How to Stop a Dog from Jumping

We all know that dread of the doorbell ringing. It’s not the worry of some solicitor at your door. It’s the fear of your unruly dog jumping on your family and guests.

If you’ve had a dog that jumps on every guest that comes over, this article on how to stop a dog from jumping on guests will give you some tips on how to help.

Why Do Dogs Jump?

There are a few ideas as to why dogs like to jump up on you or house guests. The most commonly held idea has to do with how dogs greet each other. Most dogs greet each other by putting their faces close to each other. Some dogs even see jumping as “being polite.” It’s just the expected behavior when greeting another dog.

Since this is the expected behavior when greeting others, it makes sense that your dog would do the same behavior to people. What we have to do is teach them that dogs and people do not greet each other the same way.

Here are a few steps to help you keep your dog on the ground and off your guests.

How to Stop A Dog from Jumping in a Few Steps

Stopping a dog from jumping doesn’t have to be very difficult. Any bad behavior can be stopped with training and consistency. Following these steps will help you and your dog invite others into your home without worry.

Greet Your Dog When They Display Appropriate Behavior

The first step in how to stop a dog from jumping on you and your guests is to reward them for appropriate behavior. When you first come in the door, is your dog waiting for you and do they jump on you? Obviously, this is the behavior we are trying to break. If your dog is excited about seeing you or a guest, we have to wait until they calm down.

This step can use what they call “management” in dog training. You need to manage the behavior while they are very excited so you can reward them when they calm down. One of the easiest ways to manage jumping behavior is by having your dog in a crate when you or your guests come in. If your dog isn’t crate trained, now might be a great time to consider this. Otherwise, you can restrict your dog to one area of the house. Once your dog is calm, you can let them out to greet your guest.

So, when your dog is worked up, you ignore them. Once they are calm, your reward them by letting them out to greet everyone. But your dog might still want to jump on people even if they have had time to calm down. If they are still a handful to deal with, consider using a leash with a comfortable training harness. The leash will allow you to control is and when your dog can greet guests. If your dog is able to do so in a controlled manner, then no problem. If they still want to jump, gently lead them away until they are calm enough to greet. The reward here is actually greeting others but only when they are calm enough to do so.

Ignore the Dog When They Jump

Again, training your dog to stop jumping is about reward. When a guest comes over, tell them to ignore the dog when they jump. If the dog jumps up, have your guest fold their arms and completely disengage with the dog. You can also consider using the lease at this point to redirect your dog.

Once your dog has all four paws on the floor, your guest can start petting them again. If they jump, the petting stops.

This teaches your dog that they will only be rewarded while they are on the floor. When they jump, all reward stops. With gentile redirections, your dog will get that they are only going to be rewarded when they don’t jump.

Try a Chew

For some dogs, a toy in the mouth can help stop them from jumping. They may be very excited to see your guest, but their toy is pretty exciting too!

If you know your guest is coming in a few minutes, a puzzle toy or their favorite chew can be a great way to give your dog attention and to reinforce your expected behavior.

See Eye to Eye

When your dog wants to say hello, why not get down to their level. Again, they want to sniff at a person’s face, so if you lower your face, you give the dog what they want while also stopping them from jumping. Kneel down so the dog can sniff, but be sure not to bend over at the waste. This posture can be threatening to a dog.

How to Stop a Dog from Jumping

These are just a few tips to stop a dog from jumping. While there are other ideas, these are what most people find to be the most effective.

With a bit of practice and patience from your guests, you can have your dog trained in no time.