The following article is of great interest to me because one of my dogs, actually my working partner, jumps on people all the time when she first sees them or is meeting them for the first time. (not really appropriate behavior for my business partner) I think that I will try the second technique. If anybody uses a different one or another method entirely I would love to hear it!
Most dogs jump on you because they are trying to show you how happy and excited they are to see you. While this can be adorable in small puppy, it might turn up to be a problem when your dog grows into a 50-pound animal.
What can you do about dog jumping?
There are, of course, many methods for stopping dog jumping. I will describe 3 methods that I think work really well and don't rely on using violence. It would be best if you choose one method to work with, so your dog doesn't get confused. If this method doesn't work for some reason, you can still start again with another one.
Whatever you do, you need to be consistent. If you decide you don't want your dog jumping on people, he should never be encouraged to jump on you or anybody else. It doesn't matter if you are wearing your best clothes or your oldest sweat shirt; jumping should never be allowed.
Method No. 1 - Ignoring undesired behavior
When you get home and your dog starts jumping on you, turn away and ignore him. Don't yell or punish him. Simply don't give him any attention. When you are turned away from him and your dog is jumping all over your legs (or even back if he is big enough), try to remain still. If he comes in front of you and starts jumping again, repeat the process - turn away and ignore him.
After he eventually calms down, sits or stands still, praise him, cuddle him, and give him a reward. If he starts jumping again, ignore him until he is acting the way you want him to. This approach relies on the fact that dog will stop repeating a behavior that is not rewarded. It works well, but requires some time and patience.
Method No. 2 - Holding paws
When you are following this method, you train your dog not to jump by doing something that he finds uncomfortable. When he jumps on you, catch his paws and hold them for a couple of moments. When he tries to pull away, let him. Don't hold his paws longer than necessary or squeeze them too hard. You don't want to cause him pain or scare him. All you want to achieve with this method is that he connects jumping on people with something unpleasant.
If you do this every time he jumps on you, he will soon stop jumping. Now all you need to do is affirm his good behavior. Each time his paws (all 4 of them) are on the ground, act happy and reward your dog for good behavior. Jumping will be gone in no time.
Method No. 3 - The 'Sit' command
This method is really only suitable for those dogs that already know and obey the 'Sit' command. This command is essential for any obedience training. When your dog jumps on you, give him the 'Sit' command. This way you are able to skip one step in training - you don't have to tell your dog what not to do, only command him what you want him to do.
To recap - every time your dog starts jumping, say 'Sit'. When he obeys, reward the behavior with a food snack or praise. After a while, your dog will learn to greet you sitting down. Again, this method demands that your dog obeys the 'Sit' command.
Conclusion
If you want to stop your dog from jumping, there are several ways you can achieve that. Which method you use is up to your personal preferences and the character of your dog. It is important to be consistent in your training and never reward jumping. This way your dog will know what kind of behavior is expected of him and you will not have to worry about your dog jumping on you or other people.
To learn more about effective dog training techniques, I suggest you read a great book by Adam Katz, called Professional Dog Trainer secrets. Another resource that I highly recommend is DIY Dog Training by Sharda Baker.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Ballington
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