It is crucial that you begin training your dog as soon as it arrives in the home. Remember, it is never too late to start training your pet, whether it is a puppy or an older dog, as long as you don’t get frustrated and stick to the plan. If you begin to train your new pet as soon as they come to your house, you become the master, or alpha, and your dog may never act badly if you keep it from happening right from the start.

Teaching Your Dog Not to Jump

Step #1 – Create an Off Command

Making a specific off command is one of the first things you should handle. If your dog jumps on anyone, including you, use this command immediately. The word “off” is good, but you can use “down” or another word of your choice. You should speak the word consistently and firmly every time your dog jumps on a person. You ought to advise all who enter your home to use this specific command should the dog jump on them and the dog should quickly associate that jumping is not allowed.

Step #2 – Teaching Sit

If you want to find other ways to keep your dog from jumping, you should show your dog how to sit. When the dog is coming towards you, before he even has the chance to jump on you, command him to sit. As the training proceeds, you will soon have your dog sitting when he greets you, rather than jumping on you and ruining your clothing or knocking you over.

Step #3 – Get on the same level

Get down at your dog’s level when you say hello to him or her. Not only will this make your dog feel happy and well-loved, but it will also take the point out of jumping since you will already be eye to eye. In other words, bending over to meet your dog does away with the need for jumping in the first place. Use the off command once you stand up, only if your dog still jumps up onto you to gain more of your attention, so that they know that you don’t approve of their jumping behavior.

Step #4 – Time Out for Dogs

You can use a time out with your dog if they don’t pay attention to your commands of off or sit, to make training a bit easier. When the dog jumps up and does not adhere to your commands, put them in their crate or kennel. The dog really only wants your attention, so a time out is very effective in negating the bad behavior by having the dog associate the constraint with the denial of your attention.

Consistency is important, and if you are able to consistently follow these steps you will soon find that your dog has stopped jumping. You will find that every dog learns at a different rate. The important thing is to continue with the Off Command you have decided on, and the other steps listed here and follow them all consistently until your dog finally learns the lesson. But if your dog is inordinately hard headed and just not doing well with the training, perhaps it is time to seek professional assistance to determine the problem with your methods.