Dog Training Basics

Posts Tagged ‘how to stop dog jumping’

The problem of dog jumping is very common. Many dog owners unwittingly encourage this behavior by enthusiastically responding to a puppy that runs towards them and makes small jumps at their knees.

The puppy quickly realizes that jumping up gets him lots of hugs and kisses. Dogs can’t be expected to realize the distinction between jumping up as an adult dog and as a puppy.

To him, the fact that he’s a few months older is no reason for him to stop jumping by choice. You will need to make it clear to your dog that jumping is no longer acceptable.

When is jumping inappropriate?

Jumping up is viewed by some owners of toy dogs as a sign of affection. Fortunately, these dogs are unlikely to knock anyone over with their boisterous behavior, and their small size normally wouldn’t intimidate anyone except for a very young child. That said, most people do not like a strange dog of any size jumping up on them. Simply put, it is a good idea to teach your dog the “off” command for those times when you’re not close by to prevent the jumping behavior.

The “no jump” or “off” command is necessary for owners of big dogs. Large dogs are often taller than a human when they stand on their hind legs – just think how intimidating that would be for a small child! As well, they are frequently sufficiently heavy to knock over an adult. Being scratched or bruised by your own dog is bad but it’s much worse if it happens to someone else. Dog owners should make sure that dogs are furnished with a recall to the “off” command.

So why do dogs jump?

Most dogs jump up out of excitement. Many dogs never jump up except for when their owner comes home after being at work all day. If your dog jumps up on you at that time, he is simply jumping for joy. Some dogs jump up to show their dominance over the person which is a serious issue.

If your dog only jumps up when he’s excited to see you or during playtime, he is clearly just showing his enthusiastic and happy state of mind. If the jumping occurs under several different circumstances, it is probable that your dog is showing dominance behavior, which is indicative of a communication or attitude problem. This will require modifications in the way you and your dog relate to each other, with emphasis being placed on your role as top dog.

Note: Secrets to Dog Training (formerly SitStayFetch) is jam-packed with useful information to help dog owners stop their dog’s dominance issues. To stop your dog’s jumping behavior, visit Dogs Jumping.

Your reaction to dogs jumping up on you is key to whether the behavior is repeated or not. A consistent and prolonged effort will be necessary to stop your dog from jumping. He must be taught that jumping is always inappropriate. You can’t allow your dog to jump up sometimes and not another time. Dogs can’t tell the difference between your play and work clothing, so if you sometimes let him jump up, he’ll try to do it whenever he feels so inclined.

How to stop your dog from jumping up

The majority of trainers believe that the methods used to stop unacceptable behaviors such as jumping can often be the least difficult. If he jumps up, you need to walk away. All attention should be withdrawn (including negative attention such as shouting, pushing or correcting).

Here’s how this training technique works: when your dog jumps up on you, right away turn your back on him, fold your arms, turn your face away, and don’t make eye contact with him. Dogs are able to interpret your body language so your posture will make it clear to him that jumping is inappropriate.

Many people confuse disregarding their dog’s bad behavior with disregarding their dog. You should be clearly ignoring your dog rather than acting as if his jumping behavior isn’t happening. The cold shoulder treatment is a highly effective method to let dogs know you are unhappy with them. When your attention and reaction are removed, your dog will quickly calm down.

The correct time to give him praise

You can praise him as soon as his four paws touch the floor. Even if you were giving him the cold shoulder treatment a second before, it’s fine for you to show enthusiasm the moment his paws touch the floor.

For more information on how to stop dog jumping, visit Dog Jumping Up.

Isabel had always loved and wanted a small dog to keep her company. That’s why when she got her first apartment in New Jersey, she made sure the community was dog-friendly. One early morning, she came across a nice family that was giving away some mixed breed puppies, she picked and brought home a little girl pup that was bouncy and full of energy, just like her! It was the best feeling she have ever felt in years.

When Isabel first got Tiny, she enjoyed watching her bounce up and down, and loved it especially when Tiny greeted her at the door when she comes home from work. Yet one day, when Isabel brought over her four-year old niece she become aware that Tiny would not stop running around and jumping on her, causing her niece to fall over and hurt herself. Isabel then thought of all the snagged sweaters and times that the jumping habit got out of hand. She decided then and there that the jumping behavior had to stop!

Isabel began her quest to stop Tiny from this risky behavior by seeking some expert advice. She spoke with trainers and scoured bookstores to find the right technique for training dogs on how to stop dog jumping . So she set her mind to giving Tiny a lot of love, but she also decided that she would have to be firm in her decision and be really committed to keeping up the training in the long term, too.

Isabel started to daunt off Tiny’s jumping behavior by commanding, “Down!” every time she enters the room. She has chosen the word “down” because it was an easy word for everyone to use. Every time she walked in the door, she would firmly say “Down!” until Tiny was no longer jumping and acting over excited to see her. The training got her a little frustrated at first, because Tiny just was not getting the command. Isabel even tried giving Tiny a little nudge to get her to back off while she firmly said, “Down.” Yet after a week, Isabel began to see that it was taking lesser commands to get Tiny to stop jumping and she felt that the hard work was not in vain.

After a few weeks, it was taking no more than two “Down” orders for Tiny to stop jumping. Once Tiny had observed that she would gain praise for not jumping at all, the behavior started to cease completely. After a few months, Isabel felt comfortable bringing her niece again over to her house to play with Tiny, and found that the two of them now got along beautifully. Her niece even feels that Tiny is now her new best friend!

From Isabel’s situation, we can see that it will FOR SURE take time, patience, and consistency to train a dog to stop an unlikely behavior. But, always bear in mind that not all dogs can be taught simply at home. Isabel was prepared to use a trainer for assistance in curbing Tiny’s behavior, but found that her patience paid off in the end. The key was using a consistent command and praising Tiny greatly when she behaved.