#Jump on it drivers

Our inconsistency here doesn’t help – many people are happy for their dog to jump at them, but not at guests, or when wearing some clothes but not others – but by accepting (or rewarding) any jumping behaviour, they are essentially teaching the dog that jumping at people is acceptable. As adults, this may continue, or their owners may shout at them – but when you’re shouting at your dog, you are still giving them attention, and not ignoring them (which, from their point of view, is worse than being scolded). As puppies, this is often in the form of reward (fuss, even treats, as people think that they’ve “learnt a trick”). In addition, most puppies learn early on that jumping (especially balancing on their hind legs) gets them attention. Of course, it is quite possible that they want attention from your guests as well! They just see you ignoring them and lavishing your attention on your guests, meaning that they feel left out. Of course, you know that’s because your visitors are only around temporarily, and your dog is a permanent part of the family – but they don’t see things like that.

This is especially an issue when you have visitors – because the chances are, you’re greeting or talking to your guests, and ignoring the dog. 3 or 4 feet above their heads when they’re standing on the ground!). Most dogs crave attention and jumping up is a way to try and interact with you on your level (i.e.

#Jump on it drivers

In the vast majority of dogs, there are two main drivers for jumping – firstly, a desire for attention and secondly, that they have inadvertently been trained to do it. To control this behaviour, it’s important to understand why dogs do it in the first place. This can either be jumping at you, the owner or at visitors to the house in either case, it can be really frustrating and embarrassing! Probably the most common behavioural “problem” in dogs is inappropriate jumping.