How To Stop a Dog from Jumping on People

When we see a dog jump excitedly into their owner’s arms in the movies or on TV, it can easily look like a heartwarming moment. But the reality is that jumping behavior in dogs is often undesirable. Sometimes, it can even be dangerous.

Jumping is a natural behavior for dogs, usually done to greet, seek attention, or express excitement. But how can you stop your dog from jumping on people? The key is to reward the behavior you want, such as sitting, and ignore the behavior you don’t want, which is jumping.

Keep reading to learn more about why dogs jump, how to train a dog not to jump, and common mistakes that pet owners make when dogs jump.

Why Dogs Jump on People

Because dogs naturally engage in jumping behavior, they see nothing wrong with jumping on you or other people. Here are the common reasons why dogs jump:

Greeting

Dogs often jump to excitedly greet someone who walks through the door at home or whom they see during a walk or at the dog park. It is their way of saying, “Hi, I’m so excited to see you!”

Seek Attention

Dogs thrive on human attention, even if it’s negative. For example, your dog may jump on you to let you know they’re hungry or need to go outside. Even if you try to shoo them away or put their paws back on the floor, they’re still getting attention from you, which they see as a good thing.

Poor Training

Without consistent training (or any training), a dog won’t know that it’s not okay to jump on people. Let’s say that a pet parent allows their dog to jump on them but not on other people. This inconsistency will be confusing for the dog and may perpetuate the behavior.

Behavioral Issues

Less commonly, dogs will jump because of an underlying behavioral issue, such as aggression or anxiety. In these cases, professional help is needed to address the issue and stop the dog from jumping.

Vet-Approved Training Techniques

Stopping this behavior will take time, patience, and repetition, so make sure that you and your family are committed to the training process before beginning.

Before explaining the training techniques to prevent dog jumping, let’s go through a few considerations:

• Decide the desired greeting behavior. Training techniques for stopping jumping vary according to the end goal. Take time to decide what behavior you want your dog to do instead of jumping, such as sitting, going to a separate area of the house, or playing.
• Consider the most appealing reward. Positive reinforcement is key regardless of training technique. Determine which reward your dog prefers best, like a tasty treat or verbal praise.
• Introduce the desired behavior gradually. Jumping is natural for dogs. If your dog has been jumping for a while, it will take time to replace that behavior with a new one fully. Don’t expect overnight results.
• Train consistently. The more consistent the training is, the better the result. Make sure that everyone in your household actively participates in the training. Also, inform any guests who come to your house about the training so they can reinforce it during their visit.

Here are some vet-approved dog training techniques:

Ignore and Turn Away

Ignoring a dog’s jumping removes the attention as a reward for the behavior. Attention can take the form of talking, looking, or touching. Although ignoring jumping can be difficult at first, your dog will eventually stop the behavior because they’re no longer getting the attention they seek.

Follow these steps:

1. When your dog jumps, do not look at, touch, or talk to them. Turn your back to them to avoid giving them any attention.
2. Continue ignoring your dog until the jumping stops, your dog calms down, and all your dog’s paws are on the floor. At this point, give your dog attention and whichever reward you have chosen.

Teach an Alternative Behavior

The alternative behavior is the desired behavior you decide on before beginning training. This other behavior can be as simple as having your dog sit when greeting someone. The steps listed below are for dogs that already know the ‘sit’ command.

1. Put a leash on your dog and secure it to a doorknob or some other secure object.
2. Give your dog the ‘sit’ command. When they sit, immediately approach your dog and reward them for staying seated. If they stand up before you get to them, walk away and ask them to sit again.
3. With repeated, consistent practice, your dog will learn that sitting is the desired behavior for greeting.
4. After your dog perfects this technique with you, have your dog practice it with friends and family.

Redirect

Redirecting gives your dog something else to do that’s incompatible with jumping. For example, when someone arrives at the door, command your dog to get their favorite toy. Practice this technique when it’s just you coming home, then practice it when other guests visit you.

Separate Your Dog from the Greeting Area

The physical space between your dog and the entryway of your home also helps discourage jumping behavior. Before guests arrive, position your dog behind a gate or in a separate room.

Training Puppies vs. Adult Dogs

As with any training, the younger the dog is when the training begins, the better. This is because puppies don’t yet have ingrained bad habits that need to be replaced.

It is ideal to stop jumping behavior at the puppy stage. It seems cute to have a little puppy jump to greet you or someone else, but that behavior will only get worse and possibly dangerous when the puppy becomes an adult. Training a puppy not to jump will involve consistency and plenty of positive reinforcement.

An adult dog already has established habits, for better or for worse. Adult dogs that jump can certainly be trained to stop jumping, but it may take more effort and time, especially if the dog has been jumping for a long time.

Common Mistakes Owners Make

Pet parents may unintentionally make things worse. Here are some common mistakes:

• Inconsistent responses to jumping. If you let your dog jump on some people but not others, you’re sending inconsistent messages to your dog about jumping. Without clear and consistent direction from you about not jumping at all, the behavior will continue.
• Unintentionally rewarding jumping. Any attention you give your dog when they jump will reward and reinforce the behavior. Even saying “Stop jumping!” or “Get down!” when your dog jumps will unintentionally reinforce the behavior.
• Using punishment-based techniques. Punishment-based techniques, such as yelling or physical punishment, are always discouraged, regardless of the behavior. These techniques instill, or worsen, fear or aggression.

Practice Scenarios for Home and Visitors

If you want your dog to sit for guests, you will practice that with your dog, then have your family and friends practice with your dog in a role-playing scenario.

Your home isn’t the only place where your dog will greet people. Therefore, it’s important to practice outside the home as well. In this way, your dog will learn the desired way to greet people in different settings, whether it’s your home, during a walk, or at the dog park.

Be Patient

Jumping is a natural behavior for dogs, but it can be managed with consistent, positive training. Whichever training technique you choose, make sure that you have plenty of patience, empathy, and persistence to stay the course and reinforce the desired behavior.

With structured guidance and reinforcement, your dog will stop jumping and instead do the behavior that you prefer.