How to teach Fido not to jump on people

One of the many problems most dog owners struggle with is that their dogs jump up against them and their friends and family. Most dogs get overly excited when they hear a car pulling into the driveway or when they hear the doorbell ring. They charge to the front door with a loud noise and with you following and shouting at them to get quiet, which of cause they cannot hear. When you open the door they all jump together at this poor person standing there. You don’t even have the opportunity to greet your friend because you are just shouting and grabbing dogs all over.

When the first ten minutes of excitement is over, then you can invite your friend in and start apologising for your dogs’ misbehaviour. If this is what you are experiencing day after day, it is time for some serious behaviour modification training. It is, of cause, more difficult when you have more than one or two dogs, but it is possible.

Why do dogs jump up on people?
There are basically two reasons why dogs jump up, but both of these reasons are normal canine behaviour. Unfortunately it is not appropriate for dog-human interaction and therefor we must train them to display more appropriate behaviour.

The first reason is that the dog wants to say "hi". Dogs greet each other by sniffing the behinds (which is also not very appropriate for us!) and also by touching noses. If you do not get down to the dog’s level, he feels a very strong instinct to jump up to touch noses with you. This behaviour is also strengthened from puppy days when many people actually encourage the puppy to jump up and even more so when they pick up the puppy and kiss it on it’s nose. This is a mistake most people make when they don’t think about the fact that within a few months this little adorable puppy will not be so little anymore.

The second reason why a dog will jump up against someone is to show dominance. This often happens when an adult dog jumps up on a child or strangers. This type of jumping can have serious consequences.

How to teach your dog not to jump up

Who is Alpha?
The very first thing you should do is to establish your role as Alpha. Your dog should very clearly understand that you are his leader. One of the most important rules that you should follow to accomplish that is to totally ignore your dog when you leave the house and also when you come in again. Ask everybody that visits you to do the same. If the dog jumps up, you should just turn your back on him. Do not say a word, do not touch him and do not even make eye contact. If you do this consistently, the jumping up behaviour will already be reduced.

The Sit-Stay
You can also teach your dog to sit-stay, while you open the door and the visitor enters. Have your dog on lead and have your clicker and treats ready. Ask a friend to help you. When he rings the doorbell, instead of racing your dog to the door, just remain calm, take hold of the lead, lure your dog into the sit position and click and treat. Now, give the stay command and call to your friend to come in. He should totally ignore your dog. Click and treat for a good sit-stay. You should remain at your dog’s side to ensure he does not break his stay. Now with the dog still on lead walk to the living room and ask your friend to sit down. Now you can bring your dog closer to greet your friend. When your dog has settled down a bit, you can take the lead off.

Repeat this exercise many times over and with different people to help you. Your dog will learn but you will have to be very consistent. If you have more than one dog, it will be more difficult. First practise with them separately and then together.