Problematic sea of joy: How to train your dog not to jump on people

A dog's habit of jumping to greet people at certain times may seem funny to us. But don't be fooled: at the very least, if it's dirty outdoors, a dog can soil a person, and if it's a large dog, it can even hurt them with its claws and throw them to the ground. Moreover, if the owner allows himself to be greeted in this way, then the dog can apply such behavior to others. The problem can be solved by training. Let's tell you why dogs jump on people when greeting and how to avoid it.

Why dogs jump on people

Jumping is a very common behavior in dogs, and when it happens when greeting, it's usually caused by a combination of anxiety, excitement, and attention-seeking. That is, your dog is excited to see a new person or you and wants attention. In doing so, she is unable to handle this situation in a balanced way. But where does this behavior arise from?

1. Dogs that start jumping from puppyhood. A dog prone to jumping out of excitement usually starts doing it as a puppy, and maintains the habit as it grows older because no one has told it that it should not do so.

Puppies are often allowed to do things that seem funny, while this behavior is undesirable for adults. If you laugh and pet your puppy every time he jumps on you, not only will you not teach him to restrain himself, but you will actually encourage him to do the behavior.

2. Dogs that start jumping in adulthood. There are also dogs that acquire the habit of jumping as adults. These are usually dogs that suffer from stress and anxiety due to unpleasant experiences or changes in their lives such as moving, a new member in the family, etc.

Unable to control their growing excitement, these dogs may start not only jumping but also running around the house, barking, damaging furniture, and generally behaving negatively.

How to train your dog not to jump on people?

Overnight, of course, you can not eradicate the habit. Therefore, the owner will have to be patient, as well as enlist the support of other family members: after all, it is useless to work alone with the pet if others continue to reward the dog for the behavior you want to correct.

With this in mind, the process will be to stop rewarding the dog for negative behavior and instead start rewarding the opposite behavior. That is, we will praise the dog for staying calm.

To do this, you will need to follow the following guidelines:

1- Ignore the dog whenever he tries to jump on you when greeting you. Simply turn away without doing or saying anything and wait for it to stop doing so. Avoid praise and generally any words or actions that your dog might interpret as an invitation to play.

Your dog may be confused at first, but it is also possible that he will start jumping around with even more enthusiasm to get your attention. Completely ignore your pet, even if you find this behavior amusing.

2. Say a firm "No!" If your dog won't stop jumping on you, you can try telling her in a firm voice "NO!" and back away. When she calms down, go back to interacting with her normally.

3. Neighborhood help. On the street, ask people you know who your dog is trying to greet by jumping to behave the same way you do. Explain that you are "re-educating" your pet and they can help you do this.

4. Positive reinforcement for calmness. In parallel, you should give your dog positive reinforcement whenever he remains calm, and especially when he approaches a new person correctly, keeping his paws on the ground. Affectionate words, yummy treats will help you with this.

5. Calmness, once again calmness. Finally, if your dog is just a ball of energy, it's important to make sure that your actions don't further agitate him, because then it will be much harder for him to control himself. Keep your interactions as calm as possible at all times.

Training Methods to Teach Your Dog to Say "Hello" Correctly

In addition to eliminating your dog's unwanted behaviors and encouraging his moments of calm, it's also important to teach him how to say hello properly. This will help your dog understand what he can and cannot do. You will need a leash, toys, treats, and someone to help you.

We recommend the following steps:

1. At home in the hallway, put a leash on your dog and give the command "sit" while the other person waits outside the door. When you are ready, have him ring the doorbell or open the door yourself and wait on the doorstep.

2. When your dog becomes excited and starts pulling and jumping at the person approaching, give the "Sit" command.

3. When your dog sits down, ask the helper to slowly approach you. If your pet becomes agitated again, repeat the process of getting his attention, asking him to sit, and taking a few steps back. Have your friend stay in place until the dog has calmed down.

4. When your helper reaches you and the dog remains on the ground with all four paws, reward and praise him.

5. Repeat this exercise once or twice a day for 5-10 minutes. Again, be patient: your dog will eventually understand what is being asked of him.

By the way, this method can be used not only when dogs are jumping to greet a newcomer, but also when they are jumping out of anxiety because you are watching them prepare food, retrieve a toy, or just out of sheer excitement to get your attention.

As mentioned above, the key is not to encourage (even unintentionally) your dog's anxious behavior, but to curb it. Logically, if your dog always gets what he wants when he jumps, it will be hard for him to stop.

The key is consistency, as your dog will not stop the negative behavior overnight. You can find plenty of situations throughout the day to practice, and short training sessions like this will be more effective than long and strenuous ones. In other words, training will be more effective if you don't let your dog get tired, distracted, or lose interest.

Also read: To sleep or not to sleep with your pet: advantages, disadvantages, risks and diseases.