How To Stop A Dog Jumping

By Peg Baron

Dogs are wonderful companions and they are so happy to see you when you come home that they can barely contain themselves. Some dogs get so excited that they jump up on you and anyone else that comes to visit. This might have been cute when she was a puppy, but now that she's full grown and weighing 50+ pounds, it's not cute at all.

Jumping dogs can cause people bruising and scratching from the claws, not to mention ruined stockings and clothes. A more serious issue would be if the dog knocks someone over, especially a small child, or knocks them down the stairs. A dog jumping up can be more than an annoyance, it could be downright harmful.

The biggest reason why dogs jump is that they are happy to see you and want your attention. They are greeting you in this way because they love you and want to be touched by you... and they've learned that jumping is the best way to do it. Jumping on people is mostly a learned attention-seeking behavior from puppyhood.

You may have given them attention by fussing over them and getting them so excited they jumped up. Then you gave them more attention by telling them to stop and pushing them back down. Again, they got your words and your touch, and this reinforced the jumping behavior.

Another theory behind jumping stems from an old inherent instinct in puppies to lick the muzzles of adult dogs. This is reinforced when you let your puppy jump up and lick your adult face.

The best thing to do, right from the start, is to ignore your puppy when you come home and she jumps. Put your coat away and start looking through your mail until your pup has calmed down. Then reward her calm behavior with your attention. Don't make too much of a fuss over her or she might get excited and start jumping all over again.

To stop an older dog from jumping will require a bit of consistent training. Have your command word ready; "huh uh" or "down" and put your hands behind your back so you won't be rewarding her with contact. When she goes to jump, step back and turn around while using the command word. Continue to do this until the dog stops jumping. Then give her all your attention and praise her for following the "down" command. She should understand you are not playing a game by your demeanor.

It's easiest to train a dog not to jump from the very start, but it is possible to retrain a dog to stop jumping after the fact. "Down" is an important command for your dog to learn so she does not hurt anyone or lose human friends who don't want to be around a jumper.

About the Author

These are some tips on how to stop a dog jumping up. For more tricks and tips, visit http://dogintraining.info today. Sign up for you free dog obedience course!

What Your Cat Wants You To Know

see more crazy cat pics

If your feline friend could speak your language, here a few things she would probably like you to know.

1) I am the boss of you. Get used to it. I decide when I want your company. I am not a dog who relies on you to make these choices in our relationship.

2) I am fenicky. I like the food I like and I will not eat the cheap stuff. I prefer to have the nasty, overnight water left in my dish dumped first thing in the morning. If you cannot accommodate this need, Do Not Yell At Me when you see me desperately dipping my head into the toilet for some fresh water. Believe me, it's not something I Want To Be Doing - But If You Don't Take Care Of Me Properly - I simply have no choice.

3) I like my space. I choose my space. I pick special places through out Our House to lay in the sun, take my afternoon nap, relax after dinner etc... Deal with it. Do not expect me to clean up my own hair. I cannot help it if I shed on your precious sofa, and I personally don't really care if I leave a little bit of me behind on my Favorite places.

4) I do not want to have a new "sister" or "brother" ie: feline relative. If they came to live with you when I did that's fine. If you're trying to improve the quality of my life by giving me a new friend, Forget About It... I don't want one. I like being the Queen/King of Our Domain. I do not want to share my palace with anyone.

5) I like you and I like your children (or most of them). But I chose when I want to be bothered with the youngsters. Please do not push them on me when I'm clearly not in the mood to play, which consequently results in me being forced to let them know I do not want interact with them in the only way I know how - by hissing, scratching, or trying to run away. My actions inevitably lead to you yelling at me for showing my feelings. So we could make life much simpler, if You prevented this whole scenario from the start.

6) I have certain innate needs - like the need for something to scratch - Please make both of our lives easier by getting me something just for this purpose... So I do not have to resort to using the back of the chair, the carpet, the comforter or the front porch screen (which will definitely result in you having to Yell at me yet once more for something that I have a natural desire to do...)

7) Remember You picked me. You decided to bring me into your home. I did not pick you. I had no choice. Yet I treat you with respect and love, thus you should treat me equally as well...

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp