It’s something that every dog owners wonders from time to time – why do dogs jump on people? I know my own dogs are both bad for jumping up, but that’s partly because I have never stopped them jumping up and giving me a hug.
But if you want to stop your dog from jumping up on people then it’s good to understand why they do it and how you can stop it.
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Why Do Dogs Jump On People?
There are a few reasons why your dog jumps up, but mainly it’s to get attention from you. When you push them away or say no you are still giving them attention and contact. To them it’s still eye contact, contact by touch or speech, and usually this is what they want.
3 Reasons Dogs Jump Up
- Excitement to see you
- To get your attention
- To assert their dominance over you.
How To Stop Your Dog Jumping On People?
#1. Restrict Attention When You First Come Home
Well the golden rule is not to give your dog any attention when you walk through the door. If they are barking or jumping on you, completely ignore them. No eye contact, no acknowledgement, pretend they do not exist. Wait until they have reached a calm submissive state and are behaving in your desired way before giving them any attention.
Now I know this is a difficult thing to do if you have been away all day. All you want to do is rush in the door and greet your dog. It’s not going to instantly work. It will take time before the dog realises that jumping on you gets them nowhere.
#2. Restrict Their Access When Guests Arrive
If you are having guests over, put the dog into a separate room. Once the guest has sat down, bring the dog in. If they go to jump on the person, give them a time out in a separate room again. Keep doing this until the dog understands that it’s not acceptable to greet people in that way.
Make sure your guests are aware of what you are doing and are on board with it.
#3. Pay Them No Attention
When a dog consistently jumps up on you if you ignore them or turn away you are showing them that jumping up gets them no attention. It takes a lot of commitment but if you only acknowledge them when they are behaving they will soon learn that jumping is not the answer.
Top Tip : Don’t give in! Keep at it.
#4. Reward Your Dog
As with all dog training, reward is important to show your dog when they are doing the right thing. If you reward them with a treat when all four paws are on the floor then they will soon learn which is the preferred behaviour and that jumping up is not what you want them to do.
Make it a positive experience for them and fuss and treat them when they stop jumping up.
What’s The Key To Success?
The two keys to doing this successfully are consistency and patience.
The dog will not learn if you are teaching them one thing and someone else in the household is letting them do the opposite. Warn family and friends of the new rules and make sure they stick to it!
Have you successfully trained your dog not to jump? And if so, how did you do it? Let us know.
