How to Stop a Dog from Jumping on People

Before you try to stop a dog from jumping, it’s important to try to understand why your dog is jumping.

Greeting: Obviously, dogs will jump when they want to greet people and this is simply because they are sniffing at your face, which is a common way for dogs to greet each other. The problem is that when they try to greet in this manner, they have no choice but to jump.

Excitement: This can go hand in hand with a greeting but you can see it whenever a dog is excited. They jump up, whine and spin around and it can become quite a hazard to be around them when they are happy.

Dominance: This may seem a little shocking, but sometimes, when a dog jumps, he is actually asserting his dominance. While you may think he is simply trying to get close to you, he is letting you know that he is in charge and it’s okay for him to have his paws on you.

Trained: Lastly, dogs can be trained to jump up and this is a very common reason for jumping. Many times, it can start with treating. When a dog is a puppy, owners allow them to jump up when they give them a treat, usually so they don’t have to bend down to give it. This confirms to the dog that treating will give him a reward so he continues to do it. Any type of positive reinforcement when it comes to jumping up will only create the habit and it’s important to never allow jumping from the start.

Click Here to Stop a Dog from Jumping on People Effectively

But sometimes, habits can form without owners realizing it or an older adopted dog may have jumping habits, which was the main reason why he was released to a shelter.

When you have an adult dog that jumps, it’s important to be very firm in your training. Let him know that jumping is not tolerated and you will correct him when he does jump. Also, let him know that you are the boss of the house. If you want to stop a dog from jumping, keep him off of the furniture and don’t let him sleep in your bed.

The next thing that you will need to do in order to stop a dog from jumping, is to keep your arrival at home calm and quiet. Don’t let your dog jump up on you when you arrive home and when he does, correct him immediately and put him on the floor. Don’t pet him or greet him in any way if he is jumping up on you.

To properly correct your dog when he’s jumping, you should do the following.

Step One:
When your dog jumps up on you, make eye contact with your dog and say in a very firm voice, “Off,” it should come out as more of a growl than a command.

Step Two:
Remove his paws from you by either carefully dropping his front paws down to the floor or by moving forward so he is put off balance and needs to drop down for himself. If he doesn’t drop down, you can raise your knee slightly as you move forward so he has even less room and feels more uncomfortable. DO NOT knee your dog or kick him.

Step Three:
Ignore him for a few minutes. This is very important because you want it to click that he is being reward for remaining on the floor, not for jumping up. If he jumps up on you again, repeat steps one and two and then wait. When he finally stays on the ground after a few minutes, you can praise and reward him for the behavior.

When you are trying to stop a dog from jumping, it’s important to get down to his level as you are interacting with him, so he doesn’t feel the need to jump up. Also, make sure that you bring any treat down to him so he doesn’t have to jump up to get it.

Lastly, make it a rule that whenever he greets anyone, that he must remain sitting. If he jumps up or even stands up during a greeting, correct him with a firm, “No” or in the case of jumping up, a firm “Off” and then place him back in a sit. Do not let anyone else give him the okay with jumping and make sure that you are consistent in your training.

Click Here to Stop a Dog from Jumping on People Effectively