If you have ever owned a dog, one time or another you have probably dealt with this problem. Your dog is so happy to see you that he jumps up on you getting his muddy paws all over your new suit or dress. Or even worse, during his excitement he jumps on a smaller child and knocks them down or scratches the child’s face, arms or legs. Well, guess what, you probably taught your puppy this bad habit. Let me explain:
When your dog was a puppy, he was much smaller and when he came running to you he would jump on your ankle or maybe your knee, no big deal right? And in response to your little bundle of joy, you would reach down and pet him, maybe even pick him up.
You have just taught your puppy a very important lesson, “when I jump up on my owners leg he/she gives me love!” Fast foreword a few months and now that once small little puppy is 3, 4, maybe 5 times the size he once was. He doesn’t understand the difference, he just wants the love that he knows how to get by jumping on you.
Before we move on to how to stop dogs jumping on you, let me make it clear that there are two main reasons why a dog may jump on you.
The first being out of extreme excitement. Usually rejoicing after a long absents from you.(come home from work)
The second and much more serious reason why some dogs jump on people is to show dominance. Dominance issues are a more complicated problem of communication and attitude. Dominance, If let unchecked for too long could really be difficult to over come. If you feel that you may be dealing with a dog that is jumping on people to display dominance, I suggest that you brush up on your alpha dog skills.
How you react to your dog jumping on you and others will determine whether or not he repeats this behavior. You will have to make a commitment to continuing effort and consistency in dealing with this problem. To stop dog jumping you have to make it clear to your dog that it is never acceptable to jump on you or anyone.
What this means is you are going to fallow though with the same training all the time every day until he masters this new behavior. You can’t expect your dog to know the difference between nice cloths and play cloths, muddy paws and clean paws or play time and greeting time. If you let him jump in one situation he will think it’s ok to jump when ever he feels like it.
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. You must ignore the bad behavior.
When your dog goes to jump on you, turn your back on him right away. Dogs understand body language much more than the spoken word. So, what you need to do here is use your posture to get your message though loud and clear. As soon as he gets his paws are back on the ground, reward him with praise. If he gets excited again and goes to jump, turn your back, head and eyes away from him (the cold shoulder). You can repeat this cycle several times in a matter of seconds. Don’t concern yourself with confusing your dog because they can only comprehend your reaction to their given behavior at that moment. Continue this training technique for the next several days and soon your dog will stop jumping on you.
