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Episode #225 The Jump Sit Treat Theory · The Puppy Training Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Today we're going to talk about the jump sit treat theory.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: If you don't know what that is, hang on, we're going to teach you all about it.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: I think you're going to like this one.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Hello everybody, welcome to the show today.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're here.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: I hope you're doing well.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: I hope you're enjoying life.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: I hope you are finding fun in training your dog.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: I know training sometimes can be monotonous, it can be frustrating, but it can also be rewarding, so hopefully you're having a good time Now.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Here's a tip for today.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: This is that jump sit treat theory.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Sometimes our dogs get into a pattern that we don't love and we want to change it, recognizing that dogs learn by patterns and that they're really good at finding patterns.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: Sometimes it works to our advantage, other times it doesn't.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: So today on the podcast, I have my trainer, amanda Crosland, here.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: She's going to teach us all about this theory, what it is, what it means and if you see similar patterns forming in your dog's development, how to change it.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: All right, you guys enjoy.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: My name is Amanda, I am a professional dog trainer and a therapist, and today I want to talk about something I call the jump-sit-treat theory.
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: Let me ask you this has your dog ever jumped on you and, instead of reacting with frustration, you told them to sit and then rewarded them with a treat?
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Does this sound familiar?
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: What if I told you that by doing that, you might actually be teaching your dog to jump or bite, or bark, or lunge more, or lunge more?
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: Here's how it works.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: Your dog jumps on you, you notice.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: You ask them for a sit.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: They sit.
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: You give them a treat.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: In your mind you rewarded the sit, but in the dog's mind the jump started the whole chain of events.
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: So now your dog learns jump, sit, treat.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Jumping becomes part of the process.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: It's not an unwanted behavior anymore, it's a required step in the routine.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: And here's the key Dogs are masters of patterns.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: They thrive on routines and sequences.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: They aren't analyzing your tone or logic the way a human would.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: They're thinking in terms of cause and effect.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: If jumping consistently leads to a sit cue and then a treat, then jumping is a necessary first move.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: Let's say, your dog jumps when you come home.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: You're tired, so you pet them quickly to calm them down, or you ask for a sit and toss a cookie.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: In both cases, the dog just learned when I jump, I get attention or snacks.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Perfect, I'll do that again.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Even negative attention can reinforce a behavior.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: If you push the dog off or yell no and then ask them to sit, that interaction still feels engaging to them.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: They got your energy.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: That matters to a social animal like a dog.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: To break the pattern, we have to shift our response.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Ignore the jump, wait for calm, reward only the absence of the jump or, even better, proactively cue a sit before they jump.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: Teaching your dog to replace an impulsive behavior with a thoughtful one takes consistency and timing.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: It's not just about obedience.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: It's about reshaping their entire understanding of what behavior gets them what they want.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: And a dog will always do what works.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: So if jumping works, they will do it.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: If sitting works, they will do it.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: Be proactive and think ahead of your dog.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: Get one step ahead of them, proactively, jump in and ask for the behavior you want when you anticipate an undesirable behavior coming around the corner.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Now let's bring this into the human world, because I'm a therapist.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: I see this all the time.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: We go through our own versions of jump sit treat.
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: Let's say you procrastinate on a big project, you panic, then finally focus, pull an all-nighter and you get it all done.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: Your boss praises your work.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: Guess what your brain just learned panic, work, reward.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: Now panic becomes part of your process.
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: Or maybe you snap at your partner I see this one a lot.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: Then you have this heartfelt talk, you reconnect, you forgive, you say sorry and you feel close again.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: The argument got you the connection.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: Now your nervous system believes react, repair, reward.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: We teach ourselves emotional patterns the same way we teach dogs behavioral patterns.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: We react first and fix later.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: The truth is, you guys this is key If we want to change our dog's behavior, we have to start with our own.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: Dogs are emotional mirrors.
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: They feel our energy.
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: If we're anxious, they get anxious.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: If we're calm, they settle into calm.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: So if your dog is jumping, barking, biting, lunging, it's not just about obedience, it's about impulse control, theirs and ours.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: We can't expect our dogs to regulate their emotions if we can't regulate our own.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: Start noticing your own triggers.
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: When do you go into jump mode?
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: What makes you reactive?
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: Practicing calm, intentional responses teaches both you and your dog new ways of being.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: So here's your takeaway Next time your dog jumps, take a breath, pause, ask yourself what am I rewarding right now?
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: Am I reinforcing a habit I actually want?
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: And then ask the same thing to yourself Are you jumping emotionally only to reward the recovery?
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: When we become mindful and less reactive, we become better dog handlers and more emotionally grounded humans.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: And remember dog training isn't just about reacting to misbehavior, it's about being proactive.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: We teach this so much at Baxter and Bella.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: If your dog tends to bark at the door, lunge on a leash or get mouthy with excitement, start thinking ahead.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: What triggers those behaviors?
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: What can you do before the impulse kicks in?
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: Can you redirect, interrupt early or teach an alternative behavior?
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: Being proactive means preparing your dog for success, not just correcting failure.
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: It means managing the environment, reading their body language and staying one step ahead of the behavior you want to avoid.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: So remember to train your dog.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: Start by training yourself.
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Until next time, happy training.