STOP YOUR DOG JUMPING ON PEOPLE ENTERING YOUR HOME

Jumping on people is typically an attention-seeking behavior.

While the intent may be harmless, the behavior is not. It can lead to scratched, or worse – knocked over guests, and can create a huge liability problem.

There are two key steps to stopping the jumping behavior.

Step one is to stop reinforcing your dog for jumping on people.

Step two is strategic reinforcement for the right behavior – keeping four on the floor.

Don’t Reinforce Jumping

Because jumping is an attention-seeking behavior, any attention, even scolding, may reinforce the behavior.

From now on, jumping must cause them to immediately lose the attention they are seeking.

If your dog jumps, immediately remove them from the person they are jumping on. This can be done by the person exiting the door, or by using a leash to remove your dog from the person.

Reinforce Four on the Floor

Reinforce keeping four paws on the floor with strategic reward placement and timing.

Reward Placement

Being strategic with your reward placement (tossing the treat away from the person they want to jump on) will speed along the process, as your dog will learn to expect reinforcement away from the person, rather than reinforcement happening when they jump on the person.

Reward Timing

The moment someone approaches the door (long before the jumping happens), toss a treat away from the door. Toss another treat when they knock or ring the bell. Toss another as the door opens. Another as they walk in. Another as they close the door, and another once they’re inside.

Once the person is inside, each time your dog approaches the person, toss a treat before they get all the way to the person.

Being strategic with your reward timing (tossing the treat before your dog gets all the way to the person) will speed along the process, as your dog will be prevented from jumping on the person, and rewarded for not jumping on them.