How to Stop a Puppy from Jumping on Visitors

One of the most common behavior problems puppies have is jumping up on people (especially visitors.) The puppy does it because she’s playful, friendly, and fun-loving, and we as owners tend to think it’s cute at first. But it’s a behavior that needs to be un-learned, because if the dog continues to do it when she’s grown, she might knock down or even hurt someone. Better to start “un-training” this habit as early as possible. Here are some ideas about how to do it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A plastic spray bottle (the type normally used for cleaning windows) filled with clean, room-temperature water
• Tasty doggy treats

1. When someone comes to your house, be sure he knows in advance that you have a puppy who is being trained not to jump up on visitors.

2. As soon as the person comes in the door, if your puppy begins to jump up on him, tell the puppy “No! Down!” in a firm, even voice.

3. If the puppy listens to you and stops jumping, ask your visitor to pet him and praise him with such affirmations as “Good boy.”

4. If the puppy continues jumping, ask the visitor to turn away from the puppy, cross her arms, and ignore the puppy completely.

5. If the puppy stops jumping, see Step 3. If not, take out the spray bottle and spray her in the eyes with clean water.

6. Wait a few seconds. The puppy should calm down. If he does, see Step 3. If for some reason he doesn’t, you may need to put her in her crate for a “time out.”