The “Off” Exercise

Option 1

Teaching “off” is pretty easy for most dogs. Sit down with your dog and show him that you have a treat tucked in your hand. Hold your hand out as though you plan to give him the treat but keep your hand closed around the treat so he can’t get it (or even taste it). When he reaches with his mouth to nibble at your hand, say “off” in a clear voice (shouting is unnecessary). If the dog pulls back away from your hand, immediately say “yes”, open your hand, and reach out to let him take the treat. If he doesn’t pull back when you say “off”, move your hand toward his nose and give him a gentle “bop”. He should retract his nose from your hand then, at which point, you say “yes” and feed him the treat. The goal is to entice him to pull away from your hand, so you can then reinforce the pulling away behavior. The bop needs to be firm enough to cause the dog to pull away but not so firm that the dog becomes frightened or hurt by your movement.

A common mistake that people make is to pull their hand away from the dog rather than waiting for the dog to pull away from your hand. That won’t teach him the behavior. Once you get it right, your dog should only need a few repetitions before he instantly pulls back when he hears the word “off”. If you are too rough with your bop or your dog is especially sensitive, your dog may become hesitant to take the treat from your hand. Be sure to occasionally offer the dog a treat from your hand and refrain from saying “off”. Simply say “yes” and reach toward the dog. That will help the dog learn that he needs to listen for the word “off”.

Once your dog is consistently pulling away from your hand when you say “off”, require that he wait for a second or two before you give him the treat. When you first do this, the dog will likely pull away, then jump back up to your mouth or paw at your hand. Say “off” and bop again. Repeat until the dog is able to wait 1-2 seconds before receiving the treat. This teaches the dog to control himself. Eventually, work up to 30-60 seconds of the dog waiting for permission to take the treat.

The next step is to teach “off” while you are standing. Stand up, show the dog the treat in your hand, and wait for him to jump up on you. If he isn’t inclined to do this, just step outside your front door for a few minutes. Come back in, holding your hand, with the treat, in front of your body. When the dog runs to jump up on you, say “off” and deliver the bop to his nose. He will recognize that this is still the same game, and pull away from you. He will most likely sit. The instant he pulls away, say “yes” and reward him with the treat. Repeat this training with you coming in the front door, the back door, the yard, and anywhere else the dog is likely to jump on you. Make sure all family members and regular visitors get involved in the training too. Now your dog actually knows what you mean when you say “off”.

Option 2

Since a dog jumps in order to solicit attention, when you see him rev up to leap, say “No, off” and turn away from the dog. Removing your attention (a reward to the dog) is a gentle, effective way to correct the dog. As soon as he has settled either with four feet on the floor or in a sit/down-stay, turn back around, drop to your knees, and quietly praise the dog.

Give the jumping behavior a name, so you can turn it on and off. At my house, it’s called “leapin’ lizards” but “paws up” or “feet up” can suffice. Teach your dog how to jump up on command, then add“ no” as in “no paws up” to let the dog know when you don’t want him to jump up.
More importantly, give the dog something else to do. Obedience training is a strong plus when trying to get a jumping problem under control. A dog holding a sit or down-stay is not a jumping dog. When attempting the sit or down-stay, avoid pushing, shoving, flapping your arms, or other fast, excitable movements. Use a lure-reward method rather than physically manipulating the dog. Avoid raising your vocal tone or whining. All extra movements and excited vocalization will incite the dog. Here is a situation where the old Bauhaus motto, “Less is More,” really applies.
To aid the dog is holding his sit or down when visitors arrive, put him on a leash before opening the door; this way, you have a means of control at your fingertips.
For an unfocused bouncing maniac, give him just enough leash to do a sit or down-stay and step on the rest. When the dog attempts to move, he will correct himself. (This may not work for a 100 lb. person with a 200 lb. dog, but it works well for most handlers.)
Be consistent. Never let the dog jump up without being directed to do so. A dog cannot distinguish between dirty, old blue jeans and a designer suit. He cannot tell which days it is okay to jump on you by what you are wearing or what the weather is like. (“If it’s cool and dry and I’m wearing my jogging suit, jump away. If it’s raining and I’m wearing my white Chanel suit, don’t you dare lay a paw on me!”)
Be consistent with strangers, too. Do not let someone confuse your dog by stopping you in mid correction by their crooning, “It’s OK, I just looove dogs,” while kissing and stroking your dog and rewarding him for his misbehavior. There is nothing wrong with not allowing people to pet your dog unless he is on a stay command. Guests to your home are no exception. Warn them beforehand. (“I’m training my dog not to jump up unless commanded. I could really use your help. Please don’t pet him or even acknowledge him unless he’s holding his stay.”)

For the Slow-Learner, jumping set-ups are in order. On a weekend or vacation day, arrange for a friend, neighbor, or relative to ring your doorbell every 10-15 minutes for a couple of hours. Each time, put your dog on a leash, command him to down or sit-stay and open the door and greet your visitor. Sometimes giving the dog a distinct place such as a small foyer rug helps him to focus on his job (go to your place and lie down). Your visitor can give your pup a treat or a tickle if he is behaving but should ignore him if he is not.

Once the dog is under control, the visitor leaves, only to return again in another 10-15 minutes. This goes on until Rover understands that his job is to stay put until he is told to do otherwise.

Click here to watch the video: https://www.petfinder.com/videos/petfinder-jumping-how-to-teach-calm-behavior/

How to Stop Dog from Jumping

Petfinder: Jumping – How to Teach Calm Behavior

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