How to Stop Your Dog From Jumping On People and You

Jumping up is one of the most common complaints of dog owners. In the dog-meet-dog world, they jump up to show dominance or just to say hello, but it doesn't fit in with human relationships and can be annoying or dangerous. Try these tips to keep your dog's four paws planted firmly on the ground.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. DON'T GET HIM STARTED
   The easiest way to avoid the problem of jumping up is to never, ever encourage it, even when your dog is a cute little puppy. He'll start thinking it's good to jump, and it's very hard to un-train this. When your puppy first starts jumping on you, push him off gently and firmly tell him, 'Off!'

2. MAKE HOMECOMINGS MELLOW
   Your dog is likely to be much calmer if you don't make a big deal out of coming home at the end of the day. If you greet your dog with a big, excited, 'Hi boy!' after he's been alone all day, he's more likely to jump on you as his way of greeting. In the future when you come home, just walk in the door. If your dog doesn't jump on you, make sure to give him loving pats. When you and he are all settled, you can lavish him with attention.

3. STEP TO THE BACK
   If your dog is getting ready to jump up on you, take a couple of quick steps back - just enough so your dog misses you entirely on his way up - and firmly tell him, 'Off!'

4. DO THE BUMP
   A nudge from your knee may convince your dog that jumping isn't appreciated. As your dog runs at you, lift your knee so it's at the level of his chest when he jumps up. Don't do it forcefully, just enough so the knee gets in the way of the jump. After the dog-to-knee encounter, get your dog to sit, if possible, and reward him for sitting quietly.