Hi Everyone,

I posted earlier this week as my 6 month puppy had been castrated and wanted a little advice. Before his op he had just started to try and mount my children (in particular my daughter as she danced around the living room) I was hoping the op would put a stop to this but unfortunately he has done nothing but try and mount her all afternoon since I picked her up from school. She's 6 and doesn't really understand what he is doing, but she doesn't like it and I'm not sure what to do?

Any advice??
TIA

SL x

How long has he been castrated? It takes a while for all the hormones to disappear from the system. It's something like six weeks before all the testosterone has left the system.
So if you've only had him done recently hopefully the behaviour will slowly disappear.
My rabbit took about 3 months before he totally stopped humping the girls.

Hi Bogwoppit

It was only last Fri :-( I assumed it would be instant.
Do you have any advice on how to discourage it?

SL x

Just ignore the behaviour as much as you are able - scolding him will only serve to reinforce it. Hopefully as the hormones seep out of his system he will begin to do it less and less. Maybe you could keep him and your daughter apart - just until he's settled a bit. Baby gates have been a life saver with our second dog!
Good luck
x

Hi,

I will just have to try a gate I think.

Thank you
SL x

My girlie golden retreiver used to do this if she got over excited. The best thing was to stop the dancing/ running around, say no then stand still and ignore. Or sent the dog to it's bed to stay there until it calms down.

Mine grew out of it once she knew that the jumping up and attaching to a leg was not the done thing :hihi: and that it was ok to join in the fun if she kept her paws on the ground.

Hmm stopping her dancing and running around, I wish! I'm not convinced she has the authority to make him stop.

The puppy seems to be obedient to me and my son, but she doesn't seem to be able to get him to do as him commands want him to do. I think it's down to the tone in her voice. She's a bit of a softie with him. But Maybe this is just what they both need!

SL x

I agree with Evei. 4 feet on the floor in order to join in and if he leaps up the playtime stops instantly.Itll take some training of your daughter firstly but its an important lesson in dog ownership.

If your worried about your dog not listening to your daughter Id suggest you ask her to get him to do a few basic commands a few times a week. It could be that hes just not in the habit of listening to her. It doesnt matter how soft her voice is if shes holding treats. :)Just get her to give clear commands and feed him a treat if he gets it right. It'll help her bond with him as well.

Hope that helps

He may still do it even after he's been done for months or years - some dogs just do. Repositioning of the dog whilst in a calm state would be my first steps. In other words using light hand contact make the dog get down or sit. No yelling , no slapping,no violent pushing. Gentle downward pressure to make him sit, as soon as his ass hits the floor praise him. If you can before he moves after the praise use a vocal command to stay or sit (which he'll ignore to start with) with a hand gesture ( i use a raised finger)(not that finger).

Seperating them just removes the trigger not the behaviour.
We've trained our boxer this way with the 5 year old step grandson, to prevent him jumping up. He now raises his hand and clearly calls sit and the boy stops(doesn't quite sit for him yet).

(and its not "sit down" its either sit or down)

I agree with Evei. 4 feet on the floor in order to join in and if he leaps up the playtime stops instantly.Itll take some training of your daughter firstly but its an important lesson in dog ownership.

If your worried about your dog not listening to your daughter Id suggest you ask her to get him to do a few basic commands a few times a week. It could be that hes just not in the habit of listening to her. It doesnt matter how soft her voice is if shes holding treats. :)Just get her to give clear commands and feed him a treat if he gets it right. It'll help her bond with him as well.

Hope that helps

Thank you,

I have been trying to encourage him not to jump up at people when he sees them, funnily enough, he doesn't jump at me, but does everyone else. I think it's a great idea to have my daughter do basic commands, he knows some so maybe he just needs to learn he has to listen to her too.

He may still do it even after he's been done for months or years - some dogs just do. Repositioning of the dog whilst in a calm state would be my first steps. In other words using light hand contact make the dog get down or sit. No yelling , no slapping,no violent pushing. Gentle downward pressure to make him sit, as soon as his ass hits the floor praise him. If you can before he moves after the praise use a vocal command to stay or sit (which he'll ignore to start with) with a hand gesture ( i use a raised finger)(not that finger).

Seperating them just removes the trigger not the behaviour.
We've trained our boxer this way with the 5 year old step grandson, to prevent him jumping up. He now raises his hand and clearly calls sit and the boy stops(doesn't quite sit for him yet).

(and its not "sit down" its either sit or down)

(bare with me I can't multi quote)

Ok, he may keep on doing it, lol not what I wanted to hear but hey ho, more reason to stop the behaviour!. I usually say off, but we say that if he sneakily jumps on the settee so maybe that's the wrong word, but he does stop when we say it.

I just get anxious every time she moves as he sees it as an invite to grab hold haha. He can do sit and wait so hopefully if we persist and firmly sit him as suggested then praise, we may just be able to stop it.

Thanks that's sound advice I will certainly give it a go.

So my plan, encourage my daughter to give him basic commands for reward. When he tries to mount, use our hand (and command sit) to get him off them praise instantly. Is that right?

I really appreciate everyone's feedback

SL x

[COLOR="Blue"]Thank you,

I usually say off, but we say that if he sneakily jumps on the settee so maybe that's the wrong word, but he does stop when we say it.

I just get anxious every time she moves as he sees it as an invite to grab hold haha. He can do sit and wait so hopefully if we persist and firmly sit him as suggested then praise, we may just be able to stop it.

Thanks that's sound advice I will certainly give it a go.

So my plan, encourage my daughter to give him basic commands for reward. When he tries to mount, use our hand (and command sit) to get him off them praise instantly. Is that right?

I really appreciate everyone's feedback

SL x

Off a fine word to use. I use it to mean 4 legs on the floor. So "off" to mine can mean off the sofa or dont jump up at the fence or off me.

You plan sounds good.

If he can sit and wait you could try practicing it with him while shes dancing. Its good stay/wait practice for them to be able to do it with things happening around them without breaking position. If you build it up slowly with gentle dancing (if i 6 year old does gentle dancing :hihi:) and then build it up. You might need to constantly drip feed him treats the first few times. Its not an ideal solution as it means you have to be there whenever your daughter fancys a dance (unless she can get him to do it herself) but it might help till your daughter mastered her part, plus will improve his waits so if you ever have a houseful of other peoples kids and need him to stay put hes got half a chance of managing it. Sometimes a still dog can be one less thing to worry about. :hihi:

Let us know how you get on.

Thank you for the comments.

I'm planning on putting it all into practice, hopefully we can find a way through it and I can train him. I'll come back and let you know how it goes!
Now.... just to train the kids :-)

SL x

Crate training of kids - marvelous invention - Oooops sorry only kidding if only.......

I would also have a word with the vet. He is young at 6 months to have been castrated, and was probably just coming into his hormonal time. Nothing wrong with that at all - and I know people do it much younger to hopefully stop those hormones kicking in, just that its at that time and hes already been triggered.

There may be something that u can give him which will settle him down a bit. Because he's doing it just to your younger child - it may be because she's so much smaller - its starting him off?

Sometimes it is a behavioural thing and needs to be sorted out but it just makes me think that at this age - it could be hormones and it will continue to be habit if not sorted now.

NO or Off are brilliant.
Also - i love the Roger Mugford Company of Animals Correcter spray - but it MUST be used at the right time - ie before the dog is doing it. I always advise to do it as 'the thought is entering the head' then they associate th loud spraying noise with the action - its a waste of time doing it once the action is being performed.
With the spray also - u don't want the dog to know its come from you - but more that its sort of 'happened'. Don't spray it at the dog either - just in the air.
Sorry for wandering off, i just think these are excellent - but again - when used correctly. Percevere - they love rules and this is a rule. He's not allowed to do it.

Crate training of kids - marvelous invention - Oooops sorry only kidding if only.......

I would also have a word with the vet. He is young at 6 months to have been castrated, and was probably just coming into his hormonal time. Nothing wrong with that at all - and I know people do it much younger to hopefully stop those hormones kicking in, just that its at that time and hes already been triggered.

There may be something that u can give him which will settle him down a bit. Because he's doing it just to your younger child - it may be because she's so much smaller - its starting him off?

Sometimes it is a behavioural thing and needs to be sorted out but it just makes me think that at this age - it could be hormones and it will continue to be habit if not sorted now.

NO or Off are brilliant.
Also - i love the Roger Mugford Company of Animals Correcter spray - but it MUST be used at the right time - ie before the dog is doing it. I always advise to do it as 'the thought is entering the head' then they associate th loud spraying noise with the action - its a waste of time doing it once the action is being performed.
With the spray also - u don't want the dog to know its come from you - but more that its sort of 'happened'. Don't spray it at the dog either - just in the air.
Sorry for wandering off, i just think these are excellent - but again - when used correctly. Percevere - they love rules and this is a rule. He's not allowed to do it.


Hi There,

It was the vet who recommended getting him castrated, I just went on his advice, ( I realise you weren't having a dig :D)

I've used pet corrector before when trying to keep him off the settee, which he was a nightmare for jumping on, being a JR he's quite boisterous and no amount of reward was keeping him off the settee.

Anyway long story, I only had to spray once and he's never been on the settee since (well apart from when the kids encourage him!). So maybe I'll try that.

As others have suggested I've had my daughter to do a little training with her, stuff he already knows but her giving the commands so he realises he has to listen to her too.

Thank you for your post

SL x