You walk through the door after a long and awful day at work and you just want your canine pal to leap into your arms and give you a big cuddle. A jumping dog that’s always happy to see you is what puts a smile on your face after a hard day. It also makes for a fantastic party trick when you’ve got guests over. If you’ve got a smart and sensible mother-in-law, nothing will make everyone chuckle more than seeing your dog jump up into her arms.
Training him to do this trick isn’t just fun and games. It’s also a great way to bond with each other, which is particularly important if you work long hours. It also comes with the added bonus of being a great way to help him let off steam if he’s a tad on the energetic side.
It is surprisingly straightforward to train him to perform this trick. Most dogs love jumping up and down, and most dogs love leaping onto their owners. You just need to combine the two in a controlled manner. It will be easier to train a young dog who’ll be full of energy and sprightly. Older dogs who may have arthritis kicking in, and whose acrobatic days are in the past, may need a week or two before they get the hang of it.
If you can complete training successfully you’ll get a party trick that’s guaranteed to leave guests grinning. You’ll have a dog you can cuddle and snuggle by using a quick verbal command. Plus, if he’s on the larger side, you have an exercise that will help him burn a few extra calories!
Before you turn your home into a circus, you’ll need to prepare a few bits. You will need space and lots of it. You don’t want to both tumble into the TV or even worse, a window. Yes, it does happen! You’ll also need some treats or his favorite food to act as an incentive and reward.
On top of that, furniture, such as a table and chairs will be needed. Make sure you can commit 5-10 minutes a day to training each day, too. The more consistent you are the quicker he will learn.
Once you have all of that, you’re good to go!