# Need Help With Ridiculously Energetic Dog



## mdash88 (Feb 9, 2009)

I am helping a friend care for a new dog. It is estimated that the dog is about 1 and a half. The dog is extremely skittish around new people and tends to cower away, but once she has gotten to know you she absolutely will not leave you alone. She has begun to understand a basic hand sign for sit and every once in a while, using that gets her to settle down, but sometimes she jumps up in your lap and attempts to lick and mouth your arms, hands and face. If you push her down, she jumps back up, twice as wild. If you try to hold her down she jumps again after you let go or wriggles out. The mouthing and licking isn't that awful, but the jumping up in your face stuff HAS to stop. She lives with an older woman and even when yelling no and down, she does not relent. I understand that a water pistol is a valuable tool which we have yet to try, but is there anything else you can recommend? Next step is medication, or return to the local pound.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

There's the problem in a nutshell......looking for one simple thing like a water pistol to cure all the behaviors. Well, it doesn't work like that. It takes time and effort to train and I gather from your poll that's not what you want to do as you left that off the list.


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## mdash88 (Feb 9, 2009)

Apparently you do not understand the situation. Obviously this is a process that takes time, but I am looking for the best way to get the dog to not be so persistent as quickly as possible. This dog is being kept at home for a student off at college and I am trying to keep it from getting put back in the pound as she is obviously a loving and intelligent dog.


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## Lil Red Express (Jan 18, 2009)

Wear it out . You should have added *exercise* to your poll . Thats my pick


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## mdash88 (Feb 9, 2009)

Lil Red Express said:


> Wear it out . You should have added *exercise* to your poll . Thats my pick


Yeah, I'll be over there often to get the dog out on walks/jogs. I appreciate your input.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

I wouldn't use any of the options listed, particularly wacking a dog on the nose! Hitting a dog should never be an option. The dog sounds severly underexercised, so like Lil Red Express, I suggest a great deal more excersise, combined with obedience training. Has the dog been enrolled in an obedience class?


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## mdash88 (Feb 9, 2009)

Kuma'sMom said:


> I wouldn't use any of the options listed, particularly wacking a dog on the nose! Hitting a dog should never be an option. The dog sounds severly underexercised, so like Lil Red Express, I suggest a great deal more excersise, combined with obedience training. Has the dog been enrolled in an obedience class?


The mother is holding the dog for the student as a favor and neither of them have the money for an obedience class, so I have volunteered to exercise and offer some sort of training as far as I can provide. The whack on the nose option was predominantly a joke.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

I understand the situation perfectly. The dog needs training on how to sit politely for petting, training to not jump on people, training to teach the dog some self-control and basic socialization training. 
If your only concern at this point is the jumping up...here's how to stop it: right now you're letting the dog jump up and then you push it away/say OFF and it becomes a game. That method does not teach the dog to NOT jump up in the first place. If you don't want the dog up there you have stop him BEFORE he jumps. Hold out your hand like a stop sign toward him as he's getting ready to jump. If he stops, you must praise and treat for NOT jumping....that's crucial. You're showing him what will get your attention....polite sitting, standing, laying down....anything but the jumping.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

Good to know that was a joke, it's always hard to tell if someone's serious or not when they post stuff like that.  It's really good of you to step in to help. Have you checked with your local humane society? Sometimes they offer obedience classes for much less than other trainers. I know our humane society does, and also has a help line (called the 'Yelp line') that you can call for advice as well. It might be worth checking out.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

The best way to stop a dog from jumping is to lean over and invade the dog's space.. pretty difficult if you are sitting on a couch (you lean into the dog when he goes to jump and cha cha forward). This is a somewhat fearful dog so this may work well, but it also might escalate the fear. 

If you are sitting on the couch you can stand on the leash so jumping up is not an option and reward the dog when she is calm and sitting. 

Those are the quick and dirty solutions for now, but do little to train the dog. 

Training means teaching the dog to sit and to wait b4 getting up. You really teach two commands.. Sit and Wait. 

Since you are starting at ground zero training a dog, I suggest you read the stickies at the top oof the forum on Free Clicker lessons, Ian Dunbar and NILIF (nothing in Life is Free). 

You can also get a book, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training" by Pamela Dennison. It has instructions for training.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

My current dog has really tested my creativity. It seems he has the ability to warp the time-space continuum and be in more than one place at a time. He's really fast...or I've really slowed down in my dotage.

Anyway, after trying a number of items in my bag of tricks, I struck on a maneuver my wife calls the "Ministry of Silly Walks". I'd walk in the door and randomly pick my knees up, kick my feet behind me and to the side, spin and turn, and jut my elbows this way and that. Not trying to strike the dog, but not allowing him an opening to jump on me. The look on the pup's face was absolutely priceless.


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## aphioni (Nov 11, 2008)

to wear out my dog, we play hide and seek with his toys. you can't wear out a PRT physically in one day- to my knowledge! but some cleverly hidden toys or thinking toys like this cube that you hide treats in, or even a kong with treats wedged in it can keep a dog's mind occupied. i also find that when i walk him, if i make him work by sitting, heeling, freezing- he is so so SO much calmer when we get home.

good luck!


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Sounds like she needs more physical and metal stimulation.....I would try to get her out on a few long walks/runs a day....also you could look into a flirtpole...and some mental games like "hide and seek" with treats or a buster/treat cube


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Marsh Muppet said:


> My current dog has really tested my creativity. It seems he has the ability to warp the time-space continuum and be in more than one place at a time. He's really fast...or I've really slowed down in my dotage.
> 
> Anyway, after trying a number of items in my bag of tricks, I struck on a maneuver my wife calls the "Ministry of Silly Walks". I'd walk in the door and randomly pick my knees up, kick my feet behind me and to the side, spin and turn, and jut my elbows this way and that. Not trying to strike the dog, but not allowing him an opening to jump on me. The look on the pup's face was absolutely priceless.


Marsh
I like it, because sometimes what looks silly to others may be the perfect cure for that dog. The important thing that I like is the thought process to dive in and do it. It's one of those rascal training procedures that done properly if it does not help problem it's not going to hurt problem. You just put the thinking cap on and do a new procedure.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

*Ministry of Silly Walks*


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## Corteo (Jan 7, 2009)

ROTFL! Love it! Sobaka would think I had gone mad!


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

Corteo said:


> ROTFL! Love it! Sobaka would think I had gone mad!


My Golden pup was like a 50 lb. Jack Russell Terrier sproinging in the air and putting paws on you. He was also very mouthy. If you folded your arms and turned your back on him, he'd nip your butt and/or grab the bottoms of your pants from behind. He could take you off your feet with that move. Anything you tried to do _to him_ was THE BEST GAME EVER! It merely fired him up more.

The totally random and completely Spaz-O movements caused him to plop his butt on the floor, furrow his brow, and cock his head. As soon as he did that, he'd get profuse (but very low key) praise. It worked pretty quickly where nothing else I tried did anything but make him worse.


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## Corteo (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm not being negative or anything. I was laughing at the video...


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

Corteo said:


> I'm not being negative or anything. I was laughing at the video...


I figured that...and the dog did think I'd gone nuts.


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