Visiting a friend or family member, you’re often greeted not by a human but by an enthusiastic, tail-wagging dog. For dog lovers, this exuberant welcome is a delight, sometimes even preferable to the less animated human greeting that follows. However, no one enjoys a dog jumping on them. Worse yet, imagine being at the park when a wet, muddy, slobbery dog decides to “kiss” you. While friendly dogs are charming, a muddy mess is simply unpleasant.
Do you want your puppy to be seen as an obnoxious dog that people dread greeting? Of course not! To prevent this, start training your puppy early with these simple steps to stop them from jumping on you and others.
How Young Is Too Young to Start Training?
It’s never too early to train a puppy not to jump—the earlier, the better. Consider how we interact with a six-, seven-, or eight-week-old puppy: they run to us, we bend down, they jump up, placing paws on our knees, and we encourage this by petting them, praising their actions. This teaches the puppy, at a formative age, that jumping on humans is acceptable and even rewarded.
By four or five months, the puppy has grown significantly, and we no longer need to bend down to pet them when they keep all four paws on the ground. Yet, they continue jumping because that’s what they’ve learned. Suddenly, their enthusiastic greeting is met with disapproval or a knee to the chest, confusing them after months of encouragement. In a dog pack, jumping on the alpha is an immature behavior that puppies naturally outgrow. However, human encouragement turns it into a learned habit to please their leader.
While you can’t control what a breeder does before you adopt your puppy, you can start discouraging jumping as soon as you interact with them, even before bringing them home. Early training makes the process much easier as the puppy grows.
Effective Techniques to Discourage Jumping
If your new puppy jumps on people and hasn’t been discouraged, don’t worry—they can learn to keep all four paws on the ground. Begin by acting like an alpha leader, using body language to communicate effectively. In a dog pack, mature dogs discourage immature behaviors through subtle cues, such as “body blocks,” which are particularly effective for training a puppy not to jump.
The “Walk Away” Body Block: When a young puppy jumps on you, simply turn and walk away. This works well for uncoordinated pups, signaling in canine language that jumping is inappropriate without physical correction. Being ignored is a powerful lesson for a young puppy, teaching them without causing fear or discomfort.
The “Walk Into” Body Block: For older, more persistent puppies, use the “walk into” technique. This isn’t a fast or aggressive move; simply walk through the puppy as they jump, as if they aren’t there. They’ll either step aside or sit down, learning through gentle dismissal rather than pain or fear.
Preventing the Behavior: The best time to stop jumping is before it happens, when the puppy is considering the action. Once they understand “no” or a corrective sound like “eh eh eh,” and know jumping is discouraged, watch their movements. If they approach with a jumping gleam in their eye, use a firm “Fido, no jump” or “eh eh eh” before they reach you, and be ready to employ a “walk away” or “walk into” body block.
Training a puppy not to jump is straightforward if you start young and remain consistent. Ensure everyone in the household follows the same plan and inform visitors not to encourage jumping. With persistence, your puppy will learn to greet people politely, keeping everyone happy and mud-free.
