I work as a sitter for a woman who has several older dogs. One dog, a dachshund mix, is a bit too affectionate. When I first met the dogs, he jumped up onto my lap and I pet him. For the first few minutes I thought it was sweet. But in the next half hour or so, he jumped off, wandered around and sniffed at something or other, then jumped back onto my lap way too many times. It got annoying. He is a sweet dog, but he jumps from lap to table to lap to floor, and its just really annoying. The owner has told me it bothers her as well. Is there any way I can train this old dog that he can't just jump on and off my lap, or anyone else's lap whenever he wants?
Also, can I train him not to jump onto the chair then the table? The table is by a window, and he likes to jump up onto the table and look out the window. We live in a tiny town, and only occasionally does a vehicle pass the house, and the driveway is very long and a ways off the road. He doesn't bark or become hyper or anything, he just sits and looks out. The owner does not like the fact that he sits on the table to look out. How do I get him to stop this?
Old dog likes to sit on the table, NOT the place for a dog!
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doglover27
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:58 pm
Re: Old dog likes to sit on the table, NOT the place for a dog!
Id go for a mixture of management and training..
Block the view from the window - that removes the reward for jumping on the table, theres nothign to see up there now. You can do this cheaply and immediately using tape and paper, or prettily and more expensively using frosted film with neat little 'cut outs' to allow humans (higher up) to view above the dogs line of sight.
This, in this instance because there is no reactivity and nothing to react to out there, need not be forever (In my case, theres ALWAYS something to react to and with five dogs, reacting is SUPER exciting so the frosted window film is forever, and I don't mind because it saves me having net curtains up to stop people staring IN!).
Second step - always keep chairs pushed IN so there is no handy step-ladder to get ON the table. Easy peasy just remember to do it.
These two steps are teh first to take because they instantly halt the cycle of behaviour - reward - repeat behaviour.
The next steps - address why the dog is doing it. Well its fun, but if the dog has more fun things to do in his day, that are appropriate and owner-led, then h e has less time and energy to be doing the inappropriate things. So more exercise and importantly more MENTAL exercise. Clicker training, puzzle solving, stuff to do.
The actual training bit - I would put 'up' and 'off' on cue. So you ask, he does it, and then you only ask when you want him to!
Start this in an area and with objects that are NOT the chairs/your lap/the table 'context'.
Start it on teh sofa, or sat on the floor or using a grooming table (or a solid box). Teach him to get up onto the indicated item on cue, reward it, teach him to get OFF whatever he is on, on cue, reward it.
Phase out the constant rewards as quickly as possible, because otherwise you become reliant on them and then the dog stands a good chance of learning to get UP on things so that he gets asked to get OFF things to earn a treat.
The other thing to do here is to, as quickly as possible (but obviously not going faster than the dog has learned!), add in other behaviours between the 'off' and the reward. So you can go 'up', sit, stand, down, OFF, sit, down, roll over TREAT.
Finally the consequence I would use for the dog jumping on laps uninvited is to stand up - ideally before he has really gotten up there and obviously in a way hes not gonna get hurt.
You need to put all these things into place - if you prevent the behaviour but dont addrss any boredom/excess mental energy issues, its likely the dog will think his way around your plan. If you just use a consequence well thats only good when you are there to do it. If you only train the alternate beahviours and its still rewarding to jump up.. he will still do it. So all the pieces of the puzzle need to fit together for the best and quickest results.
Block the view from the window - that removes the reward for jumping on the table, theres nothign to see up there now. You can do this cheaply and immediately using tape and paper, or prettily and more expensively using frosted film with neat little 'cut outs' to allow humans (higher up) to view above the dogs line of sight.
This, in this instance because there is no reactivity and nothing to react to out there, need not be forever (In my case, theres ALWAYS something to react to and with five dogs, reacting is SUPER exciting so the frosted window film is forever, and I don't mind because it saves me having net curtains up to stop people staring IN!).
Second step - always keep chairs pushed IN so there is no handy step-ladder to get ON the table. Easy peasy just remember to do it.
These two steps are teh first to take because they instantly halt the cycle of behaviour - reward - repeat behaviour.
The next steps - address why the dog is doing it. Well its fun, but if the dog has more fun things to do in his day, that are appropriate and owner-led, then h e has less time and energy to be doing the inappropriate things. So more exercise and importantly more MENTAL exercise. Clicker training, puzzle solving, stuff to do.
The actual training bit - I would put 'up' and 'off' on cue. So you ask, he does it, and then you only ask when you want him to!
Start this in an area and with objects that are NOT the chairs/your lap/the table 'context'.
Start it on teh sofa, or sat on the floor or using a grooming table (or a solid box). Teach him to get up onto the indicated item on cue, reward it, teach him to get OFF whatever he is on, on cue, reward it.
Phase out the constant rewards as quickly as possible, because otherwise you become reliant on them and then the dog stands a good chance of learning to get UP on things so that he gets asked to get OFF things to earn a treat.
The other thing to do here is to, as quickly as possible (but obviously not going faster than the dog has learned!), add in other behaviours between the 'off' and the reward. So you can go 'up', sit, stand, down, OFF, sit, down, roll over TREAT.
Finally the consequence I would use for the dog jumping on laps uninvited is to stand up - ideally before he has really gotten up there and obviously in a way hes not gonna get hurt.
You need to put all these things into place - if you prevent the behaviour but dont addrss any boredom/excess mental energy issues, its likely the dog will think his way around your plan. If you just use a consequence well thats only good when you are there to do it. If you only train the alternate beahviours and its still rewarding to jump up.. he will still do it. So all the pieces of the puzzle need to fit together for the best and quickest results.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
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doglover27
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:58 pm
Re: Old dog likes to sit on the table, NOT the place for a dog!
Thanks! I will definitely try to do these things next time I sit for her dogs. =)