Dempsey practices sitting politely to be petted at the bus stop.
A dog who jumps all over you and your guests can be frustrating and embarrassing! It can be a serious issue if your dog is knocking down children or elderly people, and getting it under control can save so much stress. Here are a few pointers on what to do about fixing unwanted jumping.
1. If your dog jumps on you, walk into his space, without looking at him, and keep on going. Dogs want attention and if you withhold the attention, they will stop jumping because it does not work for them. Zero attention for jumping.
2. If you see your dog coming toward you from across the house or yard, start moving towards him which usually throws them off. You can add a command to it, like “OFF”, showing him what you mean before he has gotten to you, but try first without any verbal command.
3. Teach your dog to sit when he runs to you. When you are working on recall, have your dog sit each time he runs to you, and then praise. This keeps him in the habit of coming to you and sitting happily, instead of running to you and clobbering you.
4. When you come home, instead of greeting immediately, put your things away and take your time greeting your family. If your dog is in an excited state, continue to ignore him until he has finally lost interest. When you see he is calm, then call him over and have your greeting. This way you reward him for having a calm state of mind instead of rewarding a hyper state of mind.
5. Ask your guests if they can help you with your dog’s training. When someone comes over, have them ignore your dog and walk inside, the same calm way you would come home. They can continue talking to you, without giving your dog any eye contact or attention. When he is calm and not jumping, then they can love on him.
6. Teach your dog to sit for petting. By holding a sit, it helps to practice self control and keeps the energy level down. If he stands up from sitting, stand tall and stop petting. You want to show your dog that any attention stops when he is not in a sit.
7. Once you have a dog who no longer jumps, you can teach your dog to jump on command if you wish.
Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com
K9 Solutions 