The problem of dog jumping is very common. Often, dog owners will innocently encourage jumping when they react with excitement to a puppy that jumps up at them.
This teaches the puppy that he will receive hugs and kisses when he jumps up. Dogs can’t possibly understand the difference between a small puppy and a large adult dog jumping up.
Your dog will see no good reason to stop jumping just because he’s somewhat older. It will be necessary for you to teach your dog that it is no longer acceptable for him to jump up.
When is jumping unacceptable?
Some owners of small dogs see jumping as an indication of affection and enthusiasm. Happily, these dogs will probably not knock someone over with their energetic behavior, and their diminutive size would only make them intimidating to a very small child. However, it is rare for someone to welcome strange dogs jumping up on them, no matter how small they are. In a nutshell, you should teach your dog the “off” command in case you aren’t close enough to stop the jumping behavior.
The “no jump” or “off” command is vital for owners of big dogs. Frequently, a large dog standing on his hind legs will be taller than a human being – just imagine how frightening that would be for a small child! Also, they are often heavy enough to knock over a smaller adult. Having your own dog scratch or bruise you is not good but it’s far worse if he harms someone else. A responsible dog owner will ensure that his dog is provided with a recall to the off command.
What’s the reason for dogs jumping?
Jumping is usually a dog’s way of showing enthusiasm and excitement. Often dogs will only jump up when their master comes home after being away the entire day. If your dog jumps up on you then, he is simply jumping for joy. A less frequent and more serious reason is that some dogs use jumping to show their dominance over the person they are jumping on.
If your dog only jumps up when he’s excited to see you or during playtime, he is clearly just showing his enthusiastic and happy state of mind. If the jumping occurs under many different circumstances, it is likely that your dog is displaying dominance behavior, which is indicative of a communication or attitude problem. Basically, there will need to be major changes in your relationship with your dog, including asserting yourself as “alpha dog”.
Useful Tip: Secrets to Dog Training is an amazing guide designed to help dog owners tackle dominance issues in their dog.
Your reaction to dogs jumping up on you is key to whether the behavior is repeated or not. A consistent and prolonged effort will be necessary to stop your dog from jumping. He needs to be trained that it is always unacceptable for him to jump up. You shouldn’t allow your dog to jump one day, then forbid this behavior the next day. To a dog, your work and play clothing look the same - if you allow him to jump up some of the time, he’ll attempt to do it whenever he feels the inclination.
How to stop dogs jumping
The majority of trainers believe that the methods used to stop unacceptable behaviors such as jumping can often be the least difficult. If he jumps up, you need to walk away. All attention should be withdrawn (including negative attention such as shouting, pushing or correcting).
This is how this training technique works: when your dog jumps on you, immediately turn your back on him, fold your arms, turn your face away, and don’t make eye contact with him. As dogs understand body language much more than the spoken word, your posture will let him know that jumping is not acceptable.
This is where many people go wrong – they confuse ignoring the bad behavior with ignoring their dog. The behavior is not being ignored (you’re not carrying on as if the jumping isn’t happening, you are actively ignoring your dog). You can easily let dogs know that you are not pleased by giving them the cold shoulder treatment. When your attention and reaction are removed, your dog will quickly calm down.
The right time to praise
You can praise him as soon as his four paws touch the floor. Although your dog may have been ignored up to that instant, it is permissible for you to show him affection as soon as his feet hit the ground.
Posted under dog training
This post was written by admin on May 14, 2009
