You’ve just brought home your new puppy and you are starting to get her used to your home. She’s so adorable and wants to jump up and give you a hug seemingly every moment. The joy of puppy love (not puppy breath) is sometimes just too hard to resist. The problem, however, is that as your puppy gets older and grows into adulthood, jumping upon people is not an acceptable behavior. Here are some tips to help you stop dog jumping.
Causes:
According to Cesar Milan, joy and love are not the only reasons why puppies jump up to greet people. It has to do with their sense of smell and their sense of adventure in their first eight months of life. They want to investigate absolutely everyone and everything and the strongest human scents that we project are from our genital area and our mouths, and that means that occasionally puppies need to use their paws to balance on their hind legs to get the smells they’re after.
What’s the point?
Puppies just can’t help themselves and pet parents can’t help that rush of affection as your puppy wants to cover you with kisses. Since we cover ourselves with fabric, the next best thing is to get close to our mouths.
The problem:
The jumping up issue is exacerbated when you pick up your puppy and give her a hug and that calms them down. Part of this behavior may come from a puppy who is anxious and when you pick her up, she relaxes. It doesn’t mean that jumping up is never going to happen again. In fact, the more you pick her up after that behavior the more she will understand that as an acceptable behavior.
How to stop dog jumping:
You may not like what we have to say about this. The best way to stop a puppy from jumping up on you is to ignore her. It’s going to be difficult but it will be worth it in the end because when your dog is an adult she won’t jump up on your guests or family.
One of the best ways to ignore her is to turn your back and cross your arms and stand very still until she stops. If, when you turn around to face her, she begins to jump up again repeat the process until she stops. Once she has stopped and doesn’t jump up again, give her affection and a treat. She will learn that she’ll get affection when she is calm and not jumping up on you.
Puppies are a wonderful and joyful addition to any home and you can help control the jumping up behavior from day one
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
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