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How To Teach A New Hound To Jump Into The Car


Guest HoHounds

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Guest HoHounds

Boomer has been with us a little over 3 weeks now. He is our 4th greyhound. (our previous 3 are all at the Rainbow Bridge now). He has been a near perfect dog since day one. He is getting along with our cats, no issues like SA, aggression, guarding. He has been an easy-peasy dog :thumbs-up

 

Only thing we are having trouble is that he doesn’t know how to jump up to the back of our SUV. Boomer was in a prison program, but obviously they didn’t teach this at the prison. All our previous 3 knew this and we’ve never had to teach them. We’ve tried luring with treats. We’ve tried putting his forelegs up and pushing his butt up. This weekend, we had a doggie date with a friend who has two female greyhounds. I asked my friend if the girls can show him how. They hopped on with a light, effortless leap. They hopped on, hopped down and hopped on again while Boomer looked at them with a blank, clueless look. My DH has been picking him up and putting him in the car, but if I want to take him somewhere by myself, I won’t be able to.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks GT!

 

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I just lead Payton up to the door, kind of pull his leash inside, pat him on the butt and say "up". He got it fairly quickly. My daughter used to have to pick up her greyhound and put him in, but he caught on too.

 

If I remember right, at the kennels, most of the girls are on top and the boys are on bottom, so I think it may be a little easier for the girls to jump in .


We adopted Bootsy in 2008. We figure he'll jump in the car any day now :lol

 

:rofl

61bd4941-fc71-4135-88ca-2d22dbd4b59a_zps

Payton, The Greyhound (Palm City Pelton) and Toby, The Lab
Annabella and Julietta, The Cats
At the Bridge - Abby, The GSD

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Use treats to entice him into the vehicle. It can take a lot of enticing depending on the pup but we have the same issue with our Stewie. Personally I blame his big butt as I have to lift it most times...

Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge.

Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl.

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We have to lift Sam up into the car if we forget treats, but we "Hansel and Gretl" him into the trunk (leave a trail of treats from the very edge of the open door/trunk to far enough into the car that he needs to jump up) then he leaps in like it's nothing.

 

We make sure to have let him sniff the treats before placing it (he sees us place it) and use high value treats.

 

How is Boomer in the car? If he dislikes car rides and therefore doesn't want to get into the car, try getting him into the car, rewarding him, and letting him hop out right away. It may be a question of making the car = treats association stronger than the car = icky car ride association.

 

That's just what works for us, though!

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Sam, formerly known as Macabres Mandate

Featuring his humans Alexandra & Paul

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Can you give him a fast pace start? Use treats and command up. You might have to jump in there with him a few times. :lol You will have to repeat like 10 times a day and lots of praise. I agree that if your dh keeps lifting him up, your dog will always wait for him. If that doesn't work there are small steps you can make to put back there so he can stair walk up.

Lexie is gone but not forgotten.💜

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Guest Clawsandpaws

Can you give him a fast pace start?

This is what works for most of the dogs I have met. Throw the treat in from a little far away, and quickly trot with Boomer on leash towards the vehicle. He may just feel uncomfortable getting through the process without having a "running" start. Make sure there is plenty of room for him to jump safely.

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Guest shanesmom

My first 2 greyhounds learned within a few tries. And then I had an SUV which was much higher up than the van I have now with Ace. It took Ace a month of trying. No treat enticed him enough. He is not food motivated. I was putting his front feet up and lifting his butt. Then one day I got him super excited squeaking a new stuffy toy. Threw it in and he flew right in after it. A few times of doing this and he didn't need the toy any more. He's super toy motivated so that worked for me.

Edited by shanesmom
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What finally worked for Pink was rain--she didn't want to get soaked. :lol

 

I think there are some good suggestions here, especially about movement. Some dogs need a lot of space and a bit of a run, at least while they're learning.

Standard Poodle Daisy (12/13)
Missing Cora (RL Nevada 5/99-10/09), Piper (Cee Bar Easy 2/99-1/10), Tally (Thunder La La 9/99-3/10), Edie (Daring Reva 9/99-10/12), Dixie (Kiowa Secret Sue 11/01-1/13), Jessie (P's Real Time 11/98-3/13), token boy Graham (Zydeco Dancer 9/00-5/13), Cal (Back Already 12/99-11/13), Betsy (Back Kick Beth 11/98-12/13), Standard Poodles Minnie (1/99-1/14) + Perry (9/98-2/14), Annie (Do Marcia 9/03-10/14), Pink (Miss Pinky Baker 1/02-6/15), Poppy (Cmon Err Not 8/05-1/16), Kat (Jax Candy 5/05-5/17), Ivy (Jax Isis 10/07-7/21), Hildy (Braska Hildy 7/10-12/22), Opal (Jax Opal 7/08-4/23). Toodles (BL Toodles 7/09-4/24)

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Guest FreeholdHound

I tried circles (like I used to do loading up a horse), running starts, regular treats etc for months after getting Harry- nothing worked & at 80+ pounds lifting his big butt into SUV was getting old. Then I discovered out super duper magic treat..... 1/2 a slice of good old Oscar Meyer Bologna. It was a God send!!!! I don't need to use it anymore & can give him a dehydrated tripe treat now (much easier to carry in my pocket).

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Guest roweboy

I'm so glad you asked this, Boomer's mom! We've been having the same problem. Maybe we should meet and have a 'dog jumping into SUV' session together, lol. I'll try the bologna and the running start. Lifting him is no picnic. I watched a youtube video on this and they flattened the back seats to make a bigger landing target, then one person went in from the front seat with an especially yummy treat while the other encouraged the dog into the hatch.

 

Our guy likes the car, we think, but is so excited to be in it he won't settle and just lie down. I'm driving like an old lady with him in the back worried he'll stumble and hurt himself.

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Micah refused to get into the car for quite a while...tried putting his front paws in and scooping butt. Finally came up with idea of parking back of SUV on a down hill slope which made the back of car much lower and he could almost step in. Did that several times an gradually parked in normal place and he jumped right in.

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Agree if two people, one gets front with fabulous meat treats or exciting new toy -- middle seats folded down flat. (If solo, toss meat treats or exciting new toy.) It's really helpful to park car against an incline so the back gate opens closer to dog's ground level. After they learn the concept, gradually increase the height of the car's gate opening.

 

(If hounds are entering sedans through a side door, helps to open the opposite door so they can see all the way through the enclosed box (car) they're being encouraged to enter.)

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Guest HoHounds

Thank you, all, for the great ideas! I will try: 1) higher value treats, 2) running start, 3) Boomer’s favorite toy, THE CHICKEN! and 4) tell DH to be patient and not to lift him.

I think #4 will be the most challenging, lol.

 

I'm so glad you asked this, Boomer's mom! We've been having the same problem. Maybe we should meet and have a 'dog jumping into SUV' session together, lol. I'll try the bologna and the running start. Lifting him is no picnic. I watched a youtube video on this and they flattened the back seats to make a bigger landing target, then one person went in from the front seat with an especially yummy treat while the other encouraged the dog into the hatch.

 

Our guy likes the car, we think, but is so excited to be in it he won't settle and just lie down. I'm driving like an old lady with him in the back worried he'll stumble and hurt himself.

 

That would be fun, CJ’s mom. CJ sounds a lot like Boomer in the car. Boomer loves car ride. He is too curious about everything that he stays up and looks out the window. I started to call him George.

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  • 2 weeks later...

At first I just picked my Grey up and tossed him in because jumping seemed out of the question. But eventually (after about a year) he was motivated by food. He still loves when I pick him up though - makes a happy grunting noise, but at 90+ pounds he doesn't get lifted if I can avoid it.

 

I never ask our Grey to jump in from a paved surface - only something soft where he can get a grip like packed dirt, turf, etc. Same for jumping out. If we are parked on concrete or something similar I load and unload from the rear passenger doors where the step up is much lower. My truck's rear tailgate is very high and I want to avoid injuries. I also try to park facing downhill. This does make the entry easier.

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Guest ayimera

We had a similar problem with our girl. She didn't like jumping up into the tailgate... I think she felt it was too high. I took her around to the side door and lifted her front paws up and then pushed her butt to follow until she got the idea. After the first try with the lower side door entrance, she hasn't had an issue since.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest FinnsMama

My boy gets confused or spooked and takes spells where he just won't jump in the car though he loves to go to the park for walks. I get another family member to go open the opposite door and call him. This excites him enough he usually jumps right in. (He is not very treat motivated either.)

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We adopted Bootsy in 2008. We figure he'll jump in the car any day now :lol

:hehe That was my Minty! I'd watch all these other hound leaping up into vehicles .......and there would be mine....standing there....waiting....with this rather impatient look she'd give of ..."Uh..Mom? Please place my paws up there then give me a boost, will ya please?"

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We adopted Bootsy in 2008. We figure he'll jump in the car any day now :lol

:rofl annie was surgically inserted into our car and then jump seat of the pickup truck for 9 months until she got w/ the program. the truck was a joke- she had to go behind the bucket seat and up but somehow she got it. last weekend on a video shoot w/ my 2 dogs and 2 who only know how to walk into a van we were getting a lift back in a pretty tall/high suv. only felix could figure it out and we were stuffing 3 people and 4 dogs into a smaller suv. felix led, annie followed and i hup-hupped ozzie really fast. he didn't know what was going on and he rarely travels. he made it in and they all sat onto of the other dog handler. i had to get giselle into the front,her first time in the front of a car. i stood behind her- hup-hup and a gentle nudge w/ my knee and she was in. but all was done really fast before they could figure out that they were packed in like sardines.

 

try a daily exercise w/ treats included and be positive. then take the pup for a quick spin around the block. it takes time and patience and praise. once they get it they get it. try some MARSHMALLOWS!

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  • 1 month later...
Guest alicefish

Dante always looks horrified when it's time to jump in the car. He puts his tail between his legs and slumps.

At first, I was literally picking him up and hoisting him in the car until I figured out a better way.

I take his leash and throw it into the car, to where it's almost leading him into the seat. I pat the seat and say "hop in!"

He didn't get it at all at first, so I lifted his paws onto the seat, and that gave him the courage to jump up.

 

I wonder why they're so scared of jumping up like that! Are they afraid of falling and hurting themselves? :huh

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Riley learned right away by watching my other hounds get in. The first time we put him in the car he had to be lifted, but the second time he looked at me like "I've got this" and hopped in after the others. He does need some help occasionally when his hips are hurting, but when he's feeling good he bounds into the back of the car.

 

So if you have another dog--or can borrow one--who already knows the drill, it's often as simple as "Monkey see, monkey do." This is also useful for teaching the use of a dog door or stairs, BTW. :)

Kristen with

Penguin (L the Penguin) Flying Penske x L Alysana

Costarring The Fabulous Felines: Squeak, Merlin, Bailey & Mystic

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