Hi all, hope someone can help. My 5 month Tibetan Terrier is literally a terror whenever food is about. I always feed him before we eat but if we are eating at the table he tries to jump on us or the table itself, or if we are having a cup of tea and biscuit on the sofa he's like a dog possessed - jumping on us, the coffee table and the food. It's making mealtimes a nightmare! Please can someone advise the best way to go about stopping this! Thanks!
How to stop puppy jumping when we're eating!
- Status
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Joined
·
265 Posts
We pet-sat a dog that behaved similarly, and while it takes some work, they can be trained in just a day or two with a firm but gentle method. Cesar Millan (the Dog Whisperer) videos helped us a TON to stop food aggression or stealing. A tap to the neck and a "no" or "hey" and they learn to ask politely for a treat. We always fall for their cute expressions, so they learned that being quiet and sitting near-by gets them what they want.
Terriers are hyper dogs, they love to jump a lot. Maybe a walk before dinner time would make him more tired.
I hope this helps! Best of luck! : )
Terriers are hyper dogs, they love to jump a lot. Maybe a walk before dinner time would make him more tired.
I hope this helps! Best of luck! : )
Joined
·
4,577 Posts
I would highly recommend NOT using any of Millan's techniques. You could teach your dog a "go to mat" or "place" cue. My dog knows this for anytime there is a knock on the door/doorbell that is the cue to go to their beds and lay down. This prevents any jumping on people coming in or harassing delivery people.
This is a great video on teaching it:
Go to Bed
She uses luring, but you could also free shape.
This is a great video on teaching it:
Go to Bed
She uses luring, but you could also free shape.
Joined
·
5,688 Posts
We taught ours to go to their beds during meals but until it is taught I would kennel or put the dog in another room during meals with a stuffed kong. This will also help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZCIeEUm_n8
Joined
·
1,076 Posts
@Shandula you just beat me to it I was going to think that exact video haha!
Teaching a place que is extremely useful in many situations, like Shandula mentioned. Kikopup has a vast array of videos that are very useful.
Teaching manners around food is completely possible without even having to touch your dog, jabbing them in the neck isn't necessary at all.
Teaching a place que is extremely useful in many situations, like Shandula mentioned. Kikopup has a vast array of videos that are very useful.
Teaching manners around food is completely possible without even having to touch your dog, jabbing them in the neck isn't necessary at all.
Joined
·
11,832 Posts
Ditto teaching go to place/settle on a mat.
Impulse control training can help a lot too.
http://www.dogforum.com/training-behavior-stickies/impulse-control-calmness-168218/
This is also a fairly easy problem to just manage. Crate your puppy, put them in a different room, or in an exercise pen. It tends to work really well if you also give them their dinner in a kong (if feeding dry food you can mix it with a bit of wet food, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. and even freeze) or a food dispensing toy just before you sit down to eat.
Impulse control training can help a lot too.
http://www.dogforum.com/training-behavior-stickies/impulse-control-calmness-168218/
This is also a fairly easy problem to just manage. Crate your puppy, put them in a different room, or in an exercise pen. It tends to work really well if you also give them their dinner in a kong (if feeding dry food you can mix it with a bit of wet food, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. and even freeze) or a food dispensing toy just before you sit down to eat.
Joined
·
4,577 Posts
@BusterBCsMum - It's obviously our Border Collie connection.
Joined
·
498 Posts
Positively reinforce the behavior you want rather than focusing on correcting the behavior you don't want.
I did not want an annoying begging dog...so from day one, any time I was eating I would put Pax in a "Lie Down" and the ONLY time he would get any food was if and ONLY if he is lying down...and I would reward him for lying down.
Now any time food comes out he goes right to his mat or if we are out at dog friendly place he is lying down next to the table. Zero food if he is up or begging.
Took him over the holidays to my Mom's house who is also a dog person. She has to put her dog in his crate at meal time...I put Pax in a Lie next to the table. She started out criticizing that I fed him too much but by the end of the meal was complimenting him on his training and manners.
I did not want an annoying begging dog...so from day one, any time I was eating I would put Pax in a "Lie Down" and the ONLY time he would get any food was if and ONLY if he is lying down...and I would reward him for lying down.
Now any time food comes out he goes right to his mat or if we are out at dog friendly place he is lying down next to the table. Zero food if he is up or begging.
Took him over the holidays to my Mom's house who is also a dog person. She has to put her dog in his crate at meal time...I put Pax in a Lie next to the table. She started out criticizing that I fed him too much but by the end of the meal was complimenting him on his training and manners.
Joined
·
265 Posts
Those are some great suggestions, just thought I would add, discipline isn't bad either. Positive reinforcement is a great training method, but wolves are very strict. All of us, certainly our family, goes way easier than any wolf would in the wild. But dogs, even after all this time, are still programmed to work best with discipline. I've seen how unhappy dogs are without it, they just don't know what to do and tend to develop neurotic behavior, aggression, or fears. We pet-sit dogs, and we see it all the time. It's very sad that we can't fix it in the few days they stay with us, no matter how hard we try.
Putting a dog in a crate whenever it misbehaves will just make it dislike a crate, associating it with something bad.
These are my opinions on what I have seen and heard from others, so please don't think I'm trying to offend anyone.
Putting a dog in a crate whenever it misbehaves will just make it dislike a crate, associating it with something bad.
These are my opinions on what I have seen and heard from others, so please don't think I'm trying to offend anyone.
Joined
·
901 Posts
I cringe whenever someone mentions Ceser. They are not method I'd ever recommend. The whole pack leader myth has been debunked. And the original study was flawed.
Joined
·
19 Posts
I have an almost 4 month old Westie. We are teaching him the command "go to bed" and he is slowly learning. For dinner we have been crating him. His crate is in our dining room but since we cover it he calms down right away and is able to relax/nap while we eat. I usually give him a kong as well. I agree with the other users, it seems to be helping to get him to learn this command as we use it throughout the day other times as well. He's still a puppy so of course he is very excited and it takes a few tries for him to actually settle down . If you pup can be in a crate I really recommend this. The crate as worked wonders for us.
. If you pup can be in a crate I really recommend this. The crate as worked wonders for us.
Joined
·
2,623 Posts
you don't need to use +P to train your dog.
just teach your dog that it is more rewarding to stay on their fix place in the house (open crate, dog bed, blanket) than running everywhere behind you.
If you've got a reliable "go to your place" command this makes life in the house in a lot of situation much easier.
if you needs management for the first few day, you could also try using a houseleash to keep him on his place (use a harness not a collar) until you're done eating.
just teach your dog that it is more rewarding to stay on their fix place in the house (open crate, dog bed, blanket) than running everywhere behind you.
If you've got a reliable "go to your place" command this makes life in the house in a lot of situation much easier.
if you needs management for the first few day, you could also try using a houseleash to keep him on his place (use a harness not a collar) until you're done eating.
Joined
·
265 Posts
I'm studying animal behavior and would be interested in knowing where you've learned this information so that I can read it (the information on pack-leader training now working).
I don't mean to argue, but I have seen and heard just the opposite with dogs. A dog wants a pack leader, its in their nature. They may be domesticated, but dogs will be dogs with the same instincts as a wolf. A wolf will kill any dog that isn't a good leader and I have seen our dogs (two females struggling for dominance) try to kill one another when my mother's back was too weak to stop them. I don't know if positive reinforcement would have stopped our dogs from fighting on another or growling at us or chasing our chickens (we have seven of them and pet-sit a number as well).
I am sure that different dogs can be trained in different ways, but a large pack of dogs I don't think would behave without a strong leader.
However, I would certainly be interested to learn of any other suggestions, because of my studies I am researching all the methods and opinions of domestic animal keeping, training, handling, ect. I know that different ways work with different families, people, dogs and house-holds because they are all different.
However, I do not believe being a pack-leader is a myth.
I don't mean to argue, but I have seen and heard just the opposite with dogs. A dog wants a pack leader, its in their nature. They may be domesticated, but dogs will be dogs with the same instincts as a wolf. A wolf will kill any dog that isn't a good leader and I have seen our dogs (two females struggling for dominance) try to kill one another when my mother's back was too weak to stop them. I don't know if positive reinforcement would have stopped our dogs from fighting on another or growling at us or chasing our chickens (we have seven of them and pet-sit a number as well).
I am sure that different dogs can be trained in different ways, but a large pack of dogs I don't think would behave without a strong leader.
However, I would certainly be interested to learn of any other suggestions, because of my studies I am researching all the methods and opinions of domestic animal keeping, training, handling, ect. I know that different ways work with different families, people, dogs and house-holds because they are all different.
However, I do not believe being a pack-leader is a myth.
Joined
·
279 Posts
First hold food in your hand, if he comes and grabs at it, close your hand. He is not allowed any food if he is grabbing at it. Open your hand as he backs off, your hand should be firmly shut if he is going for the food and slightly open if he is sort of going for the food, and fully open if he is sitting looking at you rather than the food, then when he is sitting nicely, take some of the food from that hand with the other hand and feed it to him. Even if he is pawing and nipping at your hand STAY FIRM, there is nothing he can do to get that food without your permission
When he gets it that he only gets the food when he is sitting nicely progress to putting the food in a pile on the floor, if he goes for it, cover it with your hand, if he backs off, your hand gets removed, when he is calmly waiting for food, then pick some up and feed it to him. Again even if he is pawing and nipping at your hand STAY FIRM.
It is very important that he doesn't get any of the food until you feed it to him, the whole point of this exercise is to show him that taking doesn't work. Food is not to be taken by him, it is to be given by us.
It is surprising how quickly most dogs get it, if you do it right.
Once he is reliably not taking food from the hand or the floor, progress to the table/coffee table/kitchen counter
Sit at the table (not during a meal time) and have some of his food on the table in front of you, if he goes for it, block it with your hand, again when he is sitting nicely, he gets the food.
For now I would just go for him sitting nicely while you eat and occasionally being fed some of his own food
Ultimately you want him lying down somewhere else calmly while you eat but honestly he is still young and he has already learned to be a nuisance while you eat so it is a bit much to expect right now to train him to go to a place and lie down. A crate is not a bad idea, but I personally think teaching a dog impulse control is very important.
When he gets it that he only gets the food when he is sitting nicely progress to putting the food in a pile on the floor, if he goes for it, cover it with your hand, if he backs off, your hand gets removed, when he is calmly waiting for food, then pick some up and feed it to him. Again even if he is pawing and nipping at your hand STAY FIRM.
It is very important that he doesn't get any of the food until you feed it to him, the whole point of this exercise is to show him that taking doesn't work. Food is not to be taken by him, it is to be given by us.
It is surprising how quickly most dogs get it, if you do it right.
Once he is reliably not taking food from the hand or the floor, progress to the table/coffee table/kitchen counter
Sit at the table (not during a meal time) and have some of his food on the table in front of you, if he goes for it, block it with your hand, again when he is sitting nicely, he gets the food.
For now I would just go for him sitting nicely while you eat and occasionally being fed some of his own food
Ultimately you want him lying down somewhere else calmly while you eat but honestly he is still young and he has already learned to be a nuisance while you eat so it is a bit much to expect right now to train him to go to a place and lie down. A crate is not a bad idea, but I personally think teaching a dog impulse control is very important.
Joined
·
4,577 Posts
Dogs enjoy leadership, but they also know that people are not dogs. So if a human is "alpha-rolling" a dog to assert dominance, the dog has zero idea what you're doing, just that you have flown off the handle and he has reason to be afraid of you.I'm studying animal behavior and would be interested in knowing where you've learned this information so that I can read it (the information on pack-leader training now working).
I don't mean to argue, but I have seen and heard just the opposite with dogs. A dog wants a pack leader, its in their nature. They may be domesticated, but dogs will be dogs with the same instincts as a wolf. A wolf will kill any dog that isn't a good leader and I have seen our dogs (two females struggling for dominance) try to kill one another when my mother's back was too weak to stop them. I don't know if positive reinforcement would have stopped our dogs from fighting on another or growling at us or chasing our chickens (we have seven of them and pet-sit a number as well).
I am sure that different dogs can be trained in different ways, but a large pack of dogs I don't think would behave without a strong leader.
However, I would certainly be interested to learn of any other suggestions, because of my studies I am researching all the methods and opinions of domestic animal keeping, training, handling, ect. I know that different ways work with different families, people, dogs and house-holds because they are all different.
However, I do not believe being a pack-leader is a myth.
I'm not sure why you think wolves would kill a wolf who "isn't a good leader". Wolf packs in the wild are family groups. The breeding pair, and their offspring. The only reason only two wolves mate has nothing to do with "dominance", and everything to do with not wanting to inbreed. Eventually some of the offspring may go their own way, find other lone wolves and form a pack of their own. It would be extremely rare to find a wolf pack that would kill it's own members, it would be highly ineffective as they require a strong pack to be effective and efficient for hunting prey.
As far as dominance in our own dogs, I do believe in dominance, but as a description of a relationship at a specific point in time and not as a trait of that individual. That is, given a specific situation, one dog may display "dominance" and the other is "submissive". However, I think this more has to do with what one dog finds important. For example, Heidi will posture, and get stiff if Levi tries to take her bones/special treats. Levi doesn't care that much about them, so he leaves her alone. In that situation, it might appear that Levi is "submissive" and Heidi is "dominant", when in actuality I just think that particular resource is important to Heidi and Levi isn't phased.
If your two female dogs were trying to kill each other, that isn't dominance, that is pure aggression, and I would be surprised if they could ever be near each other again. As far as chasing/killing chickens, lots of dogs have prey-drive, and again nothing to do with dominance. Both of my dogs are herders, and so are very movement-driven. They would certainly chase your chickens (and squirrels and bunnies, and deer) but I highly doubt they would kill it, they just like to chase.
I'm just on my way to the park, but I can post some good links for you to read when I get back.
Joined
·
657 Posts
You don't state the resources you are using for your research, but what you have written above is outdated and inaccurate.I'm studying animal behavior and would be interested in knowing where you've learned this information so that I can read it (the information on pack-leader training now working).
I don't mean to argue, but I have seen and heard just the opposite with dogs. A dog wants a pack leader, its in their nature. They may be domesticated, but dogs will be dogs with the same instincts as a wolf. A wolf will kill any dog that isn't a good leader and I have seen our dogs (two females struggling for dominance) try to kill one another when my mother's back was too weak to stop them. I don't know if positive reinforcement would have stopped our dogs from fighting on another or growling at us or chasing our chickens (we have seven of them and pet-sit a number as well).
I am sure that different dogs can be trained in different ways, but a large pack of dogs I don't think would behave without a strong leader.
However, I would certainly be interested to learn of any other suggestions, because of my studies I am researching all the methods and opinions of domestic animal keeping, training, handling, ect. I know that different ways work with different families, people, dogs and house-holds because they are all different.
However, I do not believe being a pack-leader is a myth.
No such thing as dominance part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzMMBBOnBv4
No such thing as dominance part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS_X7JfpmYk
No such thing as dominance part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7paWBI2x7EY
Have you read the dominance sticky GitaBooks? http://www.dogforum.com/training-behavior-stickies/dominance-dogs-4076/
There are quite a few other stickies that you might find interesting in the Training and Behavior Stickies
We could start a different thread discussing this if you want I think its a really interesting topic. There was actually a thread discussing dominance in dogs not to long ago.
There are quite a few other stickies that you might find interesting in the Training and Behavior Stickies
We could start a different thread discussing this if you want
I think its a really interesting topic. There was actually a thread discussing dominance in dogs not to long ago.1 - 18 of 18 Posts
- Status
Join the discussion
