Has Your Dog's Jumping Up Got You Down?

Do people admire your dog from a distance because they don't want his muddy paw marks all over their clothes? Well not to worry, because teaching your dog greeting etiquette is a snap and your dog will thank you for showing him how to get all those distant admirers to come a little closer.

Of the many dog misbehaviors which have been unintentionally trained in by owners, jumping up is probably the best example. Ever since the dog was a puppy, he was trained to jump up by people patting him on the head and laughing when he did so. So, really the dog's only crime is that he eats and grows and continues to jump up. And of all the so called crimes dogs commit when living with humans, jumping up is the one which prompts some of the most horrendous abuse. People take hold of the dog's forepaws, squeeze the paws, squirt lemon juice and bitter apple in his mouth, knee him in the chest, hit him on the head with a rolled up newspaper, step on his hind toes and flip him over backwards. And why? Because the dog jumped up, something he was probably trained to do since puppyhood. And now the rules are reversed and this is something he is punished for-how confusing!Keep Reading...

Is Your Dog Jumping Up on People?

There are so many doggie 'misdeeds' that are unintentionally taught by people. Of these, one of the most commonly complained about is jumping up on people to say hello. There is a wide variety of jumping styles; the least egregious is the little dog who trots over and delicately places his or her front paws on someone to say hello (unless the person is wearing stockings which may be ripped). Then there is the bounder and bouncer. This dog comes bounding up to you and bounces about in between paw jabs. The jumper and grabber is the one that seems to cause the most angst for pet parents. This dog jumps up and uses his or her front paws to grab your leg or waist as if to say "I've got you and I'm not letting go until you give me a nice scratch behind the ear." Friends and visitors are sure to find that these canine greetings are usually followed by a disclaimer from the owner along the lines of "Oh, I'm so sorry, he is just really friendly." Luckily, in most cases this is true.

Unfortunately for these friendly dogs, the fact that they haven't been taught how to say hello in a way that is most likely to be warmly received by people, their odds of expanding their circle of human friends becomes quite limited. Even a dog lover like myself doesn't necessarily want to be greeting by a 60 pound Labrador Retriever pouncing on me as I enter the door. Especially if I have made the effort to get a bit gussied up for a visit to a friend's house. So, if you want your dog to reap the benefits of making loads of human friends and if you'd like to take your dog for a walk without having to prepare yourself to offer apologies along the way then read on.

Dogs jump up to say hello for the simple fact that it allows them to get closer to our faces, which often offer loads of reinforcement in the way of eye contact, smiles and chatter. They also do this because when a dog is a pup almost every person they meet not only allows them to jump up, but actively encourages it. It is hard to resist a puppy doing just about anything, especially choosing to try to initiate play with you by jumping up. However, it is best to consider putting off that momentary satisfaction and instead consider that this little pup will hopefully be a part of your family for 15 years or more. Will this same behavior of jumping up to say hello be something you, yoru family and friends want to live with for that long? This is most especially true with medium and large sized dogs. A 15 pound Doberman Pinscher puppy will become a dog of 60 pounds or more. While we all must admit to occassionally breaking the rules in our own lives (who hasn't gone a few miles above the speed limit?), allowing a dog to behave a certain way at one moment and then expect something entirely different the next is unfair to both you and the dog in the long run. In the case of dogs, rules are not made to be broken.