The problem of dog jumping is very common. Often, dog owners will innocently encourage jumping when they react with excitement to a puppy that jumps up at them.
This teaches the puppy that he will receive hugs and kisses when he jumps up. Your dog doesn t realize that there is a difference between dogs jumping up as a small puppy and as a large adult.
In your dog’s eyes, there is no reason for him to stop jumping up just because he’s a few months older. It will be necessary for you to teach your dog that it is no longer acceptable for him to jump up.
When is jumping unacceptable?
Jumping up is viewed by some owners of toy dogs as a sign of affection. Fortunately, these dogs are unlikely to knock anyone over with their boisterous behavior, and their small size normally wouldn t intimidate anyone except for a very young child. That said, most people do not like a strange dog of any size jumping up on them. In a nutshell, you should teach your dog the "off" command in case you aren’t close enough to stop the jumping behavior.
The no jump or off command is necessary for owners of big dogs. Frequently, a large dog standing on his hind legs will be taller than a human being just think how frightening that would be for a small child! Also, they are often heavy enough to knock over a smaller adult. It s bad enough when your own dog inflicts scratches and bruises on you, but it s far worse when he does it to someone else. Dog owners should make sure that dogs are furnished with a recall to the "off" command.
What’s the reason for dogs jumping?
Most dogs jump up out of excitement. Many dogs never jump up except for when their owner comes home after being at work all day. If your dog jumps up on you at that time, he is simply jumping for joy. A less frequent and more serious reason is that some dogs use jumping to show their dominance over the person they are jumping on.
Your dog is obviously displaying his joy and enthusiasm if the only time he jumps up is during playtimes or when he is thrilled to see you. If the jumping occurs under several different circumstances, it is probable that your dog is displaying dominance behavior, which is a sign of a communication or attitude problem. Basically, there will need to be major changes in your relationship with your dog, including asserting yourself as alpha dog .
Note: Secrets to Dog Training (formerly SitStayFetch) is jam-packed with useful information to help dog owners stop their dog’s dominance issues. To stop your dog’s jumping behavior, visit Dogs Jumping.
Your reaction to dogs jumping up on you is key to whether the behavior is repeated or not. A consistent and prolonged effort will be necessary to stop your dog from jumping. He will need to be taught that jumping up is always unacceptable. Your dog can t be permitted to jump sometimes, and forbidden other times. Play and work clothes look the same to a dog so, if he’s permitted to jump up on you sometimes, he’ll try to jump up whenever he’s in the mood.
How to stop dogs jumping
The majority of trainers believe that the methods used to stop unacceptable behaviors such as jumping can often be the least difficult. When he jumps up on you, you should just walk away. All attention should be withdrawn (including negative attention such as shouting, pushing or correcting).
Here s how this training method works: when your dog jumps on you, immediately turn your back on him, fold your arms, turn your face away, and don t make eye contact with him. As dogs understand body language much more than the spoken word, your posture will let him know that jumping is not acceptable.
All too often, people make the mistake of ignoring the dog’s bad behavior rather than ignoring the dog. The behavior is not being ignored (you re not carrying on as if the jumping isn t happening, you are actively ignoring your dog). The cold shoulder treatment is a highly effective method to let dogs know you are unhappy with them. When your attention and reaction are removed, your dog will quickly calm down.
The appropriate time to praise your dog
Once all of your dog’s feet are firmly back on the ground, you can heap praise on him. Once your dog’s paws have touched the floor, you may give him attention even if you were ignoring him a moment earlier.
For more information on how to stop dog jumping, visit Dog Jumping Up.
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Posted under Dog Puppy Training
This post was written by Noel DCosta on June 7, 2009
