Does your dog have the habit of jumping on visitors? Keep reading for some expert tips to change this behavior.
Some dogs get overly excited with visitors, which can mean they want to express their joy by jumping on people’s legs. Unfortunately, not everyone will appreciate the affection from your sociable dog.
With this in mind, dog trainer Juliana DeWillems, owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior, made a post on her Instagram profile to teach dog owners how to deal with a dog that jumps to greet people.
When it comes to preventing a dog from jumping, DeWillems recommended replacing it with a “hand target.” “It’s common for dogs to get over-stimulated during regular greetings with human friends or strangers. Building some predictability with a hand target while they say ‘hi’ can help.”
This is a behavior that owners can practice often, not just during greetings. According to the expert, a hand target can be incredibly useful and is relatively easy to teach your dog, even if you’re not an experienced professional.
There are all kinds of things you might want to use a hand target for, from greeting people politely to getting into the car, getting off the couch, or stepping into the bath during bath time. It’s one of those things worth ensuring your dog has in their toolkit because you never know when it might be useful.
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However, during the training process, it may be helpful to talk to your guests and any friends you regularly meet so they know you’re trying to discourage jumping.
If people give attention to your dog when they jump on them, the behavior is being positively reinforced, which means your dog will learn they can jump to get what they want, so ask them to help with this process.
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Photo and video: Unsplash and Instagram @jwdogtraining. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
