How to teach your dog not to jump

By, Ryan Paddock

A dog jumping on you or your company coming over to visit is one of the most annoying behaviors that your dog may do. It can also be very frustrating to try to teach your dog not to, but you can also teach your dog(s) manners at the door in only a few minuets a day.

Why dogs jump

The biggest reason that dogs jump up is excitability. Sure I like to have fun with my dogs, but sometimes that energy can really get them into trouble. A great way to think about this is children playing around the house. Have fun, but everything in reason. If you allowed your kids to get so excited, they may start punching holes in the drywall! So just like we want to teach our kids to dial things down a little, we have to do the same thing with our dogs.

The other main cause of dogs jumping is a lack of structure. Going back to the kids for a second. If we put a bunch of 5 year olds in a room without any guidance, how would things go? Not so well. We need to give our dogs the structure and guidance that they need. I find it really difficult to get upset with a dog if the dog has never been taught how to appropriately behave.

How to teach your dog not to jump

The first thing I like to do when teaching a dog not to jump, is to teach them how to sit. It is physically impossible for your dog to jump if he or she is sitting. The only time that your dog can jump is if they break that command.

The next thing i like to do is work with the dog in exciting areas of the home. Usually two places will cause the most excitement, doors are one and stairs are the other. Dog have a tendency to be very excitable in these two areas. Think about it what does your dog do up every flight of stairs or when you let the dog outside to go the the bathroom? The answer is run! So if we can require the dog to start relaxing in those areas the behavior of jumping typically goes away.

Other methods can be used to help solve jumping issues with your dog. Make sure to contact a professional in your area if you need help with jumping or any other problem that you are having with your dog. Also feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. For more information head over to Minneapolis.SitMeansSit.com.