Stop Your Dog’s Behavior—You Haven’t Tried Everything
Let’s talk about stopping simple stuff that’s common, like jumping. In addition to this article here are a couple links you can visit at your leisure. These are a couple of the podcast episodes that are relevant to this specific topic.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2124912/episodes/18457978
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2124912/episodes/17359786
Jumping up on people might be the most common problem people face with their dogs. Big dogs and small dogs alike seem to do it any time they get excited. We hear about this issue daily. When we first meet people, they usually have a list of behaviors they want to change – and right at the top is often jumping. There are usually others as well. Things like barking or chewing. And guess what ? These are all dealt with the same way. And it’s not difficult.
Here is the funny thing: as common and widespread as this problem seems to be, it also seems to be one of the easiest to eliminate. We meet people all the time whose dogs have been jumping up on them and on guests for years, yet we fix it in one lesson. That’s right – one.
That might sound like magic. Especially if you’ve spent any time online looking for advice.
The internet is full of protocols that do not work-Snake Oil
If you’ve searched for help, you’ve seen it: thousands of articles, endless “protocols,” fancy names created by “experts,” and paywalls for “exclusive access.” And sure, information is valuable if it works. But here is the problem: most of it won’t.
Why can I say that so confidently? Because the basic principles of behavior do not change. You do not need a subscription to learn them. And if you have a challenging dog in any respect, you’ll quickly learn something frustrating: a lot of information you’re asked to pay for is basically snake oil.
To be clear, I am not saying you should never pay someone. You absolutely should pay people for their time when you are communicating with them directly.
Here is what I am saying: if someone charges money for access to simple information (not lessons, not consultations, not demonstrations, not detailed writing – just basic concepts), it is usually because the motivation is to make money, not to solve your problem. And once you pay and go on your merry way to implement the miracle technique, their pockets are padded regardless of your results – which will, in most cases, be a failure.
Unfortunately the dog training industry preys on hopeful and struggling owners by inventing strategies that sound good, but do absolutely nothing. They chain techniques together, give it an exciting name, brand it, package it, and sell it as some new discovery that “really works.”
And when people fall for it, they often try to see success where there is none. Of course they do. Nobody wants to accept they spent money and maybe dozens or hundreds of hours on something that was a total waste. So when their dog has a slightly better moment, they take it as proof. They double down. They buy the instructor’s other programs. They share the content like they’ve finally discovered the answer.
But in reality their dog just did a thing because dogs do things. Behavior wiggles. Maybe Fluffy was tired. Maybe Fluffy had a sore foot. Maybe Fluffy was simply less aroused that day. And now Dr. Snake Oil gets to move on to the next victim.
Some of these people become big-name trainer personalities on YouTube and other social platforms. They write books and sell online programs with clever acronym titles. They build huge audiences with flashy videos and emotional storytelling. Emotion sells. False hope sells.
And here’s the ugliest part: to protect their status as trusted authorities, they attack trainers like me – the ones who are producing real results. If you care more about helping people and dogs than looking like a saint and getting rich, you become a target, because you poke holes in what they are selling.
The good news is that a small percentage of people have the courage to challenge the narrative and believe their eyes over dogma. Those people get great results. Word is getting out. Common sense is starting to prevail. And that is bad news for anyone selling snake oil.
Reality works, and that makes people uncomfortable
The easiest way to disable trainers who solve problems is to weaponize emotion and conjure up imagined harm.
Here is the reality: effective dog training requires aversives. That makes people uncomfortable, so the internet sells them an alternative: a worldview where nothing should ever feel unpleasant. Once enough people adopt that worldview, it becomes easy to capitalize on it and sell snake oil as the solution. And they get to look like saints while doing it.
Every time I stop a dog from jumping up I help the whole household relax. People can have guests over without embarrassment and without Grandma breaking a hip. The dog gets to be included in more events and outings. But the snake oil crowd responds with claims about emotional damage and “studies” and what might happen in the future. It is imagined harm sold as certainty. It works because people are scared. People avoid punishment because they fear their dog will fall apart.
But it won’t.
I know that from years of experience and hundreds and hundreds of dogs (including my own). And I do not need to charge money to tell the truth.
I am not claiming to be a saint who never charges money. I make money training dogs. People need help. People are short on time, patience, and execution. We are here for that. But I do not need to charge money simply to make basic principles available.
I feel compelled to talk about this loudly because it would violate my values not to. If I do not make real information accessible, I’m part of the problem. Being told to hush has never gone over well with me. Not even as a kid.
Signs You’re Being Sold Snake Oil
You do not need to memorize a hundred red flags. You just need to notice a pattern. The snake oil version of dog training almost always feels inspiring, emotionally satisfying, and endlessly “in progress” – but it never actually gives you your life back.
- The method often comes with a branded name, a cute acronym, and a promise that you can fix everything without making your dog uncomfortable.
- The process in infinitely more important than the results.
- The educator places a lot of importance on why your dog does something rather than how to change it in a reasonable time frame.
- They spend a lot of time warning you about what could go wrong if you do anything other than shove treats down your dog’s throat constantly.
- Your dog is still doing the same behavior months later, but you are told to trust the process, be patient, put in more practice, etc.
- Drugs are recommended and corrections are not.
If you hear yourself saying, “We’re working on it,” for something like jumping, counter surfing, digging, or stealing food off the coffee table, it is time to question who benefits from that endless process.
Simple Behaviors You Should Be Able to Fix Fast
Some behavior problems are a little more complicated. Fear, aggression, and serious reactivity can involve chipping away at issues with the nervous system and take some time. But there are also behaviors that are often simple, common, and completely fixable once you stop negotiating with your dog.
These are some examples of simple nuisance behaviors that should not be dragging on for years:
- Jumping up on people
- Counter surfing
- Stealing food or objects
- Digging holes in the lawn
- Trash raiding
- Door-dashing (bolting out the door)
- Blowing you off when there is a basic, clear known command
If you have been stuck on one of these for a long time, it usually means one thing: you have not created real contrast for the dog yet. Your dog has been living in a gray world where you talk, you repeat yourself, and maybe you even yell, but nothing ever happens that changes the decision making tree in the future.
Being consistent will do you no good if you are consistently doing something that just doesn’t work. Your dog needs clarity.
If you want real help, no credit card needed
If you want to know how to stop jumping or any other simple nuisance behavior, you do not need to get out the credit card. Check out my other blog articles as they are added. Follow along on social media to see real dogs before, during, and after training. Those links are provided below!
I would love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing me directly. Send your questions and suggest topics for the blog or podcast!
Find the podcast, Off Leash And Unfiltered, on most streaming platforms. Or, you can listen here:
https://offleashandunfiltered.buzzsprout.com
Follow Diamond K9 Dog Training on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for lots of free content. Those links are provided below. We appreciate every subscribe and follow. Do me a solid—tell a friend about the blog!
https://www.facebook.com/diamondk9dogtraining