Hyperdog!

A dog that doesn’t settle down on command is going to be a pain to live with.  It can be very useful to train several  down positions, depending on how long you want them to stay down.

If your puppy doesn’t learn to enjoy having their collar grabbed, you’ll end up with a dog that runs circles around you, which makes for a lot of potentially embarrassing or dangerous situations.

A dog that’s sitting can’t jump up.  Ask your dog to sit before letting them out, so you  at least begin the exercise in control.

Dogs jump up to say hi and express affection.  It would be cruel to respond to their affection with painful corrections.  It’s far easier to train your dog to do something else when they meet people.  Something that they can’t do while jumping up.  But what could that something be…?

No matter how difficult an exercise, it’s certain to be easier the second time around.  Repeat an activity, like greeting a visitor, several time in succession until your dog gets it right.

Practice makes perfect.  Practice putting your dog in confinement and letting them out again.  The first few times they will be very excited and hard to control.  Each repetition will make them more manageable, giving you the chance to praise them.

If you lure your dog onto their side to settle down, it will be harder for them to get up quickly.

If your dog jumps up you must let them know it’s not okay.  Stop walking and tell them “Off.”  If necessary, push them down and yell, but be sure to praise them when they stop jumping.

In order to teach your dog to “Stay” you must also teach them “Go Play” or “Free.”  If you tell them to stay indefinitely they’ll learn that the duration of a stay is up to them.