Ask a dog trainer: how do I get my dog to stop jumping up?

It’s nice that our dogs are so happy to see us when we return – who doesn’t want to come home to a warm greeting? At the same time, we do want our dogs to be able to contain themselves so we are not mauled with love every time we come home. Or maybe your dog tends to jump up when you are holding a tasty morsel in your hand. That’s no fun either. And neither is the embarrassment you feel when your dog jumps on a stranger while out for a walk.

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Why Dogs Jump Up

The reason many dogs jump up is simple: it’s gotten them what they wanted in the past. Dogs are opportunists who repeat behaviors that work. When our dogs are puppies, most of us don’t even think twice about giving them lots of love and attention when they jump up – after all, they are adorable and small. Or maybe you’ve given them that piece of the steak you were holding because they jumped up and looked at you with those big puppy eyes. Maybe you gave them that toy they jumped for or threw the ball they tried to snatch. Each time your puppy got rewarded, it told them that that was the way to behave to get something.

Fast forward to adulthood, and you have a larger dog that still jumps up, only now it’s not so cute. It takes patience and practice, but it is fixable.

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What To Do With A Dog That Jumps

First – stop rewarding the behavior! Every time you give your dog what he wants when he jumps up, you are reinforcing the jumping. So no matter what, do not give in! If your dog is jumping up for attention, fold your arms across your chest, turn away from your dog. etc. Do not say anything, do not push them down. Why? Because it’s still attention, even if it’s negative. As soon as your dog stops jumping, give him attention. This rewards him for having “four on the floor.” Make sure anyone who comes in contact with your dog follows this rule.

Second – teach a conflicting behavior. If you teach your dog to sit every time he wants a pet, he can’t both sit and jump at once. This helps curb the unwanted behavior. You can do this by attaching your dog to something he can’t move – like catching his leash in a door (see image below on how to make a tie-down using your door). Approach your dog. If he sits, he gets lots of attention, treats, etc. If he jumps on you, just walk away silently. Your dog can’t follow and continue to jump on you. Wait until he is calm (it might take a while at first!) and try again. Once he is sitting nicely every time, try removing the leash. Make sure anyone who comes in contact with your dog follows this rule.

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Third – manage the behavior. If your dog jumps on people while on walks, when you have guests over, during dinner time, etc., you are going to need to manage the behavior while she is learning so it doesn’t get reinforced, even accidentally (strangers won’t know not to pet your dog when she jumps, for example). In these cases, keeping your dog on leash can help (you can step on it so your dog can’t physically jump up) or remove her from the room when you are eating, or when you know that people are coming over. After they come in and the initial excitement has ebbed, you can bring her back in on a leash to nicely greet your guests.

Want more help? Check out my online class “How To Teach Your Dog To Not Jump On People.”

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