Tuesday Training Byte: Fixing jumping up behavior

Dogs often jump up on people because they are excited or want attention. The problem is that people inadvertently reward that behavior, and so it continues. What do I mean about inadvertently reward? Most people will look at, speak to the dog, or touch the dog to get it off of them. All of this is giving the dog attention that he wanted. In addition, if you move fast or harshly, the dog this that you like to play rough. Here is how I fix the problem: If my dog jumps up on me, I do not interact at all with dog the , I ignore him and pivot away. Often the dog will then stop on his own or just sit down. As quickly as possible once your dog has all four feet on the floor, turn back and reward him. Be careful not to praise or pet too excitedly or he may launch again. If your dog jumps up on your back or side as you pivot away, calmly walk away. After a couple of times that your dog greets you without jumping, tell him off and point away from your side and reward his movement away from you. Also, if he rushes up to greet you, stop with your hand up and say get back and then toss a few treats behind his tail. Be consistent with your intervention every single time you dog rushes up to you. Make sure that all family members follow the exact same rules. If you are expecting guests, remove the dog's access to the front door or living room until after the guests are seated and settled in before bring your dog out on a leash. We don't want him to have any chance to practice this naughty behavior. When I let my dogs out of their crates after meal time or bed time, I teach my dogs to put their front paws on the top edge of the crate for a moment. This way they can get attention and petting without jumping on me. Don't confuse a dog with one person encouraging or allowing him to jump up, because that is confusing to the dog to not have firm boundaries and rules. I only pet my dog and give him attention if he is being calm, if he decides after a moment that he want more and jumps up, just walk away. Happy training!

Sometimes pivoting away and ignoring your dog is not enough to get him to stop. Walk away. Or teach him the off command so he knows what you want him to do to get pets and rewards.