Puppies come out of the womb jumping …that is once they learn how to walk! If you ever watch a puppy and mother interacting, then you will almost always see the puppy jump up in the mother’s face. This is especially true at greetings and times of excitement. Once a puppy comes into your home, he just transfers this natural behavior to his new pack.
You should start curbing the jumping inclination as soon as you welcome the fluffy pup into your home. It may be cute when your puppy is young and weighs 7 lbs, but if you have a large breed dog you certainly don’t want to encourage any type of jumping. The habit is hard to break and can be potentially dangerous when Grandma comes over for a visit.
Here are 6 proven tips to curb puppy jumping:
- Reward good behavior
- Try to avoid making physical contact when he does jump
- Interact with a calm puppy
- Consider playing a Go Wild or Freeze type of training game
- Explain training techniques to visitors
- Use a leash!
You can do this by teaching 4 on the floor. This means 4 puppy paws on the ground to receive attention. He can stand or sit, but all of his feet need to remain grounded. If he tries to jump while you’re petting him, back away and try again.
Any attention reinforces this behavior; side step or back up when you see him getting ready to jump so he doesn’t even make contact.
Try to reinforce relaxation in your puppy whenever you can. Provide positive reinforcement (belly rubs and treats) when your puppy is calm and composed.
He needs to know a reliable sit command first, but for older puppies, this can be a fun game. Basically, you get a little crazy and encourage him to get bouncy and playful. Then freeze and ask him to sit. This helps teach a solid sit even under high levels of excitement. This can really help if the puppy will be around excitable children so that he learns to settle down quickly.
People will accidentally pet your pup when he jumps. Effectively reinforcing negative behavior and ruining all of your hard work! You want to make sure they know what you want, so be patient with visitors and explain how they can help in the training process.
A leash is especially vital if you are around people who will encourage jumping up. Simply step on the leash so your pup doesn’t have the option to jump on visitors. You can even help encourage the 4 on the floor with the leash, especially in public. Use a standard 6-foot leash and stand on part of the leash. Give enough leash space for your dog to stand or sit but not to jump.
These 6 tips practiced consistently will put your dog on the non-jumping path right away!
Bringing a new family addition into the home is extremely exciting! Becoming a new puppy parent comes with a ton of new joys, challenges and responsibilities. PupBox was created to help new puppy parents like yourself, by providing all of the toys, treats, accessories and training information you need, when you need it. CLICK HERE to learn more about PupBox.
And remember, puppyhood is fast and is gone before you know it. Make sure to savor the time when your pup is young, and take lots of pictures along the way!
