Puppies Jumping Up on People

First let’s just clear up why puppies jump on people. It’s because they’re friendly and are trying to say hello! That’s all.

Of course there are multiple (good) reasons why we don’t want them putting their paws up on us: their paws might be dirty, their toenails hurt, or maybe they’re going to be big enough to knock a person down.

But since we’ve bred dogs over centuries to be friendly to humans, to actually crave human contact, I’d suggest it’s our responsibility to fulfill those needs. If your dog needs some social interaction with you, give it to them.

There are still some nasty recommendations out there on how to stop jumping. But a very common one that doesn’t seem so bad is to turn your back on the dog (remove attention). Yet, imagine if a friendly stranger offered to shake your hand and you turned your back. How rude! Why do it to your “best friend”?

Options: Teach them to sit and then pet them. Encourage them to bring a toy so you can play with them. Get down to your dog’s level and talk to them (careful with this one if the dog is wild!). However you do it, start when they’re puppies so you don’t have to change the rules on them just because they got big.

And if you really don’t mind if your dog jumps on you, that’s OK too. Just don’t let them do it to other people who don’t like it.