Training a Dog Not To Jump Up

Jumping up has got to be near the top of the list of most annoying behaviors your dog can have. Unfortunately, it is an easy behavior to accidently cultivate in the excitement of seeing each other again! You miss your dog, he's jumping up and down, you are loving on him, and voila, this behavior is born! For smaller dogs, or in rainy, muddy climates it is a nuisance. For larger dogs, it can be downright dangerous, especially around small children or the elderly. The first step to stopping is to recognize your pattern with your dog. Once you understand this you can beginning training a dog not to jump up.

Jumping up is your dog's way of saying, "Hello!" He is just looking for a way to get closer to your face to greet you. Of course you are just as excited to see your dog too. You give him a big hug/kiss/rub hello, and now you have just accidently reinforced this pesky behavior.

So, now what? Step one is stop encouraging this behavior! This is usually the hardest part, because it requires a change from how you have greeted your dog in the past. Instead of throwing all your love on your dog as he is happily jumping up and down in front of you, you need stand and wait. You may need to help calm your dog until all four paws are on the ground, but once this happens, kneel down or bend closer, then love him up all you want.

As with any bad habit, step one to training a dog not to jump is recognizing where the behavior is coming from. The tricky part here is that in order to get the behavioral outcome you are looking for, in this case to stop jumping, you actually need to your dog to jump up, so you can issue the command that will eventually get him to stop. First, you need to pick the command word that works for you. "Off" is a good choice, because it is short, and won't be confused with "down" if he already has that command under his doggy belt. You can choose any word as long as it is short and to the point.

For larger dogs you can try the knee technique. Once your dog starts jumping on you, bring up your knee, put it into his chest, deflecting him, while giving the "off" command. This requires a bit of finesse because you want to do this gently, but firmly, without kicking or hurting your dog. You just need to give enough of a push to get him off-balance and back to all four paws. Once all four paws are back on earth, praise and reward with a doggy treat. Once he starts recognizing the "off" command, be sure to continue to praise and reward every time he returns all four paws to the ground.

Another tact you can try is the leash and collar method. This works better for small dogs or dogs who don't need as much physical intervention. Once your dog starts jumping, pull his collar to the side while giving the "off" command. This is enough of a distraction to get all four paws back to the ground. Once this happens, praise and reward. Repeat.

Unfortunately, breaking this behavior and training a dog not to jump requires patience and repetition. The key is to watch your dog closely. When you notice your dog is going to jump up on another person, give the "off" command. If he jumps up, repeat the "off" command and use whichever technique you prefer to get his paws back on the ground. Praise and reward his accomplishment instead of punishing him. Since he needs to jump up and hear the "off" command a few times first to understand what it actually means, working with a partner on this training technique can be helpful. Eventually, there will come a time when you will anticipate when your dog is going to jump, you give the "off" command, and he has learned what that means. Instead of jumping up, all four paws will remain on the ground!