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Jumping Up - Changing & Preventing this Behaviour
By Scotty Valadao (Animal Behaviour Consultant (Canine) (ABC of SA™)
Why Do Puppies Jump Up?
Jumping up is a natural behavior rooted in puppies’ instincts. When a mother dog approaches, her puppies instinctively jump up to greet her and seek food, often standing on their back legs with paws on her body. While this greeting might be adorable in a small puppy, it can become a problem if the behavior persists in a full-grown dog weighing upwards of 50 kg.
Owners often encourage this behavior without realizing it, welcoming jumping as part of an endearing greeting. However, inconsistencies arise when visitors dislike the habit, or when we don’t want dogs jumping on us in work clothes, or near small children. The key to changing this behavior is consistency and establishing alternatives.
Preventing Jumping Up in Puppies
Prevention is simpler than correction. Puppies are a blank slate, allowing you to teach acceptable behaviors from the start. Instead of allowing jumping, call your puppy to you and encourage them to sit in front of you as a greeting. This is especially important for large breeds, but beneficial for all dogs to avoid issues in the future. Preventing jumping will save your clothes from muddy paws and protect small children or elderly visitors from unexpected encounters with an enthusiastic dog.
Another effective technique is teaching your puppy to "Sit" for anything it wants. For instance:
- Sit before feeding
- Sit before playing with a toy
- Sit before receiving attention or affection
- Sit before going outside
Common Mistakes Owners Make
- Accidental Reinforcement: Yelling “no” or pushing your dog down can actually reinforce jumping since attention, whether positive or negative, encourages the behavior. Instead, stay calm and avoid interacting when your dog jumps up.
- Inconsistency: Dogs learn quickly from patterns. If one family member allows jumping while others do not, the dog becomes confused. Inconsistent responses make the dog try harder, not understanding why it is allowed sometimes but scolded other times. To change behavior, the entire family must be consistent.
- Ignoring Desired Behaviors: Often, owners focus on stopping undesirable behaviors without reinforcing good ones. Every time your dog sits calmly, especially without being asked, quietly say, “Good sit,” and reward them. This makes the dog understand what is expected.
Changing Jumping Behavior - To correct jumping, follow these steps:
- Ignore Jumping: Each time your dog jumps up, avoid making eye contact, don’t talk, and gently turn away until paws are off you. Avoid pushing them down; this could be misinterpreted as play, plus the dog may try to jump up on your back instead.
- Reward Sitting: Use your dog’s daily food to reinforce the desired behavior. Call your dog, ask them to sit, and reward with a piece of kibble when they comply. Practice this around the house, especially at entryways where jumping often occurs, to replace the jumping behavior with sitting as a standard greeting.
- Use a “Sit for Everything” Routine: Ask for a sit before mealtimes, before throwing a toy, or when going outside. Consistently rewarding sitting will teach your dog to sit as a way of getting what they want, making it a habit.
- Incorporate Family Training Exercises: Create a fun exercise by standing in a circle and calling your dog between each person, rewarding a sit each time. Gradually increase the dog’s pace to make it more exciting for them, making it both a bonding and training experience.
Once behaviour has been changed, then follow the suggestions under Preventing Jumping up in Puppies above.
Using Reinforcement Techniques
In the beginning, use continuous reinforcement, rewarding every successful sit. Once the dog sits reliably, shift to variable reinforcement by sometimes rewarding after two sits, sometimes after three. This variability encourages them to keep trying, as they don’t know when the reward will come.
For dogs not food-motivated, try using other rewards like their favorite toy, a belly rub, or praise. Different dogs respond to different motivators, so experiment to find what works best for your dog.
Teaching Appropriate Behavior with Visitors
Once your dog sits reliably for family members, it’s time to introduce the new behavior with guests. Follow these steps:
- Set Expectations with Visitors: Brief your guests ahead of time on what to do when they arrive. Ideally, use a leash to help control the dog’s excitement.
- Establish a New Greeting Location: Choose a different area than usual to meet visitors, helping break any associations with previous jumping behaviors.
- Calmly Approach and Reward Calmness: Allow the dog to approach the visitor only once they are calm. If the dog is overexcited, have them sit and reward them only once they are calm.
- Repetition and Practice: For a successful transition, practice this with several friends or family members. The more practice, the more successful your dog will be at greeting visitors calmly.
Once your dog understands the new behavior, continue using a varied reward schedule to keep them motivated. Occasionally, reward a random sit to reinforce the behavior. Avoid discontinuing rewards entirely—just like us, dogs appreciate being recognized for their effort, and it keeps them motivated.
By practicing consistently, your dog will reliably sit as a greeting, leading to more pleasant interactions with guests and family alike. As Gary Player once said, “The more I practice, the luckier I get!” Consistent practice with your dog will make all the difference.
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