Dogs love to jump. It is one way they explore the world around and meet people.
Most people don’t like dogs jumping on them, which is a problem for our dogs. Even though they are friendly, a rambunctious Labrador puppy or St. Bernard adult can cause a lot of trouble by jumping on people. Even a small dog can cause serious injury to a toddler or senior, and even cause a major accident.
We can solve this behavior clash easily if we identify the motivation of the dog for jumping up. The solution will differ depending on his purpose. ).
Why do dogs jump?
Dogs often jump up to greet people and seek attention.
Woody will often jump up to “kiss” his favourite people in greeting. He should not relax. His handler should be able to stop him reaching out for his friend. She should encourage (and reinforce) him to do so. If he has “four paws on floor!” (c), Whole We should allow them to greet us with a greeting. They are small and very low down on the ground, so it is easy for us not to notice them. Hey! Hey! We can touch them because they are so cute and small. Boom! Jumping up has been reinforced.
Reinforced behaviors increase and by the time your jumping pup is in adolescence, jumping up will be a well-established habit.
Dogs often jump on humans to get information. This is often a sign that dogs aren’t completely comfortable with humans or want to learn more about them. “Who are YOU and what are your plans for me?”
This can be misinterpreted as a greeting or attention-seeking gesture. Dogs can get in trouble when a well-intentioned, but misguided person tries to pet the information seeking dog. The dog will respond with a defensive bite rather than happy reciprocal affection.
A fearful dog might jump on a trusted person to comfort her. She’s saying “Help me, my fear is real!” just like you would seek comfort from a friend or family member when you’re scared.
How to handle a dog jumping up on someone
It was so easy. For dogs who jump, the old-fashioned advice was to “turn your back on the dog” and “Step away.” This is still an acceptable option for some dogs, but with many caveats.
This is not a good option for dogs who jump on you to get information or comfort. You should not allow your dog to jump up on you in an attempt to get information.
It’s better to give comfort to a dog who jumps up for comfort than to ignore it. Instead of ignoring your dog, be there for her needs.
Turning your back may work for dogs who jump up to greet you or seek attention. However, she may continue to jump up on your back which reinforces her desire to touch you.
The modern, behavior-science-based approach to jumping up is to figure out how to meet your dog’s needs so she doesn’t have to jump up, and generously reinforce incompatible behaviors as appropriate. Let’s take a look at the different jumping behaviors.
These methods are effective for adult dogs. However, it’s much easier to stop a behavior from forming than to change it once it has been established.
How to handle a dog who jumps to greet you
Make sure your pup is able to focus on you and everyone else who interacts with him when she comes home. You can encourage her to use four feet on the ground by greeting her and paying attention to what she is doing. You can teach her to sit, so people will notice her. Also, make sure to give her plenty of enrichment opportunities, so she doesn’t always seek attention for nothing better.
Both “Find It” (or “Search”) are incompatible behaviors that are simple to teach and use. They are too difficult for her to do simultaneously. If you find it, that means you have dropped treats at your feet. Instead of jumping up on you, your dog will direct her energy towards the ground and sniff for treats. Toss treats six- to eight feet from your dog for “Search”, which will give her something to do that isn’t related to jumping up. These behaviors can also be taught to visitors.
You can convince your dog that sitting is better than standing. Give your dog lots of praise when she sits. To practice, you can use a tie to tether your dog to a solid object (such as a piano leg or sofa leg). Then approach the dog. If she is still sitting, you can click and reward her (or pet her) or other reinforcement interactions. If she jumps, you can step back and wait until she sits down. Then approach.
If someone approaches you and wants to pet your dog while you’re out and about, keep her under control with the leash. If she is sitting, they can pet her (assuming she likes it). If she jumps up, they will need to pull back. Securely hold the leash so that she doesn’t pull away and jump on you.
To make your dog interact with visitors, you can teach her that if she sits at the door when they come in, they will throw a toy to her. You can then have a basket of toys outside your door. Your visitors will be instructed to grab several toys and toss them to your dog when she sits down to greet them. Toss the next toy to your guest when she sits down. While your dog chases the toy, you can offer your guest some treats. Once all the toys have been tossed, your dog can play Find It.
How to handle a dog that jumps
This is the easiest. This is the easiest.
An intelligent dog-knowledgeable person would ignore her if it’s information-seeking. They would also refrain from interfacing with her, even when she jumps, until her affiliative body language (soft eyes, soft body) indicates that she is comfortable and relaxed with the person. You’re better off not allowing the interaction to begin.
How to handle a dog that jumps for comfort
Comforting your dog is perfectly acceptable when she is afraid isn’t it? Do not worry about “reinforcing her fear” – that is an emotion you cannot reinforce. However, you can help her overcome her fear by assuring that she will be protected.
If your dog acts as if something is frightening her, don’t let her jump up to get comfort. Instead, calmly and calmly hold and pet her. She may not be able take treats, play or perform certain behaviors depending on how scared she feels. If that happens, just comfort and hold her. Be sure you stay calm! Be more calm than you act!
If your dog jumps, you can personalize your response
Dog behavior is more complicated than people thought. Modern trainers know that there’s no “turn your back” solution for jumping up. It is more beneficial to examine all parameters, including the dog’s motivation, reinforcements and methods of reinforcing incompatible behavior. This will help you to determine the best way to work with your dog companion to teach her polite interactions with humans.
How to stop your dog jumping on people whole
