Dogs have a natural proclivity to jump on people. How often they do this will vary with breed and personality. It's been suggested that dogs jump up on people to get a better look at someone's face -- not to attack that person, but to interact with him or her. Dogs interact with each other this way, too. Especially if they're of similar breeds, their faces are close to each other and they use their senses of smell and vision to explore.

Therefore, one way to get your dog to stop jumping is to remove his or her need to reach out to you. Instead, kneel down and "get on the dog's level." Let your dog explore your face safely, at the same time watching for too much assertiveness on the dog's part. Most dogs won't bite their owners this way, especially if the owner has assumed the "alpha" position, or leader of the pack position.

There are some caveats to this, though. If you have adopted an older dog instead of a puppy, use this technique with caution. You can protect yourself from any potential injury by putting a collar on your dog and then inserting your thumb underneath it behind the dog's neck. If the dog appears to be getting overly aggressive, simply jerk your thumb sideways to stop the dog's actions.

If at all possible, jerk your dog sideways instead of sharply backwards, because you can bruise your dog's throat very easily with a sudden backward motion. This is true even though a dog's neck muscles are very strong. In addition, this "sideways jerking" movement is meant to protect you and educate your dog, not to punish him or her.

You can also train your dog off leash not to jump. To do this, wear a pair of sturdy pants and place your dog, standing, in front of you. You can train your dog to "sit" as a means to avoid jumping, but the dog is not going to be able to sit all the time. A dog usually jumps when he or she has been running or standing. Therefore, you'll want to train your dog from a standing position.

Your dog will have a certain body tension if he or she is about to jump. Watch for this and when it happens, tell your dog to "sit." If the dog still jumps, pick your leg up just slightly and nudge your dog in the chest with your knee or thigh. As you do so, put your hand palm out near your dog's face and say, "Off!" as you do so. (Don't say "down," since that indicates a different behavior.)

Again, when you do this, be gentle. Don't knock your dog in the chest overly hard, and don't push your hand into his or her face. Your raised knee or thigh simply blocks the dog from jumping and puts it slightly off balance. You're putting your hand palm up and outward as you do so to block the dog's vision and discourage him or her from jumping again.

If you can work with a partner, you can try leash training if your dog simply isn't responding properly with the other method. When the dog begins to jump, have your partner jerk the dog sideways as you say, "Off!" Make sure it's you and not your partner saying, "Off!", since you are the one the dog should be focusing on and obeying.

If you don't have a partner and you are working outside, you can wrap the leash (assuming it's long) around a post or tree. This is somewhat more difficult, because the dog will be jerked backwards instead of sideways, which is less desirable than a sideways jerk.

You can use positive reinforcement to teach your dog, too. In that case, take a favorite toy or treat in one hand, and when your dog begins to jump, hold the treat/toy above and slightly behind your dog's head. This will distract your dog and slightly unbalance him or her. It also encourages the dog to sit, just when he or she wanted to jump.

It's important to be consistent and to practice repetition when you're training your dog, whether it's in avoiding this behavior or for anything else. You should be firm but patient when you are training your dog. Over time, most dogs will learn to avoid jumping, as is their natural tendency, unless and until you give them permission to do so.

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Written by Terry Zinndell using tags: dog bedding, dog beds, family, Home, pet beds, pet supplies, Pets