Dog Guidance Blog

Stop your dog from jumping on you by not giving it positive attention when he does so. A lot of dogs jump because they are looking for that attention. If you reach out and pet them, even as you chastise their behavior, they will be getting the attention they want and continue the behavior. Instead, use a key word, such as “Oops,” and then leave. Be consistent with this and your dog will soon learn that he will need to keep all four paws on the ground to get your attention.

When guests come into your home, do not hesitate to instruct them on how to approach your dog. Many people instantly go into a “dog lover’s” mode when they encounter a pet and create more excitement than the dog is used to. These are the kinds of things that will lead to jumping on guests or cause the dog to try and establish dominance.

When your dog jumps on you, take its paws in your hands and lightly squeeze them to let it know that jumping on people is not an acceptable behavior. This does not hurt the dog if you do it lightly but it is an uncomfortable feeling for them. After a while they will stop jumping on people because they will associate it with the uncomfortable feeling.

“Time out” training works with dogs and puppies as well as with children. If your dog exhibits inappropriate behavior like jumping, nipping, or running crazy through the house, try a “time out” in a crate or quiet room. This will allow the dog to calm down and will provide incentive to avoid the behavior in the future.

Dogs can have an annoying habit of jumping up on you or company out of sheer excitement. An effective way to help your dog to learn that this is not a proper greeting is to gently place your hand on his chest, shove him away and firmly say “Off!” Then you can offer him a greeting by calling him back at your invitation for a friendly pat on the head!

To stop your dog from jumping up on you, push it back firmly with your knee and tell it “NO” in a firm and commanding voice. As soon as his feet are on the floor, pet it with your hands and praise your dog for being a good dog with his feet on the floor.

Does your dog jump up on you? Simply turn your back to your dog for a few seconds when it jumps up. Most dogs will quickly learn that jumping up makes you ignore them, but when they have all four feet on the floor, then you pay attention to them.

Do not just tell your dog “No”. This does not give him the information that he needs to learn what it is that he is doing wrong at the time you are yelling at him. Give him specifics. If it is jumping up on company, tell your dog “No Max, get down!” Then your dog will then be able to learn from this experience.