Jumping when greeting is a common dog behavior problem. While your dog’s intention is a friendly “hello,” this behavior can be problematic, especially for larger breeds who might accidentally knock people over, posing a risk to children and seniors. Even smaller dogs can cause inconvenience with muddy paws or scratches. This behavior is often reinforced because dogs learn that jumping is an effective way to get attention. The key to managing this is teaching your dog an alternative, incompatible behavior, such as keeping all four paws on the floor, sitting, or lying down for greetings. These 10 tips will guide you in teaching your dog appropriate greeting manners.
1. Reinforce Calm Greetings
The most effective way to address jumping is to teach your dog what you want them to do instead. This means rewarding behaviors that are incompatible with jumping. Whether you choose to teach your dog to keep all four paws on the floor, sit, or lie down, consistently provide attention and praise only when they are adhering to your chosen greeting rule. Avoid inconsistent responses, such as allowing jumping in casual settings but not in formal ones.
2. Reward Immediately When Paws are on the Floor
Dogs are more likely to repeat behaviors that result in positive outcomes. Therefore, as soon as your dog demonstrates the desired greeting behavior (e.g., all four paws on the floor), offer immediate praise and petting. This direct association between the correct behavior and the reward of your attention is crucial for rapid learning. Avoid delays in greeting your dog, as impatience can lead them to revert to jumping to get your notice.
3. Withhold Attention When Jumping Occurs
Conversely, to eliminate unwanted behavior, it’s essential to stop rewarding it. If your dog jumps, immediately remove the reward – your attention. This can be achieved by turning your back or calmly walking away. When your dog’s feet are back on the floor, re-engage with them by quietly offering praise and petting. This teaches your dog that jumping effectively turns your attention off, while calm behavior turns it back on.
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4. Set Your Dog Up for Success
While ignoring jumping and rewarding good behavior is effective, it can be a trial-and-error process for your dog. To facilitate their learning, make it easier for them to succeed. If your chosen rule is for them to sit, prompt them to sit as you enter the house. If the rule is four paws on the floor, encourage them to remain standing calmly. Scattering treats on the floor can be a helpful distraction, as dogs cannot simultaneously jump and sniff for goodies. This provides an immediate reward for keeping their paws on the ground, which can then be transitioned to attention and praise as they learn.
5. Consistently Reward Appropriate Greetings
Your dog’s learning is accelerated when their actions directly influence your response. Always reward your dog when they follow your greeting rule, ensuring they never miss out on attention when their feet are on the floor. Even after a prolonged period of jumping, maintain a consistent positive response when they finally offer calm behavior to avoid confusion.
6. Avoid Physical Corrections
Grabbing, holding paws, or pushing your dog away when they jump can inadvertently be interpreted as attention or even roughhousing. This can lead to more intense jumping in the future, as the dog believes it’s part of a game. Such physical interactions can also be misinterpreted by the dog, leading to unwanted escalation.
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7. Refrain from Using Your Knee as a Block
While it might seem intuitive to use your knee to block a jumping dog, this action can be perceived as play or even aggression by some dogs, leading to the opposite of the desired effect. More importantly, for many dogs, this can create distrust and damage the human-canine bond. Since your dog is simply trying to greet you, a physical reprimand can be confusing and potentially harmful, leading to issues like a reluctance to come when called.
8. Keep Greetings Calm During Training
A dog’s excitement upon seeing you can make it challenging for them to control their impulses and follow new training rules. To aid their emotional self-control, keep greetings calm and low-key. Your dog is attuned to your emotions, so remaining calm will help them stay calm. As your dog progresses, you can gradually increase your enthusiasm to match theirs.
9. Manage Guest Interactions
Preventing jumping on guests requires proactive management. Leash your dog, send them to a designated place like a mat or crate, or use baby gates to keep them away from the door. This prevents guests from inadvertently reinforcing the jumping behavior.
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10. Guide Guests and Strangers
Clearly communicate your dog’s greeting rule to guests and strangers. Ask them to ignore your dog until you signal it’s okay, or until your dog has mastered greetings with cooperative friends and family. Utilize cues like “watch me” or engage your dog with a toy or touch to redirect their attention as strangers pass.
For personalized guidance on dog training and behavior, the AKC GoodDog! Helpline offers telephone and video consultations with experienced trainers. Whether you’re dealing with puppy training challenges or persistent adult dog behaviors, their experts are available to help.
