MY DOG JUMPS TOO MUCH

My first response to this question is always, “What do you do when your dog jumps up?”.

Most people answer saying they growl at the dog or push them down. You need to figure out why your dog is jumping. Most of the time a dog will jump to ‘say hello’ to you – they want interaction from you. By pushing them off or absent-mindedly patting them – also known as inadvertent reinforcement – you are giving your dog what they want most at that time – interaction from you.

Solution: By being consistent you can achieve results quite quickly, however everyone in your house needs to know what to do.

The first concept to have is “four on the floor”. ONLY interacting with your dog when they have four paws on the ground. If they are jumping – IGNORE them (I find crossing my arms or putting my hands in my pockets help, or turning your back) and they will eventually give up and put four paws on the ground. As soon as they do this, that is when you give them the reward – pats from you, or a treat.