Jumping on guests

[deezle]

I just absolutely love our boxer!!!!.....I had no idea of the amount of love a person could have for their pet until we got our Deezle. He just turned 2 yrs old and is a little larger than normal, he weighs right at 80 lbs. He is such a good boy, but when we have any type of company he just goes crazy....he tries to make eye contact (I think) he jumps on them when anyone comes over. I am afraid to have my niece come over b/c she is 4 and I don't want her trampled by him just so he can say hello. He has almost knocked people down before and the guys feel like they need to wear a cup to come over.....it is hard to train him b/c the only time he does this is when we have company....please, any suggestions on how to make him stop! I want other people to see what a sweet, lovey, smushy face baby, he really is.

 

[harleyboxer]

The only sure way I have found to discourage jumping is to stick my knee out when they jump up. Don't make any movement with your hands, just stick your knee out as he jumps up. He won't really associate that you (or anyone else) are doing it because you aren't reacting. He'll just realize that it is unpleasant to jump. It will take a few times, but he'll get it. Find a few willing people to come over and try it. Also say no when he does it. Don't knee him, just let him jump into it.

 

[Jan]

Put him on a leash and put him in a sit stay when people come over. You can also step on the leash so that he can't jump up.

 

[boxer]

I agree. Kneeing your dog is certainly not a practice I would recommend, whether you're putting any 'force' into it or not. It does have the potential to hurt the dog. I thought those sorts of ideas had died out in the 1950's? Evidently not completely :mad:

If you have a dog that jumps all over you when you get home, it is far more appropriate (and effective) to completely ignore the dog until he calms down - and to turn away when he jumps so that he doesn't get the 'reward' of jumping on you. In really extreme cases, you could take a step forward as the dog jumps up so that his space to jump is lost, making it a very awkward manouvre for him. But putting a knee up for him to jump into is just unneccessary, and potentially damaging if he strikes it in the chest or any other vulnerable area.

In the OP's case though - putting the dog on a leash and asking it to sit/stay when visitors come over is a much better idea. With the leash you have control of the dog so it can't be jumping on guests, and with an instruction like 'sit' you are directing your dog to the appropriate behaviour around guests. If he is rewarded for good behaviour - ie. by being allowed to greet the guests (calmly) then he'll learn that that is how he should behave.

It will also help enormously if you can have your guests *ignore* the dog completely until he is calm and you allow him to greet people. That will help him learn that it is only his good behaviour that is rewarded

 

[heartsong12]

I have the exact same problem. But my niece is only 3 1/2. I was alway scared that Diabla would accidently knock her over and she would be scared of dogs. But the last time my niece came over I have Diabla in her crate (where I have always kept her when childern were in the house) and my niece who always went over to sit with her and give her treats let Diabla out! Much to my suprise Diabla was perfect with her. She did not jump on her ( a first for any vistor in the home) and she went and got her ball and brougt it over to me. I would hand it to my neice and Diabla would wait for her to throw it. She was must more calm and pateint with her that she is even with me.
I don't know it this helps but I wanted to give you some hope. Also I have arranged with my neighbor to come over and help me work with Diabla on how to greet guest. She comes over every 15 mins. or so. and I work with Diabla on how to properly greet quest. I have to wait to see long term how it works. I have high hopes

 

[shannonmac]

try telling that to my bfs father

It will also help enormously if you can have your guests *ignore* the dog completely until he is calm and you allow him to greet people. That will help him learn that it is only his good behaviour that is rewarded

lucky for you, you don't have my bf's father coming to your house. he thinks its a wonderful idea to walk into my house and start yelling kneesaa's name and waving his hands wildly around. even though I've repeatedly asked him not to :mad:
then he goes "ok, cut it out" a minute later and can't seem to understand why she won't settle down and stop jumping on him. then he loves to tell me my dog is uncontrollable :rolleyes:
its soooooooo aggrevating, not to mention he acts like he's not supposed to be in the house around buu, which makes buu bark at him, so he tells everyone we have a dog that'll kill someone! I cringe when they come over.
on a side note my best friend does what I tell her to and she can walk right into the house without any jumping or barking.....hmmmmmm

 

[deezle]

Thank you for all your advice, I will definetly try the leach and having the guest ignore him when they come in!!!....and treat rewarding......I will keep ya posted on the progress

 

[tigerpaw99]

Just a few things... My Jasmine has a habbit of jumping on company also because she is soo excited to see new people. There are a few things that I find work as well as leashing.

You can close her in a room or her crate until the company gets settled. (sitting in living room etc) then let her back out. She may still get excited and run around smelling everyone but should be less in the mood to jump on people if they are seated and situated.

How often do you take her out in public. I try and take my puppy to the pet store and other places where there are strangers as often as I can so maybe she will a little less excited and not see any new person as "a new playmate"

What helped me too was that when I was at my old apartment there were a lot of smaller dogs and some children. I had her sit and held her leash really short when around smaller dogs and kids (the entire approach). Now she gets really excited and wags her little nub like crazy, snifs, and licks a lot (I have a licker), but doesn't jump....still does some with bigger people though.

With me when she starts to run towards me to jump I put my arm out and and hold my hand up (like to say stop) kind of how I would tell her to stay and she usually just runs up to me but doesn't jump.

Sorry for the length

 

[JennieWI]

one more idea to add that has worked for me ----- when a guest arrives, have the dog sit and stick something yummy in his mouth. I use a greenie. It is so cute to see Gunther beaning around my guest with a greenie in this mouth making the funniest greeting sounds. But beaning is all he does for a little while until he goes off on his own to enjoy his treat.

 

[mancin]

lucky for you, you don't have my bf's father coming to your house. he thinks its a wonderful idea to walk into my house and start yelling kneesaa's name and waving his hands wildly around. even though I've repeatedly asked him not to :mad:
then he goes "ok, cut it out" a minute later and can't seem to understand why she won't settle down and stop jumping on him. then he loves to tell me my dog is uncontrollable :rolleyes:
its soooooooo aggrevating, not to mention he acts like he's not supposed to be in the house around buu, which makes buu bark at him, so he tells everyone we have a dog that'll kill someone! I cringe when they come over.
on a side note my best friend does what I tell her to and she can walk right into the house without any jumping or barking.....hmmmmmm

One of my friends came over the other day and did this same thing. She was like "HI TYSON!!!!!" and got him all riled up, and then told me how I'm not teaching him to behave very well because he kept wanting to jump on her. I told her to ignore him and she would for about 10 seconds, and then she'd start petting him and making high pitched noises again to get him all excited.
Now when I get home, he NEVER does this to me because he's learned I ignore him as soon as I get home until he calms down.