A dog paws at people: how can an owner wean him from this habit?

A small puppy who is impatiently waiting for his owner to get home from work and jumps on him as soon as the person crosses the threshold is a very touching sight. However, in most four-legged animals this bad habit does not go away even at a conscious age. And a large dog that lunges at family members or passers-by, ruins clothes and can injure people, no longer looks so touching. Therefore, it is worth thinking about how to wean a dog from jumping on its owner during the initial training of the puppy.

It is possible to rid a dog of a bad habit as an adult, but the methods will be much more harsh and painful for both parties. Before looking for a solution to the problem, you still need to learn the basics and find out why a dog can jump on its owner.

How to stop a dog from jumping on its owner?

What makes a dog jump on its owner?

The most common reason for such actions is sincere love for a person and the joy caused by his appearance. Even a two-hour separation from its beloved owner is a real test for a four-legged animal. Therefore, during a long-awaited meeting, the pet tries in every way to show how happy he is to see the person. He can rest his paws on the knees, if it is a small dog, or on the owner’s chest, bark loudly and lick him in the face.

A small toy terrier tries to climb into his owner's arms

There are other reasons that can cause this behavior in a pet. This:

1. A huge supply of unspent love that he wants to share with someone. This may occur due to a prolonged absence of mating, which means that it is necessary to send the animal for mating as soon as possible.
2. Reluctance to obey the owner. Jumping on the owner can also be caused by the leadership qualities that the four-legged dog strives to demonstrate. In addition to this behavior, the dog begins to lightly bite the person’s arms, legs, and clothes.
3. Errors in education in infancy. It happens that in childhood the owner unknowingly teaches the puppy to rush towards a person when they meet him. In this case, it can be most difficult to correct the pet’s behavior. After all, the dog simply does not understand why the owner scolds him for something that he encouraged him a few months ago.
4. Pet's temperament. In the dog world, just like in the human world, there is a gradation according to character types - melancholic, sanguine, choleric and phlegmatic. For a phlegmatic person, such an emotional meeting with the owner is rather an exception - he would prefer to simply get up from his seat and lightly wave his tail. Melancholic and phlegmatic people tend to lick a person’s hands, while energetic choleric and sanguine people consider it normal to pounce on the owner and lick him from head to toe.

The classification of temperament is relevant only among adult dogs. Sometimes you can determine a dog’s character even at puppyhood, but in most cases all puppies are overly active and energetic. If the baby behaves melancholy and seems constantly tired, this indicates that an urgent consultation with a veterinarian is needed.

Regardless of what caused the dog’s unsatisfactory behavior, you should say goodbye to the desire to rush at people in any case. However, the easiest way is to completely avoid developing such a habit thanks to proper upbringing.

An eccentric but friendly sanguine dog is always happy to spend time with his owner and play in nature

How to stop a dog from jumping over a fence?

A dog jumps over a fence.
The motivation is quite simple: curiosity. Something behind the fence is of interest. And no additional innovation will help here: the height of the fence, barbed wire. Dogs operate on the principle: I see the goal - there are no obstacles. How to stop a dog from jumping over a fence?

In this case, first of all, you should take care of the safety of your beloved creature:

• Implanting a chip is not a very reliable method, since many clinics do not have the technical equipment to read information from such devices.
• Be sure to wear a luminous collar and an address card with a GPS tracker.

Only the owner can wean him off with the help of a prohibiting command and distraction with games when trying to escape. However, in the absence of the owner, the pet will want to resume its antics. For such cases, special traps should be installed.

In extreme cases, reconstruction will have to be done:

• Remove all available materials
• Remove visible irritants from the dog’s view
• Place a solid fence with a canopy inside the yard
• At the top, instead of barbed wire, make an electric edge. A weak charge will not harm the animal, but will prevent it from escaping.

The reasons for jumping can be varied. In any case, regardless of the breed, training and behavior correction of a four-legged pet should begin in puppyhood. Older dogs require greater moral and financial costs, and the result is not achieved immediately and not always. Good luck!

Why is it forbidden for a pet to jump on people?

Dogs jump on their owner intuitively. In the wild, these are pack animals, and in a pack it is customary to greet the leader by sniffing or licking his face. In this way, the dogs demonstrate their respect and submission to the stronger individual. Therefore, when at home, the dog rushes at the owner and often licks his face, because he is the leader in this world.

However, living in an apartment is not the same as living in a pack, and such behavior in a human environment is unacceptable. And that's why:

• such an outpouring of feelings may be unpleasant for the owner and other family members;
• For guests, especially unprepared ones, a dog rushing and jumping on them will be a real shock;
• acquaintances and ordinary passers-by who may be attacked by a dog during a walk will clearly not be pleased with the traces of dirty paws on their clothes;
• The weight of a dog jumping on them can completely knock children off their feet;
• a person unfamiliar with the dog may think that the animal wants to harm him and will become very frightened.

An overly sociable dog can attack any person in the park

On the street

If, when meeting friends or acquaintances, the dog joyfully tries to jump on them, this action can be stopped by jerking the leash. Please note: this is a rather harsh training method, and it is not suitable for every pet.

It is important that all family members are involved in correcting the pet’s behavior. Otherwise, you will get a strange situation that will only confuse the dog: you are trying to wean it from jumping on people, but your household not only does not support you, but, on the contrary, encourages this behavior. It is worth discussing the rules with your household and asking everyone to follow them.

Photos: Collection/iStock

Education comes first: preventing habit

You need to start raising a puppy from the very first days of his arrival in his new home. It is not necessary to overload a small dog with exercise every day, but it is necessary to instill the basics of good behavior. Preventing jumping on the owner is one of the basic skills. The most effective way to fight a habit is to use tricks. For example:

1. Every time the puppy tries to jump on a person, he hears the order to “sit.” All he can do is sit down. The owner holds the baby in this position for several seconds, after which he encourages her.
2. Any other order can also serve as a stop signal for termination, so a prudent study of the commands will serve as a good preventive measure. In any case, the puppy will happily rush to the door when he hears the owner, and he will greet the dog with a command that must be followed.
3. Puppies jump on their owner for only one purpose - to lick his face. Therefore, another rule is to act proactively. A person entering an apartment quickly but calmly puts down his things and kneels down to give the dog the opportunity to lick his face. Many owners find this procedure unpleasant, but it is necessary to maintain a healthy dog’s psyche. Even the characteristics of some large breeds state that the puppy absolutely needs close contact with the owner.
4. Most animals do not like to be grabbed by the paws - they tend to break free and return their limbs to the ground. A jumping puppy can be grabbed by its front paws. If a simple girth does not work, you can slightly squeeze the limbs in the pastern area. The dog will rush to break free and return its paws to the hard surface. If the habit is not yet fully ingrained, this method helps to correct the dog’s behavior well.
5. It is important not to tease your puppy by offering him treats. So, the owner should not teach the baby to jump up in order to reach a tasty morsel. Otherwise, the puppy will begin to beg for food, jumping on the owner.
6. After entering the apartment, the owner immediately puts his hand forward, which becomes an obstacle to the jump. The owner pets the puppy with his other hand.

If the puppy has already grown up, and along with it the habit of jumping on the owner has grown, it is too late to engage in prevention. You should start retraining your pet as soon as possible so that the dog’s addiction does not end badly.

The main principle of education is to clearly and clearly explain to the dog how it can behave and how it is strictly prohibited.

Why do dogs do this?

Before looking for a way to stop a dog from jumping on its owner, you should understand that this pet behavior is absolutely natural. It may be due to the following reasons:

• showing respect for the owner;
• a dog can express the joy of meeting him in this way;
• the animal is playful;
• in the absence of regular mating, this may be a manifestation of unsatisfied sexual instinct;
• the dog experiences pleasure from direct contact with the owner;
• sometimes dogs try to dominate their owners in this way;
• Perhaps you have previously encouraged such actions, and therefore the dog jumps, wanting to earn praise.

Classic parenting methods

Raising a puppy has its own nuances, just like retraining an adult dog. The same rules apply to jumping on the owner. If such behavior in a child only causes tenderness, and can be stopped with a slight wave of the hand, then a large adult dog rushing at a person is already frightening.

A large dog jumps on its owner

So, classical weaning methods can be divided depending on the age of the four-legged pet.

Weaning a puppy from jumping using gentle methods

Tiny puppies should be restrained when they try to jump on people. It happens like this:

1. The owner comes home from work, immediately puts the bags on the floor and goes down to the dog. Desires to jump are stopped by the command “no” and persistent pressing of the dog to the floor.
2. When the puppy realizes that jumping is prohibited and puts his paws on the floor, you need to hold out your hand and let him lick it. This way the puppy will say hello to the owner and show his devotion and love. However, any attempt to jump must be persistently but gently stopped at the very beginning.
3. You can pet a sitting puppy, praise it, and give it a treat. After the baby calms down, his owner can get up and go about his business - take things to the room, unpack bags.
4. If the baby comes up to the owner, rests his paws on his leg and asks to be held, you should never pick him up and hold him close to you. This can only be done after the puppy has completely calmed down and stopped jumping.

All family members should take part in training the puppy. If adults try to wean the baby from the habit, and children joyfully rush into the arms of a puppy when they come back from a walk, the exercises will never bring the desired result. As the puppy grows up, measures to wean him from jumping become more and more stringent, so it is better to completely complete the process while still a puppy.

Important! You should never punish or beat your baby, otherwise he will turn into a constantly peeing and shaking ball of fur. There will be no talk of any joy at the sight of the owner. In addition, animals lack logical thinking, so the dog will not understand why it was punished, and mutual understanding with the owner will be completely lost.

A small dog should always be rewarded when it does something right.

Weaning an adult dog

Training obedience in an adult dog is more difficult. In the classic version of the jumping weaning course, experts identify several methods, which are presented in the table below.

Table 1. Traditional ways to stop an adult dog from jumping on its owner.

If one of the methods worked, and the dog still stopped trying to greet his friend, you can pet him, feed him a treat and praise him. This way the animal will understand that the owner is not angry and is pleased with the long-awaited calm behavior of the dog. It is important to teach your dog basic commands in advance, such as “fu”, “no”, “sit” and others. They will help stop excessive joy from meeting the owner.

German Shepherd learns the “down” command

It is important to remember that:

• the prohibition command must be pronounced before a negative impact - holding, pushing, splashing water;
• the animal must certainly be praised after it rests its paws on the floor so that good behavior is instilled more effectively;
• all family members must be on the same page and use the same methods of prohibition;
• no one is allowed to scream or hit the dog, even if he tore a grocery bag or expensive tights in a jump.

How to stop a dog from jumping and biting: raising a puppy, an adult dog

How to stop a dog from jumping and biting
There are basic training commands that all owners of four-legged pets should know. Moreover, they should be studied with dogs at an early puppy age. This applies to pets of any breed. So, how to stop a dog from jumping and biting? Here is a description of the process of raising a puppy and an adult dog:

Remember: There are 3 main commands: “Ugh”, “No”, “No” . These words need to be taught to your pet.

When training, it is prohibited to use physical force and thus punish. The puppy will only get stressed. The general rule when issuing a braking command is to use the expression only when necessary. Otherwise, there is a risk of deterioration in the functioning of the pet’s nervous system.

So, the training instructions:

1. Start playing with your puppy.
2. When the pet gets playful and starts gnawing, biting, jumping, you need to abruptly stop the entertainment and give a prohibiting command.
3. Repeat the previous steps several times, reinforcing the result with positive non-verbal cues and treats.

Similar steps should be carried out when attempting to chew on shoes, clothing and furniture. Thus, the braking command (especially in combination with a jerk of the leash) makes it possible to control the pet and not bring emerging conflicts to the point of absurdity.

When all else fails: tough methods of fighting the habit

If training began in puppyhood, you can wean the puppy from jumping on its owner quickly and without any special consequences. But if, due to the owner’s busyness, the moment was missed or the dog appeared in the house as an adult, the behavior can be corrected using more severe methods. They will be as effective as possible and will not harm the pet.

The main rule that you need to remember when retraining a dog: it rushes at its owner not with malicious intent, but expresses its positive emotions. Therefore, punishing a four-legged animal for showing love would be stupid and cruel. For everything to work out, you should forget about irritation and be patient and persistent.

Remember: the main feeling that prompts a dog to jump on its owner is love for him.

Physical Methods for Adolescent Dogs

A six-month-old puppy should already know the basic commands “sit” and “place,” so the owner will no longer have to sit on the floor: just say the command and gesture to order the teenager to sit. If the use of commands does not produce the desired effect, you can use methods with influence.

A six-month-old puppy should already know the basic commands “sit” and “place”

You can read how to teach basic commands to a puppy here.

This may be necessary because the older puppy becomes not only heavier, but also stronger. He easily climbs into his arms, and during a jump he can accidentally hit his owner on the head with his paw and scratch him with his stronger claws. At about 8-9 months, the dog begins to show leadership qualities and tries to assert itself through its behavior, which requires more decisive methods on the part of the owner.

So, effective measures with physical impact:

1. The "place" command. Without waiting for the animal to decide to jump, the owner says the command “place” and takes him to the mat, holding him by the collar. If the pet returns to the owner, the procedure is repeated. If the puppy remains in his place while the owner undresses and unpacks grocery bags, you should approach him and praise him.
2. Spray. A spray bottle or water pistol, previously prepared in the hallway, works similarly to stopping gestures. When trying to jump, the owner sprays the dog with a stream of water, which is not particularly pleasant for the animal. In addition, you can add aromatic oil or lemon juice to the liquid, but in this situation, aiming at the face is prohibited. Excessive concentrations of substances can spoil the dog’s keen sense of smell or damage the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes.
3. Ear tingling and nose clicking. Many owners of teenage dogs recommend pinching their dogs ears if they start jumping, or lightly flicking the bridge of the nose. It is important to remember that the owner’s actions should cause minor discomfort to the pet, and not severe pain.
4. "Vise." After the dog has placed its paws on the owner, they need to be grabbed and squeezed so that the joints of both paws are pressed together. You should squeeze your paws firmly, but do not injure them. If the jumps are repeated, the pressure increases. However, physical pain is the last solution, which should be resorted to only if other options do not work.

If the owner enters the apartment with a child, he should immediately hide him behind his back. Dogs indiscriminately rush at any close person, not paying attention to his height, and can knock down or scratch the baby.

The nose is one of the most sensitive places on a dog's body.

As a rule, the final consolidation of commands occurs between six months and 8 months. At this time, the dog is full of energy, rushes to explore the whole world around and tries to find the owner’s weak points. The puppy may not obey, so the training process will be difficult. However, if the owner is persistent and patient, both parties will be able to calmly survive this period and remain good friends.

Important! A puppy that has become accustomed to not jumping on its owner usually stops jumping on strangers. But if the upbringing has not yet been completed, you should inform your friends who come to visit. Let them copy the behavior of the owner and do not encourage the dog to jump.

Raising an adult dog: tough methods

It also happens that all of the above methods do not help to cope with the unacceptable habit of a four-legged animal. In this case, it is worth using more stringent methods. But first, you need to slow down the training and find out why nothing is working: perhaps the pet does not understand what is being asked of it, or contact has not been established between the owner and the dog.

You should draw conclusions and remember:

• whether the owner offended his dog;
• does he pay enough attention to the pet;
• whether the training was consistent and correct.

If the owner shows his irritation to the dog when it jumps on him, the effect will be completely opposite: the pet will strive to make amends and will begin to jump on the owner even more intensely.

The animal will respond to an evil owner in the same way.

Harsh parenting methods, which are described below, can only be used in extreme cases. Be sure to conduct them on a positive note and at the end praise and pet the dog so that training does not cause psychological trauma.

Table 2. Strict methods of dealing with an adult dog jumping on its owner.

As for the method with a physical barrier in the form of a knee, you need to be especially careful when performing it. You should not pretend that you are doing something at this moment. The owner should have a smile on his face and greet the dog affectionately verbally. In a dog, the appearance of pain should not be associated with the owner.

If the dog nevertheless understands that the owner is the source of the discomfort caused, he may be very offended. After all, the pet tried to show sincere feelings, rejoiced at its beloved owner, and in response he was hit. It will be difficult for a dog to forgive a person for such behavior.

Four-legged dog in a strict studded training collar

Water as a weapon

If you don’t know how to stop a dog from jumping on its owner on a walk or at home, arm yourself with a sprinkler or a water pistol. Whenever your dog behaves inappropriately, spray it in his face. Most animals react negatively to this technique. Of course, for some time you will have to endure the inconvenience of splashes on the floor and walls, as well as wet paw marks, but such training will bear fruit. If you choose this method of dealing with puppy pranks, it is important not to harm your pet. So, it is best to use a spray bottle with small drops. If you use a squirt gun or spray bottle, try not to point it at your pet's eyes, nose, or ears.

What not to do when raising a dog

Many forums offer only one harmful piece of advice on how to stop a dog from jumping on its owner. Owners suggest that after the jump, throw the dog on its shoulder blades and shake it from side to side. This advice should not be followed under any circumstances, because:

• For a pet, such behavior from the owner will be very unpleasant and humiliating;
• the dog will not understand what caused this attitude towards it: it will remain a secret for it, which is why the owner’s joyful mood suddenly became aggressive;
• A sharp fall on your back can lead to spinal injury.

A humiliating attitude will never lead to a good result. Moreover, if this is a representative of the service breed, who usually makes informed independent decisions, he will definitely remember the meanness of the owner and will never forgive him. Even if the owner used this method only once, it can greatly ruin the relationship with the dog.

Rolling over on their back is considered humiliating for animals, especially for an adult male.

How to stop a dog from jumping on a sofa or bed: tips

It is necessary to wean the dog from jumping on the sofa or bed.
The first advice that all experts give is: do not accustom the dog to the bed. Many problems are easier to prevent than to fix. So, how to stop a dog from jumping on the sofa or bed?

• Right from the first days in the house, the dog should be accustomed to its own bed. If the pet has its own personal space, then there will be no desire to climb into the owner’s space.

This is the most effective advice. What to do if the dog still jumps? Here are more ways and tips:

Buy or sew the perfect bed from quality materials:

• It must match the size of the dog.
• Place your household item in it. After all, jumping on a bed or sofa often means your pet is bored. Dogs want to smell the scent of their loved one.
• Therefore, the ideal option to prevent this would be the owner’s thing in the four-legged bed.

If the dog is preparing to jump under the supervision of the owner, then he can be distracted with his favorite toy or treat:

• Just don't overdo it.
• After all, the animal can remember a positive reaction and will repeat attempts to get a treat.

Prohibiting command “No!”:

• Whenever you try to jump out, make a prohibition, and when it is completed, reinforce the result with a treat.

Restrict access to bed:

• The most radical way.
• If the dog does not see the bed for a long time, then the desire to jump on it disappears.
• There is only one nuance here: you need to close the door and not succumb to provocations from the pet (whining, grinding at the door).
• If there is a response, the “quest” is lost. The dog will understand that a lot can be achieved with manipulation.

Cause unpleasant associations with the bed:

• An alternative option to the previous paragraph.
• To do this, you just need to cover the pastel with rustling elements.
• After several attempts and discomfort, the pet will stop jumping on the owner's bed.

Naturally, repeated repetition is required for the four-legged friend to better remember the described methods.

The dog jumps on passers-by: what to do?

If the owner at some moments can come to terms with the manifestations of the pet’s feelings, then strangers will be outraged by such an act of the dog. Therefore, it is necessary to stop pet attacks on people at the initial stage. This can be difficult because friendly four-legged animals actively show interest in strangers, especially if they came to the walking area with their dog.

Therefore, it is necessary to stop pet attacks on people at the initial stage.

In the process of weaning a dog, you need to consider the following factors:

1. Some people are very afraid of dogs, and a pet rushing at them, even if it has only positive goals, can cause real horror. A frightened stranger can be asked to stop and wait until the owner catches the dog by the leash. Conflicts can be avoided if you shout to a stranger from afar that your pet might jump on him.
2. For every walk you need to take a branch or stick with you. As soon as the dog tries to rush at the stranger, you need to lightly hit him on the rear. Severe pain should not be inflicted, but the blow should be sufficient to cement a negative association with the action in the pet’s mind.
3. Some owners advise using a leash and sharply pulling the dog away when it tries to communicate with a passerby. However, this method will lead to temporary results. The dog will think that at the moment the owner does not want him to express his emotions, but the person himself does not mind communicating at all.

Important! It is very important for dogs to constantly communicate with people and the outside world. Equipment will help to carry out socialization safely for everyone. A dog wearing a muzzle and a leash should be taken out to crowded places as often as possible. The pet must be constantly monitored and stopped if it tries to attack someone. Frequently being around people will teach your dog to keep his feelings under control.

Sociable four-legged animals are able to play with anyone

Psychological conflict

A person sometimes forgets that a dog thinks differently from him. She sits at home all day, eagerly waiting for her beloved owner. And if he appears on the doorstep of the apartment at approximately the same time, biochemical processes begin in the dog’s body, as a result of which hormones responsible for the feeling of delight and happiness are released.

The dog sits at home all day, eagerly waiting for his beloved owner

This theory was developed by a Polish psychologist who experimented with experimental dogs. The scientist served food to the animals' bowls once every 10 minutes, turning on a bright light before doing so. It was possible to reveal that after some time, salivation in dogs begins to intensify before food is served, even without flashes of light. The psychologist said that a constant reaction to pleasant stimuli causes the animals' bodies to hallucinate.

And at the moment when the dog is morally and biochemically determined to meet its owner, instead of the long-awaited pleasant communication, it receives a scream, a blow or a slap. This causes an internal psychological conflict: the dog is simply not able to understand why the owner behaves this way. You can extinguish this nuisance with affection after the animal has performed the action correctly.

A beloved owner awakens the same happiness hormones in a dog’s body as a bowl of delicious food

Unconventional measures to correct the behavior of a four-legged animal

For choleric animals, weaning from jumping on the owner may last indefinitely or even require the most drastic measures. Experts recommend using a more tangible negative impact on overly active dogs: ringing spanks, pushing away or strict parforce.

Basic rules for using a collar

Despite all the efforts made, it is very difficult for a dog to cope with excess emotions towards the owner, since the release of hormones is to blame for everything. One of the doctors from the American Veterinary Association found a way out. He suggested that owners of dogs with a choleric type of character give their pets drugs that can calm them down. This:

• silicea (a single dose once a day during periods of noticeable emotional agitation);

Silicea

• brewed St. John's wort, 1 tbsp. powder per glass of boiling water (from 3 to 8 mg twice a day, give for about a week);

Brewed St. John's wort

• phosphorus C 30 (1 dose is given daily, duration of administration is a week);

Phosphorus C 30

• yeast (half a small spoon for an animal up to 14 kg, a whole spoon for an animal up to 50 kg); Consultation with a veterinarian is required as they may cause allergies.

Yeast

Important! Medicines can only be purchased at a pharmacy and only on the recommendation of a specialist.

Tips and tricks

The owner has the right to decide for himself which method he will use to wean his pet from jumping on people. Experts offer several tips to make the process as painless as possible for both parties:

1. It will be difficult to wean your dog off the habit, as this is an intuitive behavior received from nature. On average, the process of teaching good behavior can take about two weeks. Therefore, the owner needs to be patient.
2. The dog must be able to jump: this skill will be useful to him during the game and when executing the “fetch” command. But during active pastime with a pet, you need to make sure that it does not jump on the owner, and immediately stop such things.
3. First, you need to decide what exactly the owner wants from the dog, and only then demand that orders be followed. An inconsistent owner who does one thing or another will quickly confuse the dog, and it will begin to behave as it wants.

Any behavior correction consists of a number of steps that are carried out gradually and in a gentle manner. At the same time, the age of the pet does not matter, nor do the actions committed in the past. An owner who wants not only to subjugate a dog, but to instill good manners in it, will have to start the entire training process from scratch.

A dog jumps on a car and scratches: how to stop jumping on a car or under a car?

A dog jumps on a car and scratches
Why dogs react to vehicles, even professional zoologists and dog handlers cannot answer. Why does a dog jump on a car and scratch? There are several versions:

• The dog sees a moving “living object” in the metal and the hunting instinct is triggered
• Lots of loud noises are annoying
• I don't like spinning wheels

In any case, the pet should be monitored. How to stop your pet from jumping on or under a car? Here are some tips:

• Training in this case is no different from solving other similar problems.
• Keep on a leash
• When trying to jump: prohibiting command
• Calling command
• Positive feedback: praise and treats

After this you need to move on to another stage. There is no need to remove the leash right away. You can use tape instead. The actions are similar to those described above in the text. And only then practice free walks without control.