Jumping on Folks
Who
doesn’t love a big, wet, sloppy, kiss & muddy, stinky paws on their
favorite shirt when they get home from a long day at work? I know I do!! But
this particular greeting may not be desired by everyone. While a jumping dog
may be on my list of guilty pleasures my guests don’t always agree – to some
it’s actually dangerous while others just find it annoying. Young children may
be knocked over or frightened and elderly adults can sustain scratches, bruises
or worse, broken bones. As with any training, if you are calm & consistent
you can teach your dog that jumping is not allowed.
Why do dogs jump?
When
we are changing this behavior it’s important to know what makes dogs jump up in
the first place. In the wild, pups will jump up on other pack members as a
greeting; they will jump on their mother, licking her mouth to induce
regurgitation so they can be fed. This is a behavior that they grow out of –
domestic dogs do not. Unless we teach them not to, our adult dogs will always
jump up on people. Often times, it’s a behavior that we accidentally reinforce.
When they are puppies we find it cute & may allow it but when your full
grown Lab is launching up to greet you it may not seem so charming. If you make
it clear to puppies from the beginning that jumping is not allowed, that
behavior will not pose a problem as they get older. On the flip side, if you
give any kind of attention to the unwanted behavior you may be reinforcing
therefore, it will continue.
Making a change
There are
probably as many “tricks” to stopping a dog from jumping as there are trainers;
quite a few involving a reaction of some kind: pinch between the toes, put your
knee up, turn away & cross your arms etc. These methods are not very
effective and may send the wrong message. Pinching or squeezing their paws may
make it difficult for you, your vet or your groomer to do their nails. Using
your knee may hurt them & could put you off balance so they can knock you
down. If you turn away, they can still jump on your back.
Think of dogs in this moment as the little boy in school who
acted out in class for attention. Even though he may have gotten detention or
sent to the principal’s office he still got attention from his classmates, the
teacher, the principal & his parents. Any attention is still attention –
this is how a dog perceives this situation. You may be yelling, pushing or
grabbing at them but they see it as attention – it becomes a game.
Here you must ignore the dogs while it’s jumping up. Freeze,
don’t make eye contact or look at them & don’t say anything to them, until
all four feet are on the floor – then you can greet them in a calm manner. If
they start jumping again immediately go back to ignoring. Attention is what
they are seeking so if it is withheld until they are not jumping they will
understand that the only way to get the attention they want is by keeping their
feet on the ground.
The ignoring method works extremely well for puppies &
small dogs; while it will also work for larger adult dogs it may not always be
possible. It’s hard to ignore a 75 pound Wiemariner who’s got his paws on your
shoulders & is looking deep into your eyes! For larger dogs we teach them
an incompatible behavior such as sit. It is physically impossible for them to
jump when they are sitting. Using a collar, leash, treats and praise will give
you more control and make the training more effective. Any time that you and
your dog are being greeted by someone, be sure that you ask your dog to sit and
keep them in a sit (using treats if needed). What we are teaching them here is
that if they stay in a sit position, they will get attention, food and praise –
jackpot! If you are consistent with this and follow through with EVERY person
you meet and every time they start to jump, you will create an automatic
behavior; when your dog wants attention instead of jumping, they will sit. Be
consistent!
Who wants a hug?
If
you’re like me, and you do enjoy a bouncy, “hands on” greeting from dogs of all
shapes and sizes, you can put this behavior on command. By using physical
encouragement – like patting your chest – and a verbal cue such as “Give me
a hug” you can let them know when it’s appropriate to jump. You will also
need to teach them “off” to tell them when to get down by guiding them
with the leash giving them a treat them when they are on the floor. They can’t
tell the difference between your work clothes and your play clothes but they
will understand a verbal command. Be sure you don’t reinforce this behavior if you
haven’t asked for it. You must be consistent!!
While a jumping puppy may seem cute any jumping dog can be
dangerous or considered rude. A well trained dog is a happy dog. Be patient and
consistent and you will have a polite pup who sits for attention!
Some dogs jump as a
sign of dominance, if you feel that your dog is doing this, please seek the
help of a professional.
* You can probably tell that this picture of us is staged :) My dogs don't jump*
"When I adopted my 4 month old puppy, she wasn't what I expected. When
she arrived from another State after a long flight, she was so scared
she was frozen. Medications were suggested. I decided to avoid the
Prozac route. After four months of patience, she was beginning to move
and trust me. So I decided to find a trainer, and I found Kait. First
off, Kait advised to "put her on the ground, she's a dog! Don't carry
her". From then, we started a year long training journey. Kait and her
assistant, Panda showed patience with baby steps we made, Kait had a
wide variety of training methods on which she could draw. Gradually, my
pup was able to move from between my legs, to sitting on my foot, to
moving around, playing with other dogs and exploring. Kait was always
enthusiastic and positive. Before long it was determined that Yazhi was
becoming a real dog and has learned how to enjoy life. Although,she
isn't a dog who will run up to people, she also doesn't tremble when
humans are close and she certainly does enjoy her days playing and
training her person.
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Emeline & Tom
"After
completing 2 classes with Kait (Puppy I and Puppy II), I have come to
believe that Kait was a canine in a previous life! Actually, I believe
she was a variety of canines in a previous life because Kait has an
uncanny ability to know why different breeds behave the way they do. I
have a Border Collie puppy named Denali, and Kait was quick to point out
that though Border Collies are one of the smartest dogs, they are also
one of the most difficult to train – which is exactly what my husband
and I are discovering! Yet we have, in fact, made enormous strides in
teaching Denali to be a civilized member of our family. Kait taught us
ways to change Denali’s bad behavior that we would never have thought of
on our own. Kait gave us the skills that we continue to use every
day. Dog training doesn’t end when the dog obedience class ends. It is
on-going. 
"I had the
pleasure working with Kait! We approach her about our Service Dog in
Training about his impulse behaviors.
Kait gave great advice and did warn it will take time and patience. When we first met Kait, to be honest we were
a little nervous. We had a trainer in
the past that we dreaded working with and was a very negative experience. As we got to know Kait and met her amazing
dogs Panda and Wren. We looked forward
to each training session including Bear!
Kait is always smiling, positive energy and patient. She does her best to adapt to your learning
abilities to best teach you how to train your dog. Though very positive she has no problem
telling you when you have made a mistake.
That’s why we hire a trainer to be told when we are doing it right and
when we are doing it wrong. These
training sessions are not just about the dog, it is also about you. You are learning too! Thanks Kait for your
hard work and we are looking forward to continue to work with you in the
future!" 
"I'll start out by describing Kait with a few words:
knowledgeable, fun, creative, outgoing, humble, assertive, and honest.
My fiance and I brought our German Shepherd mix puppy- Luna- to Kait's Puppy Class 1 because the price was right and the location was central even though we hadn't heard a whole lot about Kait. We were first time dog owners and over the next 6 classes Kait taught us so much, not only about training, but how to be good dog owners. Kait
had an agenda for each class and seemed to be very organized but was
not afraid to stray away from her agenda to meet the needs of the dogs
in the class. There were three puppies in the class (including Luna) and
Kait managed to give each of the puppies individualized
attention to make sure everyone was on the same page. We didn't feel
rushed, neglected, or incomplete at the end of each class. 
