You must stop your dog’s jumping before it starts!

How to Stop a Dog from Jumping on Strangers 

Have you ever been on a walk where you and your four-legged friend encounter a stranger and your dog tries to jump up on them? This can be an embarrassing situation! This is a behavioral issue that should be fixed. The good thing is that dogs who jump on strangers aren’t usually suffering from a behavior issue like anxiety or aggression. It is just a training concern at the end of the day!

If you want to decrease a behavior, you have to focus on differential reinforcement. In other words, this is rewarding something that can’t happen at the same time as the action you want to prevent. Differential reinforcement of an incompatible behavior is the reason that so many trainers suggest teaching your dog to sit. Think about it. Your dog is unable to jump when they are sitting.

You must stop your dog’s jumping before it starts! Sometimes there is a lot of excitement that leads to jumping when your dog sees a new person. If you are allowing your dog to “drag” you to say hello to a stranger, you are already initiating the negative behavior. If your dog tends to jump on people on the sidewalk or in narrow areas, give a wider range and reward them for keeping eye contact and attention on you.

When you are starting the training, it is best not to let your dog greet unknown strangers at all. This is because you cannot rely on strangers to train your dog. As your dog is getting better with training, you can instruct strangers to allow them to greet your dog. If your dog is thinking about jumping, ask the stranger to back off and avoid petting the dog.

You may be wondering what you can teach your dog to do instead of jumping. We recommend using the hand target method. This is where you teach your dog to tap their nose to your hand on command. The best thing is that you can use hand targets to get your dog’s attention when you are passing people on the street. You can also do this when people arrive at the house. This should help prevent them from jumping!

In summary, a combination of asking your dog to complete a well-known behavior and moving away from strangers will work best. Always keep in mind that when a dog jumps, they want attention. If this continues, take a step away, turn your back, and exit the area. Ask strangers to do the same. With a little consistency and a lot of patience, your dog will be well-mannered in no time!