How To Train Your Dog Not to Jump on People

Training your dog not to jump on you and other people is a hard one, because it goes against their natural instincts. Dogs greet other dogs nose to nose. When your dog is jumping up at you in greeting, it's because they are trying to reach your nose! But, what can start out as cute puppy behavior, can become downright dangerous if not dealt with at the beginning. Dogs that jump up on people can cause serious injury. What can start with a mild scratch or bruise can turn into someone getting knocked down. So, it's best to nip that behavior in the butt right away.

The first thing you need to do is manage the situation. If your dog is not quite up to par on sitting and/or not jumping, and you are still working on it, find a way to  "avoid" the situation when visitors are coming over. Some alternatives to having your dog jump on people:

• Crate
• Put your dog in another room
• Restrain your dog on a leash

Even if your visitor says they don't mind your dog jumping on them, politely tell your visitor that you mind and that your dog is in training.

Next stage--> The training.

Stage One: Mastering the No Jumping On You Phase

When you greet your dog at the door, make sure you are calm and low key. You shouldn't be revving your dog up with baby talk or high energy greetings. Think about how your voice and actions are translated into dog language. What kind of energy are you exhibiting?

Once your greeting is calm and cool, proceed onto the not jumping stage-- If your dog jumps on you, stand tall and look over their head. Do not give them eye contact, do not push them down, do not talk to them. To a dog, this is attention! Tuck your hands into your chest and turn your body away from them. Once your dog's paws have come back down onto the floor, then give them attention. If they proceed to jump on you again, repeat the process again, again and again.

Another option on greeting at the door: you can turn around and go back out the door when they jump on you. Again, do not touch them, talk to them or make eye contact.  Keep repeating the process until their paws stay on the ground.  Then praise them. 💟

If you are sitting in a chair and your dog jumps up on you: Once more, do not talk to your dog or push them away. Simply, stand up and turn away from them. 

Stage Two: Mastering the No Jumping On Others Phase

**Your dog needs to know the "sit" command before you can proceed onto this phase.

1. The first step is to find an assistant (aka.. The Greeter) that your dog likes and that is willing to help you. You should never force your dog to interact with someone they don't like or are scared. Load your Greeter up with lots of dog treats.
2. Have The Greeter leave the room and ask your dog to sit. 
3. Once your dog is sitting, have The Greeter approach your dog. If the dogs up, The Greeter should turn and leave. Ask the dog to sit again. 
4. Keep repeating this process until the dog remains seated. Once that is achieved, The Greeter is to give Fido some praises, ear scratches and a treat. 

Once you have achieved this level of no jumping on others, you can proceed to no jumping on random strangers on the street:

*This level is basically like the above steps, you just have to be willing to ask a stranger to help you.

1. You are walking down the sidewalk and a stranger starts to approach. Tell your dog to sit and step on your dog's leash so that there is no slack. 
2. Tell stranger that you are trying to trying to train your dog not to jump on people and ask if they have a few moments to help.
3. Stranger says yes-- If the dog tries to jump up as stranger passes by, have stranger ignore them and continue on their merry way. If the dog stays seated, have stranger give some praises and ear scratches. Give the stranger a treat to pass on to the dog. If Stranger says No, ask them if they could please just ignore your dog as they pass by.

Remember: When you are trying to train your dog, keep your sessions short and sweet. 15 minute sessions should be the maximum time duration. Otherwise, you run the risk of mentally exhausting your dog. Mental exhaustion in canines leads to a grumpy dog which equals unwanted behaviors. Additionally, once your dog is trained, you must maintain that behavior by practicing on a consistent basis. Otherwise, you will eventually find yourself back at square one.  🐶