If you have been a dog owner for any length of time you know that a dog jumping on you or others can be be frustrating and embarrassing. I know the situation all to well, you come home from a long day at work, you walk into the front door and boom, your greeted with a big wet kiss sharp paws running down your arms or torso, ouch! Or even worse your smaller child get caught in the excitement and gets knocked over and scratched as well.

Well, I am sorry, but this could be all your fault. Let me explain:

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.

By doing this, your puppy just learned an important lesson: when I jump up on my owner I get the reward of love! Your dog doesn’t know the difference between the small pup that he once was and the large dog that he is now. All he knows is what you taught him early in his life, when dad or mom gets home I’ll run over and jump on him to show him how much missed him and they will love me back.

It’s Bad form to have a jumping dog.

My advice is to never allow jumping. But, most owners of small dog breeds or “toy” breed dogs, expect there dog to jump on them (your personal preference). Jumping on an unprepared house guest could prove to be uncomfortable. If you do decide to allow your dog to jump, it is best to work with him on the “off” command. That way if he were to jump on someone or something you can quickly get him off.

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.

Why does dog jumping happen?

Most often dog jumping happens out of pure excitement. Usually greeting an owner after a long absents or when adrenaline is running high. Some dog don’t jump at all accept when greeting their owner after a long day away.

The number two reason dogs jump is a bit more complicated and serous. It has to do with dominance. Dogs social order comes from a pack mentality and the only way to move up the ranks in a pack is to show physical superiority over the lesser animal. Dogs often demonstrate their superiority over other dogs by mounting or jumping on the lesser dogs back or shoulders.

That’s all well and good, but why is my dog jumping on me and how do I stop this behavior? First off, lets determine which type of jumping problem we are dealing with. This is pretty simple: If your dog jumps on you or anyone else out side of an excited welcome or high energy playtime, your dog is trying to dominate you or the person that he is jumping on. This will have to be dealt with in a much different way and you should bone up on your alpha dog techniques. (Tip: Secrets to dog training has a great course on dog behavior problems, you can find the link at the bottom of this page.)

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)

Your actions are key to eliminating this annoying and possibly dangerous habit of your dogs. As with most all dog training consistency in your training will speed up his learning curve and prove to be more reliable. To stop dog jumping you have to make it clear to your dog that jumping is no longer tolerated.

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.

The easiest way to stop unwanted behavior in dogs also happens to be the most effective way. Simply, ignore the bad or unwanted behavior and reward the desired behavior. No need to yell, beat or correct harshly, although your first instinct may be exactly that.

Most professional trainers agree that the most effective way is also the easiest way to stop unwanted behavior (such as jumping) in your dog is to ignore him whenever he jumps. No need to yell or correct, although that is usually the first thing that comes to mind when your dog just ruined another pair of nylons or scratch one of your children.

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.

When you turn away from your dog, cross your arms and advert your eyes, totally ignoring his jump. You will see, by giving him the cold shoulder how quickly he will calm down.

Turn your back, cross your arms and turn your eyes and face away from your dog. Giving your dog the cold shoulder is very effective and he will calm down rather quickly.

Continue this cycle and you will notice that he will clam down rather quickly.

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.

Related posts:

  1. Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up On You
  2. Stop Your Dog From Jumping
  3. Why 4 To 8 Dog Agility Jumps Are Ideal
  4. Stop Dog Jumping
  5. Tips For Stopping Puppy Jumping Behavior

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Filed under: Dog Training

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