How Do I Prevent My Dog From Jumping on People?

Dogs, and puppies in particular, are friendly and have their own way of wanting to greet people when they see them. The tricky part is teaching them that it is good to greet people, but not by jumping up. 

• If he jumps up to greet you when you enter the house, just ignore him and pay no attention. 
• Wait until he has all 4 paws on the ground and sits. If he doesn’t sit, tempt him with a small treat to sit and then praise him. 
• Crouching to greet the dog should automatically stop him from jumping up as you are at his level. Wait until he is sitting before you do this.
• Once you have established a good routine at home, you can start introducing him to other people. 
• Try first with people you know. Supervise how children greet him. They may reinforce wrong behaviour.
• Teach the children to fold their arms, stand still and shout “off’, whilst showing the dog no eye contact. Your pooch will soon get bored.
• Since he automatically wants to greet everybody, lead him towards a person and stop right before you meet. He may attempt to jump up at the other person, but since you are holding him on the lead he will be unable to do so.
• Wait until all 4 paws are on the ground and any excitement has died down, before asking him to sit. Use a treat if necessary. When the dog is sitting, the person should come forward, crouch down and reward him.
• If he starts to jump up, restrain him with the collar and repeat the exercise.
• Obedience classes will also be beneficial to him.