If you're getting fed up with your dog jumping all over your guests when they arrive (or you for that matter!) no matter what you try then take a look at the method taught by Jo Woodward from Furrytails below.
Sit / 4 Paws on the on the floor
If your dog keeps jumping up at everyone, you need to get them to sit, as they can't jump and sit at the same time.
✅ Practice the 'sits' little and often, starting in areas of low distraction and gradually building them up and in lots of different locations.
Options:
✅ 1. Ask your visitors if they’d ignore your dog and wouldn't mind waiting to say 'Hi' until you have got them into a 'sit'. Your dog soons learns that they get rewarded for not jumping up and will soon learn that the attention comes when they are sitting and ultimately they will automatically 'sit'.
✅ 2. Explain to your visitors that you’re training your dog (blame it on your trainer if you feel more comfortable with that) and once your dog is sitting, if they want, they can then greet your dog calmly, preferably just verbally or going down to the dog's level, giving a gentle stroke behind the dog's ear or stroking their chest.
✅ 3. When visitors arrive, giving your dog a stuffed Kong, a Licki Mat or a few treats on their mat/bed or using an Enrichment Mat (available from FurryTails, see details below) sprinkled with treats or 1/4 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese will distract them, preventing them from jumping up.
This keeps your dog occupied and teaches them that good things happen when visitors arrive.
Also licking, chewing, and sniffing are all calming activities for your dog.
✅ Stair gates really help too, so your dog can’t practice jumping up at your visitors.
✅ Reward behaviours you like and ignore behaviours you don't, as we need them to know they will get more attention when they are calm.
✅ If they continue to jump up, turn your back for a split second so that they naturally fall off you, then either ask for a 'sit' or hopefully by now they will offer you an automatic 'sit'. Make sure you then verbally praise them. We want a 'sit' to be their default position.
✅ If your dog doesn’t listen when you’ve asked for a 'sit' (only ask once), then go back to part 1 in the previous post. This is generally because visitors are exciting people!
✅ Try dropping a couple of treats on the floor and say * Find it, (see below), that will get them using their amazing noses and engage their brains, which is a calming activity. Wait for their head to come off the floor, then ask them for a 'sit', Then the floor becomes the reinforcing place and not jumping up at people.
We advise that you don’t say ‘No’, ‘Off’ ‘Ahh Ahh’ or ‘Down’ as these words don’t actually teach your dog what we do want from them. Imagine if someone kept saying ‘No’ to you all the time?! You might start to get frustrated or it simply becomes nagging or white noise!
We advise that you don’t say ‘No’, ‘Off’ ‘Ahh Ahh’ or ‘Down’ as these words don’t actually teach your dog what we do want from them. Imagine if someone kept saying ‘No’ to you all the all the time?! You might start to get frustrated or it simply becomes nagging or white noise!
✅ Try to keep everything as calm as possible for your dog, if your visitors get too excited, then your dog is likely to jump up again.
✅ Dog’s need consistency, so all family members need to practice all of these techniques.
✅ The more your dog jumps up, the better they get at jumping up as they get to practice it lots! Instead, get them practicing their ‘sits and the old behaviour of the jumping up will start to disappear.
Remember to take any training treats out of their daily food allowance.
Don't forget that Jo is available for further help with online sessions and socially-distanced one-to-one sessions. She has an amazing repertoire of games and enrichment ideas to help you and your pup in every way possible! Get in touch with her via Facebook, email on jo@furrytails.dog, or phone on 07973 216148.
Is there anything that you are struggling with training-wise? Let us know in the comments.
*Find it
A fun, focus game, place a piece of food on the floor, point to it and say ‘Find it’. This mentally stimulates them as it is getting them to use their nose and engage their brain, making them calmer. It creates real teamwork, helping to build a positive relationship between you and your dog, adding value in being close to you. It a useful distraction tool when needed and a great way of feeding your dog their dinner in a fun way.
Enrichment Mats
£28 each (p&p extra)
Hand made by FurryTails using good quality fleece and rubber matting so they are robust and made to last, with no sharp plastic pieces for the dogs to chew as some of the cheaper ones have.
Machine washable at low temps.
Always supervise your dog when using any enrichment activity.