Stop Your Dog from Jumping Up

When dogs are overly excited they will usually jump on people. Though some people find this behaviour cute, it should not in any instance encouraged.

If this kind of action is not corrected, the dog may jump on someone with muddy feet which can be very embarrassing for the dog’s owner and annoying for the person whose clothes become soiled with mud or dirt from the dog’s paws.

Such behaviour can also result injury especially if a dog jumps on a child who is smaller than the toppling dog. The best way to stop this behaviour is discouraging it before it even starts. Some dogs will jump on people in order to get attention. In such instances, never pay attention to such a dog. Ignore the dog until he/she is sits down calmly or lies on the floor then you can pet the puppy. You should also let your visitors know this.

Reward the dog any time they greet you without jumping on you. The reward will serve as a motivator for the dog to repeat the correct behaviour. The reward should be offered in a timely manner so that the dog is able to make the association between the act of being seated and calm with the reward. Vice versa, it is also able to remember that jumping up on you equals no reward.

Never encourage the behaviour especially when the dog is small and young. Discourage this behaviour from the start. If the puppy tries to jump on you, move some steps away from the dog. If the dog still attempts to jump on you, then turn your body away and ignore the dog.

Dog obedience training is also helpful in curbing this problem. If the dog jumps on someone or tries to jump on you, you can command the dog to “sit.” This will stop the dog from jumping up and make him focus on complying with the command you have given. Praise the dog for complying with the command you gave.

If your dog has a tendency to jump on other people, you can use choke collars. These collars will apply pressure on the dog’s neck when tugged and will stop the dog from jumping. The use of these collars is not encouraged even though they are very effective in dog training.

This is because they may result in injury to the dog and are a form of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement has unpredictable results especially when the correction is removed. In this case what happens when the collar is done away with? Will the dog still refrain from jumping on people?

Be consistent in your discouragement of this habit. Reward the dog for ceasing this behaviour. Here’s a tip you can use when rewarding. Ensure your dog keeps his feet on the ground. Do not hold the treat above the dog’s head since this will only encourage the dog to lift his feet in order to reach it. In this case, the dog might think that he is rewarded for jumping up to retrieve the treat. This is wrong and encourages jumping up.

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