Jumping up is a very common behaviour in dogs and many dogs jump up when they are excited, particularly when greeting people. In other cases, jumping can happen when a dog feels uncertain or overstimulated and is trying to get attention or reassurance.
Dogs quickly learn which behaviours get a response from people. If a dog receives attention when they jump up, even if that attention is telling them off, they may repeat the behaviour because it works.
Jumping is often encouraged unintentionally when dogs are young. When puppies are small, people may greet them enthusiastically while they jump up but as the dog grows larger, the same behaviour can become inconvenient or unsafe, especially around children or older adults.
The good news is that jumping can be changed with consistent training.
If your dog jumps up, the most important thing is not to react.
Avoid talking to them, pushing them away, or making eye contact. Any attention can reinforce the behaviour. Instead, stay calm and wait until your dog returns all four paws to the ground.
As soon as they are standing calmly, reward them with quiet praise or a treat. This helps them learn that calm behaviour gets attention, not jumping.
Your dog needs to learn that keeping their paws on the ground is the best way to get your attention.
Think about situations where your dog usually jumps up, such as:
Being prepared can help prevent the behaviour before it starts. For example, when arriving home you could crouch down to greet your dog calmly or offer a toy or treat immediately to keep their attention focused on the ground.
Rewarding calm behaviour in these moments will help your dog learn what you want them to do instead.
Telling a dog off for jumping can sometimes make the behaviour worse.
For some dogs, being spoken to or touched, even negatively, can still be rewarding because they are receiving attention. For others, being scolded may create confusion or anxiety, which can increase excitable behaviour.
Remaining calm and simply removing attention is usually far more effective.
When training a dog not to jump up, consistency is essential.
If jumping occasionally gets attention, your dog may continue trying the behaviour because it sometimes works.
Make sure everyone in the household follows the same approach. It can also help to explain the rules to visitors before they greet your dog, so they do not accidentally reinforce jumping.
Some dogs find sitting calmly very difficult when they are excited.
For these dogs, scattering a few treats on the ground can help. Sniffing for food encourages the dog to keep their nose down and paws on the floor, making jumping much less likely.
You can practise this by asking a friend to approach while you scatter a small handful of treats for your dog to find. This redirects their energy into a calm activity while people greet each other.
If your dog tends to jump up when meeting people outside the home, bring treats with you on walks. This allows you to reward calm behaviour whenever someone approaches.
You can also practise polite greetings before visitors arrive by having treats ready and guiding your dog into calm behaviour when the door opens.
With patience, consistency and positive training, most dogs quickly learn that calm greetings are far more rewarding than jumping up.
