How To Get Your Dog To Stop Jumping On People
However, bad habits can be difficult to break, especially if your pooch has been praised for this behavior in the past.
Luckily, there are plenty of strategies to get your dog to stop jumping on people. Below, we’ll go over some of the best ways to teach your mutt some manners.
Make Greetings Calm
You’ll want to make greetings as calm as possible in order to successfully curb your canine’s behavior. If your dog gets too excited when you arrive, try waiting in another room for a couple of minutes. After your dog has calmed down, you can greet and reward with pets and treats. Lowering the overall stakes of a greeting will help your canine stay collected and reduce the tendency to jump
Have Your Dog “Sit’ and “Stay” When Meeting Others
Another tactic is to have your dog exercise the basic “sit” and “stay” command when meeting others. Practice having your dog “sit” when someone enters the room and rewards for their positive behavior. After the person greets your dog successfully without being jumped on, offer your dog another reward. If your dog is having trouble with the concept, start with your dog at a farther distance and close the gap as he starts to get the hang of it.
Be sure to practice this in environments outside of your home as well. Dogs act differently depending on the setting, so it’s wise to try greeting others outdoors along with indoors.
Don’t Reward Improper Behavior
One of the most common reasons dogs learn to jump on others is because they are rewarded, in one way or another, for their behavior. This could be talking in a high-pitched voice when your pooch jumps or you, or proceeding to pet your dog after they’ve jumped on you.
While it’s a fairly innocent gesture that usually just means that your dog is excited to see you, it’s essential to discourage and ignore this behavior as much as possible. If your dog is on the larger side, this can be a serious safety concern. Not to mention, it may startle strangers when greeting your pooch.
Reward Successful Interactions
Take note of whenever your dog greets someone properly or adjusts his behavior. If your dog does jump on someone, discourage the behavior by disengaging from interacting with your pooch. If your dog learns that jumping on people means no pets or treats, he’s more likely to decrease this action in the future. On the flip side, give your dog plenty of praise and treats whenever he successfully greets someone in a calm, contained manner.
Pooch Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t forget that any learned behavior, whether positive or negative, is difficult to unlearn. Teaching your dog to refrain from jumping on others can be a challenging, frustrating process. That being said, it’s well worth the effort and important to keep your dog and others safe. Take every opportunity to practice proper greetings with Fido. Every time someone enters your home, make a point to track your dog’s progress.
If you find yourself really struggling, remember that you can always reach out for help from an animal behaviorist or dog trainer. Your dog jumping on other people can be super frustrating. Fortunately, by practicing these strategies in a consistent, cohesive manner, your dog is bound to learn his lessons over time. Enjoy bonding with your best buddy while teaching this essential skill.
