Should you correct your dog for jumping?
“Correcting” or “punishing” a dog from jumping could mean several things such as:
I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t correct your dog for jumping. I’m going to let you decide what is best for your own dog.
Carry treats to reward calm behavior.
I recommend Wellness Well Bites for training treats because they are small and soft and dogs love them! Wearing a treat pouch to hold the treats is also helpful, vs. stuffing them in your pockets.
You can use treats to reward your dog when you notice calm behavior.
I will give a treat to Remy when I see he has chosen to remain lying down or sitting rather than jumping.
Act like a “tree” to stop my dog from jumping on me
Some dog trainers will say to “be a tree” to ignore the jumping. Then reward the puppy when all four paws are on the ground. What they mean is you should simply turn your back and stand still if a dog jumps. Don’t interact at all.
This is good advice, and it’s generally what I was trying to say above. Just go about it in the right way.
You don’t want to be spinning and spinning as your dog runs in circles around you. This ends up getting the dog more wound up.
Instead, don’t engage at all, which means you might have to take a few “punches” and scratches. That’s why I like the approach of moving to a tall stool or calmly leaving the room if you have to.
Jumping on you has worked to get attention in the past, so your dog is going to keep trying this.
If you give in and scold him or try to push him away, he’s going to learn he can still get your attention for jumping. So hang in there! It takes a lot of discipline, practice and patience to truly ignore them.
If you ignore your dog for jumping (truly ignore), eventually the behavior should decrease.
Here is a video I made where I talk about setting rules to stop your dog’s jumping and more:
Why Dogs Jump on You When You Get Home (Plus 49 Other Dog Behavior Meanings)
Jumping up on people is a natural canine behavior. Dogs get to say hello face to face when they jump and even better, it’s guaranteed to get attention. However, from a human point of view, jumping to greet is annoying and dangerous. Dressy clothes can get soiled by muddy paws and people can be knocked over, especially seniors and children. It’s more polite and far safer to teach your dog to greet people appropriately.
Dogs repeat behaviors that earn them rewards. And few things are more rewarding to your pet than your attention. Similarly, other family members, visitors, and strangers can all reinforce the behavior too. Even negative reactions like yelling at your dog or grabbing their paws are still attention and can reinforce the behavior. For many dogs, pushing them away is simply part of a wrestling game.
To eliminate jumping from your dog’s greeting repertoire, you need to eliminate the associated rewards. That means managing your dog so they don’t get the chance to practice jumping while you teach them an alternative and more appropriate way to greet people.