How to Stop your Pup from Jumping on People
Narrated from: Dog TrainingSo you’ve picked out the most awesome puppy ever and you love him dearly. He has certainly grown on you and he has also grown in size. He is learning a few commands, but he is so excited when you come home or when you have visitors that he jumps all over you or them! That’s when you start to notice that you don’t have as many visitors, and as much as you love your dog, he is hurting your social life. It’s a sad scenario, and you’re at a loss as to how to stop it. So what do you do?
It’s really quite simple and there are several ways to change this behavior. You need to change it as soon as possible; the longer he thinks this behavior is acceptable, the longer it will take to make him stop. The different methods most commonly used to change this behavior will depend on the size of your dog. You don’t need to purchase anything at all and, as long as you are consistent, you can stop this very annoying behavior in no time at all.
For small dogs a spray bottle with a little plain water will deter him from jumping on you. Turn the nozzle on the spray bottle to mist and keep it by the door you usually enter your home through. You could even take it to your car in the morning when you leave so you’ll have it handy when you return to enter your home. As soon as you open the door and the dog comes flying at you, spray a mist towards the dog’s face and give him a firm “NO.” This will not harm your dog; it is just meant to capture his attention before he does the jumping. Keep the bottle near and repeat these steps every time he attempts to jump. As soon as he comes to an abrupt stop tell him to sit, and pet him generously. If his feet come off the floor simply stand up and turn your back on him. If he manages to jump on you when you are not prepared for it, simply turn around so that he falls off of you. If he jumps again, turn again. The spray from the water bottle should always be accompanied with a firm “NO.” These two techniques will teach your pup that as long as his feet are firmly planted on the floor he gets your attention. When he jumps up on you he gets a negative response from either the spray of water or the “NO”, or by you turning your back on him and ignoring his attempts at jumping. Keep repeating this until he understands that jumping is unacceptable.
The technique above has been used successfully with larger dogs as well but there are other techniques that can be used with bigger, more boisterous dogs. Use your dog’s leash to stop him from jumping, either by allowing him to stand completely on all fours and then standing on the leash so he cannot jump. As long as his feet are firmly planted on the floor, praise him. Use the leash when you answer your door as well if he tends to jump on guests. Go to the door to answer with his leash already on him. While you are standing in front of the door with your dog, step on the leash with him sitting or standing. Open the door and greet your guests as you normally would. He can receive praise and attention as long as his feet are on the floor.
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