Puppy or Kangaroo?… It can be really frustrating and super embarrassing when your puppy jumps up on people. Visitors to your home or random people on the street, either way it’s not a good look. Rest assured, we’ve all been there. I doubt there’s a dog owner in the world who hasn’t experienced their pup launching themselves at an unsuspecting stranger. So what can you do to stop your dog jumping on people?
If we had a pound for every time we got asked ‘ how do I stop my puppy jumping at strangers?’ we’d be very wealthy here at Zigzag. Well look no further as here in this article we’re going to cover exactly that along with why dogs jump up, why dogs like to greet people by jumping up, and we’ll give our top tips and guide to help you teach your dog to stop jumping up on people. We’ll also tell you what not to do when training your dog not to jump up.
Before we get engrossed in how to stop your dog jumping up, have you downloaded the Zigzag App? It’s a complete guide to training your puppy and covers everything you need to know and your pup needs to learn from the day you bring them home to adulthood. We even have a team of professional puppy coaches available through our in-app chat 24/7.
Why do dogs jump up?
Dogs jump up as a greeting, they like to get face to face and greet other dogs this way so wanting to get near your face is completely normal behaviour for your dog. It’s just not great for people and can cause injuries when claws meet old or young skin.
There are other reasons aside from greeting why puppies and dogs might jump up
Excitement
An excited dog or puppy is a bundle of adrenalin… think coiled spring, the only way is up!
Attention
If your puppy or dog is used to receiving attention when they jump up, this reinforces the jumping, and they will try with everyone they meet. Not really a behaviour you want to become a habit.
Anxiety or Fear
Your puppy may jump up when they are feeling anxious or a bit fearful. They might be looking for reassurance and randomly just jump.
Appeasement
Puppies and dogs are people pleasers and want to push their point home that they are friendly and not a threat, they can do this by jumping up which lets face it with larger dogs can often make them appear anything but friendly.
Lack of Social Skills
A dog that was poorly socialised as a pup will jump up at everyone they meet, simply because they have never been taught any different.
Why do dogs greet people by jumping up?
Dogs don’t communicate in the same way that we do. You may have noticed people don’t go around sniffing each other’s butts! Watch how your pup greets other dogs. They always go face to face initially even if you have a chihuahua and there’s a big size difference, they try to get as close to each other’s faces as possible. So this is why dogs jump up, they want to get face to face with us too.
How to stop your puppy from jumping on people
You’ll be pleased to hear teaching your puppy not to jump up at people is pretty straightforward. It’s nowhere near as difficult as toilet training or crate training.
So let’s jump in…. Sorry!
Prevention
Jumping is a bit of a bad habit for dogs, the more they get to do it.. well… the more they will continue to do it. So stopping your puppy from being able to jump at people means that bad habit won’t stick around.
You’ll need to ensure when at home and when out and about that your pup doesn’t get a chance to launch themselves at anyone. We know you’re thinking easier said than done but here are our top tips.
At Home
When a visitor arrives, your pup will likely get really excited and jump up at them. You’ll need to prevent this from happening
- Keep your puppy in a separate room or behind a baby gate until they have calmed down enough to come and greet your guest politely.
- Keep your pup on a lead, so they can’t launch at your visitor.
- If you use a crate or playpen, pop them in their while your guest settles in.
On a Walk
Well-meaning strangers will often love to fuss your pup, this encourages them to jump though and doesn’t help you in your quest for a jump free dog. Here’s what you can do to stop this happening.
- Have your pup on a lead sounds simple, right? But it really is a simple solution to stop your pup from running off and jumping up at people.
- If you want to stop and chat and your pup is on a lead, scatter a few treats on the ground for your pup to find while you chat, just keep the chat brief.
Teach Alternative Behaviours
This means teaching your dog to do something that they can’t do at the same time as jumping. So for example have your dog sit, fetch a toy, go to their bed or most important of all see below to teach them four paws on the floor.
You’ll find more information about teaching these behaviours in the Zigzag Puppy App. You’ll need plenty of patience and tasty treats.
Four Paws on the Floor
This is where your pup learns that good things ONLY happen when they have all four paws on the floor.
- If your pup goes to jump at you or any member of the household, take a step back so your pups feet fall to the ground. Once all feet are on the ground, fuss and reward your pup.
- Drop treats to the ground to make the floor a rewarding place to be.
- Remember, eye contact is still reinforcing and can still encourage jumping up.
- Be consistent. The rule has to apply across the whole family or visitors to the home. The less your puppy practices jumping up, the less they will do it.
- Teach a really strong sit, and ask your pup to do this instead of jumping.
- Spend more time on the floor with your pup at their level, this helps remove the urge to jump up.
What not to do when training your dog to stop jumping up
Tell your puppy off
Any attention, even negative, is rewarding for your puppy. Don’t yell at your puppy, knee them or push them down, this can still be rewarding. It can also be quite exciting for your pup and can quickly turn into a fun game.
Encourage Jumping
Consistency is key when it comes to breaking this habit. It might be cute when your little pup jumps up for a fuss but think about when they are older, bigger and could easily knock someone over. It’s much easier to just never encourage it in the first place.
Set your dog up to fail
It’s hard for dogs to fight against what comes naturally. If you know your dog’s a keen jumper, avoid putting them in situations where they will find it hard not to jump up. If you want to stop and chat in the park, scatter treats on the ground for your dog and keep the chat brief. Have your dog on a lead or training line, so you can have some control over them.
Allow others to ruin your hard work.
We all meet those well-meaning people who want to fuss our dogs and encourage them to jump. Don’t allow other people to undo your hard work, and ask them not to encourage your dog to jump.
We hope this article has helped you learn how to stop your dog from jumping on people. Why not check out or articles on why dogs scratch their beds, or have a look at our puppy behaviour overview.
Remember to download the Zigzag App for your personalised breed specific training programme, along with 24/7 access to our team of puppy coaches who are just a click or call away to help with all your puppy problems.
