all about jumping up

Why does your dog jump up on you or other people?

Despite some beliefs, your dog is not trying to dominate you or make their way to the top of your pack. Instead, your dog finds jumping up to greet you rewarding - it's usually the reaction from people that reinforces this behaviour.  Dogs greet each other by sniffing noses and some dogs want to be close to our face - and it's up to us to teach them that the correct way to greet people is to keep all four paws on the floor!

How can we change this behaviour?

The solution ranges from managing greetings to prevent your dog from jumping up on people through to training your dog to do something different. We want your dog to understand that jumping gets them nothing and having four paws on the floor gets them attention. Decide how much work you want to put into modifying the behaviour and which of the following options will suit you best!

1. Calm Greetings

Ignore your dog 10 minutes after you arrive home and wait until your dog is calm before greeting them. The calmer your dog is when you greet them and the less eventful the greeting, the less likely they are to jump up on you.

2. Manage the Environment

When you know you have visitors arriving or you are meeting people out and about, prevent your dog from jumping by using a leash, baby gates, crate. or a play pen. Wait until your dog is calm before allowing them to greet visitors and keep the energy level low.

3. Don't Reinforce Jumping Up

If your dog jumps up, turn away and ignore them. Many dogs find attention rewarding, even if it's negative. Often people inadvertently reinforce jumping up by patting dogs when they have their paws up on their legs - this response encourages bad habits!

4. Educate

Tell people how you want them to greet your dog - don't let people decide for you! Some options include asking them to greet your dog by kneeling down to their level, turning away when the dog jumps up then turning back to give them attention when they have four paws on the floor, asking them to sit and have the person pat them only when they are sitting, asking the person to toss a toy to redirect the dog's energy away from jumping and walk away from the dog if they are jumping. If your dog is unable to contain their excitement, put them away for a few minutes to calm down then try again

5. Train

At home, teach your dog to go to a Place or Mat when visitors arrive then release them when they are calm to say hello. When you are out and about, teach your dog that to get attention from you or visitors, they need to be sitting

6. take responsibility

It's your responsibility to prevent your dog from jumping on people, even when they say they don't mind.  Be consistent, clear and kind to your dog.  If your efforts fail, apologise and make a note to work on your management and training efforts

 
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We had been to previous dog training classes elsewhere with our older dog and found that it didn’t quite deliver on what we hoped - especially given our older dog’s needs. When we adopted George we did more research on puppy training and wanted someone who specialised more in this area. We are so glad we picked Kelly and her team! We booked the drop-in puppy sessions - she has a 5 for 4 deal, and found George has benefited so much, we even booked a 6th class, which would then lead us into the silver training, which will also be run by Kelly - this is how pleased we are with Kelly and her team! We wanted to ensure George was well socialised, meaning he learns how to interact appropriately with other dogs and also that he builds a stronger bond with us - thank you Kelly for helping us achieve this! George was reactive (barking) at other dogs when we arrived and immediately Kelly approached and gave us instructions/advice on how to help manage this behaviour. Within a few minutes he was responding really well to the advice Kelly gave us. We noticed each session, an improvement in his reactivity, he now greets dogs very politely and doesn’t react negatively in any way. We highly recommend these classes for socialisation and picking up the basics you need to know - wait/stay, eye contact, on and off lead meet and greet, settling - all of which we think are vital building blocks to our dog being an awesome and very good boy! The bonus about these puppy classes is that it’s not only Kelly but a team of people, where Kelly is able to specifically assist with any of you and your dogs needs, providing her professional advice. Kelly and her team of trainers are approachable and all make the effort to get to know you and your puppy. The thing we loved most is that you learn more about how to understand and read your dog better, picking up on their needs and what’s best for them. If you want to learn how to read dog body language, and have plenty of opportunities ensure you understand/learn how to socialise your dog than we highly recommend Kelly and team!

“We tried a traditional puppy class at first but was disappointed with the lack of socialisation. We switched to Waggle Tails and the difference was COLOSSAL. My puppy experienced quality puppy plays in a safe environment and together with Kelly’s online training modules for the hoomans, has moulded her into a confident and happy puppy who is now smashing it out at our local dog park. We travelled from Safety Bay to Osborne Park (55km) to attend these classes because the benefits of investing in the right training is everything and Kelly’s model was the best I could find. I have no enrolled in the online Ultimate Dog Programme for further training. Honestly people, Kelly’s amazing! Her doggo knowledge is next level.” (Louise Power, Perth, WA)

“The Ultimate Dog programme was very thorough and provided us with a lot of useful and interesting information, training tools and resources that we can keep referring back to. I am now more aware of what Windy’s behaviours mean, how to manage them for his benefit (and mine!), how to enrich his days and how to assist him to be a calmer, more well mannered dog. I’d highly recommend the Ultimate Dog Programme to other dog owners.” (Elissa Mehegan, Perth, WA)

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“Not only did the Ultimate Dog Programme calm my very excitable Staffy Cross, Elissa - it also helped me immensely in understanding her. I cannot recommend Kelly enough.” (Carole Dougans, Perth, WA)

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“I have no hesitation in recommending Kelly as a highly skilled trainer. What Kelly has been able to achieve with Jake (and me!) has been nothing short of miraculous. Jake came to me as a rescue dog - a loving but boisterous chap. Kelly taught me how to handle Jake and has given me a much better understanding of dogs in general. Jake and I have a become a great team, he is wonderful companion and I feel confident with him.” (Ann Morrison, Christchurch, NZ)

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“Having met Kelly was a true blessing for me, my classes, my private training and my work with my own dogs. Kelly’s educated clarity on training topics has brought my understanding of training to a new level which I am incredibly grateful for.” (Lisa Sturm, Sit Happens, Christchurch, NZ)

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“I had the pleasure of working with Kelly when she volunteered at the shelter where I am an Animal Care Specialist and Behavior Tech. She is extremely reliable and helped many of our dogs learn not just manners, but tools of which to rehab dogs with behavior problems. She was a key factor in multiple dogs finding their forever homes through our program. I recommend her services to anyone and everyone! She is not only an amazing trainer, but an amazing person.’’ (Atalie Michelle Walding, Friends for Life Animal Rescue and Adoption Organisation, Texas, USA)

“Kelly is absolutely amazing! After our first Ultimate Dog Programme session we have already started to see huge improvements with our girl. Kelly teaches you to reward with positive reinforcement and be kind and caring at all times when training your dog and proves there is no need to be dominant or forceful towards your dog. She also provides a heap of resources that are super useful, plus her sessions are a great place to meet other dogs/dog owners.” (Lucy Cole, Perth, WA)

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“Kelly is an amazing trainer, with huge amounts of knowledge. She also places an emphasis on a gentle, kind, scientifically based approach to training, which is evidenced by her continuing education. I have watched Kelly in action many times and I have always been impressed by her calm, gentle approach and true affinity with dogs and puppies.” (Julie Best, Best for Pets, Christchurch, NZ)