Dog Jumping
Stop Your Dog Jumping
A dog that jumps up on you, your family members and anyone else coming to your home is a real nuisance. It ruins clothes and can be frightening or dangerous to some people. This is one of the most common and frustrating problems people have with their dogs. The good news is that this is a fairly easy behavior to correct.
Dogs do this jumping behavior for three reasons. First, it's a way of stating their dominance. It may be that they are jumping on you or on furniture or other objects. When your dog does this he's effectively telling you that he's the leader of your pack. That is something you need to nip in the bud. It's much harder to train a dominating alpha type dog that one who recognizes that you're in charge. This behavior can go from annoying to aggressive if you don't assert your rank as the alpha dog in your pack.
The second reason dogs jump is to greet people. It's an adaptation of dog behavior of sniffing the area around the other dog's neck for identification. If you're much taller than he is the natural thing for him to do is to jump up to narrow the distance.
Dog Jumping: Number One Dog Training Guide
The last reason is because they have been taught the behavior in the past. If you have ever allowed your dog to jump on the furniture or up on you when you came home in allowance for his emotional greeting then you're partly to blame for his problematic jumping now. Dogs learn to repeat behaviors that are rewarded.
If you give him attention, any attention, for jumping up on you then you're reinforcing the jumping behavior. If you walk in the door, the dog jumps and then you let him out or feed him you have rewarded the jumping. Even if all you do is push him aside and ask how his day was he sees that as receiving attention for having jumped.
There are several easy techniques for stopping jumping. Number one is, remember your place as the alpha dog and behave accordingly. Much as you may love him, don't rush to greet him when you get home. Let him wait 15 minutes just as a pack leader would do in a natural setting. If he is insistent use your squirt gun or shake a can filled with marbles or pebbles. This is intended to startle him and if done consistently will lead to his waiting calming to greet you on your terms. Use the same logic with anyone who comes into your home enforcing the delayed greeting for at least 15 minutes.
Next, when you do decide to greet your dog do it on his level. Bend or kneel so he has no need to jump to greet you. If he tries to jump give the command “Off,” and withhold any further attention until he's calm.
Avoid playing rough games like tug of war with your dog. You're just inviting him to try to dominate you and encouraging jumping. Dogs don't easily understand that a behavior that is not allowed at some times is OK at others. Keep it simple. Rough play isn't a good idea anyway as it can lead to aggressive behavior.
Dog Jumping: Number One Dog Training Guide
When you are ready to give your dog attention use the sit command to distract him from jumping and set the stage for a calm greeting. This is one of the foundation commands and should be taught to your dog as soon as possible.
The other command you'll need to master is “Off.” This can be done as soon as you bring him home. Teaching a puppy is easier than teaching a grown dog. As soon as your dog jumps on you or the furniture give the command. Make a snarling sound and be sure your teeth are clearly visible. This is speaking his language and he will understand. Make eye contact as you give the command. This how adults in the pack teach the young and it will work just as well for you. Be sure that everyone who spends time in your home applies the same technique. Praise him when he gets down. This should only need to be done a few times for him to get the message. He needs to understand that all the humans in the home are above him in rank. This may sound unpleasant to us but it's perfectly natural for dogs and gives them the comfort of knowing they have the leadership they naturally want and need. So if you will apply these simple rules, you will be able to Stop your Dog Jumping.
Dog Jumping: Number One Dog Training Guide
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Sincerely
Mike Stronghill
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