jumping onto table and chairs

[mp1]

Hi New to this so here goes.
I've a lovely staffordshire cross, 5 months who is doing well in his training, but I dont know what to do when he jumps onto the chairs and tables, tried making loud noises, worked at first but now thinks its a game, tried disaproving voice, but not working, tried giving a treat to get him down, but I feel that I'm rewarding him for bad behaviour, its not working anyway, cos gets down to eat treat than gets back on again. I cant lift him down as problems with my back and he also tries to snap at me if I try.
Any advice would be helpful, thanks

[emmabeth]

Hiya

Yep, youve found out why aversives arent always such a great idea - shouting doesnt work now hes used to hat, so what do you do, shout louder, chuck a brick at him (joke!!!)......

Firstly, make it harder for him to get on the table, push all the chairs in around it, limit his access to it and never EVER leave any food or fun things up there.

What does he get out of being on the table?

You need to ask this question and answer it honestly - it could be that he gets an instant reaction out of you, praps he can see out of a window better from up there, mebbes once there was food up there so he feels he must check each time.....

Suss that out, then find a way to prevent him being rewarded in thatw ay again.


If it IS your reaction he wants, dont gve him one. Dont react except to walk out of the rooma nd shut the door behind you.

Do that every single time he get son the table and if thats his game, he will shortly realise its not going his way at all.


Most dogs do NOT like being picked up, thats fairly normal and i dont see any reason to start confronting him with that for THIS particular issue. (by all means work on getting him to associate being picked up breifly with pleasant treats etc at another time)...

If he can see out better from on teh table, block off the window - i use a frosted window film which stops my four from sitting on the back of teh sofa to see out as theres now NOTHING to see! (appreciate that might not be the solution for everyone, suits me as i dont especially like half the world staring IN much either).

Could you m ove the table?

Train him not just to get off the table for a treat, but to get off and go to a specific place, ie his bed, for a treat.

At other times, when he is NOT on teh table, ask him to go to his bed and reward that.

Gradually increase the times he has to wait in his bed for his treat. If he goes there of his own accord, reward that from time to time as well.

If you see him ABOUT to jump on the table, id ask him to do something else (dont yell and get all worked up, just make it seem casual, you were going to call his name and ask him to sit, or down, or go to his bed ANYWAY...).

Hth

Em

[mp1]

Hi Em
Thanks for your reply, I have pushed all chairs in and he still finds way of shifting them with his body. I think you are right about my response of seeing him on the chairs and tables of shock and horror. I will now try to leave the room even though I am afraid he will start chewing the furniture, which he has done with whatever he can reach. I dont see what he benefits from being there as he doesnt have better view of anything.
Unless like you said because he knows I use the table for food, maybe hes checking out if theres any left on there.
Thanks
Maz

[emmabeth]

Hiya

Could be that, could just be your reaction - its surprising how we dont realise how dogs pick up on our body language and behaviour.

In my house, one of my dogs is very easily frustrated. My OH has a tendancy to sit, almost ni a trance, and then suddenly leap up and zoom out of the room and slam the door shut behind him, shutting the dogs in here.

In my frustrated dog Dilly, this makes him boil over and shout/bully the others. I would guess he is thinking 'omg whats so exciting i must be missnig something, what is it what is it....'

My OH never realised that HIS behaviour causes certain behaviours in the dogs - if hes calm and moves slowly and speaks gently, dogs are nice and calm, if he rushes around adn slams things and shuts dogs out needlessly, they get wound up.

Needlses to say, doors are now NEVER slammed, people are not allowed to hurtle about in here or shout etc, everything is calm and quiet.


If he is likely to chew things up, make that unpleasant by painting the furniture that he chews wth something VILE (there are sprays for this, one is Bitter Bite i think).

This is unlikely to work on its own though so id provide a great many things he CAN chew on that are rewarding, (check out some of teh interactive toys here www.click2treat.co.uk and also here www.traininglines.co.uk).

If you couple the above, adn the NOT paying him attention when hes being on the table etc, with extra training sessions so he finds a way that DOES get attention that's appropriate (i bet he isnt dumb at all, my staffy x is one of my sharpest, keenest to learn dogs - he will counter surf for bins though if he is bored!), i think you will sort it out.

If you also limit his access to the table, you should find he grows out of this little trick - but do be warned, if theres ever something up there that he will find tasty and you allow him the chance to get up there, he will start all over again!

Em