Jumping Up

Dogs jump on us for a multitude of reasons, but typically it revolves around excitement or anxiousness. They may jump when they’re excited to see you or they’re greeting friends (or strangers.) They may jump because they want attention, and even bad attention is attention. They may jump because it releases energy and they’re exhibiting nervous behavior. And sometimes we inadvertently invite them to jump with our own body language (pushing them down or bringing our arms upward is play language to dogs…) Either way, the best way to get them not to jump, is to give them an alternate behavior.

When a dog is jumping on you as a greeting, ask them to sit upon your approach. If they jump, remain still, avert your eyes from them, and ask them to sit again. You must be diligent about observing their behavior once you’ve started this practice. If you’re not fast enough about rewarding them with your attention for exhibiting the behavior you want, they will revert back to exhibiting the less desirable behavior that rewarded them with your (negative) attention.

When a dog is jumping on friends or strangers, practice rewarding them for calm behavior in an area with foot traffic. Start slow at first - somewhere without a lot of activity, but some. And you should also start at a distance that doesn’t make them too excited. Gradually get closer, and go to higher traffic areas. When people come close, reward your dog for sitting. With visitors to the house, keep your dog on a leash and ask them to sit. When they sit, your guests can approach and greet. If the dog jumps, create distance (do NOT yank on the leash - guide them with your voice or have your guest move further away. The leash is simply to keep them with you.) Try again. We want your dog to know that calm behavior gets them the greeting and attention they’re looking for.

Red Light/Green Light

When a dog is jumping while playing with a child, have the child stop and be still. I like to tell the children that the dog is playing “Red Light/Green Light” with them. Jump = Red Light. Stop. Stand still. Arms crossed over chest. Legs slightly apart for stability. Eyes averted (eye contact can be just enough attention to encourage more.) The dog learns that chase can be fun, but as soon as they jump the light is red and the game is on pause. As soon as the dog is no longer jumping, the light is green again.

Stress or Nervous Energy

If your dog is jumping on you during situations other than greetings, they may be experiencing stress. Try to identify what is causing the stress, and work toward building a positive association with the situation instead.