Every dog owner has had to deal with the jumping behavior in their dog. For some dog parents, the behavior is normal and acceptable, while for others, it can be very annoying. Regardless of the camp that you fall in between the two, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why dogs jump?
Dogs usually jump out of excitement. For instance, when you come home from work, your dog is excited to see you and will often try to jump on you. Sometimes, dogs also jump as a way of catching your attention.
While a jumping dog sometimes looks cute, especially for puppies, this behavior can have several unwanted consequences, such as dirtying your clothes, scaring and annoying your house guests, scratching your body, tearing through your clothes, or even toppling people who are not steady on their feet, such as children, disabled people, and the very old.
If you have a dog who likes jumping and are wondering what you can do about the behavior, you’re in the right place. This article will cover all the reasons behind your dog’s jumping behavior, as well as what you can do about it. To start off, let’s look at how to stop your dog from jumping and nipping.
How Do I Get My Dog To Stop Jumping And Nipping?
To get your four-legged buddy to stop jumping and nipping is to teach them that the behavior is unacceptable. The best way to do this is to ignore your dog when they start jumping.
For instance, if your dog gets too excited when you get home from work, you can stop your hyper dog from jumping by not giving them attention until they calm down.
Over time, they will learn that you only greet them or pet them when they are calm, and eventually, they’ll stop jumping at you in excitement.
How Do You Calm An Excited Dog?
When you notice that your dog is over-excited, what you need to do is to remain calm. If you respond to them with the same high energy, they will take this as positive feedback, which will then exacerbate their excitement.
Even if your response is negative, such as yelling at your canine buddy to calm down, or pushing them away when they jump on you, your doggo will interpret this as play and continue being excited.
When you remain calm, however, your dog will realize they are not eliciting any response from you, and will eventually calm down.
How Do I Teach My Dog To Calm Down And Relax On Cue?
Another way to stop your dog from jumping is to teach them to calm down and relax on cue. The best way to do this is to use commands that make it impossible for your dog to engage in exciting behavior, such as jumping.
Good examples of such commands are “sit” and “lie down.” For instance, if your dog starts getting excited when a guest comes into your house and wants to jump on the guest, give them the “sit” command. It is impossible for your dog to jump while they are seated.
After some time, the excitement of seeing a new person will die down, and then you can allow your guest to come over and pet the now calm dog.
At What Age Does A Dog Calm Down?
Most dogs will calm down and shed the excitement and hyperactivity of puppyhood by the time they are 2 years old.
It’s good to note, however, that some dogs will remain hyperactive even after they reach full maturity. For such dogs, you’ll need to do some obedience training and teach them commands that you can use to calm them down on cue.
Why Does My Dog Keep Jumping Up Suddenly?
The main reasons why your dog keeps jumping up suddenly include being overly excited, it can be a form of greeting, or it can be your dog’s way of drawing your attention.
However, these are not the only reasons why dogs jump. Below, let’s look at the different situations where dogs jump up suddenly, and what each of them means.
What Does It Mean When Your Dog Jumps On You?
Your dog jumps on you as a way of saying hello. You’ll notice that this usually happens when you come back home after being away for some time. Jumping on you is your dog’s way of saying that they missed you and are excited to see you.
Why Does My Dog Jump On Me While Walking?
If your dog jumps on you while you’re out walking, this is usually because they are trying to alert you to their needs. This can happen when something in the environment makes them frightened or anxious, or when they want you to get them off the leash and allow them to play or run around.
Your dog will also jump on you while walking if you’ve either deliberately or inadvertently encouraged the behavior, or if they are poorly trained.
Why Does My Dog Jump Like Something Is Biting Her?
If your dog jumps all of a sudden when he’s sleeping, this can be a sign that your dog has some parasites, such as ticks or fleas. After jumping, check whether your dog pays attention to any specific part of its body. This can be the part that has just been bitten by a parasite.
Sometimes, your dog jumping like something is biting her can also be caused by anal gland issues. If their anal glands are full, lying down in certain positions can cause pain in the glands, resulting in your dog jumping up suddenly as they’ve just been bitten.
Why Does My Dog Jump At People’s Faces?
Jumping at people’s faces is your dog’s way of greeting them. Normally, when two dogs meet, they say hello face to face. When they meet new people, your dog still wants to greet them face to face, but there’s one problem – most people are way taller than dogs.
By jumping at people’s faces, your dog is simply trying to get to the same level as these people and greet them face to face.
