15 Tips to Stop Your Dog from Jumping on You

Do you want to stop your dog from jumping on you? If so, read on!  

Dogs are lovable creatures who can melt away the stress of the day and keep us company.  

The challenge is to teach your dog good companionship behavior whether just with you and your family or with guests.  

One very particular test to dog trainers and owners is how to stop a dog from jumping on you.  

But with these helpful tips, you will stop your dog from jumping on you, and you will become the ideal owner of a behaved dog worthy of praise and treats.

Teaching your dog to stop jumping on you and other people means training him or her in different behaviors and skills around you and people such as sit, stay down or settle. 

But first, a little background on why dog jumping habits persist.  

Dog jumping is a social behavior amongst canines as a way of greeting.  

It starts during the puppy stage to welcome their mothers nuzzle to nuzzle. 

Of course, a dog does not distinguish behavior from other canine different from people; thus jumping persists when greeting you or others such as your guests.

Start teaching your pooch skills as a replacement for this social behavior.

1.) Training your dog is part of dog care. And to be able to do this effectively, you must have great patience.  

Because the process of teaching should be short yet constant, it can try your patience.  

Your pooch has a short attention span and is easily distracted; patience is exercised for rewards to instill the skills.

2.) Short and sweet training time.  

Dogs have very short attention spans and can get easily distracted by just about anything, from sounds, other people approaching the training space or even by a fly or any bug flying around.  

The rule of thumb is to keep it to 15 minutes or less to make sure that the focus of the dog is on the training. 

Dogs love routine as they are creatures of habit.  

So, teach them the skills and behavior you want at a particular time, like before his play time at the dog park or before a meal.  

In this manner, your dog will associate behavior training with a reward. 

3.) Mind your body language.  Our canine friends are good at reading body language.

And each stance or gesture has meaning to them, some are imposing, and some were inviting and encouraging.  

Standing sideways and going down to the eye level or at least down on your knees as you cue a command are more encouraging to the dog.  Standing upright can be threatening.

4.) Cue the command once, do not repeat it over and over again.  

If you repeat the signal and he or she ignores you, it’s more likely the commands won’t be taken seriously.  

So make a clear cue once with your speech and gesture to be useful in training your dog.

5.) Use your treats wisely.  Never give too much or too little.

When your dog obeys your commands at the right time, give your dog a treat, either by affection or food.  

Do not give treats outside of training, so your pet can associate them with good behavior or obeying commands or cues.

6.) Discourage dog jumping behavior by making a wide stance and crossing your arms.  

Opening your arms and holding your pet when he/she jumps at you will encourage the social manner.  

You can also try to discourage the social behavior by turning your back on him/her.  

And only turn your attention to your pet when all his/her feet are on the ground, sitting or settling.  

7.) Ignoring the behavior discourages the dog from doing it.  

Dogs move or behave with treats and encouragement.  

By curbing the social manner, your pet will get the idea that it’s not a good social norm.

8.) The command to “stay” has more purpose than to keep your dog still, or settle in one place.  

It is to keep him/her from harm’s way.  

The 3 D’s gauge the stay skill; distance, duration, and distraction. 

Begin teaching the command to stay on a leash and at close range.  

Gesture the command with your hand out and within his/her vision and cue “stay.”

After 15 to 30 seconds of obeying, give your pet a treat. 

Repeat this until the dog gets the notion that if he/she keeps still sitting, there will be a treat.

9.) The skill to keep “still” is also used to teach the dog to stop jumping especially when you arrive at home and when you have guests. 

It is for over excitable dogs to settle their emotions, especially when they feel anxious. 

Continue to practice the skill until you reach the desired distance, duration and even when there is a distraction such as guests coming into the house.  

It is one way to stop your dog from jumping on you and other people.

10.) The command “sit” is useful to stop dog jumping.  

Dogs like people have the natural habit of sitting.  

Teaching your dog to sit is to connect the command to the natural skill.

The quickest method for the dog to connect the natural skill with the command is by holding a treat close to his/her nose and trailing it towards the back of the head.

When his/her head follows the treat up, the back and buttocks will naturally go down.

Once buttocks hit the ground, affirm this with a “yes” then give the treat.

11.) Always begin teaching your dog skills and tricks by keeping your pet on a leash this keeps your pooch at a short distance and more comfortable to handle.  

Once your dog masters the command, you can discard the leash during training and when giving the command.

12.) One way for the dog to stop jumping at you or your guests is to keep the door closed until you are sure that all 4 feet are on the ground.  

When your pet has calm down and is less excited, let your guest in to greet the newcomers with a hand and nose contact.  

You can also keep him/her on a leash to stop him or her from jumping once you open the door. 

13.) You can also keep your dog in a contained space such as other rooms in the house, exercise pen or baby gate.  

For big and athletic dogs, a room with a door is advisable until he or she is less excited or anxious.  

When your pet finally calms down, you can let him/her out with a leash and allow greeting the new arrivals.

Source: BarkPost

14.) Before starting the dog training, read or attend training classes.  

These make a big difference as you will also know how to interpret his/her mannerism, barking and body language.

15.)Training your dog the proper skills takes time.  

In the beginning, there will be good and bad days.  

You should train your dog in a secluded area.  

Dogs get easily distracted so teaching your dog in a less crowded area allows him/her to focus on you.

Learn how to stop your dog from jumping on you and others by teaching him/her other skills that are multipurpose and keep him/her out of harm’s way.