Knowing how to train your dog not to jump on people is crucial if you want to avoid having that huge, annoying dog jumping all over you when you get home from work. Most people believe that just because their dog jumps on people that their dog doesn’t need to exercise or is bored. It’s true that jumping up on your dog from play or affection is pretty much a guaranteed way for your dog to get your attention, but most importantly, you first must understand what his jumping really means. If you understand that, then you can start conditioning your dog not to jump on people in the first place!
The good news is that the key to effectively training your dog not to jump on people lies in two simple concepts: dog training tricks and brain training for dogs. You see, dog training tricks are simply ways of tricking your dog into behaving in a certain way. For instance, there are many dog training tricks such as the sit command that teach him to sit still when you command him to do so.
Say hi and how are you? With these dog training tricks, your dog learns to say hi and how are you. In turn, this causes your dog to behave better while also increasing the likelihood of him learning to say hi to your friends and family members when they come over. The second thing that dog training tricks teach your dog is good manners. This is especially true when your dog jumps on you because he either didn’t hear your cue or didn’t realize that he was actually supposed to jump up on you to begin with.
To effectively teach your dog not to jump on people, you’ll need to introduce him to a variety of different kinds of treats and greetings. Start off by introducing your dog to small treats, especially those that are brightly colored. Your dog will learn to greet you with those treats rather than with any other kind of dog treat. When your dog gets really good at greeting you with these treats, switch over to larger treats. This will take a little time, but your dog will quickly associate larger treats with good behavior. Eventually, your dog will be able to respond to a large dog treat just like he would to a small treat.
One way that you can introduce your dog to these new treats is to make them all your dog’s favorite. Set aside one treat bag per person that you want to train your dog not to jump on. Then, randomly throw the bags around the backyard. Make sure that you keep the same treat bag on you at all times. By tossing the bags around, your dog will get used to seeing the bag every time and will hopefully recognize that he’s supposed to sit.
The next thing you need to teach your dog not to jump on people is to always keep his knees bent no matter what. It’s impossible for your dog to balance himself if his legs are straight out in front of him. For this reason, always keep his knees bent even when he’s just sitting down or standing up. This will ensure that your dog never runs into someone while he’s running. If your dog does get hurt by a jumping dog, it’s far more likely that the dog would’ve been injured if his knees were kept straight. This simple tip can save you a lot of grief, not to mention a lot of vet bills.
The next thing you need to teach your dog not to jump on people is to allow him to stay put when you’re walking your dog around the block. If you have an adult dog, let him walk in the house on his leash while you give him some treats. You should never allow your puppy or dog to jump on people. If you do allow your puppy or dog to do this, then you need to supervise them frequently to make sure they don’t hurt anyone. Even puppies need supervision sometimes.
Now that you know how to train your dog not to jump on people, you’ll have to make sure that your dog doesn’t leap on visitors who arrive at your front door before you’ve given them a welcome mat. First, make sure everyone in your family is in the house before you let them in. Then greet them with a firm “no” and close your fist tightly. Make sure you say the “gentle greetings” while standing still, with your arms at your side, and with your dog on a leash in front of you, not in front of you.
