Training Topic: Jumping on People by Savannah of Savvy Dog Training
Tips to help you when your dog jumps on people, and how to teach them a more appropriate greeting!
First, understand that jumping on people is a hard behavior to overcome! Sydney and I still struggle with this! It is a self-reinforcing behavior, which means that its fun for dogs to do anyway! They usually just trying to be nice or say hello, but we want to ensure that they are doing it in a way that is appropriate in the “human” world. Your best bet if you have a puppy is to never allow them to jump on anyone, right from the beginning!
If you have an adult dog already in the habit of jumping, I recommend several things.
– Remove all attention when your dog’s paws make contact with you trying to jump. Dogs normally jump for attention, so you want to remove all attention that way the behavior is not being encouraged.
– Teach the cue “Off.” If your dog does not already know the off cue, you can check out my video, “Teaching the Cue: Paws Up & Off.” This cue is used when the dog is already jumping on you, and you need to tell them the correct behavior to do instead. I tend to turn my head when asking for that cue, that way I am still not giving the dog a lot of attention, just giving them instruction on the behavior that I would like instead.
– Be stern with strangers, friends, and family not to pet your dog or give them attention when your dog jumps! That has been Syd and I’s biggest struggle. I instruct people not to pet her if she jumps up, but then they say that they don’t mind and pet her anyway. Try to be more firm with people, and if you think your dog is going to jump on that person anyway, then just don’t allow them to greet your dog.
– I sometimes might use the management technique of stepping on the leash to prevent jumping. Its not my first choice, but it can be a good idea to prevent the self-reinforcement of the jumping behavior.
– Remember to reward the correct behavior from your dog. If your dog approaches a new person and then sits down be sure to mark the correct behavior with a “yes” and give your dog a high value treat (repeat, repeat, repeat). Encourage them to do behaviors that are incompatible with jumping.
– Finally, I NEVER recommend kicking, kneeing, or pinching your dog to discourage them to not jump on people. This will create negative associations with greeting new people, and you don’t want a dog fearful of strangers.
Good luck, like and subscribe, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions! Happy training, Savannah & Sydney Follow me on Facebook and Instagram – Savvy Dog Training – @SavvyDT I also offer tele-training – contact me at savannahlefors2@gmail.com or (904) 242-6772
***From Christina of Deaf Dogs Rock. It is very important to get your dog/puppy out in about in the stores. We go to Gander Mountain/Camping World stores and practice a lot of “sit”, “wait” and “watch me” training prior to let anyone approach us. Once that training is going well we will ask people, “can you help us with training our dog? We just need you to approach our dog but if he goes to jump, please turn around and walk away”. You can have them do it a couple of times and then move on to the next person. If you ask them to help you train your deaf dog they will do what you ask verses the dog jumps on them and they say “it’s okay” which it is not okay. Also if your dog likes to jump on a loved one at home when they get home from work, put a leash on your dog, go outside and have your loved one practice walking up to your dog and walking away if the dog jumps up. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Treat the dog with a high value treats whenever all four of the dog’s feet stay on the ground.
Our model is sweet Lucy in her Ruffware Harness
When we are out in public we do have our deaf dogs wear a Ruffwear Harness with the handle on top so we can help keep all four feet on the ground.
