How to Stop Dog Jumping

Although your dog jumping up on you can be cute as a puppy, it can be quite a nuisance when he's full grown. This behavior should be dealt with in early puppyhood. It may seem mean to try to control a dog’s excitement when he sees someone, but on the other hand, you don’t want him to end up hurting someone. Your dog doesn’t know his own strength.

How to control dog jumping

Consistency is key. You must discipline your dog EVERY time he jumps up. You cannot pick and choose when you will allow your dog jumping and when you won’t.

Stop Dog Jumping: Option 1
One option is to teach your dog a “SIT” command whenever someone rings the bell or knocks on the door. You can get a friend to come ring the doorbell repeatedly in order to teach the command. You cannot teach this disciplinary measure on the rare occasion that someone happens to ring the bell, it is not often enough for him to remember from one instance to the next. It is better to recreate the situation over and over again consecutively. This way he is more likely to retain the information.

Every time your friend rings the bell, your dog will react with excitement, which involves jumping up and maybe barking. Tell him to “SIT” in a firm tone of voice. Keep a short leash on him to hold him back from jumping. Don’t open the door until you get him to sit. If he stands once you open the door, close it immediately. You shouldn’t pet him or show him any attention until he obeys the command. Only then can you give him a treat and say “good dog.” You may not notice much of a difference in his behavior on the first few tries, but after repeating this procedure 10 or 20 times, you will start to see a calmer reaction every time the bell rings. Once he obeys the command when the bell rings, then you can remove the leash and try it a few more times with no leash. Before you try to teach your dog to sit in an excited state, he should already be familiar with the command under normal conditions. When performing this training option, you don’t necessarily have to teach him to sit. You can teach him to “HEAL” where he will just remain on all fours.

It is very important to reward him for his good behavior. Remember, when you come home from work and your dog hasn’t seen you all day, his excitement level is extremely high. Avoid provoking this behavior further by talking to him in a high-pitched tone.

Stop Dog Jumping: Option 2
Another option for dealing with your dog jumping up is, every time your dog jumps up on you, hold him up by his paws, making him stand up on his hind legs. Keep him up until he gets uncomfortable. Do not praise him or make it seem like a game. This will demonstrate to him that this behavior will illicit a negative response from you. When trying this maneuver with a large dog, be careful not to place yourself in a compromising position where you will be face-to-face with your dog. If he is not already disciplined in other areas, he may try to bite you.

Dog jumping requires much patience. It is not a behavior that can be controlled very easily. With time and perserverance, together you can accomplish this goal.