When we provide dog obedience training in Stafford Virginia, we often have clients who struggle with jumping. To understand why dogs jump on people, you must understand how dogs communicate. When a dog first meets another dog, they perform something of a greeting ritual. This ritual involves face-to-face communication. When a dog jumps on a person, it’s attempting to do the same thing. However, this behavior is annoying when it comes to people who do not communicate in the same way.
Dealing with Dogs that Jump
Dog owners can combat those unwanted behaviors through training, whether on their own or by seeking dog training in Stafford Virginia. We teach our customers that if they are not training their dogs to display positive behavior, they’re allowing them to exhibit negative behavior. In this way, every interaction is a form of training. However, not every training exercise has to be difficult. To train your dog not to jump, you simply have to alter your daily interactions.
The first step to preventing unwanted jumping is to physically restrain a dog in its harness or leash before introducing a new person or answering the door. This prevents the dog from running up to a person and jumping on them. Pet owners should only allow their dogs to approach a person if the pet is calm with all feet on the floor. If the dog is not calm, the owner should turn them away and wait for the dog to calm before allowing the animal to approach the person. Consistency is key when it comes to training a dog.
Another trick to reduce jumping when there are guests is to place something in the dog’s mouth. For some animals, this will prevent jumping. The specific item will depend on the dog’s preferences, but soft toys, balls, and chews can all do the trick. Pet owners can keep the object near the door and give it to the animal when guests arrive. When the dog’s attention is on this item, it will not jump when people enter the home.
Owners can extend this by engaging in a game such as fetch with the object. This type of play further serves as a distraction. The animal’s excitement will be directed toward the game and not the guest. For dogs who do not enjoy this type of play, another option is to toss a few treats on the floor away from the door. The dog will keep their attention toward the floor as they look for treats. Increasing play time over the day uses a dog’s energy, which can reduce extreme behaviors such as jumping.
For especially excitable dogs, this might not be enough. Pet owners may be required to sequester their pets in a separate room or behind a gate to prevent them from jumping on guests. Once the dog is calm, the owner can attach a leash to the dog and lead them out of the room or unlock the gate to allow the dog to approach the guest.
To encourage wanted behavior, dog owners should only give attention and praise to their dogs when they are calm with all paws on the floor. Pet owners, as well as guests, should ignore the animal if it is excited and jumping. The animal will perceive any attention, even if it’s negative, as a reward for the bad behavior. As soon as the dog starts to jump, pet owners should stop giving any attention to the animal. However, some pets require extra dog obedience training in Stafford Virginia.
Some dogs will stop jumping when they can smell a guest’s face. Kneeling upon entering the home gives the animal a chance to do this, and it may also help to extend the hand to the dog’s face to enable it to sniff. However, people should not bend over the dog because the animal may perceive this as a threat.
Get Professional Help for Dog Obedience Training in Stafford Virginia
If these training techniques do not work, professional dog obedience training in Stafford Virginia can highlight issues such as anxiety that contribute to unwanted behaviors such as jumping. Call Wag Ur Tail Dog Training in Stafford Virginia for help.