He jumps up on people
Does your dog jump all over you the moment you walk in? That's joy spilling over, not dominance and not bad behaviour: nobody has taught him another way to say hello yet. One single rule: jumping never earns anything, while strokes and attention arrive when all four paws are on the floor.
The three reasons he jumps up
Your dog is after contact when he jumps up, yours or your guests'. He has learned that rearing up on his back legs triggers looks, words and strokes: jumping pays, so he does it again. Three things often combine: a greeting you encouraged yourself without meaning to, a dog who doesn't get enough exercise and is brimming with energy, and the fact that he has never learned to wait or to stay calm when he's frustrated.
Jumping is almost never about dominance. It's a gap in learning: your dog hasn't been taught the rule yet, nor how to hold himself back. The “pack leader” idea is outdated, and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) said so again in 2021. A dog who jumps is put right by preparing the greeting and rewarding the right move, never by force.
The greeting that pays
- He jumps, you look at him or speak to him, even to tell him off: as far as he's concerned that's a win, he has just caught your attention.
- Even a sharp “no” or a hand pushing him away counts as contact, not as a punishment.
- As long as jumping earns him something, he has no reason to stop.
Too much pent-up energy
- A dog who has slept all day explodes at reunion time.
- Meeting his needs (a walk that changes route, time to sniff, something to chew) makes a dog calmer overall and more available.
- Exercise alone doesn't fix everything, but it makes the learning possible.
Never taught to let go
- Waiting, holding back, accepting that you don't get everything straight away: all of that is learned.
- A dog who can stay calm when he's frustrated keeps all four paws on the floor far more easily.
- This is groundwork to do alongside the rest, not something you turn to once everything else has failed.
Teaching him to greet without jumping
The groundwork is prepared in advance, in a calm moment: a dog whose needs are met and who already knows a “sit” arrives at the door far more settled. The in-the-moment moves play out at every arrival: they're how you react, right then, when he jumps. Prepare the groundwork first, then follow the greeting moves in order.
To set up once, before you open the door to anyone.
0 / 4These moves go in order, at every arrival.
Before you open, clip on the long line if he jumps hard
If your dog is a big lad or jumps hard, clip his long line on before you open the door. That's what saves you from having to push him away with your hands once he's launched. With a small dog who barely jumps, you can skip it and just work with your back turned.
Ask for a “sit”, if he knows it
Just before you open, or before the guest comes close, ask for a “sit”. If he doesn't know that word yet, don't force anything: you'll simply wait and reward all four paws on the floor at the next step.
As the door opens, stop the jump from paying
It all depends on whether you're holding the long line. Without a line (calm dog, indoors): as soon as he rears up against you, turn your back or pivot side on, fold your arms across your chest so he can no longer find your hands, and look away without saying a word. With the line (a dog who jumps hard, at the door): put your foot on the line or hold it short, just enough that he can't reach the person, without yanking or lifting him. Here you don't fold your arms: your hands are holding the line, and it's the line that keeps him from reaching the person while you wait for him to settle.
Reward the moment all four paws are on the floor
As soon as all four paws touch the floor again, even for a brief moment, say your marker word, a short word that's always the same (“yes!”) telling him the reward is coming, then give the stroke and the treat straight away. That moment, paws on the floor, must always come before the reward, never after another jump.
Offer him his toy to burn off the excitement
As soon as he comes back down, and before he jumps again, hold out his favourite toy low, at mouth height: the excess energy goes into an object he's allowed to chew, not into your guests.
Reckon on a few weeks of short sessions for the new reflex to settle in: a few worked-on arrivals a day beat one long session. Once he reliably keeps all four paws on the floor, over several arrivals in a row and across several days, you can unclip the long line and simply turn your back. Ignoring the jump works best on a young dog who hasn't made a habit of it yet: if the jumping has been ingrained for months, or if the excitement is too strong for him to notice you've turned away, lean on the sit and the long line first rather than waiting for him to give up.
When he jumps up at a stranger on a walk
With a passer-by, you haven't got time to wait for all four paws on the floor: get ahead of it. As soon as someone comes near, shorten the lead so he can't reach them, put yourself between your dog and the person, and ask for his “sit” or catch his eye with a treat before the excitement builds. Reward the calm for as long as he stays settled. If someone wants to stroke him, ask them to wait until your dog is sitting, or at least has all four paws on the floor, and to turn away if he jumps. The earlier you step in, before the excitement climbs, the easier it is.
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
- Herron, Shofer & Reisner — Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods (2009)
Going further
Frequently asked questions
Why does my dog jump up on people?
For contact and attention: jumping has already earned him looks, words or strokes, so he does it again. It's also often a sign of pent-up energy in a dog who doesn't get enough exercise. It's almost never dominance.
How do I stop my dog jumping up on people?
Withdraw all attention when he jumps: turn your back, don't look at him, don't say a word, and reward him the moment all four paws touch the floor. Alongside that, teach him to sit when people arrive: a dog who's sitting can't jump at the same time.
How do I correct a dog who jumps up on people?
“Correcting” doesn't mean punishing: you change what jumping earns him. Jumping never pays again, calm always pays, and you teach him something he can't do while jumping, like sitting. Forget the knee in the chest, standing on his paws or grabbing him by the neck: as well as being ineffective, they can hurt him and damage his trust.
Why does my dog jump all over me when I come home?
Reunions send his excitement shooting up, especially if he has barely moved all day. Come in calmly, ignore him while he jumps, and say hello only once he has settled. The more worked up you are when you arrive, the more worked up he gets.
My dog jumps up at guests the moment they come in, what should I do?
Brief every guest before they come in to turn away, arms folded, without touching him, talking to him or looking at him while he jumps, and to say hello only when he has all four paws on the floor. One person stroking him mid-jump sets everything back. If your dog is a strong one, keep him on a long line while he learns.
Should I ignore my dog so he stops jumping?
With a young dog who hasn't made a habit of it yet, yes: turn your back, cut off eye contact, don't say a word, until all four paws touch the floor. If the jumping is already ingrained or the excitement is too strong for him to notice you, ignoring him isn't enough any more: lean on the sit and the long line at arrivals.
My puppy jumps up on everyone, is that serious?
No, it's joy spilling over, not a flaw in his character. Channel it now, while it's still easy: reward the calm, offer him a toy to burn off the excitement, and teach him to wait before saying hello.
My big dog jumps up on my children or an elderly person, what should I do?
The risk is mainly physical: a big dog can knock someone over simply by jumping for joy, without a hint of aggression. While the new reflex settles in, manage the arrival with a long line: keep it short or put your foot on it to stop him reaching the person, while he learns to keep all four paws on the floor.
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