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How to Stop Dog Jumping

We have all been there, you get home from work or the grocery store and the first thing you get when you open the door is an over excited dog jumping on you to say hello. He knocks the groceries out of your arms and leaves scratches down your legs and torso. Or even worse, a small child get in the way and is knocked to the ground.

Sorry to say this, but you probably taught him to greet you in this manner.

Many unsuspecting dog owners encourage this behavior way before it be comes a problem and the next thing you know you have a dog with an unacceptable behavior problem. You see, you would encourage your cute little fluff ball of fun (when he was a puppy) to come running to you and jump on your leg. At that time he could barely reach your knee cap, if that. And then, like most everyone, you would reach down and pet him of maybe pick him up.

You have just taught your puppy a very nice lesson, if he runs up to you and jumps on your foot or knee he can get praise and affection. Fast foreword a few months and now that little puppy is as much as 5 or 6 times the size that he was, but still thinking like a puppy, (”if I jump on my owner he will give me love”). He does not know the difference between his puppy size, of say 4 or 5lbs and his new size of maybe 30 or 40lbs or more, not to mention he is taller now and can reach up to your arms or chest. All he knows is that he wants the praise and affection that he has missed all day long and you taught him how to get it, by jumping.

Is it bad manners to have a dog jump on you?

You have to put your foot down and make it clear that jumping is no longer an accepted behavior. When is jumping O.K.? Many owners of toy breed dogs or smaller dogs expect their dog to jump up. This is totally up to you. But, when any dog jumps on an unsuspecting guest, it can cause a bit of an awkward moment. This is why teaching your dog the “off” command is also a good idea. You can train your dog to jump on your command; we will get into that later.

For larger dog breeds, there really is no debate on this matter. You should either never allow him to jump or at the very least work the “off” or “no jump” command in to their regular training. After all it is one thing to have to deal with scrapes or soiled cloths due to your own dog, it is quite another to have to deal with him jumping on a guest or stranger.

Generally, there are two reasons why dogs jump.

The number one reason dogs jump is most likely out of pure excitement after a long separation (returning home from work) or during playtime when adrenaline is running high.

A much more complicated and serious reason dogs jump, is to display his dominance over you. Centuries of the pack mentality are still evident in all dogs and if there is doubt in who is alpha in your dogs pack (your family) he may try to exert his dominance over you. One of the behaviors dogs use to show physical superiority is to place one or both paws over a lesser animals shoulders.

Well, how do you know if you have an over excited dog that likes to jump on you or a dog that is trying display is dominance? This is fairly easy to determine, if your dog only jumps on you upon returning home from a long absents, you needn’t worry, this is just a bad habit that can be corrected. If you find that your dog jumps on you or others in many different situations, then you have a communication problem with the hierarchy in your house and it might be a good idea to brush up on your alpha dog skills.

On the other hand, if he jumps in a variety of situations, you could be dealing with more of a dominance issue and symptoms of a more complicated problem of communication and attitude. The longer this type of behavior is allowed to happen the harder it will be to regain control of the jumping issues. At this point and time I would highly suggest that you study alpha-dog techniques (tip: you can find more great information on dealing with a dominate dog over at Ez Dog Training At Home, you can find the link for this web site at the bottom of this page)

How to Stop Dog Jumping Fast

This means sticking to your training plan every day until there is not longer a problem. Your dog will not stop jumping on you if you allow it one day and not the next or allow him to jump on you but not your children. If you send this message to your dog he will jump when ever he feels like it.

This means that you must fallow your stop jumping techniques always. You can’t expect your dog to understand the difference between playtime and greeting, nice cloths and play cloths, rainy days or sunny days. If you let your dog jump at anytime, he will feel free to jump whenever he feels like it.

Here is the best way to stop dog jumping.

When your dog jumps on you or is about to jump on you, turn your back to him and ignore this behavior. As soon as he has all four paws on the ground praise him. If he goes to jump again turn your back, cross your arms and face away.

This technique works really well because dogs actually study and understand body language more so than the spoken word.

Again, as soon as he has all four paws back on the ground praise him lavishly. Don’t worry that you may be confusing him, dogs have a very short “training memory” and they can only comprehend the reaction you give to his behavior at that moment.

Reinforce the good behavior, as soon as he keeps all for paws on the ground, reward him. If he gets excited again and goes to jump, give him the cold shoulder again. Don’t worry if the cold shoulder and the praise are within seconds of each other, dogs have a very short training memory and are only capable of associating the reaction you give with the behavior he is presenting at moment. So, it will work really well if you give extreme affection when he keeps his paws to himself and the cold shoulder a half of second later.

To learn more about dog training basics Stop by Matt Closson’s site where you can find out all about leash training a dog and how you can get a free 6 day training course.

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