If you have ever owned a dog, one time or another you have probably dealt with this problem. Your dog is so happy to see you that he jumps up on you getting his muddy paws all over your new suit or dress. Or even worse, during his excitement he jumps on a smaller child and knocks them down or scratches the child’s face, arms or legs.
Sorry to say this, but you probably taught him to greet you in this manner.
You see, when your dog was just a little pup, you would be so excited to see that little guy that he would come to you in his cute puppy way and jump on your ankle (or barely reach your knee cap at this point) and you of course would bend over and pet him or even pick him up.
You have just taught your puppy a very nice lesson, if he runs up to you and jumps on your foot or knee he can get praise and affection. Fast foreword a few months and now that little puppy is as much as 5 or 6 times the size that he was, but still thinking like a puppy, (“if I jump on my owner he will give me love”). He does not know the difference between his puppy size, of say 4 or 5lbs and his new size of maybe 30 or 40lbs or more, not to mention he is taller now and can reach up to your arms or chest. All he knows is that he wants the praise and affection that he has missed all day long and you taught him how to get it, by jumping.
Is it bad manners to have a dog jump on you?
My advice is to never allow jumping. But, most owners of small dog breeds or “toy” breed dogs, expect there dog to jump on them (your personal preference). Jumping on an unprepared house guest could prove to be uncomfortable. If you do decide to allow your dog to jump, it is best to work with him on the “off” command. That way if he were to jump on someone or something you can quickly get him off.
For larger breed dog owners, training your dog commands such as “No Jump” and “off” should be mandatory. If not for the social aspect, at least for the safety of little ones in the house or that come to visit. Remember, a large dogs paws can easily be heavy enough to gouge your skin though your cloths, and it’s one thing to put up with bruises, cuts and scrapes from your own dog, could you imagine if your dog did this to someone else, maybe a child. Yes, it is best that you either never teach your dog to jump or get this habit under control quickly.
Reasons why dogs jump.
Dog jumping, most often occurs due to extreme excitement (owner returning home from work). High energy playtime’s can prompt and a dog to jump on you as well.
A much more serious problem is when a dog jumps to display his dominance over you or whatever he is jumping on (another dog, a child or guest). Hailing from a pack mentality, dogs live by a hierarchy of social ranking and order. One of the behaviors a dog will use to exert his dominance over a lesser animal is to show his physical superiority by jumping up on or placing his paw or paws over the other dog’s shoulders.
You can identify the reason for your dogs jumping by taking note of the circumstances surrounding the event. If he only jumps when extremely excited, such as playtime or upon your return home from work, then he is only showing how much he missed you.
On the other hand, if he jumps in a variety of situations, you could be dealing with more of a dominance issue and symptoms of a more complicated problem of communication and attitude. The longer this type of behavior is allowed to happen the harder it will be to regain control of the jumping issues. At this point and time I would highly suggest that you study alpha-dog techniques (tip: you can find more great information on dealing with a dominate dog over at Ez Dog Training At Home, you can find the link for this web site at the bottom of this page)
Your actions are key to eliminating this annoying and possibly dangerous habit of your dogs. As with most all dog training consistency in your training will speed up his learning curve and prove to be more reliable. To stop dog jumping you have to make it clear to your dog that jumping is no longer tolerated.
Staying with your training routine day in and day out is the only way you will be able to beak this habit of your dogs jumping. Taking a day off and not fallowing though with your training can undermine weeks worth of work, so stick to your plan.
Dog trainers world wide agree that the most effective way to curb unwanted behavior (jumping) in your dog is also the the easiest, and that is to simply ignore the bad or unwanted behavior and reward the wanted or good behavior. There is no need to yell or over correct. Negative attention is still attention and that is what your dog seeks when jumps on you.
Most professional trainers agree that the most effective way is also the easiest way to stop unwanted behavior (such as jumping) in your dog is to ignore him whenever he jumps. No need to yell or correct, although that is usually the first thing that comes to mind when your dog just ruined another pair of nylons or scratch one of your children.
Let your body do all the talking. When your dog jumps on you or is about to jump on you, turn your back and face way from him…i.e. the cold shoulder. Dogs understand your body language much more then the spoken word, so use your posture to get the message though loud and clear.
When your dog goes to jump on you, turn your back on him right away. Dogs understand body language much more than the spoken word. So, what you need to do here is use your posture to get your message though loud and clear.
Again, as soon as he has all four paws back on the ground praise him lavishly. Don’t worry that you may be confusing him, dogs have a very short “training memory” and they can only comprehend the reaction you give to his behavior at that moment.
Reinforce the good behavior, as soon as he keeps all for paws on the ground, reward him. If he gets excited again and goes to jump, give him the cold shoulder again. Don’t worry if the cold shoulder and the praise are within seconds of each other, dogs have a very short training memory and are only capable of associating the reaction you give with the behavior he is presenting at moment. So, it will work really well if you give extreme affection when he keeps his paws to himself and the cold shoulder a half of second later.
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