While jumping can seem cute when you have a small puppy, it drastically changes when that little pup turns into a full-grown dog. Understanding why dogs jump on you is key to overcoming this challenging behavior!

Our dogs typically jump on us for 5 reasons, and we’re gonna dive into each one in this article!

Here is a quick overview of why dogs jump up on you:

-Dogs jump to greet you

-Nervous or scared dogs may jump

-Sometimes, jumping can be aggressive

-They just want access to something

-Dogs jump up when they’re excited

And of course, we will discuss 3 tips to help reduce your dog jumping up on guests, strangers, or you!

Let’s get right to it 👇

A study found that dogs were 13 times more likely to jump on you when you come home vs jumping up on you when you were holding food.

This is often the biggest culprit for a jumping pup.

There are a few reasons why your dog wants to jump to greet you, here are a few.

-They want to be closer to you

-They know that praise and verbal reinforcement come from your mouth and want to be closer

-Your hands (which are often higher than where your pup is) provide treats, pets, and love and they want that affection

-Your upper body (mouth, nose, armpits, etc.) holds a lot of your smells and information that your dog wants to “read”

-They’re excited (more on that later) and don’t know what else to do, jumping is natural for them

While that isn’t a comprehensive list, it should provide insight as to why your dog jumps on you when you come home.

Simply put, our dogs want to be close to us after being left alone, and jumping up makes that a reality for them! 

Plus, it’s just natural for them! Think about how they greet other dogs… it usually involves some face-to-face interaction!

Dog jumping can be a challenging behavior to overcome! It is a very natural behavior and happens for many reasons. Here, again, are some major reasons why dogs jump up on you:

-Dogs jump to greet you

-Nervous or scared dogs may jump

-Sometimes, jumping can be aggressive

-They just want access to something

-Dogs jump up when they’re excited

And while many of those reasons have similarities, each one can be approached slightly differently. 

The key to overcoming your dog’s jumping behavior is to stay consistent and only give attention and rewards when all four paws are on the ground. Here is a quick recap of some ways to reduce your dog’s jumping:

-Play the Four Paws Game

-Teach replacement behaviors like settle or place

-Stay extremely consistent, if you don’t want your pup to jump on guests then don’t let them jump on you

Training a well-mannered pup is a lifelong endeavor that takes patience and practice. If you want some more in-depth training help with videos and an eBook, be sure to check out 30 Day Perfect Pup.

It’s a 100% free (no credit card required) online dog training class taught by Zak George. Learn more and sign up for free here! https://pfrd.site/class30days

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