Teaching your puppy not to jump on people promotes safety, good manners, and positive interactions with others while helping your puppy develop into a well-behaved and socially accepted member of the community. Here are a few things you can do to train your White Swiss Shepherd puppy not to jump on you:
#1 – You must commit to being the alpha for your pack.
Most of our blogs about puppy behavior begin with a few themes. First, you need to decide how you want your dog to behave. Second, you need to be the “alpha” of the pack to teach that behavior. Third, you need to remember that your dog will be happiest when he has consistent rules to follow. You are not the “bad guy” for being a good leader. You are the “good guy” for providing a dog with what they crave; structure and belonging in a pack.
#2 – Understand why your dog is jumping and what is not working.
Young puppies are excitable and looking for engagement. They jump up to generate engagement with you and, when you gently nudge them away, talk to them, grab their paws and set them down, or even tell them “down” then pet them when they finally get down, they get validation! In other words, they jumped on you, and you gave them what they wanted, positive engagement! So, you have reinforced that jumping is a good thing and the longer this goes on, the more it will become a bad habit.
#3 – Immediately and consistently correct jumping!
Watch how your dog is approaching and be ready for the “jump”. They should get immediate negative consequences such as a poke in the ribs, a raised knee that they jump into, or a sharp tug on the leash. Make the correction and don’t engage or encourage them even if after the correction, they get down (that can send a mixed message). Correct the behavior immediately and turn your attention to other things. Later, when the dog approaches you without jumping then give them positive warm words, pet them, encourage them, and engage with them. The message needs to be clear: when I jump it is unpleasant and I don’t get attention, but, when I approach without jumping, I get a lot of love!
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