Training Your Dog to Stop Jumping
Dog owners, dog lovers, and people who spend a lot of time around dogs, in general, have, at some point, experienced a dog who likes to jump on them. When it’s your dog or a dog you spend a lot of time around, you usually know if it’s in greeting or attack— but a newcomer might not. It’s frustrating, sometimes embarrassing, and can be difficult to train if you’re not prepared and don’t understand the root cause of the behavior.
What’s Causing the Jumping
Some experts seem to think that the root of the behavior lies in how dogs greet each other: nose to nose. Since our noses are a little higher than a dog’s nose, they have to jump to reach. Jumping allows them to be closer to you and greet you more affectionately.
If your dog tends to jump on strangers more often or people they seem rarely, there may be another issue. If your dog feels stressed or uncomfortable with someone, they may jump to assert their dominance.
Boredom can also be a factor in your dog’s jumping. If there’s too much pent-up energy or your dog gets overexcited about visitors, they may become a jumper.
Management is the First Step
Set up the environment to your advantage. Where does your dog jump on people the most? Who does your dog jump on the most? When does your dog jump the most?
For some dogs, they jump on guests as they enter the home. Set up the environment so the dog cannot get to the front door and the guests until they’ve calmed down. This may involve setting up baby gates in a room where your dog can see the guest walk in and is released when they’re sitting calmly. Over time, you can begin to show them what you want them to do instead when a guest comes over. For example, sit and stay in their place until released.
If you’re unsure of how to teach your dog to go to their place or where to start with behavior management, reach out to the professional dog trainers in Fort Myers at Sit Means Sit Southwest Florida!
Other dogs may jump on you as soon as you come home from work or the grocery store. Instead of greeting them enthusiastically as soon as you walk through the door and playing with them, wait until they calm down before interacting with them.
Use Your Leash to Your Advantage
Your dog might feel your dog has great recall and it might feel silly to use your leash inside, but a leash can help you keep control over your dog during training. You can prevent your dog from jumping on a guest or a passerby by guiding your dog away using the leash.
Teaching Polite Greetings
To take your dog’s training a step further, you can teach them to politely greet others. Keeping your dog in an exercise pen or behind a baby gate, approach with treats, or a favorite toy in hand. If your dog is able to stay calm and keep all four paws on the floor, reward them. Repeat multiple times per session and try to have multiple sessions a day.
As your dog progresses, begin to approach them with more excitement. Add excited talked or noises. If they jump, turn around and walk away. This will build up their tolerance to distractions no matter how exciting the person is, reinforcing that they need to sit politely to get attention.
If you have any concerns or unsure where to start training your dog, contact Sit Means Sit Southwest Florida today to get started. We can help you have a well-behaved pup!