Jumping Dogs - Cute, Pet Peeve, or Risky When You Have a Baby?
It’s so common for dogs to jump on people that it’s one of the most frequent behaviors I’m asked about. Jumping on people often starts when dogs are just little puppies; they’re trying to get to people’s faces to greet them. The behavior can quickly become a habit, sometimes lifelong, that extends to any new person the dog may encounter.
People may be alarmed when dogs jump on them; elderly people have been knocked down and injured by jumping dogs, and children can be badly frightened when unfamiliar dogs run up to them and jump on them. Whatever the situation, it can be embarrassing when it’s your dog who jumps on people who clearly find it annoying.
If all this isn’t frustrating enough, how much more of a problem is this behavior when there’s a baby in the family? A dog jumping on someone carrying a baby can knock the person off balance and cause a fall, a serious matter when you have a baby in your arms. So if you’re expecting a baby, this is a great time to teach your dog not to jump up on people.
WHY DO DOGS JUMP ON PEOPLE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
One reason that jumping on people is such a common behavior in dogs is that it’s a lot of fun for dogs to jump! They usually get excited when they jump, and people’s reactions often add to the fun, as they try to push the dog off, yell NO, and try to get away from the dog. It all becomes more and more of a game for the dog.
Because dogs are so likely to jump on people, there’s a whole range of methods for stopping the behavior. Some of these methods work with some dog, but are not necessarily effective with all dogs. In addition, some of those methods are negative and aversive, such as grabbing the dog’s front paws or stepping on the dog’s back feet. Ouch! Hurting and frightening a dog is inhumane and can have unexpected consequences, causing the dog to become fearful, defensive and perhaps unsafe around a baby.
When teaching dogs not to jump on people, it’s important to know that dogs don’t really understand the concept of not doing something. The idea of an absence of behavior just doesn’t compute for dogs. So simply telling a dog NO when he jumps up is unlikely to have any lasting effect; this is especially true when the NO comes only after the dog has already jumped on someone.
Therefore, the best way to change an unwanted behavior in your dog is to substitute a different, wanted behavior for your dog’s jumping, making sure that the new behavior works well for your family and is rewarding for your dog. As your dog learns that a new, different behavior works even better for him than jumping on people, he’ll be happy to switch to the new behavior. And he’ll be learning some self control in the process.
So don’t lose hope: jumping up on people can be changed with an effective, positive training method that is used consistently. That’s what this article is about: a method for teaching your dog to greet people politely and safely.
HOW TO TEACH YOUR DOG TO SIT POLITELY WHEN HE GREETS PEOPLE
In a nutshell, teaching a dog to greet people calmly, without jumping, involves establishing for the dog an association between people he sees near by, then sitting, and then getting a great reward. Teaching dogs to sit when greeting people works best when starting outside where there’s lots of space. Here’s what to do:
Keep your dog on leash. As you’re walking together, scan the area, looking for a person who is at some distance from you and moving toward you. Watch your dog closely, and the moment he notices the person, ask him to sit; as soon as he sits, immediately give him a nice treat. Just make sure that your dog has already become aware of the approaching person when you ask him to sit; this is the beginning of teaching him to sit when meeting people.
Even if your dog notices the approaching person but doesn’t pay any attention to him, that’s okay. The point here is to establish the presence of people as a signal to sit.
When your dog notices a person nearby, immediately ask your dog to sit and give him a treat.
Continue to give your dog treats to keep him sitting as the person gets closer.
If your dog tends to get excited when people get close, start asking him to sit while he’s far enough away from people to remain relaxed. As he gets better at sitting when he sees people, ask him to sit as people gradually get closer and closer.
As you practice this consistently, your dog will begin to associate the presence or approach of people with sitting - and getting treats! Establishing this behavior as a new habit may take several weeks, so during this time, do your best to prevent your dog from jumping, so he doesn’t keep practicing this bad habit. Make sure that sitting around people is more rewarding for your dog than jumping on them, because if it’s worth his while to sit when people are near, he’ll love doing it.
HELPFUL TIPS TO REMEMBER
It’s important that you ask your dog to sit before he gets excited when he sees a new person approaching. Reward your dog only when he’s calm; giving him a treat after he’s already showing excitement would reward that excitement. Greater distance from people will help your dog be less active and excited, so find a distance that allows him to remain calm.
If your dog doesn’t pay attention to the approaching person, that’s okay. He’s still learning to associate the presence of people with sitting calmly and getting treats. Just make sure your dog is aware of the person before you ask him to sit.
When your dog is used to sitting as people approach, ask someone to come closer to you while you keep your dog in a sit by continuing to give him treats. You can use someone you know, or a stranger for this part of training. If your dog starts to react with excitement as the person gets closer, just ask that person to turn and walk away.
Don’t use the leash to keep your dog sitting or to stop him from jumping. He won’t learn to control himself that way, and once you’re not there to hold him with the leash, his jumping behavior may come right back again.
While you’re training your dog, do your best to avoid situations that will encourage him to jump on people. Training will be most successful if your dog doesn’t keep practicing the behavior you want him to stop.
Don’t let other people give your dog treats. That could encourage him to expect treats from new people and may make him more likely to jump on them in the future. You should be the only person to reward your dog.
When your dog sits consistently when people approach, let those people meet your dog, but only when he is calm. Keep the greetings brief, without a lot of rough petting or play. A couple of gentle pets on the chest or side of the dog is a good way to do it. Ask people to avoid petting your dog on the top of the head (dogs don’t like that any more than we would).
HOW TO TEACH YOUR DOG NOT TO JUMP ON YOU AT HOME
Many dogs jump on family members when they come home, and if you’re carrying groceries, packages, as well as a baby, you don’t need your dog creating a chaotic homecoming. Begin practicing the method below when you’re already at home and your dog is calm. He’ll learn better when he’s calm, and training will be much easier for you. Here’s what to do:
Go outside, through the door you use to come into the house when you’ve been away. Make sure your dog sees you go out the door, and once you’re outside, close the door, leaving your dog in the house.
Wait 3-5 seconds and then slowly start to open the door. Chances are your dog will ignore you, since were haven’t been away and he just saw you go out. If your dog doesn’t react when you open the door, just come into the house and walk past your dog. Don’t pay any attention to him.
However, if your dog gets excited when you begin to open the door, as soon as you see his excitement, back up and close the door. Don’t speak to your dog or react to him, just shut the door, leaving him in the house while you wait on the other side of the closed door.
Wait a few seconds and then try again. Each time your dog gets excited or starts to jump on you, close the door, leaving your dog inside while you stay outside. After you do this several times, your dog should be getting the idea that his excitement will result in your disappearing behind a closed door, and he should start to calm down when the door opens.
As you practice this, you will gradually be able to open the door a little more each time. When you are able to open the door all the way, without your dog jumping on you, just walk past him, ignoring him.
Once your dog stops trying to jump on you and instead waits quietly when you open the door, you can add a little time to your absence from the house. Perhaps stay outside for 5-10 minutes. Or get in your car, start the motor, and then shut it off and open the door. Gradually add more and more of the actions you take when you’re really leaving, doing so a little at a time.
Remember that established habits take time to change. Work with your dog, just for 3-5 minutes at a time, and over several weeks you should see his behavior change.
When your dog is quiet and calm when you come home, you’ve succeeded in teaching him not to jump on you!
And while you’re working with your dog on this, how about learning more about his reactions to babies and toddlers? You can do that by downloading my FREE Checklist.