Did you know that your dog greets other dogs by bumping on each other’s snouts? The reason why dogs jump on you is that he/she wants to give you a nose bump too. Since your dog is short enough to reach your nose, he/she jumps.
Humans are to blame for the behavior of their dogs. Not only do people allow jumping, but they also encourage it.
It may be hard to resist a cute puppy at first, but permitting jumping can be a real problem when your pet grows up. Also, tolerating your pet to jump can be dangerous for you and other people too. You can get bruises or scratches, or an elderly or a child may be attacked and injured.
Solving this behavioral problem requires managing the circumstances and teaching your dog. With that said, here are some tips on how to train a dog not to jump up.
Manage the Circumstances
Managing means you should control the circumstances so your pet won’t find an opportunity to jump on you or on other people. You can use this approach until your canine is trained enough not to bounce on people.
For example, if your dog is used to jumping on house guests, control him by doing the following before your visitors arrive:
- Command your dog to stay on his/her crate
- Put your dog in a different room
- Restrain him/her with a leash
Managing the situation will stop your dog from jumping on others while you train him/her proper behavior.
Teach Your Dog
Don’t encourage your dog to jump on others or you for attention. Train your canine the opposite of jumping (e.g., sitting). If he/she sits, give him/her your attention, but if he/she jumps, ignore him/her. Note that consistency matters, so everyone in the house must follow the same training rules.
What to Do When Your Canine Jumps on Others?
Ask someone your dog knows to help with the training. It must be someone your dog wants to welcome.
Teach your dog to follow the command “sit.” Assuming that your dog has learned this trick, let the other person approach your dog. If your canine stands up, ask the greeter to walk away.
Then, tell your pet to sit again and let the visitor approach again. Repeat the process until your canine learns to remain seated every time the visitor approaches.
Once your dog obeys, let the greeter give him/her a treat.
When you are out walking your canine, you must control the circumstances and teach your dog not to jump. If someone approaches you and your pet:
- Stop him/her from going near, telling him/her that you’re training your dog not to jump
- Give the stranger a treat
- Tell your canine to sit
- Instruct the stranger to hand the treat if your dog doesn’t jump or remains seated
Some people may tell you that it’s okay if your canine jumps, but do bear in mind that consistency is crucial in training. If you want your dog to learn, be strict and don’t make any exceptions.
What to Do When Your Canine Jumps on You?
When you arrive home:
- Greet your pet quietly
- If he/she leaps on you, ignore him/her and act as if you’re leaving the house again
- Repeat the process until your dog learns to remain on the floor every time you go inside the door and greet him/her
Management and training both require patience, but all the time and effort you put into it will be worth it.