Jumping up! A Common Doggie No No!

One day this cute little puppy grows up and becomes too big to be jumping on people. That kind of greeting is not always welcome. The adult dog or puppy does not know that when you are dressed up he should not jump on you. Out of frustration you might yell at him, but he does not understand why you are all of a sudden not happy with this behavior. He hasn't learned that this behavior is unacceptable.

So, how do you now train your dog not to jump on you? The first step is to be consistent. Never reward your dog for this behavior. Once you have made this commitment, you are ready to begin to train your dog.

Any behavior that has been a habit for your dog will take longer to fully extinguish, and sometimes may even get worse before it gets better. Start by not paying attention to your dog when he/she is jumping on you. How do I do this? Don't talk, pet, touch, or even look at him. Any form of attention will reward him. Many people do not realize that eye contact is a reward to your dog. Try to ignore your dog completely if he is jumping. If you are excited or make a big deal, so will your dog.

When do you give him attention? It depends on the individual dog. You may have to wait until the dog loses interest in you all together. When the dog is calm call him over quietly, and if he does not jump at all, praise him. You may only be able to verbally praise him at times. You will learn your dog's limits.

In addition, teach your dog the proper way to greet people. This means making him earn the attention. Your dog should sit for any food rewards or petting. If you are consistent, you will learn that your dog will offer the behavior automatically. Training is teaching your dog what to do as well as what not to do. However, some dogs will continue to make the wrong decisions.

The difficult dog needs more patience. You must keep in mind that if a dog has been doing a wrong behavior for a long time it may take a longer time to fully get rid of that behavior. Secondly, other people can, at times undermine your training. There is always the familiar response from guests, "I don't mind him jumping on me," as they reward your dog for his bad behavior. This is not helping your dog or you. The more difficult dogs often times require more formal obedience training from a qualified trainer. Furthermore, timing is very important. If your dog is too excited over something, do not give him a command when there is very little chance of him being able to perform. You have to practice setting up situations that mimic real-life situations. This way you and your dog will learn to succeed, and in the end be able to meet and greet people in a way that rewards everyone!