How to STOP Your Dog from Jumping Up

How to train manners that still matter when they get excited...

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Jumping up is one of the most common and misunderstood problems in dog training. Most owners try to fix it with “off” or by turning away — but jumping isn’t ignored away. It’s about control, attention, and the relationship you’ve built with your dog.

At Elite K9 Service, we teach that obedience doesn’t start when the leash goes on — it starts when your dog gets emotional. Here’s how to stop jumping in a way that actually lasts.

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Step 1: Understand Why Your Dog Jumps

Dogs jump for one reason: it works.

When they jump, they get what they want — attention, touch, or energy. Even saying “No!” the wrong way can feed the behavior because you’re still engaging with them.

To fix it, you have to change the meaning of jumping. Instead of being a way to connect, it must become a behavior that earns distance or stillness.

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Step 2: Build the “No” Command First

Jumping is an energy problem, not a word problem.

You can’t teach “Off” if your dog doesn’t understand “No.”

If your dog jumps, calmly say “No,” use the leash to guide them back down, and only give attention once they’re calm with all four paws on the ground. The timing matters — correct the moment they begin to spring up, not after they’ve already hit your chest.

(See this blog for a full guide on teaching it right: https://www.elitek9service.com/post/how-to-teach-the-no-command-and-why-it-changes-everything

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Step 3: Reward Calm, Not Chaos

Dogs repeat what gets rewarded. So if your dog sits politely when you approach, that’s when you give praise or affection.

This teaches that affection and interaction are earned through composure, not intensity... The more your dog gives, the more you give.

Most of the time when your dog is calm we forget about them, hence the Jumping Up to get attention. When your dog is calm randomly give attention.

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Step 4: Keep Training Consistent

Reward the right behavior and correct the wrong behavior. Plain and simple...

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Step 5: Master the Greeting Routine

1. In the beginning of training leash your dog before guests arrive.

2. Have them sit or go to their Place.

3. Correct any forward motion before contact is made.

4. Guests only interact when the dog remains calm.

If your dog breaks position, calmly reset them — no yelling, no chaos. Just structure and repetition.

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Step 6: Understand the Long Game

Jumping isn’t fixed overnight. You’re changing an emotional pattern. The key is timing, tone, and follow-through — not frustration.

You’re not just stopping a bad habit — you’re teaching respect. Once the dog learns that calm behavior leads to connection, jumping fades away.

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Key Takeaway

Dogs jump because excitement works. When you teach them that calm earns what excitement used to, you rewire the relationship.