Dear Uncle Matty: During the holidays (both Thanksgiving and Christmas), our house is going to be full of visiting relatives. It's a kind of family reunion, and some of them are getting up there in years. Two elderly uncles walk with canes, and others usually need some kind of assistance. I'm worried about Briskett, our energetic Labrador. She is 13 months old and a real handful.

The problem is, she not only jumps up on people when they first enter the house, but if they say anything to her, she's up and at 'em or in their laps if they are sitting down. Other than this problem, she is a really wonderful dog. She has not had any formal training, but she caught on to "Sit" and "Come here" all by herself. How can we teach her not to knock people down? — Anne C., in Boston

Dear Anne: The problem is the lack of training and a lack of true communication between you and your dog. A well-trained dog will always SIT and STAY on command. And if she is SITTING and STAYING, it is impossible for her to be JUMPING and SCARING your guests, and possibly injuring them. Your options are to hire a trainer who can solve the problems or to work with your dog yourself. Solving the jumping problem is not difficult, but it will require some time and effort. Do not resort to abusive techniques like kneeing the dog in the chest or stepping on her back toes. It is cruel treatment and harms the relationship between you and your best friend.

There are a lot of ways to correct a dog. One of the most effective is the corrective jerk using a training collar and leash. But you must know how to execute the correction properly. See "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things," Siegal-Margolis, published by Little Brown and available at unclematty.com or at most libraries.

There are a couple of quick fixes that may work quite nicely. If your dog is not shy, keep a whistle around your neck or a shake can handy (empty soda can with a few pennies taped inside). Then, have someone greet your dog in the same fashion that usually encourages her to jump. When she does, blow the whistle followed by a firm "NO." Or use the shake can and say a firm "NO." When your dog stops jumping, praise her. Repeat this four or five times. If your dog is shy, a firm "NO" may be sufficient as opposed to a loud noise that may scare her.

This will help, but you still need to train yourself and this pooch in the basics. Without training, the problems are endless. Remember, don't get rid of the dog, get rid of the problem.

Woof!

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is host of the PBS series, WOOF! It's a Dog's Life with new episodes starting this December. Check your local PBS stations for dates and times. Margolis is also co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, and a popular radio and television guest. Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate web site (http://www.creators.com), and visit him at http://www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619

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