Teaching Your Dog 'UP" & 'OFF" The DogSmith way, easily, safely and making the training process a game.
Does Your Dog Have Canine Entitlement Creep! Is it difficult to move them from a piece of furniture?
Do you have difficulty with a simple task such as asking your dog to relinquish a chair for you? Has your dog taken over your bed and moving them has become a little ‘dodgy’
Grabbing a dog by its collar or trying to physically remove them from a piece of furniture is not the best approach. Teach your dog ‘up’ and ‘off’ so you can safely move them around. This training skill is also very useful if you have a dog that cannot, or does not want to, jump into your car.
Start this training on a piece of furniture that your dog does not value or care about. As soon as you have good ‘cue control’, when you say up or off your dog complies, then you can generalize the training to the problematic area.
Make the training fun and a game. Most importantly if your dog growls, snaps or shows you any signs of low level aggression then call your local DogSmith a certified dog trainer and dog behavior counselor. Your local DogSmith® will be able to guide you through the process so you can Take Back the Leash!
Here is the initial training criteria and a short video follows to help you.
The DogSmith MTR Cards. Training Skill #5: ‘Up’ & ‘Off’
Goal: To teach your dog ‘off’ so that you can get it off furniture or other items. The easiest way to teach ‘off’ is to make it a game incorporating ‘up’.
Resources: You will need to have some small yummy treats (about the size of your small fingernail) and a piece of furniture you allow your dog on. You can also train this skill using your car.
Using a treat and a happy voice, encourage your dog to jump up onto a chair. As soon as it is ‘up’ say ‘yes’ and give it a treat. Do the same thing to move them ‘off’ the chair. Repeat 10 times.
Now, with your dog in a ‘sit’ and without a treat in your hand, pat the chair and say ‘up.’ When your dog gets up on the chair say ‘yes’ and give it a treat.
Next, without a treat in your hand ask your dog ‘off’ using your happy voice and body language to encourage it to get ‘off’ the chair. As it gets ‘off’ say ‘yes’ and give it a treat. Repeat 5 times.
Repeat the ‘up’ and ‘off’ sequence but only give a treat for every 3rd ‘up’ and every 3rd ‘off’.
Practice this behavior and gradually replace treats with the verbal reward ‘good dog’ and physical affection.
Tips: Practice the verbal cues ‘up’ and ‘off’ using different pieces of furniture. You can even practice these cues by having your dog jump into and out of your car.