The moment you open the door after coming home from work, your little pup sprints to you and jumps excitedly. That’s how our furballs welcome us with their whole heart and anticipation. However, a first-time guest might be startled by such an enthusiastic greeting. Don’t worry; you can get your dog to stop jumping on people with some simple and effective methods. Let’s get started!
In This Article:
3+ Methods To Train Your Dog Not To Jump
The “Sit” Command
A sitting dog at the door with its tail wagging gently might be the coziest and most inviting greeting towards our visitors. So, the first thing to teach your pup is the “sit” command. The mechanism of this method is simple: Only when they sit down can they get our positive attention and treat. Once their butt is lifted off the floor, all the rewards stop. Follow these steps:
Step 1
If your pooches haven’t been trained before, practice this command independently of the door first. For example, ask them to sit before eating, playing, petting, or going outside. This helps them associate sitting with begging for negative attention or favorite treats.
Step 2
When your furry friends get the hang of the command, it’s time to bring him close to the door. Keeping a dog stationary might be challenging for some active breeds, so you can tie them to a doorknob or any furniture in the beginning. If your pups are not too energetic and enthusiastic, you can let them free.
Grab a handful of treats and stand several feet away from the door. Tell the dog to sit using a clear marker word, like “sit” or “down.” If he obeys, approach him slowly.
Once you see him stand up, turn away and go back to the starting point. Repeat until he greets you while still keeping his butt on the floor.
Step 3
When he remains sitting as you near, praise and reward him with a treat. Now, try petting him to see if he jumps up. No? Great!
Take the game to the next level by jiggling the doorknob, opening the door all the way through, and observing his reaction. If he still sits, give him a treat. Whenever he stands up, rinse and repeat until he masters the “sitting for greetings” technique.
Step 4
Now, your pup should learn the rope of the “sit” command. Ask a relative or a friend to drop by and train your dog at a higher level.
When you open the door to welcome the visitor, say “sit” or the marker word clearly to your four-legged friend. As the guest goes by, if he jumps up excitedly, repeat the command. If he doesn’t follow, just turn a blind eye to him and wait until he calms down and sits down again. Then, treat him for stopping jumping up.
Keep practicing until he can greet a stranger while sitting as his second nature.
The “Ignore” Strategy
As dog parents, we’re tempted to pet our little furball when we see him jump with joy as we come home. Don’t do that unless you want your visitors to be freaked out at such excited greetings! Ignoring him is your way to express your disapproval of that unwanted behavior.
Dogs jump to get your attention and beg for some petting and affection. So, they have no reason to continue his jumping behavior if you don’t give in. And by ignoring, we mean you have to turn a cold shoulder to your pooch without physical contact. Paying attention through eye contact is also not advised.
As your pup calms down and gets down on four, turn back to him and praise him with a treat. Repeat until your furry friend links sitting with attention. It might be heartbreaking to ignore your cute little puppy at first, but it will pay off soon.
Is your dog a bundle of energy when you shower them with affection? Try redirecting their excitement with a food reward. Wait patiently until all four paws are planted firmly on the ground. Then, toss or sprinkle some tasty food on the floor to refocus their attention downwards. This simple switch can help calm their exuberance and encourage calm behavior.
The “Four On The Floor” Rule
If your pup is too enthusiastic to sit down calmly, try to keep its four paws on the floor. We’ve experimented with several management techniques and finally found our way out: using incompatible and alternative behavior. This means you will redirect their focus by asking them to do something else downwards while standing on four. Follow these steps:
Step 1
Take your pup near the door. If your little furball is overly naughty and energetic, consider putting him on a leash.
Now, point your hand downwards, with the palm facing outward, so that your pooch can comfortably touch his nose to your palm without lifting any leg. Hold a treat with the other hand.
In the beginning, you can reinforce this command by saying “Boop” or “Come here!” or simply calling his name. Once he touches his nose to your palm, praise him with a marker word, like “Yes!”, “Good!” or “Okay!” followed by a treat on that hand. Over time, you can phase out the marker word and only point the hand.
Doing so helps him perceive the connection between standing on four with great praises and high-value treats.
Note: Don’t place your hand too high that the pooch has to jump up to reach. Besides, hide the hand that’s holding the treat behind your back so the pup won’t be triggered.
Step 2
Once your pooch gets used to the command, up the game by walking past him and jiggling the doorknob. If he jumps up, use the hand targeting exercise again, followed by a clear marker word.
Repeat until he stays calm when you pass by. Then, open the door and walk outside. Wait a minute or two, return, and knock on the door or ring the doorbell before opening the door. This sound signals the dog that someone is coming.
Open the door and observe his behavior. If he jumps, repeat the hand-targeting exercise. Only offer him a treat when he gets down on four calmly. You can vary the intervals when going out to ensure a better and consistent result.
Step 3
Now that your four-legged friend has learned the “four on the floor” technique with you, it’s time to practice with strangers.
First, ask a relative or a friend to visit your house. Crack open the door to see how the dog reacts. Keep a close eye on your pup and use the polite greeting exercise whenever he jumps.
After that, open the door all the way, and you two can greet each other to check whether the dog leaps on the guest. If not, let your friend get close to the dog and pet him. Whenever the pup continues his negative response, calm him down by pointing your hand downwards, followed by the marker word, and treat him once all his feet hit the floor.
Note: We recommend you practice this exercise 4 to 6 training sessions daily, 5 to 10 repetitions each time (around 1 to 2 minutes). According to our experience, our canines need at least 3 months of practice to master this technique.
Other Tricks
We’ve learned that other tricks can work as a stop-gap to curb their enthusiasm:
- Putting a leash on the dog, locking him with a baby gate, or confining him in a crate is the fastest way to keep his paws away from our guests. However, this won’t work in the long term. Your pooch might get overly aggressive or stressed out if he associates greeting with confinement.
- You can also place some toys next to the door to keep him occupied as visitors come in. We have to say this tip is a hit-and-miss, though. For some active breeds, the excitement when welcoming a stranger outweighs the pleasure of playing with their old toys.
- Another method we sometimes apply is scattering some treats near the door. Our puppies will be busy scouring all those treats as your guest walks by. But again, this is rather 50-50.
6 Tips For Successful Training
Jot down these notes to ensure successful training:
- Don’t hold your dogs’ paws or push them away forcefully. They might perceive those as your enthusiastic responses to their greetings.
- Don’t keep your knee high when the pup is leaping on you. Some with a bold and rough temperament might think you’re paying attention or participating in their naughty wrestling game. So they can get more excited and jump even higher.
- Greet with a low-key and low-pitched tone when teaching your pooch. A high-pitched or loud sound might signal them that you, their owner, are happy, so they will also be excited and jump with joy. Invite your guests inside before continuing with your chatting. Your furry friend might not resist his enthusiasm if you linger at the door too long.
- If possible, ask your visitors to follow the greeting rules that your dog has learned until he completely masters them.
- Consistency is key when training. Keep practicing for at least 3 months to see the outcome.
- Avoid physical punishment at all costs!
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Conclusion
Believe it or not, our pups can read our emotions through our voices and actions. So, if you welcome a guest wholeheartedly, your dog might do so, as well. Their greeting language is mostly jumping and barking. If you don’t want their enthusiasm to freak your visitors out, apply the training methods above. We hope that it can help!
