THE CHALLENGE
The Problem
Your dog launches at everyone who walks through the door—guests, kids, elderly relatives, delivery drivers. They jump on strangers during walks. You've tried turning away, knee-blocking and holding their collar but they keep doing it. Visitors dread coming over. Someone's going to get knocked over or scratched.
OUR APPROACH
The Solution
Jumping is self-rewarding—your dog gets attention, excitement and physical contact every time they jump. We eliminate the reward by teaching incompatible behaviours (four on the floor, sit to greet) and adding consequences for jumping. Most jumping problems resolve in 2-3 sessions with consistent follow-through at home.
RESULTS
What You'll Achieve
THE PROCESS
How It Works
Assessment: Identify jumping triggers (excitement, attention-seeking, anxiety)
Incompatible behaviour: Teach sit-to-greet as the default greeting
Consequence training: Clear correction when jumping occurs
Threshold work: Manage excitement levels before greetings
Visitor protocol: Structured greeting routine for guests arriving
Generalisation: Practice with different people in different locations
FAQ
Common Questions
Why doesn't ignoring my jumping dog work?
Because jumping is self-rewarding—even turning away gives your dog physical contact and a reaction. They don't care if the attention is positive or negative, they got something. Ignoring works for calm, soft dogs. For excited, persistent jumpers you need actual consequences—not just withdrawal of attention.
My dog only jumps on some people—why?
Dogs jump on people who react the most. If your mum squeals and pushes the dog, that's exciting—so they jump on her. If your partner calmly ignores them, no jumping. Dogs also jump more on people who've previously rewarded it (patting, talking in high voice). They've learned who's a soft target.
Should I use a knee to stop my dog jumping?
The knee-in-chest method is outdated and usually doesn't work—dogs see it as a game or challenge. It can also injure your dog's chest. Better methods: leash correction at the moment of jumping, 'off' command with consequences and teaching an incompatible behaviour like automatic sit.
How long does it take to stop jumping?
Jumping is one of the faster behaviours to fix—2-4 weeks with consistent training. The dog learns quickly. The harder part is getting every family member and visitor to follow the same rules. One person rewarding jumping undoes everyone else's work.
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