Training guide
Puppy Jumping
How to teach a puppy to greet people politely: manage greetings, reward four paws on the floor, give no attention for jumping and coach visitors. A practical guide for new puppy owners.
Short answer
Puppies jump up to greet people face to face, and the attention they get rewards the habit. To teach a polite greeting, reward your puppy for keeping four paws on the floor, give no attention for jumping, and manage greetings so your puppy cannot practice jumping while it learns.[1][2][3]
This guide fits you if your puppy jumps up on you, your family or visitors, and you want a reward-based way to teach a calmer hello.
Look elsewhere if your puppy does not yet know sit, mouths or nips hands, or pulls on walks, because those are separate skills. Ask a veterinarian first if your puppy seems fearful of people or aggressive when greeted.[4]
Why puppies jump
Jumping up is a natural greeting. Most dogs are shorter than the people they meet, and jumping brings them closer to face level, as when they meet another dog.[1] Most of the time the dog then gets attention, so the habit repeats because it was rewarded.[1][2]
Attention does not have to look friendly: yelling at a dog or grabbing its paws is still attention, and for many dogs being pushed away is part of a game.[2]
Excitement is not the only cause. A dog lacking confidence may jump because of anxiety about the coming interaction, and some very playful dogs jump when overstimulated.[1] On walks, the ASPCA says jumping usually happens when a dog is overly excited and has not been taught a good way to direct the extra energy.[5]
Ignoring a jump is only half of the plan. AKC says that ignoring should eventually stop jumping because it is no longer rewarded, but it can frustrate your puppy and not everyone your puppy meets will follow your rules, so your puppy needs to be taught what to do instead.[2]
Decide the greeting and prevent practice
Start by deciding how you want your puppy to greet people: sit, lie down, stand, or stay neutral until given permission.[1] Tell your puppy what to do instead of only what not to do. AKC points out that “sit” for greetings is an easier rule than “don’t jump.”[2]
While your puppy learns, arrange greetings so there is no chance to practice jumping.[2] AKC suggests sending a dog that already knows a “go to your place” cue to a mat or crate when the doorbell rings, using a gate at the entrance, or putting the dog on a leash when guests arrive, and tossing treats or a toy away from the doorway so the dog is busy while the visitor comes in.[2] The Calgary Humane Society adds that an overexcited dog can be crated or tethered while visitors arrive.[3] On a leash, keep it just taut enough that your puppy cannot easily jump up, without pulling or jerking.[1]
Manage first when your puppy is large, strong or very excited, or when the person greeting is a young child or a frail adult. Jumping from a large or enthusiastic dog could injure someone small or frail,[1] and AKC notes that seniors and children can be knocked over.[2] Do not wait for training to work: use a gate, a leash or a separate space during arrivals, and ask people to wait until you say it is okay to interact.[2][6]
Reward four paws on the floor
Begin in a quiet area with people your puppy knows, and keep treats ready.[1] The idea is to reward your puppy before it can even think about leaving the ground.[2]
Reward before the jump
With your puppy on a leash, have someone approach and toss several treats on the floor before they reach your puppy.[2] Feeding low encourages the puppy to stay on the floor.[1]
Example A friend walks toward your leashed puppy while you scatter treats on the floor, so the puppy is busy eating.
Greet while your puppy eats
While your puppy eats the treats off the floor, the person says hello and pets them, then backs away before your puppy has finished.[2]
Make the greeting longer
After several repetitions, extend the greeting and keep the treats coming throughout. Once your puppy keeps all four feet on the ground, let the greeting start before the first treat, then feed fewer and fewer treats until the greeting itself is the reward.[2] Raise the difficulty one thing at a time, such as the excitement, the place or how long your puppy must stay on the floor.[1]
If your puppy jumps, stop feeding
If you are too late and your puppy jumps, the person turns and walks away and you stop feeding. Over time your puppy learns that four paws on the floor brings attention and treats, and jumping brings nothing.[2]
Use sit as the alternative greeting
If you want your puppy to sit for greetings, wait until four on the floor is going well, then ask for a sit and reward it; soon you can say “sit” as your puppy gets close.[1] This guide assumes your puppy already sits on cue: AKC says there is no point teaching sit for greetings if the dog still struggles to sit without distractions.[2] If yours does not, teach sit first, away from greetings.
One setup from AKC: tether the leash to a doorknob or a piece of furniture, ask for a sit from several feet away, and approach only while your puppy stays seated. If it stands, walk back and ask again; if it stays seated, greet it calmly, and walk away the moment it stands.[2]
Give no attention for jumping
To change the habit, remove all possible reinforcement. VCA says not to look at, speak to or touch a jumping dog; you can quietly walk past, and if necessary step behind a gate or door.[1] The Santa Fe Humane Society calls this becoming a tree: cross your arms and stand still until your puppy stops, then give attention only after four paws are back on the floor.[6] Once your puppy is calm, call it over and reward four on the floor before jumping starts.[1]
Do not punish. The ASPCA says not to yell at, hit or knee a puppy in the chest, because this can hurt and confuse the puppy or make it jump more frantically.[5] VCA says that even loud noises or a water spray can cause fear, and a puppy may link the discomfort with the person it was trying to greet.[1] AVSAB lists prong collars, shock collars, shake cans, shouting, alpha rolls and leash jerks as aversive methods and recommends reward-based training.[7]
Coach your visitors
VCA says that if four on the floor is rewarded only sometimes, or by some people but not others, jumping can increase, so make sure everyone follows the plan.[1] The Santa Fe Humane Society suggests being your puppy’s advocate: politely ask people to wait until you say it is okay, and allow interaction only if your puppy is calmly sitting.[6]
Practice in stages: family first, then familiar people, then new visitors, with your puppy sitting as people come in.[8] With a leash on, you can guide your puppy back to a sit if it stands, and the visitor gives a treat when it stays seated; this may need repeating with every visitor.[8] Having a visitor leave and come in again can make the second entry easier.[3]
Greeting people on a leash
This guide covers only the greeting; loose-leash walking is a separate skill.
The ASPCA suggests clipping on the leash and opening the door only when your puppy has all four paws on the floor. On the walk, reward four paws on the ground with treats brought quickly to muzzle level, or drop the treats. If your puppy jumps, stop walking and ask for a sit, praise it, and then continue.[5]
You cannot expect strangers to know your rules, so until your puppy greets friends and family well, AKC suggests avoiding greetings with strangers: get your puppy’s attention and let the stranger walk past. Later, tell people the procedure and ask them to ignore your puppy if it does not follow the rules.[2]
When it is not working
- Your puppy is too excited to learn
Check Whether the place or the people are more exciting than your puppy can handle at this stage.[1]
Try Practice in a quiet area with familiar people, deliver the treat before your puppy tries to jump, and raise the excitement gradually. Manage with a gate or leash until the greeting is solid.[1][2]
- Your puppy still jumps even though you follow the plan
Check Whether jumping is still being rewarded somewhere, even sometimes.[1]
Try Hold a family meeting so everyone follows the same plan, and never pet or treat your puppy for jumping during a greeting.[1]
- Your puppy jumps on strangers
Check Whether strangers know your rules. They do not.[2]
Try Skip greetings with strangers until your puppy does well with familiar people, and let strangers walk past.[2]
- Your puppy jumps on a child or a small or frail person
Check Whether your puppy is large or enthusiastic enough to knock someone over or hurt them.[1][2]
Try Manage first with a gate, a leash or a separate space during arrivals, and ask people to wait until you say it is okay to greet.[2][6]
- Your puppy looks unsure or backs away when people reach for it
Check Signs of avoidance such as leaning away, looking away, pinned-back ears, a lowered head or tail, or moving to the side.[1]
Try Use treats instead of petting, and do not let anyone reach toward or touch your puppy while it shows these signs.[1]
- Your puppy mouths or nips at hands during greetings
Check Whether the problem is jumping or mouthing.
Try Mouthing is a separate problem with its own guide, Puppy Biting & Chewing. This guide covers jumping only.
This guide covers jumping during greetings only. If your puppy seems unwell, its behavior changes suddenly, it seems fearful of people or reacts aggressively when greeted, or you cannot keep visitors safe, ask your veterinarian first, because medical concerns can affect behavior.[4] Your veterinarian may refer you to a qualified behavior professional or a veterinary behaviorist.[4] Choose a professional who uses reward-based methods and avoids shock, choke and prong collars.[4][7]
Sources
- Dog Behavior Problems: Greeting Behavior - Jumping Up (opens another site)
- How to Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up on People (opens another site)
- Controlling Jumping (opens another site)
- Selecting a Behavior Consultant (opens another site)
- Jumping Up on Walks (opens another site)
- Jumping on People (opens another site)
- Why You Need To Reward Your Dog in Training, According to the Experts (opens another site)
- Train your dog to not to jump up on people (opens another site)