So you're on a walk and you come across another dog owner, and your pooch bounds up to them and nearly knocks them over. You can probably relate to coming home and having your dog jump all over you, scratching at your clothes and bashing you in the face as they try to give you big slobbery kisses. As funny as this can be at times, it can be extremely frustrating, and sometimes even dangerous. Your dog could jump up and knock over a child, or an elderly person, and you will be responsible. Even if Fido didn't mean to cause any harm, you could find yourself in a sticky situation. Plus, aside from the injury risk, jumping up is just plain rude. Your dog needs to learn that they shouldn't do it every time they see a new human, no matter how excited they may be. Remember, even if you don't mind having a dog jump on you for attention, other people may find this very intimidating. Especially people who are afraid of dogs. Imagine if you were afraid of a bear for example (you probably should be), and it came up to you, jump up and put its paws in your face. Not cool. Not cool at all. Not everyone loves dogs quite as much as you do!Sadly, there's no quick fix for jumping up. You have to teach your pooch that it's just not allowed, and they won't get any attention when they do it. Here are some tips on how to stop your dog jumping up.
Get them to sit when they greet everyone
Make your dog do a sit before they are allowed to say hello to anyone. This will help to calm them down and stop them from jumping up so much. If they don't jump up immediately after doing a sit, then you can say hello and give them the love and attention they desire (but not too much!).
Turn your back on them
A great way to stop your dog jumping up is to teach them it doesn't get them anything, except maybe faceplanting your back. So, every time your dog jumps up, simply turn your back on them. They will soon see that the act of jumping up stops them from getting your attention.
Reward nice, appropriate greetings
When your dog does greet you in a well-mannered way, remember to give them lots of praise and maybe a treat or two for being so good. Keep doing this and they will see that when they are on their best behaviour and do a nice calm greeting, they get some strokes and attention.
Always greet your dog calmly
It's tempting to come home to our fur babies and shower them with tons of love. Just don't go over the top, as this tends to wind your dog up and raise their excitement levels. As much as you want to talk to them in a high pitched baby voice and give them masses of cuddles upon arrival, it's far better to stroll through the door calmly. If your dog goes absolutely nuts you may just have to ignore them for a while. Then, once your dog is nice and chilled out, you can say hello to them.
Ask guests to stick to the rules
Lastly, remember to tell all household members, friends and anyone you meet to greet your dog in the same way. Tell them to turn their back and explain they must not give your dog attention if they jump up. This will keep your training consistent and prevent interactions with other people hampering your dog's progress.