Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:41 pm Post subject: Jumping up and mouthing visitors
Im in need of some help please with Harry. So heres the problem.
If anyone comes to the house Harry behaves like hes never seen anyone in his life. He will jump up and mouth them. I tell him off and push him down but this doesnt work. If they sit down hes jumping up at them, again mouthing or scratching with his big feet as he lands on them. I always either throw him into the garden or put him in his cage both of which i dont like doing as hes not learning. My mum came over yesterday to sit with my son while i went to pick Megan up from nursery. I was only out for 45mins and in that time Harry had jumped up at her and gone for her face (Im yet to see him ever do this, he might try and give kisses but his teeth get in the way if hes over excited but he wouldnt of gone for anyone) My son said my mum had grabbed Harrys fur to tell him off which is when he went even more wild which he does if you grab his collar or anywhere that he doenst like. My son said that Harry was worse than he usualy is but it was my mothers fault as she wasnt nice to Harry just shouting at him not talking to him how we do. She left as soon as i got home telling me i must get rid of him as hes so naughty and her lab was never like that.
So how do i deal with the jumping up and mouthing he does this to anyone that comes in. I have only had 1 person hes not done it to and that was the Health Visitor as she just ignored him and turned her back to him he then went to sit next to her for attention but this was when he was smaller not the size of him now.
Please help I dont want to keep putting him out of the way.
I think your health visitor is probably used to visiting homes with dogs and did the right thing in ignoring him. You need to 'train' your mum and any other visitors to ignore Harry, turning their back on him if necessary and only give him attention when he is calm, rewarding the good behaviour and ignoring the bad. Also pushing him away will only get him more excited. Dogs 'play' using their front paws, so if you use your hands (front paws) to push him, then from his perspective you are joining in with his game. If you need to move him away from people, body blocking him while using the command 'back' is worth trying.
Good Luck with Harry, I'm sure he'll get there in the end.
This is something we are teaching Bella at the moment. Because she is young and gets excited when we have visitors, we pop her onto a lead and when she jumps up at someone we give a quick tug and say "off".
We ask visitors not to say anything to her until she is calm, which usually only takes a couple of minutes. Then she gets all the fuss she wants.
____________ Diane, Woody and Bella (watched over by Murphy)
Loss leaves a heart-ache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
I agree with the ignore remark from everyone, but if you have a door or a gate between you and people entering and put Harry behind, then you have time to tell anyone that comes in exactly what you want them to do.
It will get better, and it is the people that makes it worse, for a while I would leave him and not even speak to him so he can see but not come near them until he has calmed down.
With Bailey we tought him to grab something (one of his toys) to stop his mouthing, if her wanted to say hello. So even now, whenever any one comes to the house, or we come home he runs round and grabs a toy to come and say hello with his wiggly bum dance. We just tell him to go get his 'chewy' worked wonders for us. Can only suggest what others have said about the jumping thing, it took us a while but we got there in the end. Good luck.
I have an 11 month old GSP who gets very excited when people come round. What I do with him is make him sit and stay on his bed, when I let him off if he shows any OTT behaviour its straight back on to the bed. He has got alot better as a result as hes learning that only if he's calm does he get to say hello. He also is learning to greet visitors with a toy..although he loves to talk and do a little dance as he walks up and down with it but its progress (and GSP's are a far more lively bouncy breed than a Lab!!)
He just sounds like a over enthusiastic puppy! The baby gate is a good way to start as he has no choice in the matter and it means no one gets hurt or misunderstood. George was reasonably good but when out and about people would let him jump all over them, because it was ok as he was only little, to which I thought you wouldn't be happy if he did that fully grown. I used to ask people to ignore him or stand up but not everyone listened so I made him wait till he was calm and had all 4 paws on the ground before being allowed to say hello.
You could try fitting him with a house line so you can keep him back until he calms down then allow him to say hello. Or if that would get in the way you could ask him to sit and "watch you" (Hold a treat to your nose and use it to keep his eyes on you till he calms down, stinky treats work really well for this) Make yourself more interesting than the visitor.
The easiest way is to get people to do what your health visitor did as he clearly got the message. Whatever you do you must be consistent and get your guests to do the same. You can always put yourself between him and the visitors and ignore him so he gets the message.
Persevere and in time he'll get it. My trainer recommended moving back if the dog moves or jumps towards you, but we couldn't do this as our house entrance is too small.
____________ Gemma, Lee and our lovely little George
Thanks everyone, yes i think it is more of a fact that i need to train my mother and also my father. They have a big rotti who rules the house as in he will just push you out of the way, pinch food from the kids from their plates ect, they have made him like this as he was so good when they got him (rescue) so they beleive that they can show me and teach Harry how to be good cos there dog is so well behaved!!!!!
I have a baby gate in the hall just before you get to the front door, so if someone knocks on I can climb the gate to let them in without Harry either going out or jumping up at them. I cant put one on the livingroom door as the door frame is to narow (had a problem getting one to fit on Megans bedroom door, we had to take the door off) so once anyone is through the gate they get jumped on. Now he cage is in the living room he is going on his bed when told a little more but im yet to see how he is when anyone comes as my parents dont often come unless they want somthing really.
Im going to try what you have suggested and see what happens.
Eye contact is a deal breaker in my experience with our previous lab. if the person looks at the dog the dog is more likely to jump. If eye contact is avoided until dog is calm that seems to work.
Toby (8months) is Ok in but will still sometimes lunge towards random strangers but only if they call to him and make kissy noises (blokes are the worst!!!) If they ignore him he's ok usually. Distracting him works.
____________ Liz and Toby the black lab pup.
Honey - the best dog in the world! 2001-2011
Run free baby dog.
When dog friendly and family who are used to my 2 come around - giving the visitor a toy to hold low for the dogs to take as the dogs dash towards them to say hi once door opened helps to prevent mouthing and most jumping up! If people step towards them as they enter they don't jump up, people who give backing away body language get jumped. People get down to fuss or play get waggledances and play!
Non- dog friendly people get told not to look at or speak to the pair and to turn away if they approach. I have 2 big rawhide chews on hand and give them to dogs as door opened and they rush to say hi. After a few secs of waggling the ignoring means lying down to enjoy rawhide is more important!
I have seen training videos posted on here that show the visitor throwing a bunch of biscuits on the floor immediately as they enter to distract the dog from them and jumping up - the reward is on the floor!
I would suggest getting your Harry into the routine of having a treat ball or frozen kong or special chew/bone or similar when you have to leave your Mum in charge whether he is crated or out. It sounds like he is not settled with her and I would worry that him feeling the boundaries of behaviour change when you go out could result in someone getting hurt.
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