Dog Behavior Problem:
Jumping Up on People
There are several reasons why a dog jumps up on people.
A dog that greets people by jumping up on them usually wants attention.
It could also be that the dog has been rewarded for jumping up on people in the past and the dog associates this behavior with a reward. For example, the dog jumped up and was then given food so that jumping up became a trained response.
A dog jumping up on people could also be the dog's way of asserting dominance and showing you he's the pack leader - a situation which you want to discourage since it's important that the dog realize that you are the pack leader or boss.
While it might seem cute when a puppy jumps up, dog owners should realize that a full grown dog jumping up on people is unacceptable behavior.
It can be dangerous to those who are frail...and frightening to small children.
It's a behavior that should be corrected early in puppies and warrants dog obedience training in full grown dogs.
Here are two methods to train your dog to stop jumping up on people:
(1) Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up On People: The Sit-Stay method
To discourage your dog from jumping up on people, you will have to train it to sit and stay.
Use a leash to begin with, without distractions.
Once your dog can follow your commands to sit and stay, practice this sit-stay exercise with distractions - such as the TV.
The next step, after your dog can sit and stay with distractions, is to have someone approach your dog, while it is still on the leash.
If your dog doesn't stay when someone approaches and pets it, you'll have to give the leash a gentle tug and correct your dog with a command.
The purpose of the exercise is to make your dog realize that he will get attention and get petted only when he stays, not when he jumps up on someone.
(2) Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up On People: The "No Reaction" method
While the "no reaction" method is not an instant solution, it does get results over time.
This method involves ignoring the dog's actions.
Since the dog is looking for attention, an effective way to train a dog to stop jumping up is to fold your arms, turn or look away, and ignore the dog when he jumps up.
The key is not to touch the dog or give it any attention - not even to push the dog down and say "no."
The dog soon realizes he does not earn your approval nor get "rewarded" for jumping up and will eventually settle down.
Reward the dog with praise and treats only when he no longer attempts to jump up. In this way he will realize that jumping up is not a behavior that is rewarded.
Remember: if you allow your dog to jump up on you when it's a puppy, it will see the behavior as acceptable, even when it is full grown.
Therefore, it's best to train your dog early to avoid jumping up on people.
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