Well, thanks to Ed's video (Establishing Pack Structure with a Family Pet) and a post in the "Jumping on People" section, I've got Macy not immediately charging out of her crate when I open the door.

She also generally doesn't jump ON me.

But, when I give her the release to come out (after opening the door) she still comes out like a bat outta hell. And she jumps AROUND me. Bouncing off of walls, boinging like crazy.

I'm working on getting her to sit as she comes out, but it takes a few seconds of utter madness for her to even get to a point where she can listen. Any suggestions?

Have a treat ready, and give her the command you want her to perform as soon as she comes out. This is what I did with Jesea and although she is vibrating the whole time she is sitting there, she waits for me to release her.......I am sure Jesea would much rather be running around the house using the walls as a berm, but she just sits, stares at me and is poised to spring into action.

I do that now, but Macy is impervious to commands for the first 30 seconds (which is all jumping and bouncing around me in a circle of joy). Should I correct? I'm hesitant to do that...especially if it's just a puppy thing.

Heh, ah, the spring-loaded dog :laugh: I've had these. Dogs that know jumping ON you is not an acceptable behavior but truly love to jump around...

My methods have been as such:

If this is a direct out of the crate or direct out of the kennel issue, assuming the dog has solid groundwork and is not facing issues of crate-kennel territorial behavior.. I reach a hand in and clip a leash on to ensure control, and as soon as the dog is out of the crate I crouch down to encourage the dog come to the front of me. Generally the jumping excitement is the dog wants attention and wants to show affection by way of sniffing/lucking/nuzzling the face. It is what pack members do when other, loved members and the alpha have been gone for a while, they are enthusiastically welcomed back to the group.

The leash will help keep a hold on her if she tries to jump while you are crouched. Hopefully she should come right to you at a front so sniff your face, this will require her not to jump if she wants to reach her goal of your face she has to be relatively still. Ask for a sit, simply holding her in place with a short grasp on the lead (but not the collar) if no sit, guide her into a sit gently and non-aggressively, and only after a sit give the reward of affection.

Eventually once she consistently sits in a relatively quick time you can remain standing, ask for the sit, then crouch and give affection. Eventually you can eliminate the crouch as she learns that affection is on its way after she sits.

Several of my dogs actually began sitting as soon as they saw me, being 50 or so feet away, they sat shaking with joy until I got there and gave them some love. It was quite funny to see a row of sitting dogs when I came home from work.

Hope this suggestion helps

Also, in your mind, when you go to the crate, "see" her doing as you want her to be doing...

If you want her to sit, visualize her sitting.

It goes a long way, I've tried it. Usually, will catch myself expecting my dog to get all nutty out of the crate. However, if I concsiously picture my calm dog...well, I generally get that...calm coming out...crazy how that works. We are doing really well at the crate now.

Just wait until she decides she doesn't want to be in there. UGH! That's fun. (NOT) Howling, barking up a storm, shaking the crate. Hope she doesn't pull that one on you.

Edited by Michele McAtee (12/04/2007 06:29 AM)
Edit reason: crate.

So David,

Did you work on Macy yesterday? How did it go? (granted Rome was not built in a day) but did you see any progress in those bright knowing eyes????

Hehe. Progress...hmmmm...I think there is overall progress. She's doing well on our walks, I think the Structure work in general is good for her. I was more relaxed last night, I tried giving her a treat first so she knew I had one, then releasing her from the crate...and she boinged around just as much.

Jumping and air-snapping at my arms. Once she was done boinging she sat and got rewarded. I'm going to try the same thing with a more high-value treat reward, and see if she can overcome her manic side.

I would personally not give her a treat while in the crate right before letting her out.. it, to me, would seem to increase her excitement. Not only are you (OMG HER HUMAN!!) there and letting her out, but you brought gifts, too!

I'd put a lead on her and if crouching was out of the question (as the appropriateness of this depends on the dog and the situation) then stepping on the lead and allowing her to self correct may give her enough pause for you to come in and give a "Sit!" and then reward.

BUT this depends on if she is kept with a collar on. My dogs are left with a flat collar in the crate that is adjusted to just be barely loose enough to slip off in case of emergency in the crate. A flat collar works fine for this type of self correcting, as where you put your foot on that lead is the extent she can jump to, period, and the sudden screeching halt her happy joyfull jumping comes to will allow you to get in there while her focus (on jumping) is paused.