Dogs are marvellous mans’ best friends, they protect us, they keep us company, and they help us get over our sad and depressing times. They are smart, loyal, and can be trained to do impressive things, things man can’t sometimes do!
However, dogs can be silly, sometimes even annoying, and do things that go against common civilized behaviour.
One of these behaviours is jumping on others. We always get this question: How to stop a dog from jumping on you? It’s more frequent than you think but, in this post, we will explain why dogs do such a thing and how you can keep your dog from jumping on you (or anybody else).
Table of Contents
Why Do Dogs Jump Up on Me?
Whether you are a dog owner or you have friends that own dogs, you most likely have been jumped on by a dog, at least once, and you were trying to get him to stop but it got worse and worse every time.
Jumping on people is rather a very common behaviour among dogs. It’s usually nothing more than a fun exciting welcome home kind of thing, but it can be dangerous for small kids, people with disabilities, or sick people that can’t get physical with a dog.
There are several reasons (more like theories really) to why dog jump on people, the most common are:
- Dominance: Your dog is most likely trying to establish authority over you, especially if you are surrounded by people that show you affection (like family). Your dog can sometimes feel threatened and doesn’t accept that other people are close and intimate to you when it should be him getting belly rubs and good boy pets.
- Greeting: Yes, some dogs get super hyped up and excited to see you come home they jump on you and start going crazy, and no matter how hard you push them, they keep jumping on you and never seem to let go until they get tired.
- Attention-Grabbing: Dogs love attention! It doesn’t matter if it’s annoying to you, for them, negative attention is better than no attention. in the midst of that excitement frenzy, your dog won’t think that you’re trying to punish him or push him away, it all sounds like games and fun to him and most importantly, ATTENTION form you or from others.
- Extra Energy: Yes, dogs can be hyperactive, and when they don’t have enough things to do at home, they start looking for the smallest chance to blow some energy, for instance, playing get off with their owners as soon as they enter the house.
How to Stop A Dog from Jumping on You?
It’s all about behaviour, once you know how to fix this behaviour, you won’t have to worry about your dog jumping on you or anyone else!
1. Don’t Give Him Extra Attention
Obviously, you need to give your dog some attention, but not when he demands it, especially when you just arrive home.
Teach your dog not to climb you like a tree the moment you step into the house. There are several techniques to do this, one of which is called 2 steps back.
This technique is simple but effective and it’s self-explanatory actually. When you first arrive at your house, don’t allow your dog to jump on you, instead, take 2 steps back and wait until you set your keys, maybe take off your coat, your shoes, and sit down on the couch, then call out for him and play with him as much as you need.
You might need to use some force at the beginning as your dog won’t take you seriously, but with time your dog will understand that this is a negative behaviour and will stop jumping on you.
2. Teach The “No Command”
It’s way easier to teach your dog to do things like sit, stay, come, and fetch, but many dog owners do not teach their dogs the “No command” which can be of great help when you are trying to prevent your dog from doing certain things.
The No command can help your dog knows what’s what, keep in mind that your dog might be confused as what’s fun and what’s annoying, that’s why the no command with a firm voice tone and even a hand gesture can help you stop the dog from jumping on you
3. Reinforce Positive Behavior
When you are working on your dog’s behaviour, there are times when he will submit to you saying no, in those moments, try to reward him with a belly rub, or who’s a good boy, or whatever, just to help him understand that he did good and that’s what he should be doing.
4. Don’t Forget The “Sit Command”
Many dog owners train their dogs to sit and stay from the early days, you can use these 2 commands if your dog is jumping on your guests. When you go to the door, tell him to sit then stay, this way he won’t follow you until he is summoned.
5. You Can Even Use A Leach
Leach can be a temporary solution for stopping your dog from jumping on others, especially when you’re out for a walk. It can help you contain your dog and avoid embarrassing encounters with friends or neighbours.
Of course, a leach is not a definite solution, you can’t keep your dog in a leach all the time, but until you teach him not to jump on you or on others as well, a leach can be a very helpful solution.
6. Don’t Forget Play Time
This is very important. Many dog owners neglect their dog, they don’t play with them due to being occupied with work, social life, or whatever the reason, however, your dog is a social creature who needs interaction and love just like any other human.
That’s why he will try to secure your love and attention by jumping on you or others, and he can be aggressive about it too. But if you play with your dog, give it enough attention, make him feel secure and confident that you’re there for him, this behaviour will most likely go away.
7. Ask for Help
If you can’t get your dog to stop jumping on you or on other people, you can use the help of a professional vet behaviorist. These people are trained to deal with the most stubborn dogs, and will most likely figure out why your dog is doing this.
8. Establish Dominance
Simple as that, your dog needs to know who’s the alpha of this pack, once you establish dominance over your dog, he won’t jump on you or do any behaviour that infringes your personal space because dogs respect and fear their pack’s leader. This might not work with others, but it will if you ask him to stop or to sit, you will find your dog more obedient.
These were some of the techniques you can use to stop a dog from jumping on you, of course, these are not all the possible ways of doing it, however, these are expert-approved tips that have been tested and prove
These were some techniques you can use to stop a dog from jumping on you, of course, these are not all the possible ways of doing it, however, these are expert-approved tips that have been tested and proved.
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