It can be so enjoyable to see how happy your dog gets when they see their favorite people coming to visit – most dog parents would rather an excited, sociable pup.
But if your dog gets so excited and overstimulated that they jump up when greeting people, whether grandma’s coming for dinner or you bump into a friend during a walk, that might not be so fun, even if your dog just wants to show them one of the best dog toys or get a fuss. It can be dangerous, too, if someone’s older, more frail, or holding a baby or young child.
It can be difficult to know how to stop your dog from jumping up, while still being happy to see people, and that’s where expert trainer Juliana DeWillems, the owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior, comes in. Let’s take a look at her recent Instagram post to find out how to handle a dog who jumps up when greeting people.
When it comes to stopping a dog from jumping up, DeWillems recommends aiming to replace it with a hand target. She explains, “It’s common for dogs to get over-excited or overstimulated during regular greetings with human friends or strangers. Building in some predictability with a hand target as they say hi can help!”
She continues, “This can be a much safer and more predictable greeting routine.”
This is a behavior you can practice frequently, too, not just during greetings – a hand target can be incredibly useful, and it’s relatively easy to teach your pup, even if you’re not a seasoned pro.
There are all sorts of things you can use a hand target for, from greeting people nicely to getting into the car, off the couch, or onto a grooming table. It’s one of the things that’s well worth making sure your dog has in their locker, because you never know when it could come in useful.
While you’re in the process of teaching a hand target to replace jumping, it’s worth speaking to your guests and any friends you regularly bump into with your dog to let them know you’re trying to discourage jumping. If people give your dog plenty of attention when they jump up at them, the behavior is being positively reinforced, meaning that your dog will learn to jump to get what they want, so ask them if they’ll work with you.
In the meantime, if you’re still struggling with your dog jumping, you might find this article from a dog parent in the same situation useful: I tried everything to get my dog to stop jumping up, here’s what actually worked. Not only that, but we also have 32 easy ways to teach your dog new tricks, right here.
