Why does my dog jump up on people?

The big myth is: They do so to assert their height and rank over you.

Let’s have a look at the wolves’ behaviour. When the adult wolves return to the den, the young ones immediately greet them by licking their mouths. They do so in expectation of the adult to puke food.

This behaviour has been domesticated: Dogs jump up because they want to get closer to our faces to say hello, and, till now, because they have been inadvertently reinforced to do so. However, we humans – our clothes – do not like it and therefore we have to re-direct this behaviour.

Teach the dog that he only gets attention when he has all four paws on the floor. For this I for once use the luring technique, but I stick to dividing it into several steps:

1. Go with your pup to the front door and spread some food in front of the door onto the floor free for your pup to eat.
2. Day 5: Same as step 1, but before spreading, the dog has to look at you.
3. Day 10: Same as step 2, but before spreading, the dog has to offer a sit.
4. Day 15: Same as step 3, after that open the door and do step 1.
5. Day 20: Same as step 4, after open the door, the dog has to look at you.
6. Day 25: Same as step 5, after open the door, the dog has to offer a sit.
7. Day 30: Same as step 6, after open the door, you go out without you pup, and close the door. After two seconds you go back in and spread some food inside onto the floor free for your pup to eat.
8. Day 35: Same as step 7, but before spreading, the dog has to look at you.
9. Day 40: Same as step 8, but before spreading, the dog has to offer a sit.
10. Day 45: Put some treats outside the house. Every time a family member comes home and opens the door with the key, he / she has to do step 9.
11. Day 50: Let your family members use the bell, when they come home, you go with your pup to the front door, the dog has to offer a sit, you open the door, and your family member spreads food, free for the pup to eat.
12. Day 55: Same as step 11, but before spreading, the dog has to look at you.
13. Day 60: Same as step 12, but before spreading, the dog has to offer a sit.

The time frame of two months seems to be very long for this “simple task”. However, if you go ahead to fast, the dog may jump up again, one process did not function and you have to back to step 1, which then will need even more time. Please have a look at our blog from January 25, 2013: http://www.hilsbos.ca/2013/01/neurophysiology-how-do-dogs-learn.html. In the best case you need only 65 days to have a jump-free dog for the whole live.