When you ask yourself, how do I stop my dog from jumping up? The answer is simple, if they are going to jump up on you, then you need to train them not to jump up again. While puppies may jump up on you just for fun, as an adult dog their jumping habits can be quite annoying. While puppies may jump up just for fun, in the future they may be uncontrollable and jump every now and then, even when not wanted. As an adult dog owner, your dog will most likely want to get rid of their jumping problem in order to be more manageable.
While puppies may jump up on you to greet people, it is much less cute when they are a fully grown 100 lbs. dog jumping on you. Not only does their nails hurt you big dogs may knock you down in their eagerness to greet people. And it is not only big dogs that jump up on visitors; toy breeds that jump up on visitors may not be large enough to knock you down, but they could… There are many dog training tricks that you can use to teach your dog to not jump up.
One of the easiest tricks is to use a treats dispenser or a toy that is easy to grab, hold, and then let your dog have his treat. If he were to sit down next to the front door, he would need something like this to sit on, especially after all he does with his dog toys now and then. Be sure to keep one of these around the house, and let your dog have his treat whenever he approaches the front door.
If your dog doesn’t learn how to go outside the first place, you should try to rattle a tin can a few times as he is approaching you to welcome you home. This is a very easy behavior to enforce, and it also is fun for both you and your dog. This behavior also helps to teach your dog that you are welcome home too.
After he has sat down, you can teach him a new trick. Get a large towel, or an old blanket that you don’t need anymore, and take it with you. First, walk to the front porch and pet Rover while holding the other end of the towel. When Rover sees you, he will sit. Then walk back to the towel and give Rover a treat. Repeat this several times, until Rover learns that he only gets a pat from you when he goes in the correct place.
When you decide that Rover needs some additional training, start by handling him calmly, then petting and talking gently while standing still on the steps. Praise Rover until he sits calmly, then give him the attention he craves. Eventually, you can go up the steps with Rover, while giving him lots of praise. Be sure not to give him any treats during this time. Eventually, your dog will learn to calm down when you call his name.
You can also use the same technique with greetings. Have someone introduce themselves to Rover before you bring him home, and when the dog starts to greet people, tell him “no.” As long as you don’t hit the dog, he will eventually learn that he only gets a pat in return when he acts properly. Do this training with other dogs as well, and you will find that they also like the idea of not getting a treat when they behave badly. This way they don’t act out all the time.
Another important thing to remember when training your dog is to praise or reward him when he behaves correctly. This way other people in the home who might be watching will get to see the nice behavior and want to reward the dog himself. Your dog will associate his good behavior with the love and affection you are showing him. In turn, he will keep repeating his good behavior because he knows that you will reward him for it. With enough consistent training, you will soon have a well behaved dog that never jumps up on visitors or family members when you are not home!
