Dog Training: Teaching a Dog Not to Jump Up
Three Easy Steps to a Politer, and More Socially-Attracted Dog!
Does your dog jump up on you whenever you come home? Does he do the same thing when friends come to visit? Does he jump up on people he meets on the street or at the park? Have you been telling him “Down!” or “Off!” with little or no results?
Social Attraction
There’s an easy fix, but first you should know that when a dog jumps up he’s usually expressing an energetic state called “social attraction.” This is not something you’d want to quash or squelch in your dog. In fact, you want to nurture more of it, because social attraction is the repository for the same emotions that make a dog come when called and even walk next to you on the leash.
There are two simple rules about jumping up: the dog should never be rewarded for jumping up unless he’s asked to do so (i.e., given the command to jump up) first, and 2.) the dog should never be overtly punished or scolded for jumping up.
To “enforce” the first rule, just make sure that whenever your dog jumps up without being asked, simply twist sideways while saying, “Okay, off!” in a pleasant tone. His idea is to make contact; yours is to not let him unless you want him to.
Why would you want him to?
Using One Behavior to Reward Others
Having a dog jump up can be a good way to reward him for doing something you want him to. For instance, I almost always use jumping up as a reward for coming when called, at least initially. Once that behavior (also known as "the recall") has become deeply ingrained into the dog’s body/mind, I’ll teach the dog to either go into a sit when he comes back to me, or I might have him do a down instead.
Also, most police dogs and detection dogs are taught to jump up during their training. This is why you'll often see a handler reward a dog for finding contraband with a game of tug, starting with the jumping-up behavior.
I also use jumping up as one way of teaching a dog to heel, by having him jump up on me, and stay up while I backpedal.
So how do you teach a dog to jump up only on command?
Step One
It’s pretty simple too. Just show your dog a treat or a toy, wave it around in front of his nose, then move it up to your knee or thigh, or wherever he would naturally put his paws if he were to jump up. As he jumps up say “Okay, up!’ in an inviting tone. (When first teaching a new behavior it’s always a good idea to give the command after the dog has already obeyed it, not before—it sounds backwards, I know, but it works much better during the initial learning stages. That’s because dogs learn through a process called pattern recognition and not through association.
I always do three go-rounds, then take a break, do the exercise three more times, then take another break, and then a final three more and I’m finished for that session, though I may do another session ten minutes later. Once I’ve gotten the dog to jump up on command, and the dog has taken the treat or toy from my hand, I’ll twist sideways while saying, “Okay, off!” in an inviting one. During this phase I mix things up. Sometimes I reward the dog for jumping, sometims for jumping off. Either way, I always try to give the verbal command, after the dog has already "obeyed" it.
With most dogs you’ll only need to do this for a few days and he’ll have learned to jump up and off on command, with no more need for treats or toys. For dogs who show a deep reluctance to jump up, I do this while seated for a few days, then transition to getting the dog to jump up while I'm standing. For really big dogs, I have them jump up to an outstretched arm, or just have them lean up against me. For dogs who are shy about jumping up, I start by lying down on the floor. I gently encourage the dog to come make contact, starting with just one paw on my chest and building slowly and gently from there. Give yourself something like two weeks of short, two-minute sessions, several times a day to bring this type of dog along. For dogs who are too energetic about jumping up, teach them that they only get rewarded when they make calm, steady contact. No “pogo-ing” allowed! Step Two
After a few days or weeks, I’ll add a twist. I’ll hold the dog’s collar as I give him the treat or toy and hold him in place for a fraction of a second before I say “Okay, off!” So add that to your training sessions. Don’t let your dog jump down on her own. She needs to learn to stay up until she's given the off command. If she tries to break contact, just hold her in place for a second, then let her go while saying, “Okay, off!”
Okay, now that the dog has learned the “Okay, up!” and the “Okay, off!” it’s time to add another piece to the pattern! Step Three
Stand as you usually do, then pat your knee or thigh, but don’t say “Okay, up!” Just induce him to jump up without giving him the command, just use the treat and hand gesture. When he jumps up, take a quick step backwards or twist sideways. In other words, don’t let him make contact! Do this two or three times in a row, depending on how soon he starts to show uncertainty about what you want him to do.
Then, on the third or fourth time, pat your knee or thigh and say, “Okay, up!” Praise and pet him when he obeys.
With really hard cases it’s okay to put the leash on, let it fall to the floor, stand on it with just a little slack so that the dog self-corrects when he tries to jump up. When he does self-correct give him lots and lots of praise so that his positive social emotions and energy don’t shut off.
Do this for a few minutes, several times a day, for two or three days, and you’ll be surprised at how your dog no longer jumps up, yet is more socially attracted to you!
Final Note
If you just want to teach your dog not to jump up when you come home or when guests come over, there's a very simple solution. Teach the dog to bring a toy to the door whenever someone comes through it.
That said, I highly recommend teaching the dog to jump up on command because of the way it increases his feelings of social attraction to you, and increases the emotional bond you have with your dog.
Lee Charles Kelley
“Life Is an Adventure--Where Will Your Dog Take You?”
