There’s nothing better than being greeted by your excited dog after you’ve been out of the house all day (or for five minutes). But sometimes their excitement needs dialing back a little. Just like puppy bites, a puppy jumping up for hugs is cute, but when they’re an 80-pound adult dog and you’ve got your arms full of groceries, that’s a different story. Here are some management techniques dog owners can try to help their dog show their unbridled joy in a calmer way.
Why Do Dogs Jump on You?
Jumping up is a normal play and greeting behavior of dogs. Dogs greet each other nose-to-nose, and they typically want to do the same with us. Because our noses aren’t at dog level, they jump up to reach our faces. Dogs don’t typically intend to hurt the people they’re greeting with a jump or two. They simply don’t understand that humans think it’s poor canine petiquette, especially when they’re allowed to jump on us some times but not others.
Other reasons why dogs jump on us:
- To attract attention, whether positive or negative
- To release energy, from sheer excitement or hyperactivity
- To cope with anxiety triggered by the presence of strangers in the house
Since jumping is part of the normal way dogs greet and play, your dog’s behavior will likely continue unless they’re taught to stop jumping.
How to Train Dogs Not to Jump
Curbing your dog’s behavior requires both management of the situation and training your dog (and potentially yourself and other family members).
The management part of the equation means not letting your dog have an opportunity to jump up. When you limit the opportunities for jumping behavior, you also prevent inadvertent rewards (your attention) that encourage your dog to continue the behavior.
One option for managing jumping is to remove your dog from situations where jumping is known to occur, like when visitors arrive at your home. Basically, you’re not allowing your dog to greet visitors when they first come through the front door. You could use a baby gate to confine your dog to a specific area, crate your dog or keep them in a room with a closed door. Once your dog is calm, put their leash on and let them welcome visitors. If they jump when approaching guests, gently turn and lead them away. Wait for your dog to stay calm, then approach again.
Preventing Dog Jumping Takes Time and Training
The training component of eliminating jumping behavior involves withdrawing the reward or consequence (you and your attention) when your dog starts to jump and giving a reward (also you and your attention) when your dog isn’t jumping. By ignoring and not interacting with your dog until they are calm, you remove accidental reinforcement of their behavior.
One effective strategy to stop most dogs from jumping up is to ignore them while they’re jumping. Each time your dog jumps up, stand calmly and turn away with your arms crossed. Avoid eye contact and don’t talk to or touch your dog. When the jumping stops, wait for four seconds of four paws on the floor, then reward their calm behavior with your attention. If your dog jumps again, ignore them again. If your dog persistently jumps, you may need to walk away or out the door, closing it behind you.
Another effective option dog trainers use is to teach an alternative behavior for greeting people. The alternative behavior could be commands your dog already knows, such as “sit,” “stay” or “mat.” If you can teach your dog to do something that’s incompatible with jumping up, they can’t perform both behaviors at the same time. And if your dog isn’t sitting, there’s no attention.
Why Does My Dog Jump on Me Still?
To stop dog jumping takes time and patience. Consistent interactions and training are necessary to teach and solidify the good behaviors you want your dog to learn. That means it’s important for everyone in the family to follow the training program at all times. Your dog will become confused and likely continue to jump up if someone allows the jumping to continue. So no jumping allowed — no matter how excited your dog is to see you!
