Does Your Dog Jump?
Yes, it's true, jumping is a problem. It can be dangerous and most people just do not appreciate it.
But before we tell your dog 'no, don't jump,' let's take a minute to ask ourselves WHY they are jumping in the first place?
-Did you teach it to them as a puppy because it was cute, and they are still jumping on you now? Well, that will have to stop. The good news is that once your dog learns not to jump on anyone, you can teach them to jump on you on command, if it pleases you.
-Are you too shy to tell other people not to pet your dog when they jump up? Well, it's time to put on your boot straps and start advocating for your dog. No means no.
-Do you greet your dog when you come home with excitement? Well, that amps them up and makes them more likely to jump. If you then pet them, you will not only reinforce jumping on you, but also jumping on other people when they come in the door.
-Are you inadvertently reinforcing the jumping behavior? Probably. Did you know that most people push the dog off , which only feeds into the behavior; after all, negative attention is still attention. Or they turn away from the dog, wait for the dog to sit, then pet the dog for sitting. Well, you just taught the dog that if they jump up they will get pushed down and then rewarded. Trust me, your dog is willing to get pushed and then sit if it means they will get rewarded for the jumping that came directly before it.
-Are you holding your treats or toys too high above your dog's head, then giving them the item when they jump for it? Start offering rewards and engagement items at your dog's level instead to help encourage four on the floor, just be sure that they patiently wait for you to offer them the toy, rather then allowing them to try to steal it from you.
So how can we correct the jumping behavior? There are multiple ways this could be done and this will work the best of you adopt multiple methods at once.
-As we explained above, you and everyone you know needs to stop reinforcing the jumping behavior.
-Teach an alternate behavior. I like sitting with eye contact. Timing is important for this; you must get the dog to sit before they jump, not after. Reward heavily when they are successful!
-A verbal correction. First teach your dog the word 'no,' for example, then use it the moment they offer the unwanted behavior. Just don’t use ‘down’ if you plan on teaching them to lay ‘down’ on command.
-A physical correction. Make it uncomfortable for your dog to jump. How this is done effectively will vary from dog to dog since all dogs accept and respond to pressure differently. This could include physical touch, leash pressure, ecollar, or a bonk. Since every dog responds to pressure differently, recognize that some dogs may get amped up more by physical correction and I recommend only doing this with the guidance of a trained professional.
-Social isolation. If you have a social dog who jumps, immediately mark the behavior with ‘no’ and take away their privilege of being social by isolating them for a period of time. Leave them in their room, crate, pen or run until they are completely calm, physically and mentally, before allowing them the opportunity to try again.
-Avoidance. Do not put your dog in a situation where they will get away with jumping. Control every moment of your dog's engagement with others until they are no longer jumping. You must be consistent in order for them to learn never to jump again.
Have you tried everything, and your dog is still jumping? Need more help? Fill out our evaluation form and become a member of the Wild Dog Pack today!