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I have a 12-month-old Yorkie who I can't get to jump up on command and rarely jumps at all. He can jump off the couch/bed but can't jump up onto it. He's a little guy and he's only six pounds but I still feel like he should be doing more jumping than he does. I used to consider it a blessing that he can't jump on the couch or bed but after witnessing other small-breed dogs jump all the time, I want my dog to do the same. I tried holding treats above his head but the most he'll do is stand on his hind legs to get it. If the treat is too high, he won't even try to get it until I lower it to a level that he can reach it without jumping.
Last night he was tossing a toy around when it landed near the edge of the couch. After a few failed attempts to reach it by standing on his hind legs, he finally jumped and his hind legs went about three inches in the air! I re-created this by putting another toy on the couch but that's the only time I can get him to jump. It would be nice if I could get him to jump all the way on the couch instead of just to get a toy off it. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Making the big leap might feel too daunting as a first step. You might try adding a level or 2 between the ground and the couch onto which your Yorkie can progressively jump. The key is, there's got to be a good reason for him to attempt it (so make sure you're using his very favorite treat or toy) and he's got to feel safe and rewarded for trying it (so make sure those added levels are totally secure and he gets a big reward for completing the trick you're asking for.) Once he's comfortable with progressively jumping onto the couch, you can take away one level at a time to gradually increase his jump height.
EDIT: Rule out medical issues as a cause for the lack of jumping before attempting any training of this nature.
I have a 12-month-old Yorkie who I can't get to jump up on command and rarely jumps at all. He can jump off the couch/bed but can't jump up onto it. He's a little guy and he's only six pounds but I still feel like he should be doing more jumping than he does. I used to consider it a blessing that he can't jump on the couch or bed but after witnessing other small-breed dogs jump all the time, I want my dog to do the same. I tried holding treats above his head but the most he'll do is stand on his hind legs to get it. If the treat is too high, he won't even try to get it until I lower it to a level that he can reach it without jumping.
Last night he was tossing a toy around when it landed near the edge of the couch. After a few failed attempts to reach it by standing on his hind legs, he finally jumped and his hind legs went about three inches in the air! I re-created this by putting another toy on the couch but that's the only time I can get him to jump. It would be nice if I could get him to jump all the way on the couch instead of just to get a toy off it. Does anyone have any suggestions?
If he can't jump, don't force him. Small breeds are prone to having patella luxation, their knee caps pop out of joint. My first Maltese had to have surgery to correct the problem. She was about a year and a half old when she began to favor her hind leg.
I used to have a maltese that couldn't/wouldn't jump in the bed or couch. I was hesitant to lift her on because she wasn't afraid to jump down, and I was worried she could injure herself (once had a dog get splint fractures on both front legs from jumping down to far/often). So I got her a little step stool, and the problem was solved.
I don't want him to hurt himself so I won't force him to jump. But I don't want him to be afraid of everything either. When he plays with other dogs at my aunt's house, he's the only one who can't jump on the couch. The other dogs are a shih tzu and yorkie/chihuahua mix who are so agile and jump all over the place. My dog just watches them unless they're down on the floor with him.
I tried using a step stool also but he's afraid of it, so that's another fear we have to overcome before he'll even use it.
Some dogs just don't like to jump. I had sibling dogs and one was like tigger, he would jump over tall fences and climb ladders. His sister, was a sissy. If you tried to pick her up she would become a lead weight. He'd jump over the tailgate to get in the truck, her, you had to put the tailgate down and sometimes help her in. And they are a big breed.
We have a 5-lb Yorkie. She prepares to jump to the couch by rocking back and forth several times before the final leap. Otherwise, she'll stand on her back legs to get picked up. We bought steps and ramps which she's afraid of but, will jump out of bed without a thought. That'd be like me jumping from a 5-story window. Who knows what goes on inside their little heads?
Maybe some dogs just don't enjoy jumping as much as other dogs. After about an hour of working with my dog he can finally jump on the couch to retrieve a toy anytime he wants! I would put his favorite toy on the couch and give him a treat when he successfully retrieved it. It took a while for him to correlate getting a treat with jumping on the couch but he finally did it
My dogs were afraid to jump when I first got them. I would call them and they'd put their front legs up, than I'd slowly lift their butt until they could pull themselves up. Maybe within a few days, they were jumping up and down freely and willingly.
Now that you've proven to yourself that he can do it, quit tricking him into to doing it. Let the dog be himself. You haven't ruled out medical issues. If you continue to encourage him to do something he wouldn't normally do without being enticed, you could do damage. If he decides to be a jumper going forward, great. If he prefers not to, leave him alone and stop putting his toys where he can't reach them. I think it's downright silly to want him to do something simply because other dogs do it. Just love your dog for who he is.
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