10 Steps to stop your dog jumping up

Addressing a dog's habit of jumping up on people requires a combination of training, consistency, and positive reinforcement techniques. Here's how to stop a dog from jumping up:

1. Redirect Attention: When your dog jumps up, immediately redirect their attention to an alternative behaviour such as sitting or offering a toy. Use verbal cues or hand signals to guide them into the desired behaviour, and reward them with treats or praise when they comply.
2. Use Negative Punishment: Withdraw attention or privileges when your dog jumps up. Turn away from them, fold your arms, or step out of reach to indicate that jumping up results in the loss of attention or interaction. Once they have calmed down, resume attention and praise them for maintaining all four paws on the ground.
3. Teach an Alternative Greeting Behaviour: Train your dog to greet people politely by sitting or offering a paw instead of jumping up. Practice this behaviour consistently during greetings, rewarding them for calm and controlled behaviour.
4. Consistent Commands: Use consistent verbal commands such as "off" or "down" to communicate to your dog that jumping up is not acceptable behaviour. Pair these commands with redirection or negative punishment techniques to reinforce the message effectively.
5. Avoid Reinforcing Jumping: Be mindful of inadvertently reinforcing jumping behaviour. Avoid petting, praising, or engaging with your dog when they jump up, as this can reinforce the behaviour and encourage them to repeat it in the future.
6. Practice with Familiar and Unfamiliar People: Provide opportunities for your dog to practice appropriate greeting behaviour with both familiar and unfamiliar people. Consistent practice in various settings and with different individuals helps reinforce the desired behaviour and generalize it across different contexts.
7. Use a Lead: If your dog struggles to control their jumping behaviour, consider using a lead during greetings to prevent them from jumping up on people. Gradually fade out the use of the lead as they become more accustomed to the desired greeting behaviour.
8. Provide Mental and Physical Exercise: Ensure your dog receives adequate mental stimulation and physical exercise to help alleviate excess energy and excitement that may contribute to jumping behaviour. Engage in regular play sessions, walks, and interactive games to help channel their energy in more appropriate ways.
9. Be Patient and Consistent: Changing a dog's behaviour takes time and patience. Be consistent with your training efforts, and avoid becoming frustrated or discouraged if progress is gradual. Celebrate small victories and remain committed to reinforcing positive behaviour.
10. Seek Professional Help if Needed: If you're struggling to address your dog's jumping behaviour on your own, don't hesitate to contact us for help. We can provide personalized advice, tailored training plans, and additional support to help you effectively manage and modify your dog's behaviour.

In conclusion, stopping a dog from jumping up requires consistent training, positive reinforcement techniques, and patience. By redirecting attention, using negative punishment, teaching alternative greeting behaviours, providing consistent commands, avoiding reinforcement of jumping, practicing with various people, using leash and tethering, providing adequate exercise, being patient and consistent, and seeking professional help if needed, you can effectively address and modify your dog's jumping behaviour.