how to stop a dog from jumping on furniture?
Unfortunately, it takes very little time to teach a behavior, but much longer to stop one. Interestingly, if you are consistent and stop everyone from looking, touching or speaking to your dog while he is jumping it will stop much more quickly than if there is intermittent rewarding (ie. If you sometimes give your dog attention, or if one member of the household gives your dog attention for jumping- so get all family members on your side).
If your dog is prone to leaping all over guests or children, keep him on a lead by your side while they visit. When you hear the door, ask your dog to sit and reward this. You will initially need a helper but could use something like a Treat and Train to teach him to stay on his mat while guests visit. When the guest comes inside ask them to also ignore your dog. Keep rewarding the calm behavior and asking your pet to sit. Only allow him off-lead when you are sure he will reliably sit by your side.
My dog jumps when excited. How to stop a dog from jumping on the counter?
If you have some friends, ask if they can practice with your dog. The more occasions your dog has to learn the appropriate response to a visitor, the quicker he will learn. Ask them to ignore the jumping and only give rewarding attention when your dog is sitting politely.
Another option for dogs that need constant monitoring when guests arrive is to crate train them or train them to sit on their bed or mat. Give them a high-value chew like a Greenie or a Pigs Ear when guests first arrive as a reward for staying put. This may not last the entire visit, but hopefully, the initial excitement phase can be diverted to chewing instead. If you know you are having a big group of people over consider taking your dog out for a big run so he is not bored and full of energy. A tired dog is not only a happy dog but a well-behaved one!
Dog training tip
It is always easier to train your dog to do something than to train him NOT to do something. Often, behavior like jumping up has been unintentionally reinforced. In the same way that your dog learned that to sit gets him praise and perhaps a treat when he jumps up you look at him and touch him. He then continues to repeat the same old pattern to get that attention. Training an alternate behavior will take a little time and persistence, but is worth it in the end.
Stop dog jumping up on walks
A little variation with the above methods would help. Start with a leash, award good behavior, ignore jumps and turn your back on your dog when he jumps.
Jumping dog breeds
Generally, high energy dog breeds are the ones that jump the most. If the breed is a friendly one, such a dog can playfully jump on guests and strangers as well. Boxers tend to jump a lot (even on strangers).
