Stopping Your Dog From Jumping Up with house training puppies

The Two Reasons Why Dogs Jump Up On People

First, and probably most common, is the jumping dog who greets this way.

Also, this behavior can be positively reinforced during greeting times, when a jumping dog is met by an excited owner who immediately praises, feeds, walks and/or plays with their pet after getting "jumped," so to speak. Jumping becomes part of this routine. It is rewarded and reinforced.

A second reason for jumping, which is less commonly the case, is that they may be trying to establish dominance. Dogs jump up on each other through what's known as "teeing off."

Identifying Dominant Behavior in house training puppies

It's important to identify this behavior by seeing it in the broader context of your relationship. First, realize that a disobedient dog isn't necessarily a dumb one. If they don't listen to you, and push and pull you around, they may have decided not to recognize you as their superior in the pack hierarchy (while still thinking the world of you as a companion!).

If you suspect that the jumping is in fact an expression of dominance, then it is likely that your house training puppies will need to involve heavier corrections. This just means you might need to do more than simply ignore the dog while jumping and train them to Sit and Settle before getting your attention. For instance, water squirting, sharp "growling," or even forcing the dog down and holding them down until they are still are all corrections that will short circuit this behavior.

Laying Down The Rules

During greetings, always try to prevent your dog from jumping up in the first place. Put your hand (or both hands) out in front of you and hold still. A trained dog will be able to respond to this gesture reasonably quickly with repetitions. As with any training technique, do not introduce any verbal commands UNTIL the correct behavior has been demonstrated. Only when your dog gets down on his own accord should you start using the "down" command to accompany the behavior. This is how they learn the command, by having the right action to associate it with.

Turn your back and ignore the dog. And calmly ask him to sit. When he has calmed down, and ideally responded to the sit command, then you can turn and greet the dog. If he starts jumping again, repeat the process. Be patient, this is where you get to send a message mainly through your body language, and the dog will surely take several trials to receive it. Often it is recommended that you stick your knee up and put the dog off balance, which is almost a reflex reaction. Turning your back and stonewalling is better if you can manage.

The House Training Puppies Guide is well worth a look.