Does your furry best friend have a problem jumping on you and anyone else who walks through your front door? One thing we all love about dogs is that that they are ALWAYS excited to see us. However, jumping is a common display of excitement and it can be both adorable but also unwelcome to some people. Especially if your dog weighs 50 pounds or has muddy paws!
Establish yourself as Pack Leader
To prevent your pup from jumping, you must establish yourself as the pack leader. You are the dominant one and you decide that jumping is no longer acceptable behavior. In order to do so you must be calm but also assertive when your dog tries to jump. It is important to be calm because if you act excited to see your pup when you return home, your dog’s energy will amplify. When you enter your home, do your best to not speak in a high-pitch, excited tone and do not respond lovingly to your dog until she stops jumping. You can also ignore her and turn your back to her when she jumps. This will eventually tell her that this behavior is no longer acceptable.
Train your pup to sit when guests arrive
As the pack leader, you must train your dog to understand that jumping is not allowed. When guests arrive to your home, tell your dog to sit. If she has difficulty sitting and remaining calm when people arrive, start her on a leash when guests enter so that you can prevent her from jumping.
Reward her when she behaves
Be sure to reward your pup each time that she sits or stands with all 4 paws on the ground. If she starts to jump again, turn your back to her and ignore her. It may appear in the early stages of training that you are spinning in circles attempting to teach your pup to sit still, but eventually she will catch on. Each time she sits or greets guests without jumping, also reward her with a treat. It takes about three weeks for a dog to break a habit and then your guests can remain paws-free when they arrive for a visit!
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