[skookie]

Shes seven months old, and I hate bringing her places. We have socialized the hell out of her, and she still freaks out whenever people are around. She paces, pants, jumps on everybody, whine, she's forty five lbs...and when that hits you at a full run, your on your butt. She NEVER calms down, unless its just my boyfriend and I in the room with her. Anybody new, or even not new, she just freaks.

She ignores children, other dogs, cats, etc. But is too friendly. We cannot even find a dog sitter that will watch her. She gets three walks a day, and has a backyard to run in, she has bones, a kong, balls, etc etc. So it is not a boredom issue, or because shes not getting enough exercise. Im at a loss. We have a few weeks this summer where she needs a sitter, and folks meet her and say shes real sweet, but heck no. Too much work.

What can I do?

I have tried, turning her around to leave the room whenever she starts jumping and freaking out, for hours.....

I have tried doing all the dog whisperers b.s.

I have tried holding her still in rooms with people.

Having her face the other way or blocking.

NOTHING HELPS.

Im glad shes not aggressive. But I think this is just as annoying almost. Gah, I need help.

 

[blackrose]

Chloe gets the same way. She was crazy as a puppy, and has calmed down a bit with age and training. The thing that worked with her was putting her on a leash and having her down. She can't be up going bonkers if she is in a down position with my foot on the lead to keep her down. *Edit to add: Then when she had settled down somewhat and stopped trying to get up every two seconds, the guests were allowed to pet her. She would down voluntarly - my foot on the lead just stopped her from popping back up to try to jump.

Having every ignore her also helped. All guests, people out in public, etc. No petting/talking/yelling/looking at the dog unless she is behaving. She still goes nuts when she meets someone new, but it dies down after about five minutes instead of hours.

She paces, pants, jumps on everybody, whine

Are you sure she isn't stressed/insecure? Some dogs we get in for boarding are very stressed out and insecure, so whenever we are around them they jump all over us, whine, pant, and basically act a pest. They aren't well adjusted, friendly, excitable dogs, they are nervous, stressed dogs.

 

[sparkle]

I am not sure what a dog whisperer would do that would be considered B.S. I did watch a you tube video where CM taught a pit bull and another dog not to jump up on people and things using a prong collar. It seem to have worked well for a difficult dog and the owners reported that the dog has not had anymore issues with jumping up for the past year. I saw another video where a remote collar expert taught a dog to not jump up and again seemed to work exceptionally well although I do not know how successful the approach was down the line. I also read a article on how the REAL DOG WHISPERER handled this issue with ignoring the behavior. There is a video from a episode of Victoria Stillwell up on YOUTUBE that shows her rendention of teaching a dog not to jump up on people that you could search for. Possibly teaching your dog a reliable sit command would be the way to resolve your issues.

It is hard to say what may or may not work for you dog and thus be considered a approach that gets tossed in the BS catagory.

 

[Marsh Muppet]

I did watch a you tube video where CM taught a pit bull and another dog not to jump up on people and things using a prong collar. It seem to have worked well for a difficult dog and the owners reported that the dog has not had anymore issues with jumping up for the past year. I saw another video where a remote collar expert taught a dog to not jump up and again seemed to work exceptionally well although I do not know how successful the approach was down the line.

Prong and remote collars are generally poor choices for deterring jumping. Not that it won't work, but it is risky for the non-expert to attempt. Highly excitable, highly energetic puppies can be challenging. There is no magic wand. The thing that gets it done is ABSOLUTE consistency. Many times you just feel the dog will never get better and keep her away from people because it's easier. That really only makes the problem worse. You have to confront the problem at every opportunity (and even create opportunities), and work through it. Until you succeed.

 

[sparkle]

Yes Marsh Muppet it is risky as with using any approach that incorporates the use of positive punishment in this manner but however regardless of my preferences it works quite often from what I have gathered in researching the issue. I have several friends and acqauntices who have quickly resolved the issue of jumping up using P+ but fortuntately I have not resorted to that approach. Possibly if I had a dog that did not respond as needed to other approaches I might consider such approaches, thankfully I have been succesful in using other methods to which some possibly require more patience.

 

[Pepper]

Have you trained her to control herself?

 

[Mac'N'Roe]

Have you trained her to control herself?

This is a good question, but to elaborate a little. At seven months old, this is STILL a puppy with a lot of excitement. It would be a good idea to start working on impulse control with this dog...and you can start from there. To work on impulse control, you have to have a solid base of obedience training. You need to train the dog to exhibit self control while in the presense of new people. The first question would be...what type of training does the dog have currently?

You shouldn't "hold" the dog down in a small room and expect this to work. This possibly could make the problem worse. You may have meant holding her still on leash, but not sure. But this also could be frustrating to the dog.

Read the stickie on Doggie Zen in the training session, this could be very helpful to your situation.

 

[Marsh Muppet]

Yes Marsh Muppet it is risky as with using any approach that incorporates the use of positive punishment in this manner but however regardless of my preferences it works quite often from what I have gathered in researching the issue.

I have no problem with the use of P+, but not in the type of situation you describe. At least not directly.

Anyone who was ever a kid has heard a parent utter the joy-killing phrase: "Somebody's going to be crying soon!". If you are a parent, you've probably said it a time or two. Through experience and intuition, parents recognize that when the noise from a group of playing children reaches a particular pitch, the next thing will be somebody getting bopped on the head or pushed to the ground. It works the same with young critters and little kids. They all have poor self-management skills and high excitement puts them on the cusp of aggression and/or fear reactions. Introducing physical punishment at that point can push them over the edge.

Indirect P+ can be used to redirect an excitable adult dog who has not responded to more gentle methods of developing impulse control. A number of people see my live-wire Golden Retriever and ask me how to solve any one of dozens of common behavior problems. I always tell them to train their dogs to a high standard of obedience (sit, heel, stay, down, come) and then get back to me if the problem persists. Most people are looking for the "Dog Whisperer Moment" and don't have the stomach for 3-5 months of drudgery.

Turning a puppy into an outgoing, confident, well behaved dog is hard work. If that were not the case, everybody would have an outgoing, confident, well behaved dog.

 

[Pepper]

Also, if she's jumping on guests, keep her on a leash until she learns not too. The more you let her do it, the more she is reinforced.

I would suggest teaching a focus command so when she gets over excited you say focus and it helps her calm down and focus on you.

 

[skookie]

She knows all her basic commands, sit, stay, heal, down, come, and some fun ones like shake, roll over, dance, spin circles etc.

We have tried the leash method, but that really does not work, she just drags me across the room.

Levels of excitement do not effect any situations either, I've tampered with that as well, calm room, vs crazy room. She still acts like a psycho no matter what.

I tried a prong collar on her at the pet store, and I'm that's the route for us. Unless we have SERIOUSLY exhausted all other options.

What other ways are there to help her learn to focus, and just calm down?

Also, I have noticed on walks, she ignores people, dogs, and is just focused on me, how can I move that to work into houses? Shes amazing on the leash, but inside, its like she knows shes being naughty, but just cannot help herself. It seems like if somebody so much as makes eye contact with her, she loses it totally, you can try to ignore her, but when there is a 40+ lb dog rolling all over your feet and jumping almost face level with you, you cannot really ignore that.

 

[Marsh Muppet]

She knows all her basic commands, sit, stay, heal, down, come, and some fun ones like shake, roll over, dance, spin circles etc.

We have tried the leash method, but that really does not work, she just drags me across the room.

Dragging you across the room is not obedience. Knowing the commands and obeying them are not the same things. Obeying commands in one place does not necessarily translate to obedience in other places. Work on OB in the house. Work on OB with increasing distractions and temptations. Have training assistants (pay some neighborhood kids if you have to) come to the house and have them step outside if the pup breaks her sit. She can only get the reward of social contact if she remains calm and polite.

 

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

background? Is she a shelter girl or breeder bought dog?

What's her exercise scheduale look like? Pits are HIGH energy dogs that can gogogogogogogogogogogogo to infinity and beyond usually...


for easy extra exercise...

have her checked by a vet and then make her a springpole and a flirtpole.

Pits LOVE springpoles and flirtpoles can be used to teach self control.

 

[dakotajo]

sounds like my pup except mine doesn't behave on a walk either. I tell people not to even look at her when they come over or she'll go nuts but she's bound and determined to make eye contact with everyone and everybody. I'm glad I have a friendly pup but please!!

 

[skookie]

shes a second hand breeder bought pooch. we got her at eight weeks old. too early if you ask me, we got her from a mother whose son brought her home. she feared hed fight her, and sold her while he was at school.

i realize shes a pup. but just like belgian draft horses which i grew up with, you take precausions when the animal you own is large in size. they need more manners, because one wrong move, and somebodies hurt. shes over forty five lbs now. and easily knocks my hobbit sized family flat on their asses when she jumps. thankfully, we really drilled into her to ignore and be patient with kids. i have a two yr old sister, and we couldnt take any chances. she gladly licks, gently plays with kids and small animals.

but when she sees an adult, she loses it.

i may be trying a prong collar.

all other efforts have ben exhausted.

 

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Have you looked at the stickies in the training forum?

I think Rev Up Cool Down may apply here...

as well as some of the others..

One thing that worked well with my pit bulls is taking those undesirable behaviors they like doing so much and turning them into a reward for good behavior by turning them into a command, like asking for a down for example and then rewarding a good down with " Good Dog, jump up"...

..brain fart...I may have just solved another training issue...on of my own...thanks skookie...

 

[Marsh Muppet]

we really drilled into her to ignore and be patient with kids. i have a two yr old sister, and we couldnt take any chances. she gladly licks, gently plays with kids and small animals.

but when she sees an adult, she loses it.

How did you do that without a prong collar. Like our resident dinosaur dog trainer, I think the prong collar is a great tool. I just don't believe one should be too quick to punish a dog for being friendly.

 

[cshellenberger]

For greeting in public.
Training Dog to Greet Politely

For at the door (inside)
Greeting Politely at the door

Rev Up
Rev Up/Cool Down

Doggy Zen (leave it and self control)
Doggy Zen

I agree that your dog sounds stressed, though it may be because it's not sure what to do. That's why training is so important, all the socialization in the world does no good if the dog isn't taught HOW to properly greet strangers.

Most importantly, work SLOWLY, be PATIENT and CONSISTANT you will see results.

Do NOT use a prong for this, it could cause her to become reactive, which could lead to aggression. If you want to use a training collar, go for an easy walk harness instead, it takes forward motion and turns it around so pulling or lunging doesn't get the dog where it wants to go but redirects it backwards. IOW, the dog corrects itself.

 

[skookie]

thanks so much for the advise. i will totally try that first link out.