Jumping puppy embarrasses his owner

#MiddleburyCT #JumpingPuppy #Training

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Every time someone comes to visit or says hello at the park, my puppy, Jake, jumps up and tries to lick their face. It’s embarrassing, and I don’t know how to stop it. Can you help? – Sean in Providence, Rhode Island

DEAR SEAN: Jumping up is a common problem for dog owners (for dogs, not so much; they love it). So much so that it’s one of the first things a trainer addresses with an owner.

What you’ll need to do is to improve Jake’s overall response to commands as well as train him not to jump on people. Here’s how you do it, step by step:

1. Train the “sit,” “stay” and “come here” commands every day, at home and at the park. Teach him to walk on the leash calmly at your side.
2. Work with a companion who will ring the doorbell from outside, while you command Jake to sit after the bell sounds.
3. Put Jake on a leash. Answer the door to the companion; when Jake tries to jump up, tug the leash once and command him to sit.

Remember to use positive reinforcement during training – lots of praise, with a treat when he follows a command correctly. Avoid negative enforcement like scolding, yelling or hauling on the leash.

Jake will not be perfectly behaved for some time; you should keep his leash attached at home when you expect visitors. If he gets overexcited when a visitor arrives and he won’t sit, take him to his crate or another room until he calms down. Even after he masters the training and is better behaved at home and on the leash, you’ll need to train him regularly so that he doesn’t slip back into his jumping-up habit.

Readers, what other training tips do you have? Pass them along at ask@pawscorner.com.

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