November 23, 2017 – Sumibu.com

We’ve all been there! Your guests’ arrival is imminent, and there’s no time to put your dog away. The bell rings, your dog goes wild, and as soon as your guests come through the door, they’re flattened against the wall by an exuberant greeting from a highly excitable and energetic bundle of fur. How do you train your dog to stop jumping on your guests? Having been on the receiving end of much dog jumping, I know what it’s like. I’ve been pushed over, bruised and slobbered on. One time, I nearly had my arm broken by an 80-pound Bulldog who jumped up on me as I came through the door, grabbed my wrist, and led me hastily to his dog bed. “Don’t worry,” said his person, “he does that to everyone he likes!” I’m pretty sure she meant it as a compliment, but I was in too much pain to feel very flattered.

A Woman with a Dogo Argentino, standing by her door.

Teach your dog to keep four paws on the floor with every person he greets, including you. Photography by Shutterstock)

I love dogs who say hello with energy, and it’s always a relief as a trainer to be greeted by a dog who is pleased to see me. Still, not all dogs who jump are eager for attention or social contact. Sometimes dog jumping behavior can be a dog’s way of coping with a change in the environment that makes him nervous. It’s pretty easy to recognize an uncomfortable jumper, especially if you know how your dog reacts to new people.

A nervous jumper exhibits much stiffer body language than a dog who is excited to see you and may eye guests warily as they enter his space.  Regardless of why your dog is jumping, the aim is pretty much the same: Teach your dog that four on the floor is better than two on you.

Here’s how:

1. Be consistent when training your dog not to jump

Four on the floor, or in this case eight on the floor. Photography by Shutterstock.

Teach your dog to keep four on the floor at all times with every person he greets, including you. Sometimes pet parents reinforce jumping behavior by allowing their dogs to jump on them, but telling them “off” when they jump on other people. There needs to be one rule for all.

2. Find alternatives to your dog’s jumping

Harness the power of giving your dog something else to do, especially during times when he is most likely to jump, such as when people come to the door. The energy and adrenaline that drives jumping behavior has to find another outlet.

Teach your dog a different activity for when people first arrive. For example, he could go to fetch a toy or run to a mat or bed and stay there until cued to come off. This requires a certain amount of impulse control and can be difficult for excitable dogs. But if you make learning fun and reinforce success with motivating rewards, you will get the behavior you desire.

A Cocker Spaniel sitting on a rug with a soccer ball.

Prevent dog jumping by training your dog to go to a certain spot when guests arrive. Photography by Shutterstock.

3. Redirect your dog to avoid jumping

Teaching your dog cues to find alternate behaviors is key. A sitting dog cannot jump, so utilize family members, friends, and neighbors to help you practice his sitting on greeting.

Here are a few tips:  Line up your volunteers, and approach each one with your dog on leash. If your dog jumps, simply turn in the other direction, walk away a few steps, turn around, and approach again. If he walks up to a person and sits, give attention and a secondary reward such as food or a toy for complying.

Start by teaching these basics in a quiet environment and with calm volunteers. Later, you can take it to where the jumping behavior usually happens, which in most cases is by the front door.

Once your dog is sitting consistently as a person walks through the door, introduce auditory triggers that get your dog excited, such as a knock or bell ring. Wait for your dog to calm down before opening the door and letting someone in to greet. If he jumps up, your “guest” will turn around and leave, and the secondary reward goes away. If he sits, he gets attention and a reward.

Make sure your dog is calm before opening the door. Photography by Shutterstock.

Only practice off-leash when your dog is consistently performing what you need him to do, and always expect failures — they’re a normal part of the learning process.

4. Give your dog some space

If your dog is wary of strangers, keep everyone safe and comfortable by keeping him behind a baby gate, or in another room or “safe zone,” until your guests are settled. If he is wary but social, allow him to greet calmly; if he prefers his own space, give him an activity toy and leave him in his safe zone.

5. Ignore the bad behaviors, reward the good

Sometimes dogs forget what they have been taught and jump on their owners or guests. If this happens, ignore your dog and turn your back, or keep turning around until he gets off. Wait for four seconds of paws on the floor before giving attention. If your dog jumps again when he has attention, repeat your behavior until he realizes that jumping gets nothing, but four on the floor gets him all the attention he desires.

Teach your dog a different activity when people first arrive at your house, such as running to a mat or bed. .Photography by Shutterstock.

6. Don’t be cruel

Don’t knee your dog in the chest, yank his collar, shout, shock or physically reprimand him for jumping. Even though these actions might “fix” things for that moment, they don’t actually teach a dog anything. Also, you will usually find your dog continues to jump when a similar situation arises. Teaching him what to do instead will encourage him to make better choices the next time he feels the need to jump up.

Thumbnail: Photography by mikeledray/Shutterstock.

Read more Dogster articles that feature the methods of Victoria Stilwell:

About the author: Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer, TV personality, author, and public speaker best known as the star of the international hit TV series  It’s Me or the Dog, through which she reaches audiences in over 100 countries. Appearing frequently in the worldwide media, Stilwell is widely recognized as a leader in the field of animal behavior, is the editor-in-chief of Positively.com, and the CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training — the world’s premier global network of positive reinforcement dog trainers. Connect with her on Facebook and on Twitter.

Editor’s note: Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? This article appeared in our magazine, and we’re thrilled to have Victoria Stilwell as a contributor. Subscribe to Dogster and get the bimonthly magazine delivered to your home. Read an interview with Stilwell on Dogster.

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I love petting my dogs, and I love it when I know my dogs want some petting. Sometimes, they’re so eager for affection that they shove their bodies against me, waiting for their pets. Not all dogs start out eagerly seeking affection, pets or otherwise. When I first adopted my German Shepherd Dog, River, she didn’t like if I tried to pet the top of her head, and it took a long time before she would let me hug her. (With Forest, I’ve had him since he was a puppy, so it was normal to be touched, hugged and petted.) It took a long time to build that with River, and it helped that I know how to pet a dog properly.

Wait — there it is again. How to pet a dog properly? Yes, there is a right and wrong way to pet a dog. Unfortunately, many of us just dive right into petting dogs we just met or don’t even know. Or, we fail to read our own dogs’ body language when they’re telling us “please stop.”

So, how do you pet a dog and learn to read his body language to see if he’s OK with petting? And how do you pet a dog you don’t know? Let’s find out.

Dogs typically accept being petted by their owners, but strangers are a different story

It’s instinct for humans to go right for the head when petting a dog — but most dogs actually don’t like it! Photography ©fcscafeine | Thinkstock.

Thankfully, dogs are pretty accepting of our pets and hugs … but won’t necessarily want the same affection from a stranger. “It’s just like us,” explains Susan Newell, owner and lead trainer of Animal Minds Behavior and Training in Rancho Cordova, California. “A friend giving you a hug is much different than a stranger coming up and giving you a hug.”

However, if you’re like me, sometimes you don’t want a hug, even from your friends. Your dog could be the same way. So how do you know if your dog wants some pets? Let him tell you. “If your dog is initiating the interaction, or licks your hand, that’s typically a good starting place to begin petting,” Newell says.

How to pet a dog starts with how you approach a dog

When it comes to another dog you don’t know, definitely don’t try to start petting him until he hints that he’s OK with it. And don’t offer him your hand to sniff — despite what a lot of us were taught, it’s not a good idea, Newell says.

“I can’t tell you how many dogs I run into that have learned to start biting hands because of that,” she says. Instead, she adds, “The best thing you can do is let a dog come up to you and you not do anything that’s not invited.”

Your body language matters when petting a dog

You also need to watch your body’s position and language, Newell says. Specifically, we shouldn’t hover over dogs, as they might perceive it as a threat. We also need to watch the amount of eye contact we make while petting dogs. While it’s natural for us to want to lovingly stare into a dog’s eyes, a dog might not interpret it the same way. “It’d be like if someone came up to you, shook your hand and stared at you,” Newell says. “You’d be creeped out.”

The general rule of thumb is not to make too much eye contact, specifically any hard stares, when you meet a dog you don’t know. Just glancing at a dog, or keeping your eyes averted are best practices when petting dogs you don’t know.

Dogs and hugs

A lot of dogs don’t like hugs. It depends on the individual dog, but to be safe, don’t hug a dog you don’t know. Your own dog might learn to tolerate hugs or even like them. However, it’s best to not let a stranger hug him or for you to hug any dogs you just met.

Where should you pet a dog?

There are specific areas dogs that dogs usually don’t like to to be pet: Their legs, paws, muzzles, tails and ears. (But behind their ears they tend to love). Another place dogs don’t like being touched? Their heads. Ironically, it’s almost instinctual for us to go right for the head. And while many dogs learn to tolerate it, why do it? There are plenty of better places to pet dogs that they seem to universally love.

Instead of the head, pet your dog under his chin or stroke his neck. Come in from the sides to scratch behind his ears, or wait until he rolls over so you can rub his belly. A dog who’s really into petting will often start moving his leg like he’s trying to scratch himself. The back of the neck, and the rump also seem to be popular spots for petting.

Training your dog to be pet by strangers

It’s not a bad idea to teach your dog to tolerate being touched and petted in places he doesn’t like — both by you and a stranger. The American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen exam specifically states that a well-trained dog should permit being petted by a stranger, as well as having his ears and legs examined.

The best way to do that is to ease your dog into it. I play with my dogs’ paws and ears here and there so they learn to tolerate it. I also taught them to let me hold their muzzles and examine their teeth and eyes, much like a veterinarian or groomer might.

While teaching them these things, I liberally rewarded them with treats so they learned to associate uncomfortable actions with their favorite foods. I did the same thing with strangers — my dogs learned that treats are close at hand when they accept a pet on the head from a stranger.

Read your dog’s body language

It’s good practice to teach your dog to tolerate petting he might not like. That’s especially true when you run into that person who swoops in and pets your dog without asking you, let alone establishing any kind of permission with your dog. It’s in those moments that you’ll be glad you taught your dog to put up with people.

That being said, you need to read your dog’s body language so you know if he doesn’t like something or when he’s had enough. This is especially important around other people: You don’t want to push your dog so far that he reacts negatively, Newell says. “Not every dog knows to take himself away when he’s done,” she explains. “You need to take him away from a situation. Most of the time, I’ll back up and encourage the dog to come with me.”

Backing up is key, because it not only gets your dog away from a person, it doesn’t bring him closer to a person like it would if you walked forward. This move is good for another reason: You don’t have to rely on a stranger to stop what they’re doing. Most people will become offended or ask why if you request that they stop petting your dog. Instead, just move backward and bring your dog with you.

What are the signs that a dog doesn’t like being petted?

“Body stiffness is huge,” Newells says. “If your dog holds his breath or his whole body goes stiff, that’s your first clue that it’s time to stop. If your dog’s ears go down, or his tail tucks under him, [these] are other important signs.”

Tell us: Where does your dog like to be pet? Where does he hate getting petted? What advice do you have for others on how to pet a dog?

Jessica Pineda is a freelance writer who lives in Northern California with her two German Shepherds, Forest and River. Check out her dogs’ Instagram page at @gsd_riverandforest.

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Day: November 23, 2017

Dog Jumping: Why It Happens and How to Train Your Dog to Stop It