Jumping
Cheryl Falkenburry
Pet Lady Question/Answer
Q: Every time
someone comes to my house, my Golden Retriever jumps all over them. It doesn’t seem to matter how much we yell at
him to stop, he just keeps doing it. I
don’t want to lock him up every time someone comes over. He’s very friendly--just
too friendly! How do I stop my jumping Jack?
A: Dogs are
pack animals and get very excited in groups or when new people come to visit. They are anxious to greet company and jump to
get some face time. Most people start to
yell at the dog and push with their hands for the dog to get down. This only encourages the dog to jump more. It’s actually an invitation to play to start
pushing your hands at dogs. Think about
how dogs start to play with each other—they start to paw at the other dog. Well, that’s what humans are doing when they
push with their hands. The dog just
thinks you want to play; plus in their minds, you are “barking” and carrying on
so you must be excited to see them too! Since body language speaks so loudly to dogs,
ask your visitors to turn their back on the dog. Have them make no eye contact and step away
to avoid paw contact. When the dog stops
jumping, ask them to turn and praise your dog for having four paws on the
floor. Better yet, have them ask for a
sit before saying hello. Any time the
dog starts to jump, they should turn around again. If your dog is really big, you may need to do
this with the dog on a leash so he doesn’t knock them over while he practices
his new skills. Soon your dog will learn
that the only way to get attention from visitors is to keep
four-on-the-floor. With lots of
repetition and patience from your visitors, your dog will soon be saying hello
in much more appropriate ways.
