3 Proven Methods for How to Stop Dog Jumping Up

Learn how to stop dog jumping up for good with one of these 3 methods that have been proven to work for any dog owner (if implemented consistently).

One of the reasons we love dogs is because of their excitement, but sometimes that excitement is too much. If you feel like you've tried everything to get your dog to stop jumping up, there is still hope!

Learn from a dog trainer exactly how to start teaching your dog boundaries without diminishing their happiness to see you.  

How to Stop Dog Jumping Up

In this post you'll learn three ways to teach your dog not to jump up on you, others or strangers. 

One of the reasons we love dogs is because of their energy, excitement and ability to live in the moment. However, sometimes this energy becomes out of control, especially when there are young kids involved or a dog who is easily over stimulated. 

Teaching your dog boundaries for space is an essential life skill for your dog to maintain healthy relationships between your dog and members of the household. In this post you'll learn three ways to stop jumping up. 

You can choose from each of the ways which give a little background to the level of difficult it takes to teach, the length of time to teach and biggest set backs. 

How to Stop a Dog From Jumping up on Strangers

Method #1: Offer an alternative and use a leash

Difficulty: Medium 

Length of time to teach: A few weeks to a few months

Pros: Good for teach puppies and treat motivated dogs. 

Cons: Requires leash and body awareness to hold the treat at the right level and to correct the dog at the right time. Requires dog to be leashed and doesn't always settle a dog down. 

When in doubt, leash your dog. The leash will give you and advantage in controlling your dog.  

Using a treats can help keep your dog's feet on the floor if you keep your treats where you want your dog's nose to be. 

When your dog is thinking about jumping up, offer treats at a low level so your dog does not have to jump up to get the treats. Pairing this technique with a leash will work on two levels because you are correcting your dog for jumping up but also rewarding them for keeping all four feet on the floor. 

The biggest dilemma with this method is that it might not help a dog calm down, and even encourages the excited state with the use of treats. 

How to Stop Dog Jumping Up When Out Walking

Method #2: Teach a "Place" command

Difficulty: Easy 

Length of time to teach: A few weeks

Pros: Teaches your dog to relax and increases overall impulse control. Simple to teach.

Cons: Time consuming. Not always mobile for when you're out on a walk. 

The second way to teach your dog not to jump up on you is to teach them a place command.

Sometimes, it's easier to tell your dog what to do rather than what not to do. A "place" command offers a way to tell your dog not to jump and to go somewhere else and relax. 

A place command is not only super beneficial for any dog to learn impulse control, but it can also help dogs with aggression, separation anxiety tendencies or dogs who just want to say hello to everyone. 

When you teach a place command, you also teach a dog to relax. "Place" usually translates to: "stay here and relax until I give you the release word." And, when taught properly, your dog can stay there when guests arrive, for up to 90 minutes, and may even take a nap while they're on place. 

If you want to learn more about how to teach "place" learn how to get your dog placing for up to 90 minutes and when you have company over! Follow this step-by-step ebook on How to Teach Place in 3 Weeks. 

Device to Stop Dog From Jumping on Counter

Method #3: Use an Ecollar

Difficulty: Difficult set up, easy to implement 

Length of time to teach: A few days

Pros: Easy to implement. Dog learns very quickly. Ecollar can be used to help with other commands too. 

Cons: Steep learning curve. 

People have been training dogs for hundreds of years without devices. However, the ecollar (NOT a shock collar) provides a quick, humane way to teach your dog not to jump. Not to mention, it can also be used to help expedite the process of teaching your dog other important commands like "leave it" and "come." 

Teaching a dog with an ecollar is similar to writing an email versus snail mail. While you can still send a letter in the mail, an email can be much more convenient and efficient. 

Related: Best Ecollar For Dog | Dogtra 280C Tom Davis Review  

While the ecollar requires some education up front, it can be very user friendly if you're up for learning and growing your skill set as a dog owner. For best results, it's recommended to work with a dog trainer who has experience and proven results with ecollar training. 

So how do you teach a dog not to jump up with an ecollar? 

First, you'll need to make sure you're working with an ecollar, not a shock collar. How do you check this? Make sure the collar you're using uses a TENS technology, rather than electric shock. Many reputable dog trainers recommend the Dogtra or Mini Educator brand. 

Then, test it on yourself! This is an important step because:

1. You need to know and understand what you're doing to your dog. 
2. If you feel the stimulation on the first 5 levels, your collar is not sensitive enough. Consider investing in a quality ecollar for your dog. 

How to test the ecollar: 

Gently hold the collar in your hand with both prongs making contact on the skin. Then, starting with level 1, test the stimulation on your hand with each level until you feel it. 

The continuous button will automatically shut off after 12 seconds if you have a Dogtra or Educator collar, so repress the button as needed. Some people feel the sensation of the collar at level 8, other people feel it at level 52. It just depends on your skin! 

This is the exact same method you will use with your dog. 

How to Find Your Dog's Level on an Ecollar

Once you've fit the collar to your dog, allow your dog to jump up on people and the tables or counter as long as it is safe.

Starting with level one, press and hold the continuous button each time your dog's two feet come off the ground. Role up the dial by 1-2 digits every 3-5 seconds until you find a level that makes your dog think about the collar more than they think about jumping up. 

This might mean your dog: 

• Looks at the ground
• Twitches an ear
• Stops panting
• Twists his neck
• Shakes his body
• Stops jumping up

If you aren't sure if your dog is feeling the collar, test that level a few more times before rolling up again. 

As soon as your dog brings 4 feet back to the ground, praise them for their behavior. 

How to Stop a Large Dog from Jumping on You

You may roll up too high at one point. That's okay if you do! Dogs are forgiving. Just roll back down and encourage your dog. You may be too high if your dog displays: 

• Severe neck twists
• Yelping or vocalization
• Tail between the legs or cautious body position

Then you are too high in your ecollar level, don't worry. Dog's are very forgiving and you are certainly not the first person to roll to high on an ecollar. While it's best to avoid this scenario it doesn't mean that the ecollar isn't the tool for you and your dog.

It is up to you to set the mood with the ecollar. If you begin to worry about hurting your dog, then your dog will pick up on the worry. If you make it fun, your dog will love the ecollar! 

If you are starting to feel worried about using the ecollar, it's probably time to call a professional dog trainer who has experience with ecollars. 

Lastly, do not use the vibrate feature on your ecollar. Many owners do this thinking it will be more humane, but it is quite startling for a dog and often more aversive than the low level stimulation.

How to Stop a Dog from Jumping on you When Excited

So, how do you use an ecollar for curving your dogs jumping up?

If your dog jumps up on someone else, the counter or yourself, press the continuous button until all four feet are back on the ground. 

That's it! If your doing ecollar training correctly, it should feel like you're doing nothing. 

If your dog is feeling the ecollar, but not sure what to do, help them find their way back to the ground again and then praise them. 

You can use words like "off" or "down" as long as you use them calmly and confidently and only use them twice. 

However, not jumping up is the expectation, so there's not really a word that you need to use to tell the dog not to do something. 

How to Stop a Puppy Jumping at a Child

If you have children, it can be difficult to always keep an eye on your dog and your child. No dog and child should ever be left unattended together, but you also can't always hover over the two of them and correct every move from your dog who is still learning to play gently with kids. 

This is why teaching a "leave it" or "place" command is so important to your dog and child. And being able to expedite the process with an ecollar is one of the simplest and most hassle free ways to teach your dog where the boundaries are quickly. 

This post is all about how to stop dog jumping up.