Ask several dog owners and pet parents, and they will tell you one of the most common behavioral problems is dog jump on people. But with the right training method, consistency, and patience, you can solve the issue.
Jumping on people is a common behavior problem pet parents face. Do not worry, you do not have to be a professional dog trainer to correct this type of unwanted behavior.
Most of the time, a dog jump on people indicates your dog wants attention. And the good news is you can easily stop this behavior.
You can have your dog greet people more politely.
Why do some dogs jump on people?
You are probably wondering why is your dog jumping on people. It isn’t part of the regular canine behavior, right?
When two dogs meet, they greet each other face-to-face. Well, that is the normal canine behavior. And this might be the reason why they jump on visitors and family members. They might want to get face-to-face interaction.
Jumping is often a sign of excitement. We know dogs jump on us when we come back home. They wag their tail and try to kiss us. But is this behavior acceptable?
Here is a simple reason why you want to prevent it. Some people are not comfortable with a dog jumping on them. Besides, a jumping dog can cause injury to people and wreak havoc in your home.
And if left unchecked, this jumping behavior can lead to other problems. For example, a dog jumping up to steal food from the countertop.
In any case, it is inappropriate dog behavior that you have to solve. In some cases, it is even a sign of separation anxiety and attention-seeking gesture.
Why are you to blame?
Here is a dirty little secret some might not tell you. But if you ask professional dog trainers, they will. You are to blame. You have unwillingly reinforced this type of behavior.
How? Well, as a dog owner, you have reinforced this behavior in your young puppy. Most puppies learn early on that jumping gets them attention.
It gives them rewards like dog food, treats, praise, and much more. And this type of unwanted behavior can continue when you have an adult dog. If you are still giving your older dog attention and not ignoring the jumping behavior, you have a problem.
Inconsistency doesn’t help as well. You might ignore your jumping dog, but other family members and visitors might not. It is important that you have consistency in the household. And with positive reinforcement, you reward good behavior.
The Trick
So, how can you stop dog jump on people? Today, I will talk about a simple trick I have seen on social media. Now, this is not my idea. But I wanted to share it with you. I have written previously about how you can change your dog’s behavior when they greet people.
But let’s see what this trick is. I can tell you, it works. I have tried it on Milo, and the results are amazing. Now, Milo didn’t jump on people previously, but I asked him to jump and used this trick to stop it.
Here is how to perform the trick and give your dog a polite greeting for people.
When your dog jumps on you, just walk toward it. This will make your dog go back. And when it goes back, it cannot jump on you. It cannot remain in the jumping position.
The idea behind the trick is to show your dog that the way to get your attention is to sit down. The moment your dog sits, you mark, praise, and reward.
See, simple!
What not to do?
So, you are a dog owner who has a problem with bad behavior in your dog. If you have a large dog, jumping on people can be a serious problem.
Now, some trainers recommend a form of negative punishment for dogs jumping on people. One such method is knee to the dog’s chest. Or using a leash correction. Pulling or yanking on the leash.
These methods might not work. And they are not effective. Why. Well, punishment doesn’t tell your dog what to do. It doesn’t teach an alternate behavior. It only stops the bad stuff.
Not to mention, with methods like knee to the chest, leash correction, or something similar, you can cause serious injuries.
And the worst part is, your dog might learn it cannot jump on people only when it is on a leash. And since most dogs are not leashed 24×7, they will have plenty of opportunities to jump.
