Many dogs have a propensity to jump on people at least some of the time. How often this happens depends on your dog’s breed and his or her individual temperament. One particular theory surmises that dogs jump because they are attempting to get close to someone’s face; they do this not to attack that person, but to facilitate interaction. Dogs do this with each other as well, only in that case, their faces are close to each other (especially if they’re of similar breeds or sizes). Dogs use both sight and smell to explore.

What that means is that it’s relatively simple to deal with some dogs’ jumping tendencies. Simply make it easy for the dog to reach you, so that he or she doesn’t have to jump. To do that, kneel down and interact with the dog at his or her own level. Let the dog explore your face safely, keeping watch to make sure that the dog does not become overly aggressive or assertive. Most dogs won’t bite their owners in this way, especially if the dog sees his or her own or as the “alpha” dog or leader of the pack.

If you’ve just adopted an older dog and don’t know his or her personality, take some precautions to make sure you won’t be injured when you do this. To protect yourself and train the dog, put a collar on the dog and insert your thumb behind the dog’s neck between the collar and the dog’s neck. If the dog shows signs of aggression, jerk your thumb sideways.

If at all possible, jerk sideways, not backwards. A dog’s neck muscles are strong, but you can easily bruise your dog’s throat if you use a sharp backwards motion. Remember that you’re trying to teach your dog not to do this particular behavior and at the same time protect yourself, but you are not punishing your dog.

You can also train your dog off leash not to jump. To do this, wear a pair of sturdy pants and place your dog, standing, in front of you. You can train your dog to “sit” as a means to avoid jumping, but the dog is not going to be able to sit all the time. A dog usually jumps when he or she has been running or standing. Therefore, you’ll want to train your dog from a standing position.

Keep an eye out for your dog’s body tension to change, whereby he or she is about to jump. When you see this, order the dog to “sit.” If the dog still jumps, lift your leg slightly and gently nudge your dog’s chest with your knee or your thigh. While you do this, simultaneously, thrust your hand palm outward near the dog’s face, saying, “Off!” as you do so. (Don’t say “down,” since this is a separate behavior and requires a different word.)

Again, be gentle when you do this. A gentle nudge your dog’s chest is all you want. You also don’t want to push your hand into his or her face. Raising your knee discourages the dog from jumping on you and also helps keep him or her a little bit off balance. By putting a hand up, palm out in his or her line of vision, you’ll obscure the vision and will discourage the dog from jumping a second time.

If you can work with a partner, you can try leash training if your dog simply isn’t responding properly with the other method. When the dog begins to jump, have your partner jerk the dog sideways as you say, “Off!” Make sure it’s you and not your partner saying, “Off!”, since you are the one the dog should be focusing on and obeying.

If you don’t have a partner, you can do this outside sometimes by wrapping a very long leash around a post or tree. However, this is less than ideal since the jerk will be from the back instead of to the side.

You can also use positive reinforcement to train your dog. Take a favorite toy or a treat in your hand and when the dog starts to jump, hold the treat or toy slightly behind and above your dog’s head. This will distract your dog and somewhat “unbalance” him or her. It also encourages the dog to sit even though the first tendency was to jump.

It’s important to be consistent and to practice repetition when you’re training your dog, whether it’s in avoiding this behavior or for anything else. You should be firm but patient when you are training your dog. Over time, most dogs will learn to avoid jumping, as is their natural tendency, unless and until you give them permission to do so.

Learn to pick the correct Dog Bedding for your dog. Don’t allow Puppy Potty Training become a prolonged or frustrating experience.. Unique version for reprint here: How to Train Your Dog Not to Jump.

Related posts:

1. Extra Large Dog Beds to Keep that Extra Dog Health Dog training is hard. Since the beginning of time, there...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.