Why is my dog always jumping
Jumping is a self-rewarding behavior.
It is an activity that is pleasant for dogs and is a form of physical release. Young dogs play with their litter mates by jumping, chasing, biting, etc. Jumping is a way to activate a playmate and engage in a game.
It is likely that puppies view us as big puppies and not a different species. For young dogs, jumping and play biting typically go hand in hand, or mouth and paw. While it is satisfying for them, the opposite is often true for us.
Does your dog jump on others, when excited?
I’ve tried MANY training methods to get dogs to stop jumping on people when excited. The approach that I have found to be the fastest way to teach dogs to stop performing a self-rewarding behavior, is to use well-timed reprimands with the appropriate level of correction, immediately followed with the proper amount of reward.
When talking about corrections and rewards, the appropriate level is a relative term. While there can be many similarities between dogs there can also be several differences. An appropriate correction in the same situation for one dog may be very inappropriate for another dog. A verbal reprimand may be all that is needed for a dog that is on the more sensitive side of the spectrum. Where a leash correction with an obedience collar may be more appropriate for a dog that is not
nearly as sensitive. Wherever a dog falls in this spectrum, we never want to use anything stronger than the minimum amount of correction necessary to make our communication clear. Regarding rewards, they too may vary. Praise, food, a game with a favorite toy,… are all types of rewards I commonly use while training. The rewards used should be something that the individual dog views as valuable and a suitable currency for what we are asking of the dog.
A dog’s mindset resides mostly in the moment, which is why timing is so important when communicating what we expect from them. If they are rewarded or punished after more than a few seconds have passed from the action we want to address, there is a good chance that they won’t associate the reward or punishment with what we are intending.
It has been my experience that dogs typically prefer the path of least resistance, to get what they are looking for. With consistency and good timing, it won’t take long for the dog to realize that jumping on people no longer feels good; however, greeting people without jumping does feel good. Once they realize that a more passive greeting is the only way to get your attention, then that is what they will do to get your attention.
When dogs are learning new things, the confusion often translates to stress. With well-timed corrections and rewards, the confusion and stress will be quickly transferred into confidence and excitement.
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A few pictures from Saturday's group class. This was the first group class for many of the dogs who attended. Several of them in this group have a history of dog reactivity. Everyone (dogs and people) did fantastic! Some dogs will never become dogs that play well with others, but with training and consistency, they can learn to better control their impulses to react inappropriately. During training sessions, pet owners learn how to interpret the way their dogs communicate and how to respond appropriately. Aggressive behaviors, whether directed towards people or other animals, are a driving factor for many who reach out to me for training assistance. Once a training foundation has been established, I believe that attending structured group classes is a fantastic opportunity to desensitize dogs to situations that would have previously overstimulated them and provoked undesirable behaviors. These classes can benefit all dogs. If you are interested, please let me know.
