One of the most common behavioral issues that dog owners ask about is how to stop a dog from jumping up on people. Yet, jumping up is such a natural greeting behavior for dogs.
So you might think stopping a dog from jumping up on people would be a challenging behavior to overcome. Well, the good news is that it’s not!
With a few behavior changes for you and your dog and some new rules for the dog, it is possible.
How Do I Get My Dog to Stop Jumping on People?
The best way to stop a dog from jumping up on people is to:
- ignore the behavior completely
- reward the dog when all four paws are on the ground
By “Ignore the dog completely”, I mean not even telling your dog “No” or “Off” or “Down.” In your dog’s head, your words mean attention, which equals a reward for jumping up.
If people give the dog any attention, the dog will keep jumping up.
Changing Your Dogs Behavior
Jumping up is an instinctive behavior for dogs, so when people arrive at your home, you have a couple of options.
Put a lead on your dog so that they do not get the opportunity to jump up.
Or teach them to sit or lay down in a special place. When someone knocks on the door the dog goes to the designated place and waits until the visitor has settled in.
Your dog is then invited over the meet the guest in a low-key tone. And encourage your guests to talk to your dog in a calm voice. – if guests, especially children, are too excited, it will encourage the dog to jump up.
Reward your dog with dog treats for remaining calm and on the floor, or put them in time out for ten minutes if they jump up.
Dog Training Tip: The more significant (and juicer) the reward, the more your dog will work for it in the future.
Repetition and consistency are key when training a dog to learn any new behavior.
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Changing Your Behavior
Remember that jumping up is a natural, instinctive behavior for dogs. And it’s easy to get frustrated when trying to discourage this behavior. Don’t!
As your dog is about to jump up, you turn your back on your dog or step back and ignore them completely. This will discourage your dog from jumping up because s/he cannot fulfill their desire to jump up.
When you arrive home, remain calm when you first see your dog. Any excitement on your behalf will excite your dog, which will encourage them to jump up.
To Recap
- Jumping up is a natural behavior for dogs
- When guests arrive, put your dog on a lead, or
- Train your dog to go to a particular place and wait until invited to meet the guest
- Turn away or step back to discourage jumping up
- Always greet your dog in a calm manner
- Be persistent and consistent, so your dog learns that jumping up is not permitted behavior.
That is how to stop a dog from jumping up on people!
However, this was the two-minute version, if you’d like to read a more detailed version, see my article titled: How to Stop a Dog From Jumping on People which covers the subject more thoroughly.
Having Trouble Calming Your Dog Down?
If you’d like to learn how to calm your dog down so that they obey your commands, even when all hell is breaking loose, then watch this video: Five Step-by-Step Exercises to Calm Your Dog
