Keep Your Paws to Yourself: How to Train Your Dog Not to Jump Up
We've all been there. You're at a friend's house, or out for a walk, when suddenly a furry four-legged creature appears out of nowhere and jumps up on you, leaving muddy paw prints all over your clothes. Or worse, it’s your dog who’s the culprit! It can be really embarrassing - not to mention frustrating. But don't worry, there is hope! With a little patience and some positive reinforcement, you can train your dog not to jump up. Keep reading to find out how.
Why does my dog jump up?
The first step is to understand why your dog is jumping up in the first place. Puppies jump up because they want to play or they want attention. Adult dogs may jump up because they want food, or they want you to pet them. Or, due to separation anxiety, are extremely relieved that you have come home and that their world actually hasn’t fallen apart. Once you know why your dog is jumping, you can start to work on correcting the behaviour.
If your dog is jumping up to get attention, the best thing to do is ignore her. That's right, ignore her. When she jumps up on you, move away from her and don't say anything. Eventually she will get tired of trying to get your attention and she will stop jumping up. If she does jump up again, just repeat the process. Once the jumping has stopped for at least 30 seconds or more, then go up to her to reward for calm and relaxed behaviour. Ensure that she is in a sit or drop position before offering the reward.
If your dog is jumping up to get food, then you'll need to be a little bit more creative in your training. One way to achieve this is by using a puzzle feeder toy. These toys are designed to dispense treats only when your dog interacts with them in the correct way - usually by moving them around with her nose or paw until the treat falls out. This will give your dog something else to focus on besides jumping up on you every time she wants a snack.
Another way to stop your dog from jumping is by teaching her an alternative behaviour such as the "sit" command. This will take some patience on your part, but eventually she will learn that sitting politely gets her what she wants much faster than jumping up does. Start by asking your dog to sit before you give her their food bowl at mealtime. Once she's mastered that, try asking her to sit before you open the door for a walk or before you give her a treat. Soon enough, she'll catch on that sitting = good things happening!
How to Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up: 4 Tips That Actually Work
If you've ever had a dog jump up on you, then you know how annoying it can be. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous if your dog is big enough to knock you – or someone else - over. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to stop your dog from jumping up. Here are four tips that actually work.
- Use treats wisely.
If you give your dog a treat every time he jumps up, then he's going to think that jumping up is a good thing. Instead, reserve treats for when he's behaving the way you want him to. This will teach him that jumping up is not a desirable behaviour.
- Simply ignore your dog when they’re too excited.
A dog that is too over excited when trying to jump on you, will accept any verbal response you give as the attention being sought. Hence just saying "no" in a firm voice is unlikely to be effective and can be considered inadvertent reinforcement. It is best to deploy the ignore method here, as discussed above, and then reward your dog only after he has given up seeking your attention. Especially so if he is now more calm and relaxed. This will send the message to him that jumping behaviour leads to absolutely no attention or other good stuff, and that calm and relaxed behaviours do in fact lead to this.
- Put him in a sit or down position before greeting him.
This is a great way to train your dog to not jump up when someone comes over. When someone comes to the door, make sure your dog is in a sitting or lying down position before you let your guest inside. Once your dog is in that position, praise him and give him a treat. He'll soon learn that the only way he'll get what he wants is by not jumping up.
- Give him an alternative behaviour to perform.
Jumping up is often attention-seeking behaviour from dogs. If you give him something else to do instead of jump up, such as sit or lie down, then he'll be less likely to jump up since he knows he'll get attention for performing the alternative behaviour.
If your dog has a habit of jumping up, it's important to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to stop your dog from jumping up. By using treats wisely, shaping his behaviour through ignoring when necessary, putting your dog in a sit or down position before greeting someone, and giving him an alternative behaviour to perform, you can successfully stop your dog from jumping up - and keep yourself safe in the process!
Jumping dogs can be cute...until they leave muddy paw prints all over your new clothes or knock over a small child. If you're tired of dealing with a jumping pup, there are things you can do to train him out of this inconvenient (and sometimes dangerous) behaviour. With a little patience and some creativity, your four-legged friend will soon learn that keeping his paws on the ground is the way to go!
Need help? Talk to Active Creatures’ Head Trainer, Cameron about a treatment plan for your dog.