How to train a Dog Not To Jump
How can I train my dog not to jump? This is a question that most dog owners ask. We may not mind the dog jumping on us, and in fact many people like it if their dog makes a big fuss of them when they come home from work. But we probably do not want him jumping on certain pieces of furniture or on strangers or visitors to the house, especially kids.Dogs jump on people for two reasons. The first is a greeting. This is the behavior that you enjoy in your dog, but if you want to stop him jumping at everyone, it’s good to encourage him to greet you in a different way.
You could move down to his level and let him come lick your face. That will stop him needing to jump on you.
The other reason that dogs jump on people is to assert themselves and make the person submit. This is the behavior that most people want to stop when we are asking how to train my dog not to jump.
You will first need to teach the dog a command, either Off or Down. Say this firmly and be careful not to reward the dog with playful attention or laughter.
Another possibility is to give the dog the opposite response to the positive love and affection that he is expecting. You could catch his legs and put him back down on the floor while firmly saying the Down or Off command. You can do the same when he jumps on furniture. Other family members will also need to start doing this so the the dog receives a consistent message.
Alternatively, when he jumps on you, do not touch him but show your teeth in a snarl. This can be very effective with a puppy because it is what his mother would do. It is not scary for the puppy as long as you do it silently, but it shows him who is the boss.
The hardest thing I found when I would train my dog not to jump was that most people like it when a dog jumps on them in a friendly way. This is especially true with a puppy or a small dog. Most adults welcome it and will either play with the dog or laugh or speak to him in a friendly way. They don’t like to say ‘Down!’ because they don’t want people thinking they are scared of the dog!For this reason you may want to explain to friends and frequent visitors what you are doing. Remind them that although it’s fine right now, if your dog is going to grow into a large dog it could cause problems later. Even a small dog could frighten children, or if the dog is muddy it could be annoying for anybody. So this really is something that you need to teach your dog not to do.
When friends understand this, they will usually be willing to help you train the dog. I found this worked well if I explained to my friends that I needed to train my dog not to jump so that he does not frighten strangers and children.
