Curbing Your Dog's Jumping

Isn't it cute when your dog is so excited to see new people that he jumps up on them? While some people may think it's cute if your dog is a toy poodle or a Yorkshire Terrier, they definitely wouldn't consider it very cute if that dog was a Mastiff or a Great Dane. In fact, jumping up on people – no matter what size dog you have – is not cute, it is a sign of bad behavior that owners need to curb. 

There are good reasons for stopping this behavior even in a smaller dog. For one, not everyone is comfortable with dogs. If you pass a small child during a walk and your dog tries to jump up on them, it could terrify that child. Not to mention dogs are strong enough to easily knock someone over, particularly if that person is not expecting to be jumped up on. 

The bottom line is you should never allow your dog to jump up on people. The question is, how do you stop them?

First of all, realize that the problem probably starts with you. Do you allow your dog to jump on you when you come home? If so, you should stop this immediately and that's going to require that you break the habit. You can't simply start pushing the dog down with your hands – most dogs will think you're playing with them and this will actually make them more persistent about jumping up, not less. 

Instead, ignore your dog and simply turn around. The movement of your body will knock your dog off of you and if you're not looking at him then he isn't getting the attention he desperately wants. Every time he jumps up on you, you should turn around in this way. After a few weeks, your dog will start to get the message. You can learn some other ways of breaking this habit by reading this article at DogsOnly.org or by reading “Jumping Up” from the ASPCA. 

Of course, that's not the entire solution. You also need to teach your dog how to appropriately greet you and other visitors. That begins by teaching the dog how to sit, if he or she doesn't already know. Once your dog will sit on command, you should start practicing. Ask anyone you know, including neighborhood kids, to help you work with your dog. Have them ring your doorbell, then you make your dog sit before opening the door. Correct the dog if he gets up without being released. If the dog stays in a Sit position and remains calm, only then can your guest pet him. 

Another way to deal with the problem is by teaching your dog to jump on command. While this may sound counterintuitive, it is actually a good way of getting control over a bad behavior. Because you tell the dog when to jump up and when to get off, the behavior no longer becomes something you dog does whenever he chooses. To teach him to jump up, you just pat your chest and say “jump.” When the dog jumps up, give him a treat and praise him. Then say “Off” and turn around to make your dog get down. Eventually, your dog will learn both “Jump” and “Off” as commands that you can use to gain more control over his behavior.

If this article was useful to you and your pet, check out other helpful dog articles on behavior modification.