Is your dog a jumper?

Many dog owners have trouble with happy, over-excited dogs who greet people on the street and visitors by jumping up in excitement. At Zen Dog Training we have the ideal training solution for almost effortless obedience!

Why do dogs jump up?

Dogs jump up when meeting new people because they are trying to greet people the same way they greet other dogs — by sniffing and licking their faces. Having a dog who is that excited and happy to meet people is a good thing! Since that level of friendliness to people is a sign of a well-socialized dog. However, being jumped on is not something that everyone wants when meeting your dog!

What to do with a jumping dog

There are many solutions to teaching a dog to stop jumping up when meeting new people. You can teach your dog to sit and get treats and attention for acting polite, or you can ignore jumping dogs by turning your back when they jump. The problem with these methods is that it requires everyone to follow through and it is often hard to get visitors, children, or people you meet on the street to participate.

Zen Dog Training encourages training your dog to be polite and ignoring unwanted jumping. We also have a secret technique that will help you teach your dog to stop jumping right away. Teaching your dog to stop jumping is a good example that illustrates how using the right MANAGEMENT TOOLS helps you set-up a TEACHING MOMENT and incorporate training drills and training your daily life.

Secret Training Solution – Teaching Moments

Training begins by creating a situation where you can control your dog and reinforce your rules. Start by having your dog wear a DRAG LINE (or indoor leash) so you can do a LEASH STEP. Put the DRAG LINE on before visitors arrive, or step on the leash when meeting a friend, and you level the playing field and speed up the training process.

With your dog wearing a leash inside the house you can more quickly INTERRUPT when they act out, or you can step on the leash and have everyone IGNORE your dog if they start jumping. Even better, the LEASH STEP will give them a mild INTERRUPT every time they question your rules and try to jump up.

How to do a LEASH STEP:

  • Before you meet someone on a walk, call your dog over to you by saying their name “Muffin”
  • When your dog comes to you say “Yes!” and STEP ON THE LEASH.
  • Give your dog a treat and ask your friend to come over to you to say hi.

People, even young children, can say hi without worrying about getting jumped on. With almost no effort, every time a visitor arrives or you say hi to someone on the street, you can use the LEASH STEP to set-up a situation where your dog cannot successfully jump and, at the same time, get’s lots of opportunities to be rewarded with praise, attention, petting, even treats for sitting quietly.

Reward Good Behaviors

With your dog controlled with the right management tools you can relax and have more time to work on rewarding your dog when they sit. In fact, you should ask people who want to pet your dog to ask them to “Sit” first, so your dog learns to be patient and polite when greeting people.

Once your dog starts to understand the rules, you can introduce distractions, increase the difficulty, and mix it up to make sure your dog “gets it” in different situations. Before you know it, your dog will be greeting people like a calm Zen Dog, politely sitting for attention and not jumping up!