Stop your dog from jumping on you
73Make jumping unpleasant for him
The best way to stop jumping is to never let it start in the first place. Even as an adorable puppy, you must push him off and give a firm command (such as "OFF!") from the first moment he jumps. Remember positive reinforcement - it is far more powerful than punishment or de-training. When you approach your dog, come in the front door, or enter a room, and he lies or sits quietly, immediately tell him how good he is. "Good sit," "good stay," or another simple command phrase should be used so the dog knows why you are so pleased.
Try to be mellow when you come home. It is so fun to have your dog crazed with enthusiasm at your arrival. Who doesn't love a show of affection? But if you want to stop your dog from jumping, you will have to arrive with a little less excitement. Speak in low tones as you come in. Save the happy shouts for outside play when your dog is expected to run, fetch, and perform.
Another tactic is to drop to face level with your dog. If you are already face-to-face, there is nowhere for your dog to jump. Kneel or sit down after coming in the door and see if your dog remains more calm.
You can also prevent your dog from coming close to the door when you arrive, and this may solve the problem entirely. Your dog can become accustomed to waiting a bit after hearing you arrive, before you seek him out and make your greetings.
If your dog is already jumping, you can try breaking him of this by stepping sideways so that he misses you when he jumps. Be sure to firmly say "OFF!" when you step aside, and preferably walk away after that. Your dog will lose interest in jumping if it only results in his feet hitting the ground and you walking away. He is trying very hard to interact. Take away that interaction and he will forget about jumping.
For serious jumpers, you may need to raise your knee to the level of his chest. This keeps him at a distance, which is also not what he wants. If you raise your knee to stop him, then make him sit immediately after. You can also push your hands toward his face without touching him. Dogs do not like hands coming at their faces. A personal alarm is a good training tool for negative behaviors. This is an electronic alarm with a high-decibel beep. Dogs dislike this sound, and will associate jumping with this unpleasant outcome.
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Comments
Excellent! I think the sidestep and ignore is the best tactic for most dogs, especially bigger dogs. They just don't get anything out of their jump, it's like they can't hit the target, and there is no stimulus to keep trying it. Thanks for weighing in.
Suzanna
Another good method to help prevent jumping is go back into training mode and have all your friends come over to help (not all at once, of course). Attach a drag line to the dog's training collar. Have one of your friends ring the bell or knock at the door. At this time, your foot will be on the drag line and will prevent "Snoopy" from jumping up. Keep your foot in place and have the dog sit. At that time, and only when the dog is in sit, then allow the affection to be shown him/her. This takes repetition as with any training exercise but it will prove to be worth it.
Excellent tactic, Cinnamon! Thank you for sharing that with us. It's especially effective, I think, when the dog doesn't know what is keeping him from jumping, but the reflex itself is being countered without any distraction of displeasing the owner or even getting "bad" attention. Then, when he is still sitting, he gets praise. Double reinforcement! Takes longer with some dogs than others, but it is time well spent.
I'm working on training my two dogs (boxer and pit bull) not to jump. They are learning that if they sit when i come home they get attention opposed to jumping and receiving "NO!"
Renaissance says:
2 years ago
Your tactics are spot on.
My Pitbull has a waning jumping habit. I have been employing the sidestep and ignore technique for the last week and his jumping attempts have been steadily decreasing.