Jumping up

Jumping up is usually friendly, but it can scratch, knock over a visitor or leave muddy paw prints on good clothes. This guide explains why dogs jump and how to teach a calm greeting instead.

Why dogs jump up

Jumping is a natural greeting for a social dog. Dogs are shorter than the people they greet, and jumping brings them closer to face level. It carries on because it works: most dogs get a look, a word or a hand reaching out, and that attention rewards the jump.

Excitement, frustration on the lead, stress and plain habit are other reasons. And a large or bouncy dog can knock over a child or someone frail.

Decide what the greeting looks like

Choose the behaviour you want before you start: four paws on the floor, a sit, a lie down, or staying neutral until you give permission. A dog cannot sit and jump at the same time, so a sit does the job for many dogs.

Check the body language first. Leaning away, looking away, pinned ears, a lowered head or a lowered tail mean your dog is unsure about the greeting. Reward those dogs with food rather than petting, and keep the rule the same for everyone, every time.

Teach four paws on the floor

• Set up calm: a quiet room, one familiar person, treats ready.
• Feed before the jump. As your dog comes towards the person, deliver a treat before it even tries to jump, and keep feeding to keep the paws down.
• Feed low. Drop the treat on the floor between the front paws.
• Reset. Toss a treat a few feet away, then run the greeting again. A few short sessions are plenty.
• Add a sit later, once four on the floor is solid.
• Add one difficulty at a time: more excitement, a new room, or a longer wait between treats.

If your dog is too excited to take a treat, the greeting is too hard. Move further back.

If your dog already jumps up

Your dog has learned that jumping pays off, so remove the reward.

• Withdraw attention. Do not look at, speak to or touch your dog when it jumps. Turn your back or step away, then re-engage the moment four paws are down.
• Use a lead for practice, held just taut enough that your dog cannot easily jump. Never pull or jerk it.
• Expect a wobble. If some people reward four paws while others still pet the jumping dog, the jumping gets stronger.
• If you like a hello hug, teach it as a separate trick on cue, after a calm greeting.

Visitors and strangers

• Keep your dog on a lead for the first 15 minutes with new guests.
• Use a gate, crate or a mat in another room if your dog cannot settle.
• Brief visitors: no eye contact, no talking, no touching until all four paws are on the ground.
• Out on a walk, keep the lead on around people and reward calm. If someone heads straight for you, turn and walk away, or scatter treats on the ground.

Puppies

Start on day one. Your puppy is never too young to learn that four paws on the floor earn attention, and it is far easier now than with a full-grown dog.

What not to do

• Do not push, grab or shout at a jumping dog. Your dog still gets attention, which keeps the jumping going.
• Do not put a knee up. Some dogs see it as attention or play, and it can damage trust and may even cause injury.
• Do not use corrections such as a loud noise or a spray of water. These can cause fear.
• No pulling the lead to get a dog down. It can cause pain.
• No mixed messages. If one person allows jumping, the plan slows down.

When to call the vet

A sudden change in behaviour, or a dog that seems more worried or clingy than usual, is worth a health check. Pain and illness can change behaviour with no obvious signs. Call your vet if your dog's behaviour has recently changed, if it has become more fearful, or if it seeks reassurance more often.

Key points

• Dogs jump because it is a natural greeting and because it usually earns attention.
• Choose one greeting, such as four paws on the floor or a sit, and reward only that.
• Feed low and early, before the jump, and add difficulty one step at a time.
• Withdraw all attention from jumping, and get every visitor on the same rule.