# Dog jumping on wall



## Ender_2113 (Apr 22, 2011)

Hello all,

My dog, Ender, despises being outside without us. He will do everything in his power to let us know so. If we put him outside and we are still in the house (and he knows when we are/aren't) he will jump on the wall right outside our window and scratch at it (he will also jump at the door, windows, etc...). I know, it's crazy. I have to do something to get him to stop... Not only is he scraping the stucco off of our wall and causing damage to our property, he's also causing damage to himself. You see, the scratching on the walls takes a toll on his nails.

I've tried to catch him in the act by watching him through the window and immediately verbally scolding him as soon as he does it. I've tried to verbally scold him through the wall. I've tried putting him in his kennel as soon as he jumps/scratches on the wall. NOTHING will get through to him. 

I'm really hoping someone here can help me out with this. Thanks so much!


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

Why is he outside?


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## Ender_2113 (Apr 22, 2011)

lisaj1354 said:


> Why is he outside?


Because dogs can be inside or outside...? I'm not sure I understand your question. Do your dogs never go outside? 

Let's say, for example, I put them out to go to the bathroom... Or I put them outside because we are about to leave... Or maybe I'm mopping the floor. I mean, there are tons of reasons why he may be outside.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I think Lisa's point was, lots of us don't put our dogs out unattended/unsupervised. And, if we do, it's usually in an outside kennel, or dog run.....

There have been tons of different threads lately that ask something related to : 
*Can dogs be expected to "behave" or not do "insert unwanted behavior here" when the owner is either not home, or not in the same room?*

And, that's basically what your question refers to, also. You can work with a dog on "not doing something" because, when you're supervising, you can redirect them to something else or give them a timeout if you catch it right away (if you're into timeouts). Not a big fan of them, myself.

But, if you're not there, the dog will usually revert back to that behavior because dogs do everything for a reason. Yours hates to be outside without you, so he gets anxious and climbs the wall by the window.

Verbally scolding doesn't really help. Dogs don't have the same thought processes as people. So, if your dog hears you yell or scold, he gets that your mad, but doesn't make the connection about the wall. 
What does he do if you give him a frozen, stuffed kong when you put him out?


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## Ender_2113 (Apr 22, 2011)

doxiemommy said:


> I think Lisa's point was, lots of us don't put our dogs out unattended/unsupervised. And, if we do, it's usually in an outside kennel, or dog run.....
> 
> There have been tons of different threads lately that ask something related to :
> *Can dogs be expected to "behave" or not do "insert unwanted behavior here" when the owner is either not home, or not in the same room?*
> ...


I've never tried to give him a frozen, stuffed kong when putting him outside. He's not much into toys and stuff. I've gotten him a kong before and he didn't really use it much and it ended up just being taken by our other dog. 

So, is the conclusion that there is nothing I can do about it and it will just continue to happen?

You're dogs are really never outside unsupervised? They're with you 24/7 all-day, everyday?


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

No, not 24/7. But, as I said, when we have them outside unsupervised, they're usually in an outside dog run, or, sometimes I use a tether. But, usually, when our dogs go out, so do we.

Give the kong another try. I've heard people on the forum say it took awhile for their dogs to like them, too. Our dogs LOVE kongs filled with peanut butter. OR, try a bully stick or antler.

When I was a kid, our dogs were outside dogs. I know people now who have outside dogs. But, I know they had to deal with some issues that I don't want to deal with, so our dogs don't go out unsupervised. Some issues include:
-digging
-destruction
-barking at stuff
-running away
-being stolen (I JUST heard about "dog flippers" who obtain dogs by taking them from yards, or luring them away, and then "sell" them on craigslist and other sites. Of course, it's not called "selling" but, rather, a rehoming fee.
Anyway, it's just my preference that they don't go out alone....well, not for more than 5 minutes, if I have to run in, really quickly.....


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Ender_2113 said:


> I've never tried to give him a frozen, stuffed kong when putting him outside. He's not much into toys and stuff. I've gotten him a kong before and he didn't really use it much and it ended up just being taken by our other dog.
> 
> So, is the conclusion that there is nothing I can do about it and it will just continue to happen?
> 
> You're dogs are really never outside unsupervised? They're with you 24/7 all-day, everyday?


My dog is crated while I'm not home and we have a dog walker come when we'll be away longer than a few hours. or he's in daycare.

Does your dog start doing this behavior right away? Or after a few minutes?
Maybe he's bored? Does he react poorly to being left alone indoors if you leave?


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## Ender_2113 (Apr 22, 2011)

doxiemommy said:


> No, not 24/7. But, as I said, when we have them outside unsupervised, they're usually in an outside dog run, or, sometimes I use a tether. But, usually, when our dogs go out, so do we.
> 
> Give the kong another try. I've heard people on the forum say it took awhile for their dogs to like them, too. Our dogs LOVE kongs filled with peanut butter. OR, try a bully stick or antler.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your reply and help!

@Lisak: He will start doing it *immediately*. He is absolutely fine being left indoors... Doesn't misbehave at all when inside.

I don't want to come off as a horrible person... but do you think discipline (shock?) collars could do anything? I love my dog very, very much, but he can't keep doing this as we rent the house and is damaging it pretty badly. What if I gave him a mild discipline immediately when jumping on the wall (I watch him through the window). You don't think he would relate the two and know not to do it?


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## Pynzie (Jan 15, 2010)

Ender_2113 said:


> I don't want to come off as a horrible person... but do you think discipline (shock?) collars could do anything? I love my dog very, very much, but he can't keep doing this as we rent the house and is damaging it pretty badly. What if I gave him a mild discipline immediately when jumping on the wall (I watch him through the window). You don't think he would relate the two and know not to do it?


There are much better training methods than using shock collars and I don't think I would ever use one. However, some people have used them successfully but ONLY with a professional that knows what he/she is doing. Even then, anyone can say they are a good trainer/know how to properly use a shock collar. Using a shock collar incorrectly can lead to seriously damaging your dog, can make problems worse, or cause new problems. Given that potential for damage, I wouldn't use a shock collar myself nor would I even trust that some "trainer" knew what he/she was doing. It's just not worth it. 

Your dog could be jumping up because be is anxious out there by himself. Adding a shock would only make being outside alone even worse and thus could lead to even more anxiety and even more of a desire to get inside. Dogs don't always associate the things we want them to with the punishment. There are better ways to get the jumping to stop, some of which have been mentioned. Since your dog doesn't like being outside alone, I like the idea of making it more entertaining/rewarding for your dog to be out there. Like people said already, a kong filled with treats or some other kind of chew is a good idea. 

You can also work on conditioning your dog to be ok with being outside alone. Leave your dog outside for a second or two, however long he can stay out there without jumping up. Come right back out and reward for the good behavior. Gradually build this up until your dog can be left alone for longer periods of time. NEVER let your dog in while he is jumping up at the window - this shows that jumping up gets him let in.

I agree that it's not a good idea to leave a dog outside alone for the reasons already mentioned and the easiest way to fix your problem is to just not let him out alone. It would prevent any of the mentioned bad things from happening to him as well as stop the jumping. However, if you do decide to put him outside, hopefully some of these tips can help you stop the jumping behavior.


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## theyogachick (Aug 2, 2009)

How old is Ender? I know that when Gracie was younger, she did not want to be outside without us. It wasn't until she was close to 8 months old that she was really okay with being out in the yard without hubby or I out there, too.

Now she goes out to do her business, but she and Gizmo are never in the yard for more than 10-15 minutes and I either watch what they are doing or I check every five minutes or so.


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