How Do you Eliminate Dog Behavior Problems like Jumping and Roaming?

I’m sure every dog owner in some point of their life, experienced unwanted dog behavior problems of their four legged companions. The most frequently encountered training problems with puppies and dogs, are jumping on people and performing those amazing feats of escape.

Jumping Up on People

Jumping up on people can look so harmless and a cute trick for puppies, but it quickly becomes a problem behavior as the dog gets older, larger and heavier. A very heavy dog can easily knock a child or even a small adult off his or her feet. Therefore jumping on people can be a dangerous problem as well as an annoying one.

The obvious reason why puppies and older dogs jump on people is because they are excited and happy to see them. Many people are reluctant to discourage this exuberant behavior, but it is important to redirect that happiness and energy in a more productive ways. Many well meaning owners, family members and friends inadvertently encourage this jumping up behavior by picking the puppy up, kissing it or otherwise providing encouragement.

This type of inconsistency is anathema to proper dog training. In order for the dog to be trained not to jump, every member of the family must recognize and accept the importance of the training. If one member of the family allows the dog to jump up while other family members do not, the dog will understandably become confused and frustrated. The training must be firm, kind and consistent in order to be effective.

One way to redirect the dog’s happiness and excitement from jumping is to teach him to lift his paw when greeting you. This “shaking hands” posture is an acceptable way for the dog to show his happiness and his respect. While some eager owners even teach their dogs to do simple tricks, like rolling over, instead of jumping on people.

Escaping and Roaming the Neighborhood

Any responsible dog owner would never dream of allowing his or her dog to roam the neighborhood freely. Allowing a dog to roam on its own is irresponsible, dangerous (to the dog and the neighborhood), and probably even illegal. Of course your dog can be so well trained but he can’t be of a equal match to street dogs. Even street dogs do get knock down by cars. Many cities and towns have ordinances which prohibit domesticated dogs from being allowed to roam around free, so you could be in legal trouble if your dog is found wandering the neighborhood unattended.

Of course sometimes that wandering dog is not the owner’s idea, and many dogs perform amazing feats of escape when left on their own. The temptations for unattended dogs are many, including passing bicycles, joggers, children, cats and other dogs. It is much easier to prevent escapes than to recapture a loose dog, so let’s consider some preventative measures every dog owner can take.

Removing the motivation to escape is a big part of the solution. A bored dog that is cooped up everyday is very likely to spend his day plotting the great escape. A dog that is surrounded by everything he needs, like lots of dog toys, a comforting bed, and plenty of fresh clean water, your love, is more likely to spend his day contentedly sleeping or playing with toys until you return.

In addition, a dog with lots of pent up, unused energy is likely to try to escape. Try incorporating several vigorous play sessions with your dog into your daily routine. Spend more quality time with him and certainly it would a good idea that you make one of those play sessions right before you leave. If your dog has a chance to work off his energy, chances are he will nap more or relax the rest of the day.

Of course dealing with the dog is only half the problem. It is also important to make your home as escape proof as possible, through proper fencing and other measures. For dogs that love to dig, it may be necessary to extend the fence underground by placing metal stakes in the ground every few feet. For dogs that can really jump, it may be necessary to make the fence higher. And if none of these extensive measures work, it may be necessary to confine your dog to the house when you are not at home. Should these preventive measures work, it would be advisable to check periodically for their conditions. Things do wear off overtime, especially so if your dog has been working on certain areas making them wear off faster than they should be.