Dogs jump up at people for a variety of reasons. Some people don’t mind this behaviour at all, but most people (especially non-doggy people) can find it intimidating.
Because of this it’s best to train your dog not to jump up unless specifically invited, but before we go into that, let’s look at some of the main reasons dogs jump up.
When dogs greet each other they do so face to face. A pair of dogs meeting for the first time may place their heads quite close but side on, sending a ‘I’m not a threat’ message. Dogs will want to greet humans in the same way (although some will jump with the sheer excitement they experience when meeting someone).
A dog can tell, when smelling another dog’s mouth, whether it’s eaten recently. Remembering that all of a dog’s distant ancestors were pack hunters, a recent meal could mean that there’s a food resource nearby.
Face-licking is also a submissive appeasement gesture, most often seen in puppies with their mothers. Ironically, if someone raises their voice to deter a jumping dog the very tone of the voice can make the dog more keen to appease by face-licking.
Difficult though it may be for us, the fastest way for a dog to learn that jumping is unwelcome is for the target of his affection to turn their back, say nothing and look upwards, ignoring him until he calms down. It may seem cruel to deprive the dog of the object of his affection, but he will eventually realise that jumping up doesn’t work and that he must wait to receive your attention on your terms.
As always, it’s extremely important that everyone acts in the same way when greeted with jumping. When a dog receives different treatment from different people he doesn’t learn what the boundaries are and, not only is the process hampered but you will end up with a confused and less happy pet.
