Polite Greetings

Many dogs jump on humans when they greet, but it’s not always welcome. Help your dog understand a better way to get what she wants.

Teaching your dog to get your attention without acting like a nut

Prerequisite

It’s helpful if your dog knows sit, or at least has been reinforced for the position. But it’s not required.

Tools

Clicker
Small pea sized treats
For persistent jumpers, you may need a leash

Training Environment

Start at home, but eventually you’re going to practice everywhere greetings take place.

Recommended Treat Position

There are various ways you can use the treats in this exercise:

Scatter a handful of treats (or kibble) away from you to get in and out of doorways
Toss the treat away from you to create distance
Treat your dog in place when he/she is sitting calmly

Steps

Your first step is always to ask yourself “Why?” What is your dog getting out of performing the behavior. Chances are with jumping it is to get your attention or to get closer to you.
Decide what you want your dog to do instead
You or your guest should enter the house. If your guest has a difficult time with being jumped on, put your dog on a leash and stand far enough away from your guest so that your dog cannot reach them.
Never acknowledge your dog when he/she is jumping on you. Any attention (looking, talking, or even pushing them off) is enough to “pay” your dog for the behavior. What you pay for you will keep.
Wait until your dog has all four feet on the floor and reward with petting. If the attention causes your dog to get excited again, step away. Remove yourself from the room if your dog is too excited. If the dog is tethered on a leash you can just step out of the dog’s reach and wait for him/her to calm down.
Keep in mind that giving in to your dog in any way during training will actually make the behavior harder to get rid of. Your dog may begin “gambling” that the next jump will be the one where he/she gets the desired reinforcement.

Homework

Follow the rules of not reinforcing jumping every time you greet your dog.
Ignore your dog when you come home until he/she calms down.
As soon as you get a behavior you are happy with, pay your dog with attention and treats.
If your dog gets excited, go back to ignoring him/her.
Repeat this until your dog is no longer jumping on you.
Remove yourself if your dog is too excited.

At the End of This Step

Your dog should be waiting calmly for you to greet him/her. This may take a few weeks, and the behavior may get worse before it gets better. But if you stick to the rules, your dog will discover that what pays is a calm greeting.