Puppy Training Tips - Jumping

As a little bundle of fur, there's not a lot of harm that your puppy can do to you when he jumps up on you in excitement as soon as you walk in the door. A year from now, however it could be a different story altogether.

Jumping, in a puppy, no matter what the breed, is never a good habit.  Even if your dog is a small sized breed that will probably not be able to injure you the way, say a Labrador or German Shepherd jumping on you could, he could still injure a child.  Not to mention that he can dirty your clothes and mess up your hair, when you're all ready to go out.  Besides, your puppy can actually lose balance and fall over, injuring himself if you don't break this habit.

The key to breaking your pup's jumping habit is to show him you don't approve. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done! It's hard not to enjoy the attention, and not feel flattered when your pup is yelping and jumping excitedly all over you! There aren't too many humans who would get that excited when you walk in the door! 

Remember, every time you smile, and pat him as he is jumping, you only establish his jumping actions  as desirable and acceptable behavior.  You might be saying "No, "no" but all he hears is praise for his jumping. 

To nip this habit in the bud, ignore your pup as soon as he begins the jumping action. Turn right around, and refuse to look at him. It can be hard to do, but think of it this way. You're preparing your pup to grow into a healthy and well adjusted dog that's completely accepted in society. In short, you're doing it for his own good.

Don't shout at him as he is jumping - he doesn't understand what you're saying. All he understands is that you are reacting to him and playing with him.  Shouting also doesn't help - again, he assumes you're playing with him.

Reward him when he stops jumping on you by offering him a treat or praising him.  Don't reward him when he's in the jumping act - this is extremely important. No patting, no words, just ignore him.  Eventually, he will understand that being on all fours equals "reward" while standing on his hind legs equals "punishment."

Use the "sit" and "stay" commands to get him to stop the jumping action. He can't jump if he is sitting.  This will take practice.  Try going out the back door and entering the house again, and practice curbing his jumping tendencies.  Of course, the "sit-stay" method will work only if these commands have been firmly established in your pup.

If you find he's jumping on guests, practice the "sit-stay" method with them.  Have them enter the house again (you might want to try this only with your closest friends) and practice getting him to sit instead of jump. 

It will take some practice, but if you keep at it, you'll soon see your pup preferring to stay grounded on all fours, instead of flailing in the air as you walk in!