Dog Behavior Part 1: Why Dogs Jump
This summer, we’re featuring a series of posts from Angel Wasserman, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and owner of Paws in Training, all about dog behavior and issues. In this post, Angel discusses why dogs jump and how to prevent it.
You may accidentally be rewarding your dog for this particular behavior without knowing it! Read on to learn more about this frustrating, but common, issue.
Why do dog’s jump?
When you first brought your puppy home, he probably jumped up on you, scratched at your shins, or performed a similar, 2-paws off the ground maneuver in an attempt to get your attention. If you’re like most pet owners, you probably thought that his behavior was adorable and immediately cooed at the puppy or picked him up. Doing these things accidentally rewarded the puppy for his jumping maneuver and dogs repeat behaviors that are rewarding. The next time that puppy wanted your attention, he knew exactly how to get it!
Fifty-pound jumpers
What’s utterly adorable when the dog is an eight-pound pup can turn into a dangerous and annoying problem as he becomes older and heavier in weight. Simply put, there’s nothing cute about a fifty-pound dog jumping on you. Kids and grandparents are toppled over, and guests entering the home get injured or soiled by sharp toenails and dirty paws.
By the time dog trainers get the call for help, most dog owners have had it! Their guests have long stopped coming to their homes, and gates, for safety sake, separate children and their pets.
How to prevent your dog from jumping
Jumping, just like all other dog behaviors, is the extension of another problem – the root cause – and it’s the root cause that must be addressed in order to cease jumping. Dogs jump for a variety of different reasons, which is why there is no singular “fix” to end jumping.
What follows is a list of reasons why your dog may be exhibiting this particular behavior.
Attention seeking: Dogs who have been accidentally reinforced for jumping will continue to practice the behavior whenever they want your attention. If you push your dog off of you, hold his paws, knee him in the chest, yell at him or tell him to “get down, off, etc” you have just accidentally rewarded your dog for jumping. Negative attention is still attention! Your dog has likely been rewarded for jumping for a long time and will benefit from a training plan that teaches him a new, polite way to get your attention. Your dog trainer can assist you in identifying polite options that are tailored for your specific dog.
Panic jumping: Fearful or anxious dogs may jump repeatedly on their owner in times of stress. This behavior is likely to be seen when the dog is placed in a new environment or when something in the environment changes such as when a stranger or group of dogs approach. A panic jumper is sending a plea for help and attempts to ignore or punish the dog will not work to cease the behavior – in fact, it may make the fear and anxiety worse. If you believe that your dog is exhibiting panic jumping, call a behavioral expert right away.
Excitement jumping: Dogs who jump on their family members when they return home or on strangers when they’re out in public are likely over-excited. As the root cause of this behavior is excitement, it’s best to teach your dog impulse control exercises, including an appropriate way to greet people.
Counter or table surfing: Dogs in the wild spend 90% of their day in food acquisition activities. The ratio for domestic dogs has not been scientifically calculated, but anyone who lives with a dog knows that food is a driving, primal force for dogs. Addressing this problem is simple, but simple is not the same as easy – especially if you have kids in the home. If food is left on tables and countertops where your dog can reach it, expect him to go for it. Your dog is an animal and animals instinctively hunt for food. If your dog is jumping on you or the table during meals, he has likely been fed from the table.
Those darned counter surfers
If you have a counter or table-surfer, they have also been rewarded for their jumping…usually by obtaining a tasty snack! Counter and table-surfers are motivated to repeat this behavior because something yummy awaits them every time they jump.
For surfers, environmental control is the first step to retraining. Never leave food, toys or products your dog is attracted to within their reach. The basic rule of thumb is, if it’s made available for him, it’s fair game. Your dog trainer will help you identify the appropriate, advanced techniques required to change this behavior, as well.
Additional tips for success
- Never use your hands to push a dog off of you or a surface. While this is negative attention, it still delivers attention to the dog. Additionally, you risk teaching your dog to become afraid of hands.
- Be forgiving with the dog and with yourself. Jumping is correctable, but once your dog has learned this behavior, it generally takes a professional dog trainer to help eliminate this behavior.
The more you know about your dog’s behaviors, the better equipped you will be to help him lead a happy, healthy life!
Angel Wasserman, CCBC, CPDT
Certified Behavior Consultant-Canine
Paws in Training, Inc.
(919) 896-2859
angel@pawsintraining.com
www.pawsintraining.com
This article was reposted from the Paws in Training website. Find Paws in Training on Facebook, Google+, and Yelp. Check out Woof It Up! A Guide To Happy Dogs and Happy Owners, available in paperback or E-Book formats.