Dear god…. jumping up/counter surfing driving us insane. Help.

[Poppy123]

So after a couple of months of relative harmony and calm, our 7.5 month old bitch is again driving us round the twist!!! We thought we had turned a bit of a corner on the puppy exuberance and the jumping up at people had started to diminish. Now it’s back with a vengeance, coupled with mouthing and nipping at clothing. Are we starting the adolescent period now? Any advice?!  Plus the counter surfing and paws-up-to-table are beyond a joke now. We have never fed her from the table and she’s never managed to steal anything from the table or from kitchen counters. We’re always really careful about that. So what is her motivation? We feel like we’ve tried everything: telling no; gently moving off; ignoring altogether. Nothing works and my husband has had enough. If we can’t get a handle on it then he wants her gone  :'( Help.

[bizzylizzy]

  Deeep Breath!!!    Yes, it does indeed sound like adolescence but the good news is, like the puppy stage, it does pass (eventually... ) but you  need to be totally consistent and firm when laying down the boundaries.  I know its hard but do try and stay calm and patient, does she really understand what „No“ means? Look at it from her point of view, she wants you attention so she jumps up, counter surfs or whatever to make sure you haven’t forgotten she‘s there and in the hope that you might join in her game! You say No or something else, possibly in a different tone of voice that you normally use, and as far as she‘s concerned, she‘s got what she wants, i.e. your attention.
Try and offer her an alternative behaviour which you can then praise her for, a „sit“ or „down“ for example. You can try introducing a mat or blanket where you can send her to calm down for a short while. Start by putting it on the floor and stand or sit next to it, she‘ll probably come and have a sniff and as soon as she puts a paw on it or stands/sits on it, give her a treat, you can then gradually introduce a a command „mat“ or „blanket“ and continue treating her while she stays on it. Lengthen the gaps between the treats to encourage her stay on there in bit longer and after half a minute give the release signal. You can then lengthen the time on the mat before the release. The aim is for you to be able to send her to her mat to calm her down if she starts getting over excited, or when visitors arrive etc, - its also useful to take with you if you want her to lie quietly when you go somewhere.
Its really important not to forget the release signal though, so that she understands she should stay there until you tell her she can get off.
Remember its far easier for her to learn what you want her to do than what you don’t want her to do! 
Best of luck! 

[Pepsi Hawks]

Hi poppy we have just become puppy owners for the first to a 10week girl she has her moments but generally we'll behaved but we have to use treats all the time to bribe her. With regards jumping up at the table is it when you sit down to eat the evening meal ? We have given Pepsi a part of a  carrot to chomp on whilst we eat our meal and this seems to work 🤞keeps her busy for about 5mins or so but she's normally fairly chilled afterwards. Good luck and if you find a fix be sure to let us know.

[bizzylizzy]

“, 

Hi poppy we have just become puppy owners for the first to a 10week girl she has her moments but generally we'll behaved but we have to use treats all the time to bribe her. With regards jumping up at the table is it when you sit down to eat the evening meal ? We have given Pepsi a part of a  carrot to chomp on whilst we eat our meal and this seems to work 🤞keeps her busy for about 5mins or so but she's normally fairly chilled afterwards. Good luck and if you find a fix be sure to let us know.

- be a bit careful with „bribing“ with treats, - the dog can interpret the bribe as a reward for doing whatever it is you’re trying to stop her doing, so rather than discouraging the behaviour, you‘re actually encouraging it..
 

[Poppy123]

Thanks so much bizzylizzy - really appreciate the advice. We do have a bed in the kitchen that most of the time we can send her to and she does understand the ‘bed’ command but sometimes just chooses to ignore it….. Can I ask how we might train a release signal? We’ve worked quite hard on ‘bed’ and getting her to stay for varying lengths of time but in the end it’s always she who chooses when to get out and then we have to try to send her back.

[Mudmagnets]

Would you use considering using  a crate for her at  meal times, -  tempt her in with the carrot,  shut the door and she will stay there till you release her (no choice  - may be a few protests to start with, one of my dogs is fed his meals in his crate and stays there till I have eaten mine, with a full tum, he usually settles down to sleep)

When releasing her, wait for her to sit calmly telling her to 'wait' while you open the door rather than have her bulldoze her way out.

[bizzylizzy]

Thanks so much bizzylizzy - really appreciate the advice. We do have a bed in the kitchen that most of the time we can send her to and she does understand the ‘bed’ command but sometimes just chooses to ignore it….. Can I ask how we might train a release signal? We’ve worked quite hard on ‘bed’ and getting her to stay for varying lengths of time but in the end it’s always she who chooses when to get out and then we have to try to send her back.

Practise very short lengths of time at first, when she‘s quiet give her another treat, but signal that despite the treat, she should continue to stay there (I just hold out the palm of my hand, as you would to signal Stop). When you want to release her, give her a better treat and and loads of praise followed by  the signal to release. That way, she eventually learns that holding out until she’s released gets  her the super treat . Keep the interval between the treats very short at first and and also the length of time she has to stay there and gradually lengthen. Its also easier to practise when the house is quiet and there’s not too much distraction at first,  if she thinks she‘s missing out on the fun, its hard for her to stay put, its much easier if she‘s calm and quiet to start with.

[Pepsi Hawks]

“, 

Hi poppy we have just become puppy owners for the first to a 10week girl she has her moments but generally we'll behaved but we have to use treats all the time to bribe her. With regards jumping up at the table is it when you sit down to eat the evening meal ? We have given Pepsi a part of a  carrot to chomp on whilst we eat our meal and this seems to work 🤞keeps her busy for about 5mins or so but she's normally fairly chilled afterwards. Good luck and if you find a fix be sure to let us know.

- be a bit careful with „bribing“ with treats, - the dog can interpret the bribe as a reward for doing whatever it is you’re trying to stop her doing, so rather than discouraging the behaviour, you‘re actually encouraging it..
 

Thanks probably worded it wrong unless we are doing incorrect so just to confirm we distract her tell her to sit or to her bed then give her a treat, as you say we are rewarding bad behaviour how would you best suggest we deal with jumping/biting/barking ? ( we like to keep her out of her crate as much as possible, and if she's really naughty she has a pen we put her into for a minute to calm down) at 10 weeks she is fully toilet trained will comes up for cuddles although she has to of had a bit of play and calm down first. We are new to this so feeling very overwhelmed and have many marks on our heads from nips when this happens we stand up and turn our backs again if she continues to bite we put in her pen to calm down, many sites/apps say not to engage or shout when puppy is playing up.

[bizzylizzy]

“, 

Hi poppy we have just become puppy owners for the first to a 10week girl she has her moments but generally we'll behaved but we have to use treats all the time to bribe her. With regards jumping up at the table is it when you sit down to eat the evening meal ? We have given Pepsi a part of a  carrot to chomp on whilst we eat our meal and this seems to work 🤞keeps her busy for about 5mins or so but she's normally fairly chilled afterwards. Good luck and if

- be a bit careful with „bribing“ with treats, - the dog can interpret the bribe as a reward for doing whatever it is you’re trying to stop her doing, so rather than discouraging the behaviour, you‘re actually encouraging it..
 

Thanks probably worded it wrong unless we are doing incorrect so just to confirm we distract her tell her to sit or to her bed then give her a treat, as you say we are rewarding bad behaviour how would you best suggest we deal with jumping/biting/barking ? ( we like to keep her out of her crate as much as possible, and if she's really naughty she has a pen we put her into for a minute to calm down) at 10 weeks she is fully toilet trained will comes up for cuddles although she has to of had a bit of play and calm down first. We are new to this so feeling very overwhelmed and have many marks on our heads from nips when this happens we stand up and turn our backs again if she continues to bite we put in her pen to calm down, many sites/apps say not to engage or shout when puppy is playing up.

no, sorry I think I misunderstood - what you’re doing is the way I would do it, - by asking her to sit you‘re offering her an alternative behaviour and are rewarding the „sit“ which is what you want, that‘s fine.
The motto which I learned on here and which all the trainers I‘ve met so since having Humphrey have used  is „Ignore the unwanted behaviour and reward the good“, puppies come to us as a blank sheet, they don’t know what‘s „bad“ behaviour, they’re not being deliberately naughty but  just doing what puppies would do in the natural world, so its up to us to show them what’s acceptable to us and what’s not. Positive, reward based training is the way most modern trainers do it these days, dogs thrive on praise so rather than scold them for „bad“ (unwanted) behaviour, ignore it completely and calmly ask for  an alternative for which they can be praised (which is what you’re doing by asking for a sit).
Sounds like you’re doing fine, at 10 weeks your dog is still very much a baby and has a lot to learn.
A lot of over excitement is caused by over tiredness, pups need loads and loads of sleep at that age too, so enforced rest is a good idea if things are getting a bit OTT.
I think we all felt overwhelmed at first, I definately did, COL saved me !  but you’re not on your own, we‘ve all had to learn along the way and in a short while things will all fit into place.
Best of Luck!

P.S. There are lots of videos online, I watched an American guy called Zak George who has loads of Youtube Videos, I love the way he interacts with his dogs. 

[Poppy123]

Would you use considering using  a crate for her at  meal times, -  tempt her in with the carrot,  shut the door and she will stay there till you release her (no choice  - may be a few protests to start with, one of my dogs is fed his meals in his crate and stays there till I have eaten mine, with a full tum, he usually settles down to sleep)

When releasing her, wait for her to sit calmly telling her to 'wait' while you open the door rather than have her bulldoze her way out.

Thanks mudmagnets. We do use a crate, yes. She sleeps in it at night and is brilliant in it - has been since day one. And we do use it in the day as a last resort really if she’s being really difficult and we’re trying to serve dinner with hot things going in and out of the oven for example. And yes, we always make her wait rather than bulldoze her way out. She will wait, but then charges full pelt when we say go! There are two schools of thought in our house though. My husband is happy to crate her at times we need some peace but then I always feel like if she isn’t given the opportunity to be in certain  situations then she’ll never learn what is and isn’t appropriate. I guess it’s all down to the particular situation at hand though.

[sophie.ivy]

Oh the joys of adolescence!! Sounds like she's testing her boundaries as my girl did at that age (up until 1 year, I'm sorry to say) but it really does get easier and your girl will remember all of the training she seems to have forgotten at the moment. Hang in there!

I found the first year of having a puppy like a rollercoaster, with a big drop during 7-9 months. Ivy is 15months now and things are finally starting to click with her training and she's an absolute joy in the house (most of the time)

Ivy also jumped up at the counters and it seemed like she would never stop, but I turned to my husband the other day and said 'I can't remember the last time she put her paws on the counter tops?' All the times we told her 'off' and praised her when she did must have sunk in when we thought it hadn't. Or she just grew out of it?! Either way, she can be trusted in the kitchens now.

One thing I'm quite glad I did with her from a young age was to only ever give her a treat when she lay down just outside of the kitchen doorway. I used a settle mat at first and chucked treats on when she had paws on it, then only when she sat on it, then only when she lay on it. I don't need the mat now as she will go and lie down whenever I cook now as she knows lying down means tasty treats, and getting under my feet and being an absolute pain in the **** gets her nothing.

No harm at all in crating her when you eat - we still do it. Some mealtimes, I'll let her roam about and remind her to 'leave it' if she gets a bit too interested in our meals but most of the time, she chills in her crate when we eat.

[russ-g]

Would you use considering using  a crate for her at  meal times, -  tempt her in with the carrot,  shut the door and she will stay there till you release her (no choice  - may be a few protests to start with, one of my dogs is fed his meals in his crate and stays there till I have eaten mine, with a full tum, he usually settles down to sleep)

When releasing her, wait for her to sit calmly telling her to 'wait' while you open the door rather than have her bulldoze her way out.

Thanks mudmagnets. We do use a crate, yes. She sleeps in it at night and is brilliant in it - has been since day one. And we do use it in the day as a last resort really if she’s being really difficult and we’re trying to serve dinner with hot things going in and out of the oven for example. And yes, we always make her wait rather than bulldoze her way out. She will wait, but then charges full pelt when we say go! There are two schools of thought in our house though. My husband is happy to crate her at times we need some peace but then I always feel like if she isn’t given the opportunity to be in certain  situations then she’ll never learn what is and isn’t appropriate. I guess it’s all down to the particular situation at hand though.

You're not wrong about allowing her exposure to different situations to help her learn, but I find I have to pick my moments. I can tell with my Stanley whether it's a good time to have a learning experience or not. Immediately before or after meal times? No chance. Middle of the afternoon when he's mostly content? great.

One thing I heard always sticks in my mind is... Don't allow the dog an opportunity to practice bad behaviours, because a dog is just a set of behaviours. Gotta set them up for success, otherwise, in the crate you go for a chill out.

[Lobo do Mar]

Have you ever seen those natural history programs of orcas / killer whales swimming fast towards then sliding up the beach on their sides with jaws open to take a lounging seal back to dinner?

That's Salty stealing napkins from the dinner table

Is there a prize for the worst-trained cocker?
I mean that with emphasis on the worst trainer, rather than on the cocker.
Although he is quite challenging

[bizzylizzy]

Have you ever seen those natural history programs of orcas / killer whales swimming fast towards then sliding up the beach on their sides with jaws open to take a lounging seal back to dinner?

That's Salty stealing napkins from the dinner table

Is there a prize for the worst-trained cocker?
I mean that with emphasis on the worst trainer, rather than on the cocker.
Although he is quite challenging

 

[ejp]

Have you ever seen those natural history programs of orcas / killer whales swimming fast towards then sliding up the beach on their sides with jaws open to take a lounging seal back to dinner?

That's Salty stealing napkins from the dinner table

Is there a prize for the worst-trained cocker?
I mean that with emphasis on the worst trainer, rather than on the cocker.
Although he is quite challenging

Genius!!!