Stop telling dogs ‘get down’ – trainer shares better method
One of the most common problems people explerience with their pet pooches is them jumping up.
While it may seem cute to give your furry friend plenty of cuddles, it can get dangerous if they knock someone over. What’s more, strangers often don’t like being jumped up at!
So to combat this issue, the Howl School for Dogs TikTok channel has weighed in. The page prides itself on providing “ethical behaviour support for dogs“.
It has shared a video offering an alternative to shouting ‘no’ or ‘down’ at your dog when they attempt to jump up.
Shouting commands at your pet isn’t always the most effective training method, according to an instructor from the school. In a video, the trainer suggests that dog owners place a treat on the ground to prevent their dog from jumping up.
The instructor explained: “Before your dog even thinks about jumping up, put a treat down on the ground for them. We call this an incompatible behaviour. They can’t be jumping up and going to get their little treat that’s on the ground.”
This strategy stops the dog from jumping by diverting their attention to the food, which they will likely choose over leaping up. The idea is that once the dog has finished its treat, it will have forgotten what it was doing due to the distraction.
However, the instructor did mention that repeating the process several times might be necessary before the dog realises that looking at the ground is more rewarding than jumping up on someone.
“Eventually with enough practice, your dog will associate certain situations that they used to associate with jumping up – with looking down toward the ground,” she said.
It’s genius – the dog will more likely focus on the ground in the anticipation that something yummy could be there. And you won’t even need to shout or get flustered!
People were appreciative for the advice, with one commenter writing: “Great tip”. Meanwhile, others shared experiences they had with their own pets.
A responder admitted: “One of my spaniels dashes to people on walks if they say hello to me and sometimes jumps up. It drives me nuts, I have to throw treats into the grass at the moment we pass. He’s five and thought he’d have learned by now.”
And another shared: “I trained my dog to not jump on visitors because he was knocking people over. Now he does an air jump and a few circles when he sees me. Gotta get the energy out somehow!”
