How To Stop Your Dog From JUMPING UP on people!!

My girl Icy is a Siberian Husky, so I know plenty about dogs jumping up on people!  It's a common trait of Huskies to jump up on people.  I'm not sure why, but like many breeds it's a known fact that Huskies have a habit of jumping up.  It's a friendly gesture, all in fun, but it can be really annoying and even frightening to many people.  It took a long time for me to train that bad habit out of Icy.  Even now, I have to be vigilant to prevent her from lapsing. 

But I like to jump up on you!  It gets me closer to your face where I can smooch you.

To begin training your dog not to jump up on everyone in the free world, follow these steps:

• As soon as your dog starts to jump up on you, pull your arms in and Turn Around, turning your back on your dog.  If he runs around to face you again, repeat the process; pull your arms in and turn away from him.

• If you're sitting down and your dog jumps on you, quickly stand up and turn your back on him.  If he runs around to face you again, pull your arms in and turn away from him. 

• Ideally, your dog will stop jumping on you and sit down.  Sitting down is usually a dog's default position when they don't know what else they're supposed to do.

• If your dog is super tenacious and continues to jump up even after you continually turn your back on him, then try walking away from him.  If he follows you and tries to jump up, turn your back on him and walk away again.  In some cases, you may even need to leave the room and close the door behind you to get the message across that jumping up will result in your dog being ignored. 

• Don't try to push your dog away from you or yell at him to get off you.  The act of pushing your dog and him pushing back is a form of play to your dog.  It's actually fun for him and will probably encourage even more jumping up!  Instead of pushing your dog away or pushing him off you, simply turn your back on him.  If you yell at him you've given him attention, and although it's negative attention it's still attention from you, which is what he wants.

Once your dog realizes that he won't get any attention if he jumps on you, the jumping will cease to be rewarding for him.  In the eyes of a dog, one of the worst things is to be ignored!  Even yelling at a dog is a form of attention, and to your dog it's better than being ignored.

Another method to prevent jumping is to step on your dogs leash so that he cannot jump up.  If he tries to jump up while you're stepping on his leash it won't be very effective or pleasant for him.  This is a good method to use when you're out and about and your dog is meeting new people.  Make him sit first so he's calm, and wait to greet the person.  Step on his leash as he greets the person to ensure he can't jump up on them. 

I learned this helpful technique to curtail jumping up from my friend Jenna at Love Is Being Owned By A Husky:

When your dogs jumps up, walk towards him as if you're walking right into him. If you're coming towards him he will instinctively get all four paws back on the floor so he can get out of your way!

I tried this method and it's pretty effective!

Phoebe mid-jump!

The most important element of success in stopping your dog from jumping up is for everyone in the household, including guests, to consistently follow this process.  If one member of the family allows the dog to continually jump up on them, it will confuse your dog.  He may not comprehend that he can only jump up on one person, not everyone else.  Consistency and a little patience will bring success.

Hopefully these tips will encourage your dog to keep All Four On The Floor!