How Do I Stop My Dog From Jumping Up?
Does your dog love to greet you by jumping up? While your pup’s enthusiastic paws, wagging tail and excited kisses can be endearing, this behaviour can be a nuisance and even dangerous in certain situations. But have no fear, even if your pooch regularly jumps up to say hi, there are effective ways to manage this behaviour.
To help train your pooch to greet people calmly and politely, we’ve put together some helpful tips on how to stop dogs from jumping up.
Why do dogs jump up?
One of the main reasons why dogs jump up is for the physical contact they get with humans, usually targeting the hands or face (hello slobbery kisses) because they’re seeking attention, love, and affection.
Our furry friends are highly social animals and they thrive on interaction, so when a dog jumps up on you, it’s their way of saying “Hello, friend! Please notice me and give me some attention!”
Another reason dogs continue to jump up is that they’re often unintentionally encouraged to continue this behaviour. The way we respond to a dog’s behaviour plays a huge role in shaping their actions, so when a dog jumps up and receives attention, it reinforces the idea that jumping up will result in them getting what they want.
Even when you respond to a dog jumping up on you in a negative manner by saying things like “no, get down”, pushing them off you, or reacting in any kind of dramatic way, your pooch is still receiving precious attention from you – and they’ll continue to display this behaviour.
Teaching your dog not to jump up
Seeing your dog so excited to see you and jump up can be cute at times, especially when returning home to them. However, being jumped on can also be pretty annoying, especially when muddy paws are involved!
Dogs jumping up can also be dangerous when children, seniors and people who have physical disabilities are involved. Plus, not everyone is mutts about dogs (hard to believe, we know), so it’s important to train dogs to greet people politely.
How to stop your dog from jumping up
1. Ignore the Jumping
When your dog jumps up it’s likely because they want attention, so the best thing you can do is to withhold attention.
As soon as your dog jumps up, avoid eye contact and turn away from them. Cross your arms and don’t make a sound. If your dog tries to jump up again, turn your back again.
Wait for your pooch to stop jumping up. Once your dog has all four paws on the ground, face your dog and reward them with praise.
2. Use positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement encourages repeated good behaviour, so when you’re teaching your dog to stop jumping up, be sure to praise them when they’ve stopped jumping and have all their feet firmly on the floor. Just be careful not to praise them too enthusiastically, the aim is to keep things nice and calm.
It’s also handy to have some dog treats ready, to be given as soon as your dog stops jumping (and definitely not before).
3. Ask them to “sit”
Your dog may still jump up despite being ignored. If this is the case, you should continue to ignore the jumping and then redirect your dog's focus by providing an alternative behaviour, such as giving them the command to sit.
In a situation where your dog is likely to jump up, give the command “sit” before they have a chance to do so. As soon as your dog sits, give them a treat. Practise this several times during training sessions and in time, your dog will learn that sitting is a much better way to receive attention from you than jumping up.
4. Practise, practise, practise
We know repetition can feel, well, repetitive, but consistency is key.
In time, your dog will learn that jumping up won’t win them your attention or affection and that having their feet on the floor is a lot more successful.
You can also set up scenarios to practise with your pooch. For example, if your dog jumps up on you when you come through the front door, spend a few minutes each day coming and going. Remember to not give your dog any attention, and only praise them/treat them once all four paws are on the floor.
5. Practise with other people
It’s important to involve friends and family in this training, otherwise, they may learn that it’s not ok to jump up on you, but they can jump up on other people! Letting others know about your training techniques will teach your pooch that jumping up to say hello is a no-go.
Yappy to Help
We hope you found this blog post helpful and that you now feel more confident teaching your pooch to keep their paws on the floor when they greet you.
For more guidance on caring for your dog, check out our blog post on leaving your dog while on holiday and tips for exercising your dog in warm weather.
If you’re interested in dog-friendly recipes and more information about your dog’s diet, check out our Eats section!
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