How to stop your dog from jumping on people and furniture

The puppy becomes an adult dog that constantly jumps on people and furniture. Do not worry – the dog can be weaned from this.

Why does a dog jump on people

A dog can jump on a person for various reasons. The two most common of these are over-anxiety and an attempt to take control of the situation. If the pet jumps on the owner when he returns home from work, most likely he is just glad to see him after a whole day of separation. On the other hand, four-legged friends jumping on guests are probably showing some combination of arousal and dominance. The pet seems to be trying to say: “I’m in charge here!”

How high can a dog jump

The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including the breed, size, health, age, and fitness of the dog. Some breeds are known to be able to jump higher than 1,8 m and, according to American Kennel Club, most pets can jump to heights “several times their own height”. However, the AKC recommends that small puppies not be allowed to jump high until they are 12-15 months old.

In a sport such as agility, which includes jumping, australian shepherds, Border Collie, german shepherds, continental toy spaniels and whippets. However, this does not mean that chihuahua or rhodesian ridgeback will not be able to jump to an impressive height. The dog can surprise the owner with its jumping abilities.

You may notice that with age, as the weight increases or strength decreases, the pet naturally begins to jump less often or not as high.

How to stop your dog from jumping on people

There are many different methods to teach your pet to keep all four paws on the ground.

To do this, you need to determine what type of training the dog will need and analyze the situations in which the pet jumps. Does he jump on the sofa and other furniture or on the guests who come home? Or trying jump over the fence in the yard? Once you know exactly what you want to wean your dog from, you can choose training methods that will allow you to bring this habit under control. It is easier to train a dog to do something than not to do it.

For example, if a four-legged friend jumps on people, the following steps should be taken:

• Teach your dog to sit, lie down and stand on command, and then reward her with treatswhen she will calmly follow the commands.
• Practice this kind of positive reinforcement regularly so your pet chooses constructive ways to get attention.
• If the dog still tries to jump on the owner, you should dodge to prevent it from doing so. By showing any attention to jumping, a person reinforces this behavior.
• You can not yell at the dog if it jumps.
• In some cases, it is better to put the dog on a leash or lock it away from guests: either in a separate room, or behind a fence, or in a cage.
• When the dog begins to make the first progress in training, you can invite a friend or relative to visit. You need to ask them to ring the doorbell and instruct the dog to sit and wait. When the door opens, the dog must continue to sit and wait for the guest to enter. Then you need to reward the dog for good behavior. Systematic training will definitely give its results, and the pet will understand that it is impossible to jump on people.

To cope with jumping on furniture or other furnishings, you should use similar methods and remove everything that your pet likes to jump on. For example, if there is a bowl of treats on the table and a four-legged friend jumps on the table to get to it, you need to hide the treats in the closet for the duration of the training. Fences will also help keep the dog in a certain part of the house so that he does not jump on the bed while the owner does the dishes or cleans up.

Jumping is a form of behavior that can be changed through training. If the owner is having trouble training the dog on their own, an animal behaviorist can be brought in. Some trainers are willing to come home and train a pet on his own territory. Also, a four-legged friend can attend classes with other dogs, getting the added benefit of socialization.

See also:

• How to understand the behavior of a puppy
• Common Dog Behaviors
• How to wean a dog from bad habits and teach him to control his impulses
• Is your dog playing too aggressively?