Jumping on People
When a Poodle Jumps Up on Peopleand Training to Stop This
Overview
It is quite common for dogs to jump up on someone to say hello, though this can be distracting and in some cases, unwanted, depending on the size of your Poodle, who your Poodle is doing it to, and the amount of force in which it is done.
Maybe your Poodle continually jumps up on guests as soon as they walk through the doorway. Or perhaps your Poodle is a bit too enthusiastic when greeting you and jumps up before you even have a chance to react.
There are some effective training techniques to stop a Poodle from jumping up on people, including their owners. And, you will find that since this is just the canine way of extending an excited greeting, training still allows a dog to say hello, it will just be in a more controlled manner.
First, How Exercise is Linked to Jumping
Dogs need to exert and release a certain amount of energy each day to feel well-balanced, both physically and mentally. Without this, energy may stay pent up until it is released at inopportune times such as upon the trigger of seeing you or a friendly guest.
So, as a precursor to training to limit jumping, be sure to walk your Poodle at least twice per day. Each session should be for a minimum of 20 minutes (and up to 40 for standard Poodles) at a pace that is considered brisk for your particular puppy or dog. In addition to this, a 20-minute session of free-play cardio, such as fetch, can go a long way in helping a Poodle feel content and calmer.
If your Poodle is already meeting these guidelines, try increasing each session by 5 to 10 minutes.
Prep for Training
To teach a Poodle to stop jumping, there are 3 things that should be in place ahead of time.
#1 Your Poodle should know the ‘Sit’ command.
Just ordering a sit is certainly not enough to stop an excited Poodle from jumping up; however, having a dog sit on command is indeed a piece of the training. So, if your Poodle does not yet know the sit command, you’ll want to train for this first. And, don’t worry, it is the most basic dog command and most Poodles catch on to this very quickly.
#2 Have a short or retractable leash and a harness.
This is used when training to stop jumping on guests to the home. A harness, as opposed to a collar, is highly recommended at any rate for all toy Poodles to prevent pressure on the neck. And, using a harness for any sized Poodle will give you better control. When you train a Poodle to stop jumping up on people, both of these elements come into play.
If you are looking for a comfortable harness for your Poodle, the Puppia Soft B Harness Vest
is fantastic. This starts as size extra-small and goes up from there to size x-x-large so it is ideal for Poodles of all sizes. This is made from a soft air-mesh for breathability and is very easy to place on with an adjustable Velcro flap on the back. As an added plus, it comes in 13 different colors, so your guy or gal can always look stylish.
is fantastic. This starts as size extra-small and goes up from there to size x-x-large so it is ideal for Poodles of all sizes. This is made from a soft air-mesh for breathability and is very easy to place on with an adjustable Velcro flap on the back. As an added plus, it comes in 13 different colors, so your guy or gal can always look stylish. #3 Have training treats at the ready.
Dogs need a reason to listen to training, especially when going against an instinct to jump up which stems from a mindset of excitement and happiness. So, giving reward treats (paired with praise) is the fastest, clearest method of communicating that a Poodle has done a good job by not jumping and to motivate them to repeat desired behavior.
Training treats should be moist, small (as to not interfere with appetite and to ensure that the message is quickly received), something that is not given out at any rate (should be reserved just for training), and extra delicious (to really get the point across).
If you are looking for a good training treat, Wellness Soft WellBites Natural Dog Treats
is a great choice for all adult Poodles. These can be torn in half for small toy Poodles and are available in some really fantastic flavors like lamb & salmon, turkey & duck, and chicken & venison.
is a great choice for all adult Poodles. These can be torn in half for small toy Poodles and are available in some really fantastic flavors like lamb & salmon, turkey & duck, and chicken & venison. And, another terrific option is Zuke's Mini Naturals Dog Treats
; these also come in some tempting flavors including peanut butter & oats, rabbit, salmon, duck, and chicken. With these, toy Poodles and minis can be given one and standards two for each treat reward.
; these also come in some tempting flavors including peanut butter & oats, rabbit, salmon, duck, and chicken. With these, toy Poodles and minis can be given one and standards two for each treat reward. When you have a training session, these should be in your pocket within a small zipped sandwich bag.
The Essential Element of Limiting Surprise
Finally, the thing to keep in mind as we move into the actual training is that a Poodle may be jumping on people as an instant reaction to the sudden surprise of seeing them. So, since you cannot be training at all times, have a general rule in place that your Poodle is allowed more time to process the fact that a greeting is about to happen.
Don’t have visitors let themselves in and suddenly pop up around a corner. And, all household members should announce that they are approaching and try to position themselves where a Poodle needs to navigate around furniture to come up to them.
How to Train a Poodle to Stop Jumping on Guests
As mentioned, visitors to your home should not enter unannounced. For this training, your guests will need to assist you by letting you know in advance that they are going to approach the house and by following a few training tips for the greeting itself.
How long it takes to train a Poodle to stop jumping on guests will depend on how often you have visitors to your home (hence, how often you can have training sessions). Generally, with some level of consistency, there will be significant improvement after 10 sessions.
1.
When you are alerted that a guest is about to come to your front door, stand approximately 15 feet from the doorway with your Poodle on leash and harness and by your side. Command a sit.
2.
As soon as your Poodle obeys the sit, give praise (good, dog!) and one training treat. As you do this, remain standing and use your foot to hold the leash in place so that your Poodle cannot rise. Do not make it so taut as to cause discomfort or even that your Poodle realizes that you are doing it; but rather just enough that rising and jumping is not possible.
3.
Have your guest lightly knock. You will then say ‘Enter, please’ and then in a calm and confirming voice keep repeating ‘Sitttt’ to your Poodle.
4.
Your guest should calmly enter, close the door, and then stand at the entrance.
5.
Your Poodle may show visible excitement at this point. Repeat the command ‘Sit’ and offer a second treat.
6.
Have your guest slowly come up to you both, and bend or lower themselves to say hello. A few pets may be given, but your guest should not act overly excited and the greeting should last approximately 10 seconds or less.
7.
Have your guest move a few steps back. Since your Poodle completed a greet without jumping up, reward this with a third training treat.
8.
While having small talk with your guest, slowly take steps to incrementally allowing the leash to unfurl. If at any time your Poodle tries to jump up toward your visitor, shorten the length of the leash and command another sit (followed by praise and reward) until your Poodle calms back down.
9.
It is now time to allow your Poodle to release their excitement in a positive way. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to have your guest engage your guy or gal in a game of fetch for 5 to 10 minutes. If you wish to keep this inside, you can use a soft fetch toy designed for indoor use like the Chuckit! Indoor Roller Toy
which is ideal for toys or miniatures.
which is ideal for toys or miniatures. And, if you have a standard Poodle, the Chuckit! Indoor Squirrel
will be more appropriate.
will be more appropriate. 10.
If at any time your Poodle does find an opportunity to jump on your guest, have that person pull their hands up to their chest and turn their body to the side, remaining still and not acknowledging your Poodle in any way. This makes it so that a dog does not achieve their goal of saying hello in this way.
At that time, you will give a firm ‘no’, order a ‘sit’, keep your Poodle in place via your foot on the leash (step 2), and repeat training steps 5 through 9.
How to Train a Poodle to Stop Jumping on You
If your Poodle leaps on you as you enter the house and you have a helper, you can train in the same way as the aforementioned ‘guest’ training, with you playing the role as the visitor.
However, if you do not have someone to assist you, training will be different. And, this will vary depending on the size of your Poodle and what type of setup you have for them while you are away from home or during the night while you are sleeping.
If you have a toy Poodle and they have their own area such as a playpen or a gated off area while you are away or at night:
1.
Have training treats in a zipped sandwich bag in strategic areas including a spot to pocket them before you enter the house and/or before you greet your Poodle in the morning.
2.
Keep your Poodle in their area while you reach over to say hello and give pets.
3.
Do not release your Poodle from their area until their initial excitement has waned.
4.
When you do release your Poodle, immediately command a ‘sit’ and reward this with praise and a training treat.
5.
Any time that your toy Poodle attempts to jump up on you, stand. Hold your arms to your chest and look straight ahead, not making any eye contact at all and not speaking.
Note that ‘no’ or ‘off’ will not be listened to at this point and it is best to refrain from giving a command that will be ignored since this undermines your authority.
6.
Any time that your toy Poodle’s paws touch the ground (even if it is just the inevitability of taking a rest or rebalancing themselves), mark the behavior of dropping off you with ‘Good, off! Good dog), calm pets, and a training treat.
7.
Since this could go on forever, after the treat has been given, refocus your Poodle. If it is time to go outside for a bathroom visit, lead your Poodle there. If not, play a short game of fetch or otherwise engage your little guy or gal in a physical activity, preferably for at least 5 minutes.
Repeat steps 5 through 7 as needed.
Tip:
If your Poodle is extremely hyped up
and acting quite wild to the point that the command of ‘sit’ is not heard and paws dropping to the ground are so fleeting that it’s impossible to mark the moment with praise and reward, stay patient. It may take some time, but your Poodle will tire out enough that you can follow through with those steps.
If you have a miniature or standard Poodle that has free reign of the house:
This sort of training is rather tricky since you do not have a helper and there is no physical barrier like a playpen or gate. So, do keep in mind that this will require lots of patience on your behalf and repetition.
1.
Have training treats in a zipped sandwich bag in strategic areas including a spot to pocket them before you enter the house and/or before you greet your Poodle in the morning.
2.
Each time you enter the house or the room where your Poodle is, never fully open the door. Rather, open it only several inches.
When your Poodle comes running over (or if you need to call them to you), allow them to release their initial excitement with the door as a barrier and when they seem calm enough to listen, order a sit. Reward this with praise and a training treat.
3.
Once your Poodle is sitting, open the door to enter, giving pets and verbal greetings in a calm manner.
4.
If your Poodle jumps up on you, pull you arms up to your chest, turn your body, do not make any eye contact, and do not speak.
Note that ‘no’ or ‘off’ will not be listened to at this point and it is best to refrain from giving a command that will be ignored since this undermines your authority.
5.
Any time that your Poodle’s paws touch the ground (even if it is just the inevitability of taking a rest or rebalancing themselves), mark the behavior of dropping off you with ‘Good, off! Good dog), calm pets, and a training treat.
6.
Allow your Poodle to then release their energy in a positive way. This typically involves at least a 5-minute session of a physical activity, with a game of fetch usually working quite well.
Tip:
If your Poodle is acting so crazed and hyper that they do not hear your ‘sit’ command and their paws are only touching down for such a brief moment that it’s a whirlwind, remain patient. It may take some time, but your Poodle’s energy will wane enough that you can follow through with the training steps.
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