Puppies are a joy to own, as they race through the house and try to engage their owners in play. But some puppies are so excitable that they need to be trained to stay down, rather than jump up at whoever walks through the door. As a pet sitter, you will want to do what you can to teach the puppy right from wrong.
A Pet Sitter’s Challenge
It is bad manners on the part of dog owners to allow their puppies to jump up without correcting them. If the puppy is never corrected, he will think it is perfectly acceptable to jump up at family and visitors, including vulnerable older ones and babies. As a pet sitter, you may at times have to care for a puppy that tries to jump all over you as soon as you walk through the door. But there are easy ways to curb jumping by using training methods that will teach the puppy to stay down, provided the methods are used consistently.
Start from Day One
If the puppy has a tendency to jump up, he needs to know you mean exactly what you say. That is why it is so important to stop every instance of jumping, starting from the initial visit, and right up until the dog owners return, if necessary. Whenever the puppy tries to jump up at you, use a firm, but not harsh, tone of voice as you tell the puppy “no” and “down”, as you point to the floor. Stand on the spot while giving the puppy these simple instructions. Otherwise, he may think you are playing with him and continue to jump up at you.
Reward the Puppy
Training a puppy not to jump up is well worth the effort, as the puppy gradually learns what they can and cannot do. But do not overlook the need to reward the puppy for obeying your instructions. Doing so will give the puppy an incentive to continue to do what he is told and to stay down. Give the puppy a dog treat, chew toy, a longer than usual walk and offer him plenty of praise and commendation for behaving.
Pet sitters can easily train a puppy to stay down, provided they identify the problem early on and take steps to overcome the issue right from day one. Consistency and patience will work at helping to train a puppy to listen to and obey instructions.
More from this contributor:
A Pet Sitter’s Guide to Leash Training a Puppy.
How to Choose a Healthy Puppy.
How to Curb Inappropriate Chewing in Puppies.