August 11, 2024

My 9 month old German Shepherd jumps on me and barks. I know he is playing but it's annoying. Do you have any suggestions?

Full Question:
I have a 9 month old male GSD, he is from German show lines. He has a really nice temperament. But at this age he is fresh, he thinks its fun to jump on me. He rarely did this when he was 5 mos. old. I know he is just playing with me but its annoying. He's very gentle when he puts his feet on me, he jumps back then barks at me. I don't want him to think this is OK to do.
I have tried the squirt bottle and the sports drink bottle with water it didn't work so I added a little bit of vinegar to the water. He thinks its a big joke and that I am playing with him.
When I have him on the leash in the house (which is most of the time, he drags it around) I grab the leash and correct him by saying No Sit and pull up on it. I have to watch him constantly so he doesn't chew the leash. Yes, he has Nylabones and Kongs to play with but I seem to be more fun.
I am hoping you have some suggestions or do I have to wait until he matures some?
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Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
Have you taught him how to lie down in a designated area on a bed? I like to give dogs a behavior to do INSTEAD of the one they choose (like jumping up)

If he is lying on a bed, he can't jump. I pick behaviors that are opposite. If he wants to jump up, have him go away from you and lie down. Here is a video showing how we begin teaching it. https://leerburg.com/flix/player.php/1387/Cindy_Rhodes_and_Maybe_%E2%80%9CGo_To_Bed%E2%80%9D

At some point he's going to need to understand that it's not ok to put his feet on you, it may take some redirection or correction but I choose to teach alternate behaviors first so the dog can find success, attention and rewards from an activity of my choosing.

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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