Jumping Up

Jumping up on people is a natural form of greeting for a dog. When dogs approach each other, they sniff faces and ears and might even submissively lick at the mouth. Since people walk upright, dogs jump up in order to say hello.

To knee a dog in the chest, yell, hit, or otherwise punish the dog for jumping up is ineffective. Doing so could actually teach the dog that being friendly leads to discomfort and people are to be avoided. Kneeing a dog can also injure the dog if done with enough force.

The best way to prevent your dog from jumping up is to teach your dog how to greet people appropriately. A wonderful alternate behavior to jumping is sitting. When you come home or wake in the morning, only pet your dog after he/she sits. Cue once to sit. If your dog does, praise, hug, kiss, etc. to your heart's content. However, if he/she does not sit, shrug and walk away. Should your dog continue to jump, ignore him/her for about 30 seconds then ask your dog again to sit. Pet your dog if he/she does sit but walk away again if your dog doesn't.

If your dog still has not responded, you have two options. First, ignore your dog until he/she at least has all four paws on the floor for about five seconds, then softly praise your dog and give him/her a little pat on the head (hugs, kisses, and the sort are too much reinforcement for the lackluster performance and may get your dog excited all over again). Second, go into another room and close the door, separating yourself from your dog. This should make the message pretty clear - your dog has no access to you when he/she jumps. Leave the room after one minute, return, and tell your dog to sit. Repeat the above until you are (finally!) able to say hello.

You are not the only one who must not pet your dog when he/she jumps up. No one should pet, smile, coo, or otherwise reinforce this behavior. When you are on walks, tell your dog to sit as people approach you. Having your dog sit before he/she starts jumping will keep the situation under control. Allow people to pet your dog as long as he/she refrains from jumping. If your dog jumps, say "too bad!" and walk away. Your dog will learn that jumping causes good stuff to end, while sitting or standing keeps the petting and treats coming.

There are a couple techniques (in addition to having your dog sit) that you may use if your dog tends to jump on you in situations other than greeting:

• Dodge out of your dog's path - when your dog starts to jump, say "off" and swiftly step to the side or backwards. Praise when all four paws are on the floor.
• Hip check - as your dog jumps, say "off" while you turn sideways and thrust your hip toward your dog (dogs use a similar maneuver with each other to show who is in control). This should throw your dog slightly off balance. Praise when all four feet are on the floor.