I've only recently joined the forum community and have tried to find answers to this topic, but I haven't really found what I've been looking for. If this has been discussed at length in another post then I'll go ahead and apologize.

I'm wondering if corrections should be done with a leash. My puppy, Jasmine, is 3-months old. For example, today a friend came over to the house and she did not want to stop pulling on the leash to jump all over the person. She simply pulls like crazy on the leash to the point that you can hear her labored breathing: Should I pop the leash and say "No"? This seems to be the only thing that works because she gets so wound up that even her most prized treat, hotdog, will not keep her engaged. I read everywhere not to correct a puppy at her age, but she gets way too excited.

I realize another option is to know when company comes over to place her in her crate, but then she gets so excited she eliminates in the crate. How exactly do I tackle this problem? Is a pop on the leash a good way to correct a puppy? Today, I popped the collar in frustration and made her sit but then she whinned for a minute or so before I allowed my friend to pet her which seemed to calm her down. I don't want her to be charging at people like she does, and I don't want to injure her in any way. We are only two weeks into marker training and she maintains good focus through that, but when visitors come around she gets plain crazy.

I know it can be frustrating when your pup seems like it isn't "getting it". You've got a really young pup right now and I don't think the leash corrections are the best way to deal with this situation. One reason is that she may become acclimated to corrections and be desensitized to them down the road. I would save that tactic for down the road when you have a mature dog and you may NEED to use them. Second, you don't want your pup to associate meeting people with a bad experience. I have a feeling by the crate-soiling that your puppy needs more work in the socialization department. Whether you want her to accept or ignore strangers, you'll still want to get her used to exposure to new people. That way when she meets someone new, its not such a huge event.

Does this make sense so far?

Mike, Since you are already using marker training, you are off to a good start, but it is simply going to take time and training for this specific situation.

Have you begun training a place or down command? I find the place command really, really helpful for when people come over - it gives you something to have the dog "do" instead of trying to prevent them from doing something else.

Assuming you are already working on "place", have someone come over at an agreed time. Dog is on leash, door bell rings, you send pup to place. The goal is to have the pup remain on her place when the door bell rings. Period. No one comes in yet - that is too high of a distraction at this point. Simply work on the dog staying on her bed when the bell rings. Ideally, you will be doing this a few minutes at a time, several times a day. (You could have a family member helping with this - it doesn't have to be a friend.)

Once that is solid, you work on her staying there when you open the door - still no one coming in. Then move on to letting someone in but she still stays on her place - no greeting allowed. It is only after she has learned to stay on her place when someone comes inside that you work up toward releasing her to greet them.

I think if you change your thinking from one of correcting her for doing something wrong to "how do I go about training her on how I want her to act?" you will make really good progress. Keep in mind she is a young puppy and her attention span is really short. Numerous short training sessions several times a day will be the most effective.

Train the place command first however! Best of luck - you can do this.

 Quote: Jessica Pedicord

I have a feeling by the crate-soiling that your puppy needs more work in the socialization department. Whether you want her to accept or ignore strangers, you'll still want to get her used to exposure to new people. That way when she meets someone new, its not such a huge event.

Does this make sense so far?

Jessica, yes this does make sense and you cleared up another question looming in my brain. I have Leerburg's Puppy 8 weeks to 8 months and he has a nice section on socializing a puppy, but in one of his ebooks he says he doesn't allow anyone to pet or play with his puppies. I noticed a stark contradiction here but I suppose the point is to have the puppy become acquainted with strangers as opposed to believing they are treat dispensing machines.

I've been taking Jasmine new places every week, but the same pattern of her wanting to jump all over someone continues just the same. It doesn't seem as if she is becoming acquainted but simply seems as if she is repeating a behavior I would like her to stop. I'll continue to do what I've been doing w/o the leash correction and hope she eventually learns to calm down and not make things a big deal.

Furthermore, I think there is an underlying question beneath my very first one. How exactly should a leash be used with a puppy? Do I simply use it to keep the puppy out of trouble and close to me? When the puppy pulls do I attempt to distract with a treat or toy and entice her to follow?

I don't have anything to add, but wanted to say welcome to the forum.

Post an intro when you get a chance.:smile:

".... he has a nice section on socializing a puppy, but in one of his ebooks he says he doesn't allow anyone to pet or play with his puppies. I noticed a stark contradiction here .... "

But if you defined "socialized" as being calm around, tolerant of, even indifferent to people and situations that another dog might be reactive to .... then there's no contradiction, right? You are right when you say " I suppose the point is to have the puppy become acquainted with strangers as opposed to believing they are treat dispensing machines."

There's more to it, of course, including what the dog's future will hold (work, etc.), but if you don't think of "socialize" as "meet-n-greet," then a whole range of the owner's preferences about other people touching the dog can make sense.

"Furthermore, I think there is an underlying question beneath my very first one. How exactly should a leash be used with a puppy? Do I simply use it to keep the puppy out of trouble and close to me? When the puppy pulls do I attempt to distract with a treat or toy and entice her to follow?"

I like : simply use it to keep the puppy out of trouble and close to me


but I'm not a puppy expert. But even with adopted adults, I'm far more likely to stand on the leash than to pop (correct with) it for jumping up while I am teaching an alternate behavior. Standing on it breaks the habit with not much effort on my part at all, and we can work gradually on the alternate behavior.

I also pretty much ignore pulling if I am walking so slowly that the dog CAN pull while we are working on loose-leash at home, in a distraction-free environment. (But I'm much more likely to march along pretty rapidly, with lots of releases where I stand still and the dog has the freedom of the leash length to sniff, pee, etc.) Of course, this rapid pace too is about adult dugs. If I had a puppy I'd probably let him just fool around and be one.

Welcome to the board!

What about using a harness instead of the collar. Later on you will want the dog to give to collar pressure not be desensitized to it. That gives you the oppertunity to "teach" leash/collar pressure when the dog is older and more advanced in the marker training. Pulling and holding the dog back on a harness doesnt hurt the dog, doesn't allow for bad habits to develop, and doesn't degrade the relationship between the two of you. Take your time and good luck.

 Quote: barbara schuler

Have you begun training a place or down command? I find the place command really, really helpful for when people come over - it gives you something to have the dog "do" instead of trying to prevent them from doing something else.

Barbara, thanks for the encouragement and I'm definitely going to take your advice in using the place command. I do happen to have a question about that, as well. Is the place command the same command that I use to tell the dog to go into her crate? I noticed you placed it in quotations as if that could be any phrase. I have been working with my pup in getting her to enter her crate by taking advantage of her inability to do math. I'll have her enter the crate by saying "Go to bed" in a cheery voice and when she enters I mark it. Then I'll have her leave the crate and do it again. I've only been doing this for about 2 days in very short training sessions. If she doesn't see a treat in sight she will not enter the crate (which happens rarely). She is really smart!

I suppose I should increase the distance in which I tell her to go to bed. Her crate resides in my bedroom which is pretty far from the front door. The next step seems to be to start the front door training once she will go to her crate from any distance in the house.

Thanks again for all the good information!

Well to the board Mike.
And oh by the way, nice looking pooch.
What are your goals for him/her? Emm, what do you want the final result to look like? That kinda dictates on how you want to deal with your issues now as well as how you progress and the steps you take in training.
There are many people that are happy with a dog that looks to any and everybody as a friend to meet and greet as long as they're not jumping and making a pain of themselves. Is that your goal?
Or do you prefer that the dog remain aloof ignoring all but you and family? Ahem, a hard job for a Lab.

 Quote: randy allen

Or do you prefer that the dog remain aloof ignoring all but you and family? Ahem, a hard job for a Lab.

I know a Lab who greets everyone in a very friendly but 100% sedate manner and almost never jumps up on people.



Of course, she'll be 17 in June ......