How To Stop Dog Jumping -- Five Dog Obedience Tips That Really Work

by Darlene Norris

Are you frustrated with your dog jumping up on you and others? Although jumping is a normal behavior for a canine, it can be frightening if your pup jumps up on kids or older people, and downright dangerous if he knocks someone down. To stop dog jumping, you need to understand why dogs jump.

Three Reasons For Jumping Dogs

He's greeting you. Canines greet each other by sniffing faces. Since most humans are taller than their pets, they jump up to reach your face.

He's asserting his dominance over you. If he thinks he's the alpha dog in your pack, this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed right away.

You've probably been rewarding him for this behavior, whether you meant to or not. If you feed him or give him attention when he jumps on you, you're rewarding him for jumping on you, which only encourages him to keep doing it.

Five Dog Obedience Tips To Stop Dog Jumping

When you get home, wait at least fifteen minutes before greeting him. This asserts your dominance. If he makes a pest out of himself by jumping around, get his attention by squirting him with a water pistol or shaking a can with pennies in it. This will startle him and calm him down. If you have company, wait for fifteen minutes before introducing him to your guests, too.

Teach him to sit. This is a very basic command, one that your pup should learn at an early age. Use this command if you think he's about to jump on you. If he's well-trained, he'll sit and won't even think about jumping on you.

"Off" is another basic command to teach him. It's much easier to teach him this one when he's young. If he jumps up on you, say "OFF" right away. Show him your teeth in an open-mouthed snarl. No growling is needed. Be sure you've made eye contact with him. This is how your pup's mom told him to calm down, and he'll have no problem understanding what you mean. Repeat this command several times, and praise him when he understands what "off" means.

Get down on his level when you do greet him. He won't have to jump up to reach your face. If he does jump, use the "off" command.

Don't play rough games with him. Jumping is often part of tug-of-war and wrestling games, so these games only encourage him to jump on people.

Consistency Is ImportantEveryone in your family must be on the same page. If someone thinks it's cute when your puppy jumps on people, and encourages this behavior, you'll never be able to stop dog from jumping on people. To stop dog jumping, you need to spend time every day training your canine friend. It's very easy to accidentally teach your pet bad dog habits, so a good dog training course is essential for avoiding training mistakes. Your goal now is to use these tips to ensure your buddy will be a polite and well-loved member of the family.