How to Stop Your Dog Jumping Up

Your dog jumps up because it works. At some point it got them what they wanted, and dogs repeat what pays.

What they want is you: your face, your hands, your voice. When a dog jumps and you say “no”, push them off or laugh, they’ve had all three. Being told off is still contact, and an over-excited dog will happily take it.

Most owners tell us they’ve tried everything. Usually they’ve tried the same thing in different ways, which is reacting to the jump. So the first change is to stop reacting.

What doesn’t work

Kneeing the dog in the chest, standing on the back paws and grabbing the front ones are old advice and we wouldn’t use any of it. Some dogs back off. Plenty get more excited. A small dog can be hurt, and you’ve taught your dog that greeting you is a bit risky, which isn’t what you want.

Shouting doesn’t work either, and neither does saying “off” over and over. By the tenth “off” it’s just noise and the dog is still jumping.

Visitors

Visitors are the hard part because you can’t control what they do. If your dog jumps on guests, put a lead on before the door opens, or keep the dog behind a gate until the first excitement has passed. Ask your visitors to ignore the dog until it has calmed down, then let them say hello.

Managing a situation isn’t failing. It stops the dog rehearsing the jumping.

Puppies and adult dogs

A puppy jumps because that’s how puppies say hello to a face. A jumping eight week old is sweet. A thirty kilo adolescent doing the same thing to your elderly mother is not, so teach it early.

Adult dogs who’ve jumped for years can change too. It takes longer because the habit is well practised, and everyone in the house has to play along. One person who lets the dog jump “just this once” undoes a lot of good work.

When to get help

If you’ve been at it for a few weeks and nothing has shifted, or the jumping comes with grabbing clothes, mouthing or knocking children over, get someone to watch you and the dog together. A lot of the time the problem is timing, and it’s very hard to spot from the inside. It’s usually quick to fix once someone can see it.

That’s what our one-to-one lessons are for. Paul works hands-on with you and your dog at our facility near Nantwich, and you go home knowing exactly what to do differently. Your first lesson is two hours, so there’s plenty of time to sort out the jumping and whatever else is bothering you.

Want help with your own dog? Tell us about your dog and we’ll get back to you for a chat about it.