How to Stop Your Dog Jumping Up at People

Jumping up is a common problem as it is a natural way for dogs to great people! However, not everyone wants a dog jumping at them.

If you haven’t read my first blog post in this series on understanding why your dog is jumping up, catch up here:

Why Does My Dog Jump Up At People? (rosypawsedinburgh.co.uk)

A woman in the woods asking two black dogs to wait

1. Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Some people will tell you to try the following when your dog jumps up:

Say ‘off’ or ‘down’
Push them off of you
Tell them off
Ignore them

However, the problem with these strategies is that your dog has already jumped up at you! The key to effective training is to prevent the undesirable behaviour in the first place.

This means we need to be more proactive to prevent our dog jumping up in the first place.

2. Identify Triggers

The first step to being proactive is to identify when your dog is likely to jump up. For example:

When you get home from work
When guests arrive
When someone approaches them in the park

Now we have a better idea of when our dog is likely to jump up, we can take steps to prevent this behaviour in the first place.

A dog licking an orange lick mat on a patio

3. Make a Plan

Prepare for the situations you have identified to prevent your dog jumping up.

For example:

Go down to your dog’s level when you get home from work so they are less likely to jump up to greet you
Give your dog a lickimat when guests arrive
Put your dog on their lead when someone approaches in the park

It is very difficult to train our dogs not to do something. Instead we need to focus on what we do want our dog to do and train that behaviour.

Rosy crouching to reward a small black and white dog on a lead among autumn leaves

4. Remember to Reward!

Try to notice all the times your dog doesn’t jump up at someone and reward that behaviour. Often when our dog is being good, we take it for granted and forget to reward them. However, it is crucial to reward the behaviour we want so our dog will do it more often.

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References

Dogs Trust: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/outdoors/jumping-up-training

Gutteridge, S. 2018. Good Dog Behaviour by Choice with Positive Canine Coaching.

Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J. and Bradshaw, J.W.S. 2004. ‘Dog Training Methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare’. Animal Welfare 13(1): 63-70.

Horwitz, D.F., Ciribassi, J. and Dale, S. 2015. Decoding Your Dog: Explaining Common Dog Behaviors and How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones. Mariner Books.