We adopted a lab mixed breed female dog who is a joy, when the owner asked us to take her brother, we were thrilled. They are 6 months old, and he is a huge jumper. He jumps on everything, people, counters, the table, the couch. I have a 3 yr old, I'm scared he's going to hurt him. How can I stop this jumping?
If you haven't committed to take the male dog, I strongly recommend not to take siblings. One 6 mos old puppy is handful, especially a lab pup
When you have 2 pups, it will be extremely hard to traing them because it is hard to get each one's attention. Labs will not get matured (mentally) until age of 2 sometimes but their bodies are getting bigger and bigger. I don't think you can handle 2 large dogs with your 3 yr old toddler.
I was just playing the mother hen but I would suggest you talk to someone who has a lot of experience or trainers.
The best way to add more dogs is to wait until you the human family and the first dog build a strong trusty relationship
Dealing with a jumper is one of the easier behavioural problems to deal with. Firstly, prevention is better than a cure, so ensuring that you don't encourage a young pup to jump is the most important thing. Many owners don't realize what encouraging this behaviour in a puppy leads to with an adults dog. It isn't quite the same experience 30-40 kilograms later!
If you do end up with an adult jumper, basic obedience training is all that it takes to change the habit. Teach the dog basic commands- sit, stay, lie down etc. and most importantly teach him/her the word 'NO'. This way, you end up having control over your pooch when he/she misbehaves. Punishments like a time-out (putting the dog in a cage/empty room for a short time), using a water gun etc. are also great ways to discourage any bad habit. Punishment must always be immediately after the said action for it to be effective.
Dogs are great readers of body language. So, be firm and affirmative in your actions and show him/her that you are the pack leader and that he/she must obey your command.
I hope this helps. All the best with your training!
