07/18/2026
Ever wonder why dogs jump on people?
Here’s something that might surprise you.
Jumping is actually a completely natural behavior.
When puppies greet their mother, they jump up and lick around her mouth. As they grow, jumping becomes a way to greet, seek attention, show excitement, and interact with the people they love. To a dog, it is often their version of saying, “I’m so happy you’re here.”
The problem?
We humans don’t usually appreciate being greeted with muddy paws, scratched legs, or 70 pounds of enthusiasm flying into our chest.
So, while jumping is natural for dogs, it is a behavior we have to teach them is not appropriate in our world.
Here is something I really want people to hear.
Even professional trainers struggle sometimes.
My young female, Willow, is my current reminder that dogs do not read training manuals.
She is a Stage 5 clinger. She is incredibly social, extremely mouthy, high drive, high energy, and she absolutely loves people with every ounce of her body.
I have used methods I have learned over the years. Some have worked for a while; some have not. Some worked one day and failed miserably the next.
The truth is this:
I am not fighting a dog that is being “bad.”
I am working against thousands of years of natural canine behavior while asking her to choose something that makes sense to humans instead of dogs.
Some days she absolutely nails it.
Other days she acts like we have never had this conversation before.
And that is okay.
Training is not linear.
Progress is not perfect.
Some dogs simply need more repetition, more maturity, and more consistency than others.
Our goal is not to suppress excitement. Our goal is to teach our dogs a more polite way to express it.
Some strategies I use include:
• Ignoring jumping so it is not rewarded with attention.
• Rewarding all four paws on the ground.
• Asking for an incompatible behavior, such as a sit, before greeting.
• Managing excitement with a leash when needed.
• Keeping greetings calm instead of accidentally rewarding overexcitement.
• Being consistent, because one person allowing jumping can undo a lot of practice.
As a balanced trainer, I also believe there is no one size fits all solution. Every dog is an individual. Sometimes positive reinforcement is all that is needed. Sometimes management is the biggest piece of the puzzle. Sometimes, once a dog fully understands what is being asked, fair and appropriate corrections become part of the learning process. The key is knowing the dog in front of you, understanding what motivates them, communicating clearly, and being fair and consistent throughout the process.
If you are struggling with a dog that jumps, you are not failing.
If you are a trainer whose own dog still embarrasses you from time to time, welcome to the club.
Our own dogs have a funny way of keeping us humble.
Now I want to hear from all of you.
What has worked for your jumper?
Share your favorite methods, tips, or success stories in the comments. You might help another owner, and who knows, you might even teach this old dog a new trick.
—Cora
(Pictured Willow my serial jumper)
