One question that I am asked frequently is “How can I stop my dog jumping up…it is driving me mad!” I can well understand it, a dog which is perpetually jumping up makes me crazy too. However I am not prepared to tolerate it for long.

As with most training by owners the fault is lack of consistency. It is most confusing for a dog when he is allowed to jump up when you have your old gardening clothes on but there is one hell of a shindig if he jumps up when you are dressed up to go out to dinner. How do you expect a dog, which has no suit, to know the difference?

Consistency is the keyword. Jumping up whether in the morning or evening or whatever you are wearing is an emphatic NO and make sure you put real strength into that word.

Supposing your dog does not react to the no. Move to the next stage. Discover something he really dislikes and do it immediately so he or she associates what has been done to you and your displeasure is reciprocated. If done immediately the dog will associate the reaction. I do not mean whacking him, that achieves nothing except break the important bond between dog and owner. One method I find effective is to buy a cheap spray in a bottle such as you can get at most garden centres. Have it close to hand filled with water. The dog jumps up and you say NO firmly and within seconds he gets a squirt of water in the face. It does not hurt him, but he finds it extremely unpleasant. OK he has done something that you find distasteful so you do something to him which he finds disagreeable. As kids we used to call it “Tit for tat” whatever that means. However it must be immediate or he will not see the association.

Of course there is no panacea to every ill and from time to time you will find a dog which actually enjoys being squirted… no accounting for taste. Water dogs like Labradors often like water in the face. You cannot win every time! Look for an alternative such as a loud bang by a metal spoon on a tin lid or a puff of air from below. Dogs have associative memories and your dog will soon learn that his action which you dislike is immediately followed by your reaction which he dislikes. The sooner you start, like with all training, the better.