How do you encourage your friendly dog not to run off with strangers or jump on them?

I have a 17 month young West Highland Terrier who is very friendly and not afraid of anyone or other animals. It's a fantastic trait, however how would one go about training him to not just run away. We would like to teach him this because he sometimes has broken free from his harness as he is on leash all the times so it's more for safety and peace of mind. He's been to puppy obedience school earlier this year, but wasn't a good student--he always preferred to play with the other dogs or people rather than pay attention to lessons being taught . We even have trouble training him to stop jumping on people. We've tried all the techniques to ignore him when he tries to jump on people (e.g. turning our back) but it fails to produce any results. He has an attention span of a flea. LOL. I'd appreciate hearing of positive training reward techniques as many of the websites repeat what we've already found isn't working.How do you encourage your friendly dog not to run off with strangers or jump on them?
First thing puppy classes are not for the puppy it is for the person. If a dog fails a class it is because of the person, not the dog. A dog is just a dog and will do what a dog does until a person steps in and says ';NO';.

You are giving your dog mixed signals. You do not want him doing this, but it is so darn cute! You HAVE to loose this! You are boss and at this moment your dog is the boss.

Now that your dog has learned that is is ok to do this (you did not mean to teach your dog this) pay the money and get a profetional.....or at least go to another class until you get it right. The dog is there for you to practice with....

The pound is full of cute little pooch's that people have failed.

Training is knowledge, but also a frame of mind. Until the person is into this mind set a pooch will never learn. The person will get frustrated and the pooch will pay the price....How do you encourage your friendly dog not to run off with strangers or jump on them?
When all else FAILS,Do what I would First-PRAY,Second-LOVE your doggy even more.Maybe he feels inecure,LOVE WORKS WONDERS. Then you could talk with your vet.I hope I have helped you out some.Good luck,it will be ok,Kim.
He is still a puppy, so part of it is natural. All puppies lick faces of adult dogs in the pack - it is an instinct of submission / request for food. Recognizing that helps us understand why he is doing it. However, that does not mean you should not discourage that behavior.



Here are some suggestions :



1. Put him in training situations - have friends ( who are okay with dogs) come over.

2. Use a gentle leader or similar equipment and ask him to SIT when people come over. Using gentle leader encourages sitting and gives you more control on the dog without using harsh methods. This way, you are teaching him a new way of greeting people - sit instead of jump.

3. When he obeys, give a good treat - liver or meat or something he really likes but rarely gets. You might want do it right before his mealtime / skip a meal to make sure he ';appreciates'; the treats.

4. Praise + treats when he gets it right. Use clicker training if you like that method.

5. Schedule puppy playdates where you train. Instead of getting out of social ( both human and canine) situations, try to arrange controlled socialization where you can train the puppy.



Sounds like you have a really active dog on hands. So, it would definitely help to exercise the puppy. Well exercised puppies are usually better behaved :)



We have a mixbreed who had the same issue. It takes time for training to work. So be patient, it works over time. It will help the dog bond with you better too. Also, the treat that always works for us is chicken skin.



Good luck
Expose your dogs to other people but do not let other people pet your dog. Westies are adorable, and when someone says, oh he's so cute can I pet him, it's hard to say no especially if he is wagging his tail.



But, allowing other people to pet your animal lessons your bond with the animal. You're basically teaching him that everyone is ok, and unfortunately that's not really the case.



http://www.leerburg.com has a podcast entitled ';who can pet my puppy'; and it's a fascinating listen. Also worth listening to (are really all of the podcasts) but for your situation specifically would be the podcast called ';how to become a pack leader.';



Until the dog respects you as his leader, obedience school is a waste of time and a waste of money. If he doesn't respect you, he's certainly not going to listen to you or care if you're turning your back on him. This is especially true of a dog who's so irresistibly cute that he melts the heart of everyone he has contact with. Very difficult to be stern with a dog you want to kiss, but part of being a good parent is setting up boundaries and knowing when it's your job to say no.



Good luck!



I have a 1yo fem Jack Russell/Westie mix

3yo fem Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound mix
Punish him.not hard,just a bit,when you train him,train him with treets