Dog Jumping – How To Stop It In Two Simple Steps
It’s so embarrassing… Your friend stops by for a visit and, before you know it, your dog has jumped up on him to say hello. This type of behavior isn’t just annoying – sometimes it can be scary too. Especially if your dog is large, or your guest is afraid of dogs.
Teaching your dog to not jump on people is really important, and it’s really not hard to do. That’s good – because no one likes being assaulted by your dog, not matter how cute he is! Those sharp nails hurt, not to mention the muddy paw prints on their clothes. And though most dogs are just jumping because they’re excited, others are actually doing it to show you who’s in charge. Here’s what I mean…
It’s true – the main reason dogs jump is because they are just plain happy to see you! Their adrenaline is pumping and they are excited about something. This happens when you come home after being gone for awhile – or when someone comes over to visit.
There is another reason dogs jump, which is less common but more serious.
You’ve probably heard that dogs are pack animals. This means they live in groups – and everyone has their rank in the group. The leader of the group is the alpha dog, and he will do certain things to show that he is the boss. For example, the alpha dog always eats first – before anyone else in the pack. The also shows he’s “top dog” by showing he’s physically superior. This is done with another dog by putting one or both paws over the other dog’s shoulder. If he thinks he’s the boss over you, one thing he will do is jump up on you.
You have to understand, you are a part of your dog’s pack too. If he’s jumping up on you at other times (not just when he’s excited) it’s likely he’s expressing dominance over you.
If this is the case, you are dealing with more than a jumping issue. Your dog sees himself as the alpha dog in your relationship. This is a more complex issue – and you’ll need to make some serious adjustments in your overall relationship with your dog. You’re going to have to brush up on your alpha-dog techniques to solve this problem.
Fortunately, most “jumpers” are just doing it because they are excited. It’s not hard to stop this type of jumping. The most important thing is to be consistent. You can’t let your dog jump on you when you’re playing, and then get mad when he jumps on you as you walk in the door. To stop jumping, you need to teach him that it’s never okay to jump up on you.
Here is a simple two-step method to stop your dog from jumping.
The first step is very simple. You just ignore him whenever he jumps up on you. This means you withdraw all attention – even negative attention – so no yelling, shoving, or corrections whatsoever. The idea is to give him the cold shoulder.
To be effective, you just immediately turn away from him whenever he jumps up. Just fold your arms, turn your back to him and look away. Dogs are keen on understanding body language, so he will know exactly what you’re saying.
You just need to be sure you are ignoring your dog – not just ignoring the behavior. You can’t look at him or talk to him. You shouldn’t acknowledge him in any way at all. Trust me, when you aren’t giving him any attention, he’ll calm down quickly.
Step two is very important. It’s a matter of timing, so even though you’re “ignoring” your dog, you have to pay close attention to what he is doing.
The minute your dog has all four paws on the floor, you are going to start praising the heck out of him. Get excited. Let him know that he’s doing something great. Even though he was just jumping up on you, he’ll understand that the praise is for being on the ground as long as you time it right.
As simple as this is, this technique works. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your dog learns. By making sure he doesn’t get any attention when he’s jumping, he’ll soon be the well-behaved pooch you always wanted.
Related posts:
- Exposed: How to Stop Dogs Jumping
- Revealed: How to Stop Dogs Jumping
- Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up To People With The Following Advice
- Several Tips For Curbing Your Dog’s Jumping
- Avoid Your Dog From Jumping Up To Your Guests
Tagged with: dog behavior problems • dog jumping • dog obedience • dog training • Dogs • obedience training • pet • pets_and_animals • puppy training
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I can’t wait to try this technique. I’d always heard that you are supposed to “pop” them with your knee to make them stop jumping. They never said anything about ignoring them until they are back on the ground and acting nice. That makes so much sense!