How to Train Your Small Dog to Not Jump

Make sure he isn’t jumping up because he needs something. Check his water bowl has plenty in it, that it isn’t a meal time, and that he’s been out to the toilet. You don’t want to start ignoring his jumping if it’s a genuine sign something is the matter.

When he jumps up at you, turn around and face the other way. Don’t shout at him or give him any attention. He’s jumping purely because he wants attention, you need to make sure you don’t pander to that behavior.

Wait for 30 seconds and then you can turn back around. This is, in effect, a time out period. He’ll soon learn that if he jumps up he gets even less attention, which will hopefully deter him from jumping altogether.

If he jumps up at you again, turn around, but this time wait for an additional 30 seconds. Do this every time he jumps up. He will slowly catch on and think twice about jumping. You just might have a lot of waiting around up until that point, so be patient.

Once it gets to two and a half minutes, leave the room altogether. Make sure you don’t say anything or even acknowledge him. Then shut the door to get some real distance for a little while. After a few minutes, you can go back to whatever it is you were doing.

You’re going to channel his energy into something more productive. Before he gets a chance to jump up at you when you walk in the house for example, you’re going to make him work for your attention in a productive way.

Have him ‘sit’, go ‘down’ or do any other kind of trick when you walk in. If you do this every time, he’ll soon forget about jumping and instead he’ll perform a trick for you if he wants your attention.

Make sure you give him a reward when he does successfully do a trick. This will further reinforce that tricks get him treats and jumping gets him nothing. This technique works by slowly breaking the jumping habit. He’ll have soon forgotten he ever used to do it.

You can also try dropping him a toy as soon as you come in the room. If he knows he’ll get something from you then he won’t feel the need to jump. So drop his favorite toy, or even a food puzzle. Both will keep him distracted and all four paws firmly on the ground until the habit is broken.

Don’t shout or scare him when he does jump up. This will only make him terrified of you and unsure how to behave. You may find he swaps his jumping up habit for a worse habit, like nervously peeing on the floor, so stay calm.

Make sure that you always carry a water bottle with a spray spout. Then whenever he jumps up, give a quick spray near his face. You don’t want to blind him or scare him, just let him know you’re not happy. This unpleasant consequence will make him think twice next time.

You can get remote controlled collars that emit an unpleasant citronella spray when you hit the button. Whenever he jumps up, hit the button straight away. He’ll soon associate jumping with negative experiences and stop doing it.

If he jumps up while you’re trying to make his food or put his bowl down, make him wait for it. Simply look at him to let him know you’re waiting for him and then wait for him to calm down. You can also do the same thing if he jumps up when it’s time for a walk. Stand there with his leash until he calms down and stops jumping.

When he does stop jumping up, take out a treat and give it to him. You can also give him some verbal praise. Just make sure he has definitely stopped jumping, you don’t want him to think the treat is for the jumping. This combination of negative and positive reinforcement will help him quickly understand what’s expected of him.

It’s vital you always respond. If you occasionally give him the attention he wants you’ll only set back the end result. Each slip up tells him actually jumping is an effective way to get what he wants.