Kroki

Question · Puppy

How do I stop my puppy jumping up?

The short answer

Puppies jump up because faces, hands and attention are up there. Give attention only while all four paws are on the floor: crouch down to greet, drop a treat at your feet, and turn quietly away if your puppy leaps. Ask everyone in the house and every visitor to do the same, so jumping never pays and standing calmly always does. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, has a step for greeting with four paws on the floor and an SOS card for jumping up.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Go down to your puppy’s level

    A small puppy can only reach your face by jumping. Crouch or kneel to say hello, keep your hands low and stroke its chest. Many puppies stop leaping at once when the greeting comes to them.

  2. Pay for paws on the floor

    Keep a pot of small treats by the door. When your puppy runs up and stays on the ground, say “Top!” and place a treat between its front paws. Treats delivered low keep the head and paws down.

  3. Turn away from jumping, without a word

    If your puppy jumps, stand up straight, fold your arms and turn your side to it. No pushing, no “down”, no eye contact. The second all paws touch the floor, turn back and reward. Your puppy learns which position makes you friendly again.

  4. Scatter treats when you come home

    The first seconds after you walk in are the most exciting. Toss a handful of treats onto the floor as you enter, so your puppy sniffs instead of springing at you. Then say a calm hello while it is still searching.

  5. Coach visitors at the door

    Tell guests the rule before they come in: attention only for four paws down. Keep your puppy on a light lead or behind a baby gate for the first moments, and let visitors drop a treat on the floor rather than bending over a jumping puppy.

  6. Add a simple Sit when it is ready

    Once your puppy knows Sit at home, ask for it before greetings. A sitting puppy cannot jump at the same time. Keep the first tries easy and pay well, because excitement makes everything harder for a young puppy.

Is your dog already grown up?

A grown dog that jumps up has often been rewarded for it for months or years, and it is heavier, so knocks and scratches matter more. It needs the same idea with more management and more repetition, plus a look at joints in older dogs. The page for adult and rescue dogs explains that route.

Why jumping up works so well for puppies

Jumping up is mostly a way to get close to a face and to be touched. Touch is a strong reward for dogs: in a study, dogs stayed much longer near a person who stroked them than near one who only talked kindly, and praise alone was no better than no attention at all (Feuerbacher and Wynne 2015). Every pat on the head when a puppy leaps can therefore feed the jumping, even when the words are “no”.

There is a physical reason to keep things low as well. Veterinary guidance from VCA Animal Hospitals explains that the growth plates in a puppy’s bones stay open for months: in small breeds they close at around six months or a little later, in giant breeds closer to one and a half years. Growing joints are best spared from lots of repeated jumping, including leaping on and off sofas and standing on hind legs for long.

Practice works best in small doses. In one study, dogs trained once a week reached the goal in fewer sessions than dogs trained five times a week (Meyer and Ladewig 2008). The dogs were not puppies, but the point carries over: short, calm greetings practised a few times a day, with plenty of sleep in between, are kinder to a puppy than long drilling sessions.

Jumping situations with a puppy

  • It jumps up when you sit down: keep a chew next to the sofa and offer it before your puppy launches itself at you.
  • It jumps at children: let children sit on the floor for greetings and give them treats to drop, with an adult close by.
  • It jumps up and bites clothes: freeze, then redirect to a toy. Biting and jumping usually come from the same excitement.
  • It jumps onto the sofa: use a gate or blanket on the sofa for now, and reward lying on its own bed.

What keeps a puppy jumping

  • Pushing it away with your hands. Hands on the body feel like play and invite another jump.
  • Different rules from different people. If one person cuddles a jumping puppy, it keeps trying everyone.
  • Kneeing the chest or stepping on back paws. These hurt, can injure young joints and make greetings stressful.
  • Saying “no” and patting at the same time. The touch counts more than the word.

When to see a professional

Jumping up is normal puppy behaviour. Talk to a professional if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my puppy jump up at me all the time?

Your puppy jumps up to reach your face and get your attention. If jumping has ever led to stroking, talking or a game, it learns that leaping is how to get noticed.

Should I say “off” or “down” when my puppy jumps?

It is better to say nothing and turn away. Many puppies hear any words as attention, and “down” often gets mixed up with lying down later.

How do I stop my puppy jumping up at visitors?

Manage the first minutes with a lead or a baby gate and ask visitors to greet only when your puppy has four paws on the floor. A few treats scattered on the floor help it stay down.

Is jumping up bad for a puppy’s joints?

Lots of repeated jumping is not ideal while a puppy’s bones are still growing. Normal play is fine, but keep greetings low and avoid encouraging jumps on and off high furniture.

Why does my puppy jump up at other dogs?

Many puppies greet older dogs by jumping at their faces, which some adult dogs dislike. Keep meetings short, on a loose lead, and walk your puppy away for a break before the other dog gets annoyed.

My puppy jumps up when I sit on the sofa. What helps?

Have a chew or toy ready before you sit, and reward your puppy for staying on the floor next to you. If it jumps, stand up calmly and sit down again when it has settled.

Will my puppy grow out of jumping up?

Not on its own, if jumping keeps being rewarded. With consistent greetings from everyone, most puppies learn quickly that staying down is the way to get attention.

Sources