My gordon setter is usually very well behaved (for a scatty setter) but she insists on jumping up at me when I come home. I know its because she is excited to see me but i can't get her to stop. I've tried:=

turning my back on her - she then jumps up at my back
ignoring her - this is difficult as she digs her claws in and it really hurts and leads to-
shouting at her - I don't want to but believe me it is agony when she digs her claws in, this makes her sit down but when I reward her for sitting she jumps again

We have a bitter apple spray that we got from the training class and it worked, but our Bernese is terrified of it, to the extent that she will run in the corner and shake when she sees it so I've had to stop using it as the girls tend to be together in the kitchen when I come in. The Bernese will stand or sit nicely until you speak to her.

She only jumps on me when I come in from being out or when she knows we are getting ready to go for a walk and she doesn't jump on other people when we are out.

I have a huge scratch complete with bruises down my arm where she jumped at me yesterday.
Does anyone have any ideas of anything else i can try, I try not to push her away or talk to her as I know that just rewards the bad behaviour with attention, but I don't know how else to stop it. Our bernese used to do this but was trained out of it quite easily as a puppy. Is this just a setter thing ?( to be honest it wouldn't bother me so much if it didn't hurt so badly :( )

Any advice would be helpful.

I have a staffy who is built like a tank and I read that to stop them jumping life your knee up so it knocks them in the chest.  I don't know if this is safe for a setter who are a lot frailer looking that staffys but it works for me.  You don't knee them hard but it stops them getting near you so isn't rewarding.  When I have done this it is in conjunction with putting my hand down across her face and when  my dog can't see past my hand she wont jump.  This is just my experience and works for me but may not work for everybody.

Does she wear a collar when you are out?  If she does could you slip your hand in it (easier said than done I know!) and only pet her when you are holding her down or go to another room while she calms down?

I push my Cavaliers and Yankee off with my knee if they've jumped up and grabbed on with their claws. Like you say, not actually 'kneeing them', just pushing off without making it appear like you are rewarding with attention. :-)

I trained my dogs to jump up on command :) This way they stay sitting until they are allowed to come up, and it doesn't hurt as much :D You can seriously damage a dog by kneeing it in the chest :( if you connect wrongly, so that's somethign I wouldn't do. Munsters are similar in size to Setters, so it should work. Though through knowing a few Gordons it might take a while to sink in :D

You have my sympathy!  My GSP used to do this and after jumping up would rake with his claws down your thighs on his way in to a play bow!  Used to get some very strange looks from the chiropracter - am sure he thought I used to indulge in some very strange deviant fetish!

Anyway....how to stop.....what worked for my boy was teaching him the 'up' cue - in other words to jump up on command.  Then the 'no up'.  Also, distraction worked....when I came in I would literally just put my arm through the door and throw in a toy that he only ever got in these circumstances.  Also, what I have done with my new pup is to teach her that doors don't get opened until her bum is on the floor.........so, the door to the dog crate in the car doesn't get opened for her to be let out until she is sat.  That was the first one I taught as I think it is easier as she can see me.  You ask for the sit, go to open the door and as soon as the dog stands up, you shut the door.  Simple repetition and she got the message.  Having done it in the car, I then transferred it to the kitchen door and also the front door for door manners when visitors arrive although that scenario is slightly different, but same principle.

PS  Arnica cream works well on the bruises!  :-)

I agree that kneeing can damage the dog internally if the dog happens to jump with enthusiasm and the owner just gets it in the wrong place. The effect when the dog meets the knee would be similar to a kick and dogs hav died of ruptured organs from being kicked. I know it sounds rather dramatic but I'd not suggest it just in case.

Agree very much with Gunner's approach - so much is habit, so if you can basically distract the dog and then get on with things whilst the dog is distracted, you should find the dog doesn't jump up at you.

One thing I recommend is throwing some food down on the ground as the dog is so intent on that, it forgets to jump up and can be rewarded (as the food is doing) for not jumping up. YOu then get the good habits forming!

Also I'd suggest doing general training using reward based methods with your setter, just 5 minutes a day (play training if you like) will really help overall obedience :)

I would cut her nails nice and short for starters, and then put her somewhere she cannot get a t yu when you get home, behind a baby gate for example and ignore her completely until she is clam.  Only then speak to ehr quietly and have hold of her so she cannot jump, and praise very quietly.

Thanks for your ideas everyone - already got the arnica cream going. I will give some of your ideas a try, her basic obedience is good - its the over excitement that causes the jumping. Once she remembers she isn't meant to jump, (usually just after she has scraped her nails down your back - I'm sure she thinks she is a cat :D) she will sit and polish the floor with her bottom until you speak to her. I think if I can get her out of the over excitement bit she might be better ( this is a triumph of hope over experience I realise :-) ).
Her nails are a problem as they don't seem to wear down naturally and she hates having anything done with her feet , her paws look like camels feet most of the time not a well groomed setter ! The vet suggested filing her nails rather than clipping, which is Ok if you have a spare 2 weeks for each paw!!
Will let you know how I get on.

For dogs that ahte nail clipping it is a two person job.

I ahve a freind in dobes who take nail cutting to extremes to ge teh desired cat feet.

You ahve to remeber that the quick will shorten as you cut the dogs nails regulary allowing you to get them shorter and shorter over time.  Basically you should be aiming for nails such a length that you do not hear any clicking when they walk on tile, laminate or lino etc.

Initially you only take of abut 3 - 5ml, then repeat each week until the nails are the required length.

You will need to insist on compliance (I ahve been thrown around the room by one determined not to ahve it done) and not let go of her until you are done.  Reward lavisdhly with treats kept just for this.

My freinds dobes will come over and lie on their backs to have theirs doejn.

Mine we do like you would shoeing horses.  One person holding firmly the other using the clippers and helping restrain the leg.

Oh setters - who'd have them!!

How old is she?  Mind you they never really grow out of it!

They are well known for liking to jump up to greet you and yes those nails can scratch - esp. the dew claws if still left (which two of mine are!)

The gordons are the worst offenders I'm afraid to say - my English has never jumped, my irish quickly learnt not to and being a lady wouldn't do that anyway now!

You are doing the right thing by turning your back - but yes same as my youngest boy jumps on your back, ignoring - they don't like that much do they.

Does she know sit?  Angus has finally figured out that to get a fuss he has to sit - I'm not really wholly sure how we finally got it sussed but I did use to get a toy or a treat before greeting him and try and get him to sit before he got a fuss - but being the stubborn breed that they are did take a while.  And each time she moves from the sit cross your arms and ask calmly again - it may take a while but I'm sure she'll get it in the end.

The best thing for me is when I get home I let them out and walk out the room for five minutes so they get their initial excitement over with - I have a gate across the hallway too so they can see me but can't get to me.  Once things are calmer I then go in and invidually they get a little fuss but only if four feet on the ground.  If I want a cuddle then I pat my chest and say up!

Consistency with these mad beasties is the key!  Everyone has got to co-operate as if one lets them do it they will just keep doing it!

Good luck with her!

Rachel and 3 crazy gordons, 1 mad English and 1 sensible Irish!

Hi rachel
Our posts crossed. She is just two, and she does know sit and stay and her recall when we are out is great, much better than the bernese! Its this excitement bit and you are right, she hates being ignored :D

I will persevere and hopefully it will sink in before every bit of skin is raked to shreds!

Thanks
Marion

My big dog isn't a jumper but the new puppy is. I'm starting early with her and completely ignoring her until she's calm. I shift my body weight forward when she does jump - this is a slight movement that just throws her balance enough for her to get down. I don't use my hands as that would be a game and I don't look at or speak to her until she's been calm for at least a minute.

I've heard that for persistent jumpers holding their paws past the point they want them back helps. You just grab their front paws and hang on. When they're really fed up you let go. You could try that along with training the behaviour you want, teaching a jump on command etc.

I was always taught over the knee thing. You don't actually knee them it is more a case of getting your knee up before the dog makes contact and the dog bounces off your knee as opposed to the knee actually kneeing them. The reason being is that the dog is basically trying to get near to your face and the knee prevents them getting as close to you therefore they realise that it is futile to jump up. I have tried it and it worked for me but I dare say a very enthusiastic and determined jumper may not be put off. Also it is definitely a matter of timing.

thanks for explaining it better Alison.  I use it like a shield and it appears to be the visual barrier rather than the impact of the knee in the same way as putting my hand near her face stops her seeing where she is jumping so she doesn't bother to jump.

Her nails are a problem as they don't seem to wear down naturally and she hates having anything done with her feet , her paws look like camels feet most of the time not a well groomed setter ! The vet suggested filing her nails rather than clipping, which is Ok if you have a spare 2 weeks for each paw!!

I believe we are allowed to put links to Youtube so take a look at this one - a problem Airedale who loathed having his nails clipped, being re trained with the clicker to totally accept it. Clicker training can help a lot with things like grooming and other behavioural problems :)

Anyway here's the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEwiH8CeUE&mode=related&search=

Lindsay
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