How to Keep Your Dog From Jumping on Your Guests
As any dog owner knows, it can be difficult trying to get a pup to abide by the manners their owners’ strive to teach them. One of the many behaviors that can be difficult to break is a dog jumping on guests. Unfortunately, it’s a natural and instinctive behavior for canine companions. So to help you and other pet owners, here are some tips for learning how to keep your dog from jumping on your guests:
Train your pup
Training your pup may seem like a daunting task, but part of being a good pet parent involves teaching your pup the right and wrong behaviors. To begin, get your pup familiar with basic obedience commands such as “sit”, and “lie down”. This way when guests come to visit, you can give a simple command to prevent your pup from jumping on them.
Incentivizing your pup to stay
One of the best ways to keep your pup from jumping on your guests is to incentivize them to stay put. Set up treats in a corner of the room, or have your pup’s favorite toy in the corner of the room. Not only will this keep your pup distracted from your guests, but it will also reward them with something they like if they stay in this area.
Teach your pup to greet guests politely
Instead of focusing on preventing jumping, teaching your pup to greet guests in a polite and restrained manner can be a more productive approach. Dogs need to be taught how to behave in a friendly, but still controlled way, so start by taking them for walks and exposing them to all kinds of people and other dogs. This way they can learn proper etiquette on how to approach others and how to respond if others come near.
Redirecting your pup
If a guest comes over and your pup just can’t help but jump, it’s important to quickly redirect their attention elsewhere. Have them come up with you and sit by your side. This way, they can still meet the guest, but on a more controlled manner.
Using deterrents
If your pup has a hard time getting the hang of greeting guests politely, it may be time to use a deterrent. You can use a spray bottle aimed at your pup when they attempt to jump, or invest in a dog muzzle to prevent them from being able to jump on your guest.
Operant conditioning is another option. This involves giving your pup a short, loud “no” or using an object such as a soft toy or shake can to startle your pup into stopping the behavior.
Jumping can be an irritating and embarrassing issue to deal with when you have canine guests, but thankfully these tips can help you keep your pup from jumping on your guests. With patience, proper training and few utensils, you can have your pup following the rules in no time.
