Another way to limit going up and jumping: Teach your dog to actively “stay off” on command.
Easier said than done? Well, yeah it may take some time. But it will pay off!
If your dog is prone to jumping, it will of course not stay off for longer periods when excitement kicks in. But if you catch the right moment, you can still reinforce the desired behavior (four on the floor).
Once you notice your puppy becoming excited, BEFORE it jumps up, praise the dog in a low voice and give a treat (feet still on the floor when the treat comes). If the dog goes up on you or jumps subsequently – no problem. Ignore this action and keep rewarding every action that takes place with all four on the floor instead.
Outch, you missed the moment and accidentally rewarded when your dog was going up on you?
Not a big problem, as long as you make sure this doesn’t happen frequently.
Tip: If you can’t manage to catch the right moment, try to practice this at times when your dog is a little tired or worn out to make good use of times when the energy outbursts are less likely.
Reward for staying down, and once you are sure that you are able to reliably reward “the right moment”, introduce your chosen command by saying it every time you are practicing and wait a moment – juuust as long as your dog will stay down – before you give the treat to your dog.
Graduate to treating only every second or third time once the dog is responding to the command more reliably. Go back one step, if you notice things are not quite working already.
You can easily incorporate those tiny exercises, and maybe also a polite “sit” before your dog gets its food and things like that into every day life. This way you can practically continue a frequent training process without a lot of additional effort in time. AND at the same time your dogs learns in different situations that calm behavior always pays off, while bursting into excitement does not really earn it anything.
This is a process. And you already guessed it: It WILL TAKE TIME. Keep practicing this in everyday life, make some actions a ritual and you will eventually encounter your dog OFFERING the behavior in certain situations before you can even speak your command.
Learn more about the value of impulse control for you and your dog on the next page.
Mila is such a beautifull bull terrier! Happy jumps 🙂
I recently acquired a bull terrier and it keeps barking at 1am too the point where my neighbors started to throw rocks at him to keep him quiet what do I do hes 4 months. I have 2 other dogs who are quiet and obedient, new dog only barks at 1am for about 45 minutes straight
try letting the dogs indoors, bullies are very sensitive,out doors all night is not really their thing.