In a way, teaching your dog not to jump almost seems like an attempt to tone down their happiness. They’ve been waiting patiently for you all day, and the moment you walk through the door, they feel like it’s time to play. But, while jumping on you is one thing, it’s a different matter entirely when your dog starts jumping on your guests especially if they are toddlers or older people.
Teaching your dog to stop jumping on visitors will take patience and planning, but with a little work, it can lay the foundation for obedience classes and teaching your dog fun tricks in the future.
Start with Basic Obedience Training
Although some dogs are more easily excited than others, basic obedience training can help. Start with some basic commands like “sit” and “stay” to get your dog to listen to you. When the doorbell rings, it’s a good idea to put a leash on your dog, tell your dog to sit and step on the leash with your foot to keep it taught enough so the dog can’t jump up on your guests when they come through the door.
Tell your visitors that they can only pet the dog when he is sitting calmly and should ignore him if he jumps up. This will reinforce to the dog that he will only get attention when sitting.
You can reward this good behavior with a treat.
Keep the Training Low-Key
When you first enter your front door and your dog begins to jump, it can feel almost natural to mirror their excitement, talking in a high-pitched voice and being equally enthusiastic to see them. Resist this urge, at least in the initial stages, and help your dog to learn that not every interaction needs to be filled with energy.
From here, try to respond to your dog only when all four feet are on the floor. The second they jump up with their front paws in the air, fold your arms and refuse to engage with them. This will teach your dog that over-eagerness will not elicit an over-eager response from you and will encourage them to remain on the ground.
How to Stop a Puppy from Jumping Up When Meeting People
For this exercise, have someone else stand about ten to fifteen feet away from you and your puppy. Ask the dog to sit, and when they start to get into position, have the friend come forward in the direction of the dog. If your dog knows and likes this second person, they will most likely respond by wanting to jump in hopes of some playtime.
When they do so, have the friend stop and return to their original position; make sure the puppy is leashed to keep them from jumping anyways. Repeat this process as many times as is necessary for the dog to learn that jumping is not an appropriate response when meeting people. Training your dog not to jump while still a puppy is a challenge but well worth the effort.
Although the process can be frustrating, many dogs pick up on this relatively quickly, usually within a week’s time. If your dog takes longer, it’s no reason to worry, just commit yourself to the training and make sure that you are consistent with your rewards and instruction.
After a while, the payoff of not having to worry that your dog will jump on everyone he meets will be well worth it.
