Off

Get "off", please!

I know many happy dogs that LOVE to say Hi to people. By saying Hi, I mean jumping right up into your lap, and giving you a face wash! Personally, I love it when a dog is outgoing and friendly… But at the same time, they also need to learn polite manners.

Sometimes we inadvertently teach our dogs to jump on us. When they are puppies, we bend down and pet them while they climb on us, put their paws on our laps – it’s cute! We can’t help ourselves! Then they get older, and bigger, and we have an 85-pound dog jumping on our houseguests (in their Sunday clothes!).

Here are some suggestions on how to teach your dog polite greeting skills.

At home with the family:
Ignore the unwanted behavior, praise the desired behavior. Teach your dog that she only gets what she wants (attention) when she is sitting nicely. When you come home, or when a family member walks in the doorway, stand still, fold your arms and look up at the ceiling when she jumps up. She will be jumping and wanting to say Hi for a while, until she “gets it”… Count to 5 after she stops jumping up, that way you can be pretty sure that she won’t bounce up right after you bend down to say Hi to her. If she does, ignore her again. You don’t even need to say Off… Right now, it has no meaning to her, and what usually ends up happening is you need to say it over and over, louder and louder!

You can give her a “body block”. Body blocks are a way for you to talk to her in her own doggie language. Dogs are very aware of how to give space and take space. Have you ever seen a Border Collie herding sheep? He can get the sheep to go where he wants by moving in towards them – taking away their space. He doesn’t even have to touch them or say a word! This is also an effective way to train our dogs not to jump on us. As your dog is jumping up, lean your body in towards your dog. If your dog is small, you can lean in with the lower part of your leg. If your dog is larger, you can lean in with your hip area. If your dog is jumping way up (or is very large!) you can lean in with your arm (tucked tight next to your body) and your shoulder.

I have seen people lift up their leg and push their knee into their dog when he jumps. I would advise against that, for a few different reasons:

If your dog is jumping on you and you are trying to balance on one leg, what are the chances that the 90-pound wiggly Golden is going to knock you over?
If your leg is up and your dog is trying to climb up you to lick your face, he can very well use your leg as a step to perch on!
Some dogs like to run at their owners full-speed to say Hi. If your dog is doing that and you stick your knee out at him, there is a great chance that you could injure your dog.

Another method I would advise against is using your hands to push away your dog. To your dog, you hands are your paws. When one dog paws another, it usually means play!

Greeting friends:
Please tell your friends that you are training your dog – BEFORE they walk in the door! What would be even better is a doggie training party! Invite friends over and have them come in the door, each a few minutes apart. This is wonderful for training. You’re setting up a situation that you have control over, but to your dog, it is all unexpected.

Before you have your friends come over, let them know what they need to do. They should come in the door, stand there, and ignore your dog. Only when your dog is sitting nicely should they give her attention. What you don’t want is a dog that thinks – I jump up, I sit down, I get a treat! Your dog should think – I sit down, I get a treat. Have your dog on-leash so you have some added control, have treats for you and your guests to give to your dog. I like to let the leash touch the floor and then step on it (still holding the loop end with your hand). This way if your dog tries to jump, they are not going to get anywhere! And remember; praise her when she’s being good! (This also works well with mail-carriers and UPS delivery people!) I also love putting a sign on my front door that simply says – Just a sec, I’m training my dog! This way you won’t feel rushed to get everything ready, and the person on the other side of the door knows they may have to wait a minute…

Remember, the key to training is to be consistent… If you teach her not to jump, and then a friend lets her jump on them, she will think the game has changed now, and she is free to jump up again!

Want more guidance? Try one of our awesome Group Training Classes or Private Lessons!

Giene Keyes

Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.