Common Puppy Behavior Problems: Jumping

Teaching your puppy not to jump on people is important. Even though your pup is small now, he'll be bigger in no time. If he's a large breed, he'll be capable of knocking people over when he jumps up to greet them.

Small Dogs Are Not Off the Hook
Even small dogs can be a nuisance when jumping up so just because you own a toy breed do not think they should be off the hook. These small dogs can rip pantyhose, scratch legs and even knock over small children.

Instead of allowing your dog to jump on people, teach your dog to sit when he greets anyone including you and the other members of your family. First, teach him to sit. Once he knows this basic cue and performs it reliably, you can move on to training him not to jump up.

A Simple Anti-Jumping Training Routine
Start by setting up some training sessions. To train your puppy not to jump on company you'll need your guests to help you. Before you allow your company in the house, put a leash on your puppy and then bring your guests inside. Tell them that they cannot pet or pay attention to your puppy until he sits in front of them first.

Tell your puppy as the company enters. If he doesn't sit but instead tries to jump up on your visitors, hold him back with the leash and tell your guests to back away from him. They cannot pet him until he obediently sits and controls his impulse to jump up.

To teach your puppy not to jump on you, follow these steps: make sure your hands are free when you come in the house and your puppy tries to jump up on you, grasp him by the collar and tell him Off. Then tell him to sit as you continue to grasp his collar. Hold him in this position and then praise him for sitting.

Encourage everyone in your family to enforce this rule constantly to your puppy gets the message. Consistency is key when teaching a puppy not to jump up. Within a week of solid training your pooch should show signs of control from jumping on people.

Socialize Your Dog Properly:
Many puppy behavior problems occur because dogs aren't socialized properly. There are three main things to remember when socializing your dog:
1- Volume- You want your new puppy to meet a great deal of new and different people, dogs, children, and things.
2- Variety- Not only should your puppy be socialized to a lot of things, but he should meet a big variety of things and people as well.
3- Control- Many people understand the concept that they should socialize their dog but few people understand that socialization should be done in a controlled fashion. Control the types of people and dogs that your dog meets. If you don't control the types of things your dog meets you risk your dog having bad experiences. Bad experiences can lead to fear issues and fear can lead to aggression.