Why do dogs jump on you and how to stop it

Jumping is a common behavioural problem in dogs. Whilst you may like your excited greeting when you return home, it can become a problem for young children, elderly or guests who may be knocked over or not appreciate the confronting attention as they walk through your front door.

Most of the time jumping is a result of your dog seeking attention. Good news is that you can easily train your dog not to jump up, rather greet you and your guests in a more acceptable way.   

Why do dogs jump on you?

When dogs meet, they often greet each other face to face. This can be why dogs jump up on humans to greet them in the same way. This is often reinforced with attention. Each time your dog jumps up and they get an enthusiastic or even negative response, it provides the attention that they seek. Therefore, they continue the behaviour.

How to stop your dog from jumping

Remove the attention

The first step to stop your dog from jumping up is stop giving them the attention they are seeking. You can do this by turning your back to your dog when they jump up on you. Cross your arms and remain quiet. If they come to the other side, continue to turn your back to them until they settle down and stop jumping. Alternatively, you can leave the room and then return, repeating this until they calm down. Once your dog is standing in front of you with all four paws on the ground, reward them with a treat and praise. Don’t go overboard as you don’t want them to get too excited and start jumping up again!

Practice, practice, practice

Work out the most common times that your dog jumps up on you. For example, it may be when you come home from work. Set aside time each day to practice not giving them attention when they jump and reward them for keeping all four paws on the ground.

Practice with friends and family

Let your friends and family know that you are training your dog not to jump. Ask them to repeat the same behaviour that you have been using to train your dog not to jump on guests too. Your dog will soon learn that jumping up is not acceptable to you or anyone else that they greet.

Positive reinforcement

Keep treats handy to reward them for their good behaviour. Wait until they have stopped jumping and all four paws are on the ground then offer them a reward. Rewards can include a tasty treat, praise and a pat. Remember, keep it low key to prevent them jumping up again in excitement. Never punish or shout at your dog as this can reduce their trust in you, reinforce their bad behaviour and diminish your training sessions.

Patience & consistency

Be patient and remember there will be days that your dog is doing everything you ask of them, then other days when they forget it all! Training takes time, so be patient with your dog and they will soon learn. Be consistent and offer your dog short training sessions each day at the most common times that they jump so they learn this behaviour is not acceptable anymore.

Alternative greeting behaviour

Have a think about how you would like your dog to greet you and your guests. This could include keeping all four paws on the floor or sitting. There are further details on this below.

How to train alternative greeting behaviour

All four paws on the floor - this works well for dogs motivated by food. You can train your dog to keep all four paws on the floor by placing treats on the floor during greetings. It is best to enlist the help of a friend and train your dog whilst on a lead. With your dog on a lead, have your friend approach you. Drop the treats onto the ground, before the person gets to you and before your dog starts to jump. While they are distracted by the treats you can greet them. When they finish eating you can step back and try again. If the dog jumps at any point, have your friend back away and don’t offer any treats or attention. After several repetitions your dog will start to link their good behaviour with the reward.  

Sit - once your dog has learnt to keep all four paws on the floor, you can progress to sit if that is your preferred greeting. When you or a family member walks into the room command your dog to “sit”. Don’t pay any attention to your dog until they are able to remain seated. Once they stay seated offer them a treat and greet them calmly. Continue to reward good behaviour with treats, praise and pats.