the real world, he gets the reinforcement he wants.

 

Jovi