No Jumping

Dogs jump for many reasons. Don’t we like to see people’s faces when we say hello? Jumping while greeting is a great way for a dog to get your attention. Some dogs will jump from sheer excitement. Ever feel so excited that you just want to leap around? Excitement produces physical energy and this energy has to go somewhere. On the other side of the coin – some dogs will jump because they feel uneasy when someone comes into the house. Jumping becomes a coping mechanism that allows the dog to deal with the new situation.

Here are a number of ways you can manage your dog’s jumping:

• If your dog is jumping from pure excitement, it is wise to manage your environment by not allowing the dog to greet people when they first come through the door. Keep your dog behind a baby gate or attach his leash. This way you are able to allow him to greet when he has calmed down.
• Be consistent. Don’t allow the dog to jump up on you when greeting and expect him not to jump up on guests when they come into the house. Mixed messages are confusing and unfair.
• One way to work on eliminating the jumping behavior is to ignore the dog while he's jumping and reinforce him with attention as soon as he stops jumping. Each time the dog jumps up at you – turn your back. Don’t look at, talk to, or touch the dog at any time he is trying to jump. Fold your arms in front and be very boring. When he stops jumping and has all four paws on the floor, turn around and reward this with your attention in a calm manner. If your dog jumps again (and, he will during the learning process), repeat this again. Sometimes the dog jumps harder and higher to get your attention. This is known as an extinction burst. What has worked before is no longer getting attention so the dog tries harder. Be persistent because eventually, he will give up! Remember to ignore the crazy and reinforce the calm. This takes patience and consistency with everyone in the family practicing this same method.
• One of the best ways you can teach a dog or dogs not to jump, especially when people come through the front door, is to teach them to do something else instead of the jumping behavior. The energy has to go somewhere, so if it can be redirected into another behavior such as teaching the dog to fetch a toy or run to a mat and wait there until guests have entered. Then allow them to greet in a calm manner, this still allows the dogs to expend energy, but in a controlled way.
• If your dog is unconfident around guests and jumps as a nervous coping mechanism, do not allow your dog to greet your guests. Place him in an area of the home where he can be calm and confident. When guests are seated, allow your dog to come in and say hello. If your dog is aggressive in any way to strangers it is your primary responsibility to keep your guests safe. If this means your dog is away while guests are in your home, so be it. You will have a happier dog and happier guests.