Puppy jumping up on t he furniture

Question
I have a 4 months old Golden Doodle who is very full of energy.  She does lots of biting and jumping up on people and sometimes tearing clothing which is very anoying.  I know she will probably outgrow this but in the meantime clothing is getting damaged.  How do I deal with this?

My next question is that my puppy keeps jumping up on the living room furniture and I have tried teaching her "off" and when she gets down I give her a dog treat and I tell her "good girl" and give her a treat.  Now she keeps jumping up and expects a treat everytime she gets down, it now seems like a game to her.  Obviously I have not taught her the right thing because we go through this routine at least 50 times per day.  I have stopped giving her the treat, it seems like reinforcement for her to get on the sofa.  Can you help me with this please, I am very frustrated about this.

Thank you
Dodie

Answer
Sorry for the delay. I wasn't able to get to a computer this weekend.

It sounds as if you're on the right track. At just four months old, her behaviors are completely normal. I have a few suggestions you can try, but before you get started, if you have not already done so, buy her a flat collar and leash. Make sure it's a 4 or 6 foot leash, and not a retractable "Flexi" type leash. I do not recommend Flexi leashes for training, and they really serve no purpose unless you are playing with the dog in an unfenced area - and even then, I still prefer a long line because you don't have to hold it in your hand the whole time; you can stand on it. For walks, training, and everything else, you need a regular leash. Do not get a chain leash, as it can not only damage your hands if it is jerked through them, but it also smacks the dog in the face or the side of the head while walking and when a leash correction is given. The collar and leash should be either nylon or leather. The collar should fit so that you can put your index and middle fingers together and slide them under the collar with your middle finger against her neck and your index finger against the collar (or vice versa).

First, for her getting on the furniture:
1) You need a crate, or at the very least, a way to confine her to an area where she cannot get on the furniture when you are not there to watch her. The crate should be just large enough for a grown golden retreiver to stand up, turn around, and lie down in. I reccomend the metal kind, because they are more durable and cannot be chewed. Since it will be too large for her now, you'll need to either get a crate separator or use boxes or something to make it small enough for her now. Otherwise she may choose to sleep on one end and use the bathroom on the other - bad.

Now. You want getting on the furniture to be as unpleasant as possible for her. One way is to buy a referee whistle and hang it around your neck at all times while you're in the house. If you do it all the time, it will seem normal to her and she won't learn that if you're not wearing it, she can get on the furniture. So, until she's trained, you wear the whistle at all times. You do not have to follow her around, but stay where you can keep an eye on her. The moment she starts to jump up onto any piece of furniture (the moment you see her muscles tense in preparation of the jump), you blow that whistle as hard as you can, for as long as she's up on the furniture. Chances are, it will startle her and she'll jump right back down. The moment all her feet hit the floor, stop blowing the whistle, spit it out of your mouth, and lavishly praise her.

Another way is to measure the seating area on your couch, chairs, etc. (whatever it is that she jumps up on that you don't want her to jump up on) and then go to Lowe's, Home Depot, or any place that sells carpet and carpet supplies. Look for the clear carpet protector 'runners' with the little "teeth" on one side. There are two kinds - one for low pile carpet and one for high pile carpet. You want the kind for low pile (I believe); it's the kind that has the "teeth" closer together. Buy enough to cover the entire seating area on the couch/chair/etc. You can have them cut it specifically for you, or just cut it yourself once you get home. Take it home, and put it on the furniture with the "teeth" side up instead of down. When she jumps up onto the furniture, it will be uncomfortable on her feet and she should jump right back down. You still need to keep her crated when you can't watch, because when she jumps up onto the couch, you need to firmly tell her "NO, OFF" and then praise her when she gets down. If she does not immediately jump down when she feels the prickly sensation on her feet, then you'll need to correct her with the collar and leash. Make sure that any and every time she is out of her crate she is wearing her flat collar with her leash attached. IF, when she jumps up and you say "NO, OFF" she still does not jump back down, you'll need to change your method slightly. When she jumps up, you still say NO, but you need to draw it out in a low voice, like "NOOOOOOooooooo" (no need to yell it - just say it in a firm, low voice, and drop off on the end, so it's lower when you stop saying it than when you start). As you're saying the word no, walk over to her, pick up the leash about a foot and a half from where it attaches to her collar, tell her "OFF" as you gently pull her off the couch and onto the floor with the leash. At this point, you don't want to start actually administering corrections in the form of a leash pop because she doesn't know what the word "Off" means yet. When all four paws are on the floor, praise her and direct her attention away from the couch so she won't be tempted to jump back up there.

If she doesn't mind the pricklies, you may want to invest in a Scat Mat. You can find them at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3452&Ntt=scat%20ma...
They are not cheap, but they do work, and you can use them anywhere you don't want the dog to go. You can use them to teach her not to go into a certain room, or to stay off the furniture, or even helping teach her not to bolt out the door.


2)For her jumping up on people, the basic concept is the same; you want to reward her for keeping herself on the floor. Again, she should be wearing her collar and leash for this training. Start out with members of your family. When you approach her, try to step on her leash so that if she tries to jump up, it will automatically correct her. Do not stand so that it holds her down, because you need a little slack in case she tries to jump up. You WANT her to try so that she can correct herself. When she starts to jump, say OFF. If you time it correctly, she will tense to jump, you will say OFF as she is jumping, and she will correct herself with the leash (since you're standing on it) right after you say off. As SOON as her feet are on the floor, you can drop a treat and/or squat down to pet her. If she tries to jump on you when you squat down, tell her OFF again as you stand up.

Another way is to completely ignore her when she jumps. Since she is tearing clothing, you may want to check with your vet or a local groomer to see if they can trim her nails so they are not so sharp. Then, you can buy some Soft Claws at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1408&Ntt=soft%20cl...  They will ensure that her nails do not rip clothing or cause scratches. My dog is a therapy dog, and I can tell you firsthand that they do work to keep the nails from scratching.
If you choose to go this route, when she jumps up, simply turn your back and walk away from her without saying a word. If you're sitting when she does it, stand up and turn away, or separate your knees so she falls through, or cross your legs away from her. Completely ignore her. When she isn't jumping, you can pet her, but as soon as she jumps, she gets ignored. It shouldn't take her long to realize this.

Here are some websites that you may want to look at. They pretty much re-iterate what I've said, but are something to help you go by:

http://www.doggiedoor.com/off.shtml (also see the following page with more commands that you might be interested in: www.doggiedoor.com/commands.shtml)

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1488

http://www.kidsanddogs.bravepages.com/off.html

http://www.xenosoft.com/dogears/DIYalarm.html

Good luck and PLEASE feel free to e-mail me with any problems you run into or any further questions. My direct e-mail address is ashevilleanimalrescue@yahoo.com

Kristen