Jumping On Visitors

Q: We have a cute, loving little yorkie/long haired Chihuahua.. he loves people too much..he constantly jumps up and scratches at their legs, and generally bothers them constantly.. He has a lot of attention at home, but doesn't have a lot of socialization with too many people other than our daily walks and friends coming over on occasion. I've tried the "off" or "down" command when he does this but at home he always has his way.. we let him up whenever he wants, and we enjoy this so why shouldn't we pick him up? What can we do to stop this behaviour?

A: Shannon Malmberg from Zen Dog responds: The one sure thing we can say about all dogs is that they will offer a behaviour time and again if it earns them a reward of some kind. If it works for them, they'll do it. Conversely, if the behaviour earns them nothing (or nothing that they like), they will quit. There may be an extinction burst first if the behaviour is entrenched, but they will quit.



Your dog has learned that through persistently pushy behaviour he will be granted attention. Rather than saying he "loves people too much" more this is a case of a dog that has learned to dictate attention his way. We all like to be the center of attention and I imagine your Yorkie/Chi shares this sentiment.



Rather than make this a negative situation or one where you try to mediate after the fact, take the opportunity to teach this little guy some much needed self-control and respect for those higher up than him.



One of my favourite in-home exercises to teach all dogs, especially young dogs, is the Go-to-Place command. It defines boundaries for the dog, and teaches self-control.



Start by finding an elevated surface such as a bed or foam cushion that is comfortable for the dog to stretch out on. Put the dog on a leash and, standing three feet away, lure the dog onto the bed with a treat or guide with the leash and use a PLACE command. Reward your dog once he has all four paws on the bed. If you do clicker training, click as his feet hit the bed. I find that the clicker helps in teaching this exercise in particular.



Release with a BREAK command. If the dog tries to release himself before the break, put him back on the bed with PLACE and have him hold the command for a few seconds before breaking him - you are teaching him self control here. Do this throughout the day several times. Repetitions will help him learn this - and be patient, as the place command takes a few months to master. Vary the situations. Have him PLACE while you are eating supper (and hold that place throughout the meal). Have him PLACE while you are preparing his food, answering the door, having people in your home. Until he is solid on this command, make sure a leash is on him so you can enforce the command. If your dog is holding a good PLACE, he can't be jumping up and scratching people, and he's learning to control his body somewhat. The leash should not come off the dog until he is rock solid on holding his command.



Break him off the bed when his energy is calmer and he is not so frantic to get attention from people. If his energy elevates, place him again.



There is nothing wrong with picking up your dog or allowing him onto your lap but doing so when he demands it is only asking for additional unwanted behaviours and leadership issues. Afterall, this behaviour wouldn't be tolerated by a Rottweiler so why excuse this is a little dog? He is a dog as much as a pitbull is a dog. Instead, get him to "work" for this honour, through some obedience (a sit, or a down for instance) so he understands that you control the situation. If he tries this attention-seeking behaviour with you as his object of desire, simply get up and walk out of the room for a half minute. He will soon understand that demanding attention gets him none, but that asking and working for it gets him much more.