Some dogs bark. Some jump up on you. What’s a dog lover to do?  By: Jodi Anderson

“Why did the barking dog bark?”
“Because he had nothing better to do.”

“Why did the jumping dog jump?”
“Because he didn’t have anything better to do either.”

Anyone who has ever been ceaselessly serenaded by a canine chorus or lovingly tackled by an airborne quadruple knows what I’m talking about. These are the dogs who refuse to keep both their front paws on the floor or who cannot resist any cue to bark out a few bars of “Won’t you please pay attention to me?”

The universal quandary of everyone who shares living space with one of these dogs is what to do about these behaviors. You can try to understand the reasons for the behaviors, but what you really want to know is how to make it stop. Happily, the answer for both barking and jumping can be found in a simple word: sit.

The Barker

When a dog barks excessively, saying “no” to the dog is fine because
it lets him know that the behavior is unacceptable. But without a lesson in what you do want, the undesirable behavior is bound to return. A dog learns far more quickly if you tell him what will please you immediately after you have told him what does not.

So when your baritone starts to sing, whether it’s at the squirrel in the yard or right to your face, bark back with a short, sharp no, then say his name and tell him to sit.
How to train the sit is discussed in “Training 1-2-3” in Family Dog, New Puppy Edition. One method discussed there is to put a small piece of cheese or a dog treat in front of his nose, then say “sit” in a calm voice and slowly lift the food over his head. He will probably sit as he lifts his head to nibble at the food. Be sure to praise him.  If he backs up instead, put your other hand on his rump and gently guide him down. In time he will associate the word sit with the action.

The moment your dog sits, reward him with spoken praise, such as “Good dog,” and a small treat. If the barking resumes, turn and walk away while he is in the sit position. If he follows you, face him and say “sit.”

If you are consistent in your responses—the barking drives you away, whereas the sit produces not only your attention but also a reward -- he will soon figure out that when the mood to sing strikes, it will serve him better to sit.  One word of warning: If your dog is an obsessive noisemaker, break the treats into tiny pieces or you may end up with a very large, albeit quiet, dog.

The Jumper

To calm the jumping dog, employ the same practice as with the barker. There is one small difference: With jumping, you have to be especially careful not to reward the behavior you want to eliminate. Dogs often jump when they are greeting you, and most of us eventually give in and greet the dog right back.

Telling the dog to get off you is fine, but it is only half of the equation. If you follow the reprimand with a pat on the head, the dog will think, “If you don’t want me jumping on you, why are you petting me?”

Instead, say “off” the moment the dog leaves the ground, then bend at the waist and say “no.” The moment he puts all fours on the floor, praise (“Good off”), then tell him to sit. When he does, quickly lower your body to his level and give him the prize he wanted in the first place: your affection.

If your jumper leaves the ground again, as he probably will, repeat the exercise until he understands that you will not reward jumping—but you will reward a polite sit. Even the most persistent flyer can be grounded with a little air-traffic control.

Living with dogs is a lot like living with children. Behavior that screams for attention is often a cry for direction. When parenting either a dog or a child, it is easier to redirect undesirable behavior when you have obtained a sit.

So the next time your kids or your dogs are driving you crazy, grab a bag of treats and a chair and see what happens. Use the chair for the kids; the dog will happily sit on the floor.

[BACK TO INFORMATION PAGE]        [NEXT SUBJECT]