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Two paws on your chest the moment you walk in is one of the most common complaints from dog owners. The American Kennel Club calls jumping up a natural canine behavior and explains why dogs keep doing it and how to train a better greeting. This guide follows that article.
Short answer: dogs jump to say hello face to face, and because it gets attention every time, they repeat it. The fix is to stop rewarding it and to teach a greeting that does earn attention.
Why Dogs Jump on People
The AKC gives two connected reasons:
- It is a greeting. Dogs get to say hello face to face when they jump.
- It gets rewarded. The AKC says dogs repeat behaviors that earn them rewards, and few things are more rewarding to a dog than your attention. Visitors and strangers can reinforce the behavior too.
The AKC adds that even negative reactions, such as yelling at your dog or grabbing their paws, are still attention and can reinforce the behavior. For many dogs, pushing them away is simply part of a wrestling game. If your dog also leaks urine when greeting, that is a separate matter, covered in why dogs pee when excited.
From a human point of view, the AKC says jumping to greet is annoying and possibly dangerous: muddy paws soil clothes, and people, especially seniors and children, can be knocked over.
Stop Rewarding It, Then Teach an Alternative
The AKC says to eliminate jumping you must remove the associated rewards. That means managing your dog so they do not get the chance to practice jumping, and teaching them another way to greet people.
Ignoring the jumping should in theory make it fade, since it is no longer rewarded. The AKC points out two problems: every person your dog meets will not know the rules, and being ignored can be frustrating for the dog, who needs to be taught what to do instead. Its example is that “sit” for greetings is an easier rule than “don’t jump.”
Teach four on the floor
The AKC’s method rewards the dog before they can think about leaving the ground:
- With your dog on leash, have somebody approach.
- Before the person reaches your dog, toss several treats on the floor.
- While your dog eats off the floor, the person pets and greets them.
- Before your dog finishes, the person backs away again.
- After several repetitions, extend the greeting and keep tossing treats the whole time.
- Once your dog keeps all four feet down, let them greet the person before you drop the first treat.
- As the dog understands the rules, feed fewer treats until the greeting is the only reward.
The AKC says the trick is speed: anticipate the jump and deliver the treats before it happens. If you are too late and the dog jumps, the person turns and walks away while you stop feeding. In time the dog learns that four paws on the floor brings attention and treats, and jumping brings nothing.
Teach sit for greetings
- Tether your dog’s leash to a doorknob or a piece of furniture.
- From several feet away, ask for a sit. When they sit, approach calmly.
- If they stand, turn and walk back to your starting point and ask again. If they stay sitting, quietly praise and pet them.
- As soon as they stand up, turn and walk away.
- As your dog catches on, make your approaches more exciting.
- Once it works with you, repeat with friends and family.
The AKC adds that there is no point teaching sit for greetings if your dog still struggles to sit without distractions. It suggests asking for a sit before going outside and before dinner, so that sitting becomes the dog’s way of saying “please.”
Prevent Jumping While You Train
Until the new greeting is solid, the AKC says to manage the dog so they cannot rehearse the jump:
- If your dog has a strong “go to your place” cue, send them to a mat or crate when the doorbell rings.
- Put a dog gate at the entranceway so the dog cannot reach visitors.
- Put the dog on leash when guests arrive.
- Keep toys and treats at the front door. Throw the reward away from the doorway while the visitor comes in, or let the guest use it to reward an appropriate greeting.
Walks are harder, because strangers do not know your rules. The AKC advises avoiding stranger greetings until your dog understands the polite version with friends and family. Instead, get your dog’s attention with a “watch me” cue, or squeak a toy and let the stranger walk past. When your dog is ready, tell people the procedure and ask them to ignore your dog if the rules are not followed. The training treats are easier to carry with one of these dog training treat bags.
Final Thoughts
Jumping is a greeting that keeps being paid for. Take away the payment, give the dog a job to do at the door, such as a sit or four paws down, and manage visitors until it sticks. For a dog that has other new behaviors alongside the jumping, such as growling or snapping, see why a dog becomes more aggressive.
Resources
- American Kennel Club, How to stop your dog from jumping up on people
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