When my mom is cooking Chico likes to jump at the counter. Mom hates this and yells at him. He has already pulled a cake from the counter and ate half of it. He one time pulled a pan of chocolate cheesecake brownies from the table and ate some of it. He will even jump at the stove to try to lick the pot. How do we stop Chico from jumping at the counter, table and stove?
How do we stop Chico from jumping at the counter, table and stove?
- Thread starter george656
- Start date
The simple answer is, watch Chico constantly, and correct every time he jumps up. Attach a command to it. "Off" is a good one. Currently, my 13-week-old puppy is starting to jump up to reach the counter, and every time he does, I pull a treat out of my pocket and say "Finn, OFF" sternly, and lower the treat to the ground. Once he's laying down, he gets the treat.
So far, this has worked well - when he jumps, I say "Finn, OFF" and he immediately lays down or backs off. The amount of jumping up in the first place is also decreasing, because he only gets treats when not jumping up, and gets nothing but ignorance when he jumps up.
Don't let Chico alone in the kitchen when there's food on the countertops. It will probably take you longer to train him out of it now that he's been "rewarded" a few times, so just be consistant and firm.
So far, this has worked well - when he jumps, I say "Finn, OFF" and he immediately lays down or backs off. The amount of jumping up in the first place is also decreasing, because he only gets treats when not jumping up, and gets nothing but ignorance when he jumps up.
Don't let Chico alone in the kitchen when there's food on the countertops. It will probably take you longer to train him out of it now that he's been "rewarded" a few times, so just be consistant and firm.
When you're not around, keep the counters clear and clean so there is no way he can get a pay-off when he jumps up.
When you're in the kitchen cooking and he is jumping up, I'd teach him an "out" cue or "out of the kitchen." It depends if you never want him in the kitchen or if he's allowed in the kitchen unless you give the cue to get out.
What I've done with my dogs is teach them, "Out of the kitchen" when I need them out of the way. But they are allowed in there sometimes, so it is necessary to teach them a cue to get out. When teaching this, if your dog is particularly wild, I'd lead him out gently with a leash to the edge of the kitchen or wherever you'd like his boundary to be and give him a treat there. The second he tries to get food by direct access, coming in closer, lead him back away again. You can body block him, but don't let it work for him to come close. There's no need to get mad at him. He just doesn't know yet.
Once he's already jumped up, you've waited too long. He's already been reinforced. Try to prevent it in the first place, before the first muscle contraction he makes to move in closer by body blocking him or leading him out. His coming in the kitchen mustn't work to get food OR to get attention. So correcting: (saying "no" or scolding) something he's already done is not as effective as preventing it and making something else work for him instead.
When he stays back at his boundary for even 1 second, go to him or toss him a treat over there. Stay near by while you're beginning this training....while your mom is cooking. Take a step back just a tad and see if he'll wait for 2 seconds, then return to him and give him a tiny, tasty treat. Then step back another step or two and return right away and give a treat and so on. When he starts staying out better, start mixing things up: Turn your back and step away from him a couple of steps, pivot and return to him, giving a treat. Step several steps and return right away.
Then start working on duration while you relax the distance you go from him. Stay closer, but keep him at his boundary a little longer, then a little longer still....in baby steps. Work that for while. Then put the duration and distance together..baby steps. And add distractions little by little, vary your position in relation to him. Eventually, work it so you can be over by the stove or whatever and he stays back. Don't ask for too much too soon. Be sure and reinforce his staying out frequently for a while till he's good at it. Show him that staying out REALLY pays off big time.
I teach my dogs in all kinds of contexts that pushy behavior or direct access to the things they want doesn't get them the things they want. Only behavior I like gets them the things they value.
I do give my dogs little tid bits while I'm cleaning up the dishes or cooking something when they're right there near me. BUT....they have learned "out of the kitchen." So, if I want them away, I'll give them their cue to get out and out they go. This works because the association has been made between getting terrific treats upon hearing the cue word and getting out of the kitchen. Pushing or hanging around once they've heard their cue gets them NOTHING.
But I recommend not giving your dog treats while he's near by for now. This seemingly inconsistent thing I do only works because they've had a lot of practice.
People say feeding dogs while you're eating causes begging. I beg to differ. It depends how you go about it:
Sometimes I eat my dinner on the couch holding a plate. I can set it on my lap and the dogs can be on the couch. But they must stay at the opposite end of the couch. At first, a long time ago when they were first learning as pups, they'd come too close and I'd just make sure they couldn't get anything from my plate. I'd turn away and ignore them. I'd wait. When they got tired of trying and not getting anything, they'd go to the other end and relax, start to drift off. THAT'S the moment I'd hand them a tid bit and praise them. Then naturally, they'd come close again....trying. But it never worked. They'd give up and retreat to the other end of the couch. And again would get a treat. I started adding a cue word about this time...."away." Now I don't even have to say "away." It's a default behavior now. If I'm eating something, they automatically go to the far end of the couch right away and when I'm finished, I may give them something or maybe not. My eating something or holding a plate IS the cue.
They know that direct access and pushy, obnoxious behavior NEVER works. It took no scolding, no correcting at all for the behavior I didn't like to extinguish. All it took was making that behavior NOT work ever and making the good behavior work very well.
Down the road, once his behavior is getting there pretty darn well, you can proof him by seeing if he'll screw up, if he'll try pushing when you do some very, very subtle thing to entice him without actually calling him in...like maybe dropping something on the floor. You can give an "eh-eh" (as in...this is not it. What do we do???)
...to further reiterate that this is not rewardable behavior. Be sure he doesn't come into the area or get the fallen prize. But I would get the behavior going strong first before messing with that.
When you're in the kitchen cooking and he is jumping up, I'd teach him an "out" cue or "out of the kitchen." It depends if you never want him in the kitchen or if he's allowed in the kitchen unless you give the cue to get out.
What I've done with my dogs is teach them, "Out of the kitchen" when I need them out of the way. But they are allowed in there sometimes, so it is necessary to teach them a cue to get out. When teaching this, if your dog is particularly wild, I'd lead him out gently with a leash to the edge of the kitchen or wherever you'd like his boundary to be and give him a treat there. The second he tries to get food by direct access, coming in closer, lead him back away again. You can body block him, but don't let it work for him to come close. There's no need to get mad at him. He just doesn't know yet.
Once he's already jumped up, you've waited too long. He's already been reinforced. Try to prevent it in the first place, before the first muscle contraction he makes to move in closer by body blocking him or leading him out. His coming in the kitchen mustn't work to get food OR to get attention. So correcting: (saying "no" or scolding) something he's already done is not as effective as preventing it and making something else work for him instead.
When he stays back at his boundary for even 1 second, go to him or toss him a treat over there. Stay near by while you're beginning this training....while your mom is cooking. Take a step back just a tad and see if he'll wait for 2 seconds, then return to him and give him a tiny, tasty treat. Then step back another step or two and return right away and give a treat and so on. When he starts staying out better, start mixing things up: Turn your back and step away from him a couple of steps, pivot and return to him, giving a treat. Step several steps and return right away.
Then start working on duration while you relax the distance you go from him. Stay closer, but keep him at his boundary a little longer, then a little longer still....in baby steps. Work that for while. Then put the duration and distance together..baby steps. And add distractions little by little, vary your position in relation to him. Eventually, work it so you can be over by the stove or whatever and he stays back. Don't ask for too much too soon. Be sure and reinforce his staying out frequently for a while till he's good at it. Show him that staying out REALLY pays off big time.
I teach my dogs in all kinds of contexts that pushy behavior or direct access to the things they want doesn't get them the things they want. Only behavior I like gets them the things they value.
I do give my dogs little tid bits while I'm cleaning up the dishes or cooking something when they're right there near me. BUT....they have learned "out of the kitchen." So, if I want them away, I'll give them their cue to get out and out they go. This works because the association has been made between getting terrific treats upon hearing the cue word and getting out of the kitchen. Pushing or hanging around once they've heard their cue gets them NOTHING.
But I recommend not giving your dog treats while he's near by for now. This seemingly inconsistent thing I do only works because they've had a lot of practice.
People say feeding dogs while you're eating causes begging. I beg to differ. It depends how you go about it:
Sometimes I eat my dinner on the couch holding a plate. I can set it on my lap and the dogs can be on the couch. But they must stay at the opposite end of the couch. At first, a long time ago when they were first learning as pups, they'd come too close and I'd just make sure they couldn't get anything from my plate. I'd turn away and ignore them. I'd wait. When they got tired of trying and not getting anything, they'd go to the other end and relax, start to drift off. THAT'S the moment I'd hand them a tid bit and praise them. Then naturally, they'd come close again....trying. But it never worked. They'd give up and retreat to the other end of the couch. And again would get a treat. I started adding a cue word about this time...."away." Now I don't even have to say "away." It's a default behavior now. If I'm eating something, they automatically go to the far end of the couch right away and when I'm finished, I may give them something or maybe not. My eating something or holding a plate IS the cue.
They know that direct access and pushy, obnoxious behavior NEVER works. It took no scolding, no correcting at all for the behavior I didn't like to extinguish. All it took was making that behavior NOT work ever and making the good behavior work very well.
Down the road, once his behavior is getting there pretty darn well, you can proof him by seeing if he'll screw up, if he'll try pushing when you do some very, very subtle thing to entice him without actually calling him in...like maybe dropping something on the floor. You can give an "eh-eh" (as in...this is not it. What do we do???)
...to further reiterate that this is not rewardable behavior. Be sure he doesn't come into the area or get the fallen prize. But I would get the behavior going strong first before messing with that.