Okay experts... I need some advise. I am working with a client and her 7 month old female boxer, Gr. Pyrenees mix. This is not a working dog, it is a pet dog if that matters? She is doing well on the sit/stay but we are having a real problem with her jumping on people.

The dog has a very hyperactive personality. The dog has become collar smart and rarely jumps when she has her prong collar and lead on. Client did not do a sufficient job at alternating the different collars (flat buckle and prong)and marking the appropriate behavior.

The method we have been using is the ignore method when she jumps. We turn our back, fold our arms, giving no eye contact or verbal corrections. This is not working. She gets very excited when she meets new people or anyone and does not settle down...at all. Not even after a period of time. She jumps on your back and scratches you and it is quite painful to say the least. This client has two small children and I am afraid they are going to get injured by her wild jumping. You can only place her in a sit if she is wearing her prong collar, otherwise she does not listen.

She was on a low quality, highly processed,dog food. We have switched her to a higher quality of kibble called Flint River Ranch. The client walks her twice a day but I still do not think she is getting enough exercise. In reality, she needs about 2 hours of aerobic activity a day, however this is not possible. She really needs a job like agility or flyball but client does not have the time or ability. She has had many back surguries. I feel this is the perfect example of someone choosing a dog that is not suitable to their couch potato lifestyle. High energy dog...no energy owner. Owner also lives in a double wide trailer with no backyard, so the dog has little space in her living quarters as well. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated!

Maybe she could get a treadmill, or if she has one train her dog to exercise on that. I have the same problem with my dog cody, he is very high energy. Maybe she could turn sideways and step into the dog and throw her off balance, that might work, worth a try?
Hope this helps.

Maybe it's not the right dog for their lifestyle at the present time.

Treadmill is not a bad idea however they are limited on space because of the trailer. We have tried the knee method in the chest knocking her off balance but to this dog it is an invitation to rough play, so I am betting the sideways move might elicit the same response. We have also tried the water bottle in the face which worked at first but now it is a game. We have tried spraying Bitter Apple in the air above her head but that has not worked either, she likes the taste!

My boxers were always very "jumpy" dogs. I wonder, is it a breed thing?

Regardless, they were never allowed to great anyone until they were calm.

If the dog is jumping and being obnoxious, just crate it.
Don't let it out until it is calm.
If it comes out and starts being a knucklehead again, back to the crate, and so on.
They get the hang of it pretty quick.

If space in the trailer is limited, replace an end table in the living room with a crate.

How old are these kids? Are they old enough to help exercise the dog and burn off some of this excess energy?

Kids are 8 and 10 and the little girl trains with the dog and really does an excellent job, almost better than the husband!

I was 11 when I got my first knucklehead boxer, Buster Brown.

I learned a ton training him with Ron Pace, and despite some bad training (IMO) from Ron, and absolute inexperience on my part, I did better than most adults.

Those kids should be able to exercise that dog quite well, with some training from mom and yourself.

I took my second Boxer every where with me, trained her myself, and we were pretty much inseperable. Got her when I was 13.
So there's no reason they can't be a huge asset to this dog.

Lisa,

Have you tried having the dog wear a drag line and stepping on it when she goes to jump? It prevents the jumping and gives you an instant to mark the 4 paws on the ground and reward. Remain standing on the leash until you get calmer behavior and mark and reward.

It sounds to me this dog needs not only physical exercise but a mental work out too. I highly recommend many short positive training sessions through out the day.

A game I played with my dog when he was young was "go see". It is a great recall practice too. I'd be in one room and have my kids in another (small house, I could see them). I'd call the dog he'd come I'd treat him and send him to "go see" Tara, Tara would call him he'd run to her I would click and she would reward and then send him to "go see" Tommy and so on and so on.

Often times we'd play it at night when we were watching TV. We'd play during the commercials and then I would have him tethered to me until the next commercial. This helped to take the edge off if he had not had sufficient exercise during the day.

Marker training throughout the day in short upbeat sessions (brain tiring, as Sheila says) will help to get rid of a little frustrated energy, and it can also be the way to teach what behavior the owner DOES want.

Teaching what you DO want is easier, more fun, and a lot better on the handler-dog bond.

And during the training, the dog is in the crate when a new person comes to the house. The dog is brought out when calm.

Yes, I'm sure that you are right about the dog being a poor choice for the handler.

Exercise (with the handler!) is on the top of the repair list. I'd focus on that with the kids, along with teaching them marker training.

Heck, teaching tricks (along with real exercise) is fun and tiring!

This: You can only place her in a sit if she is wearing her prong collar, otherwise she does not listen

indicates that more foundation work is sorely needed, and I can't say enough about marker training for that. The kids can learn it and will probably love doing it.

I think that kids are prone to using marker-training rewards more as bribes, but you can make it very clear right at the start that rewards and bribes are different.

They will like using their heads to think of how to consistently elicit the behavior they want instead of relying on corrections for the ones they don't want. Then lil training sessions can happen throughout the day, with a goal of both kids using the same training.

I have 2 great Pyrenees for guarding our property, until they were 18 months old, when we started letting them free to guard, (their job), they would jump on me alot, even though I worked through all the training and exercise that I could think of, including learning to pull for future cart pulling. I could get them to stop, but, had to reinforce it every time they were let out of their kennel.
Then they finally got to do their job, and started guarding the property, they quit the jumping overnight.
Interesting when my female was spade and we kept both kenneled for her healing (we won't allow one to be out alone at night), they started jumping again.
So, I think the pyrenees breed needs a job to do. They are such loving dogs, but are bred to work.