How to Prevent Puppy Jumping

There are many different ways to approach puppy training and one of the most important aspects to pay attention to is the clarity of your vocal commands. Your small puppy can easily become confused if they are told similar demands that may mean different things to you. For instance, we will take a look at the command words of "DOWN" and "OFF."

It is quite significant to learn the difference between "DOWN!" and "OFF!" As you enter obedience training, you will side with the command "DOWN!" – which tells the puppy to lie down.

So, when you are working to cure the issue of jumping up or at people, don’t forget to use the right command. Tell the puppy "OFF!" and what does that mean to them? First, it is a good idea to evaluate why a puppy jumps before trying to correct this behavior.

Imagine greeting the person you care about and only having the view of their ankles. Doesn’t it mean much more when you are able to see their face? This is how your puppy feels, as their shortness encourages them to jump up to see you.

The first thing to do when starting to correct this problem is to get in the habit of squatting down or bending over to their level for a proper greeting. Since you are doing all of the moving, your puppy doesn’t have to jump up to make contact with your face. This is important when starting training. Secondly, each time your puppy jumps on you, grasp his or her front paws and put them off of you in a firm manner.

While doing this part of the training – say "OFF!" – in a loud and firm voice. If you accomplish this training (joined with bending over when greeting) while the puppy is still young, it becomes unnecessary to employ rougher techniques.

It is also vital to pat your puppy on the head and say, "Good puppy" as soon as all four of their paws hit the ground.

It is key that praise follows every attempt by your puppy to heed your commands, even if the effort is a bit slower to what you had in mind. Your praise is a reward to your puppy for being good and listening.

Let’s say you have a 1-year-old dog that is quite stubborn and has been running you around in circles before reading this article. It is quite clear that you have a problem on your hands. This means your methods become a bit rougher than the previously mentioned training if you want to see a change. I recommend what is called the " knee-jerk reaction."

When you spot your dog coming to jump, lift your knee up quick against his or her chest. At the same moment, shout "NO. OFF!" This is necessary every time. Some owners have even added a shove with their knee.

The worst cases benefit from a knock down once or twice in order to see results. If anything, you'll be able to work off some of your frustrations.