My Dog Jumps on People

Dog jumps on other people

Jumping on people is a natural behavior for dogs. From a human perspective, however, jumping up to greet someone can sometimes be annoying and dangerous. Clothes can also get dirty from muddy paws, and people can be knocked over, especially the elderly and children. It is therefore more polite and much safer to teach your dog to greet people appropriately.

In the following article, we will show you how to train your dog to stop jumping up.

✋🏼 Why Dogs Greet by Jumping Up

"The dog is jumping on me!". You've probably heard something like that before. It's not so easy to break the habit of jumping up, because dogs repeat behaviors for which they are rewarded. And there are few things that reward your pet more than your attention. But other family members, visitors, and strangers can also reinforce the behavior. Even negative reactions such as shouting at your dog or grabbing their paws are attention and can reinforce the behavior. For many dogs, pushing them away is simply part of a wrestling match.

🦮 How can you break them of this habit?

To prevent your dog from jumping on other people, you need to break them of the habit of jumping up and eliminate the associated rewards. This means you need to manage your dog so that they don't get the opportunity to practice jumping, while you teach them an alternative and more appropriate way to greet.

1. Exercise:

🐾 Your dog is allowed to keep its paws on the ground

You can proceed as follows:

1. Put your dog on a leash and have someone approach your dog

2. Before the person reaches your dog, throw several treats on the ground. While your dog is eating from the ground, the person should pet and greet them

3. Before your dog finishes eating, the person should walk away again

4. After a few repetitions, repeat the above steps, but this time extend the greeting and throw treats on the ground the entire time

5. Once your dog can keep all four paws on the ground, let them greet the person before you throw the first treat on the ground

When your dog starts to understand the rules, you can gradually give fewer treats until the greeting is the only reward.

The trick with this technique is to be quick with the treats. You need to anticipate your dog's jumping behavior and give the treats before it can happen.

If you are too late and the dog jumps, have the person turn around and walk away while you stop feeding the dog. Dogs are very adaptable! Over time, your dog will realize that four paws on the ground bring attention and treats, while jumping brings nothing.

2. Exercise

👆🏼 How to train Sit for Greetings

You can proceed as follows:

1. It is best to leash your dog

2. Instruct your dog to sit from a few meters away

If he does, approach him calmly. If he stands up, turn around, go back to the starting point, and instruct him to sit again. If he stays seated, approach him and quietly praise and stroke him. As soon as he stands up, turn around and walk away, and so on.

3. Once your dog understands steps 1 & 2, start further approaches

Once your dog masters the "sit" for greetings, you can return to the first step with friends and family members.

4. Sit should be your dog's way of saying "please"

The more you practice, the better

3. Exercise

🦮 How to Prevent Jumping During Training

For example, if your dog knows the command "Go to your place," you can send him to his mat or crate as soon as the doorbell rings.

Alternatively, you can install a baby gate at the entrance to prevent your dog from reaching visitors.

Leashing your dog when guests arrive can also prevent him from jumping.

Another management trick is to keep toys and treats by the front door. You can throw the reward away from the door to keep your dog occupied while your visitor enters.

Or your guest can use the treat or toy to reward your dog for a proper greeting.

When walking your dog, preventing jumping can be particularly difficult. Instead, get your dog's attention with a "watch me" command or by squeaking a toy and let the stranger pass. Once your dog is ready to greet people on the street, explain the procedure to people. Ask them to ignore your dog if he doesn't follow the rules. In no time, your dog will understand how to politely say hello, whether at the front door or on the sidewalk.