How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy to Not Jump

German Shepherds are notorious for being excitable and fun-loving dogs, but this can pose issues that some owners may have trouble dealing with. While a friendly dog may seem like every owner’s dream, it can quickly become a nightmare for the owner who likes to entertain guests. An eager dog may be very quick to leap up and jump onto new guests without regard for manners and a puppy is likely to be inadvertently rewarded for doing so. German Shepherd puppies are cute and irresistible, meaning that guests are more prone to rewarding jumping up with pets and attention. Unfortunately, this can become less cute as your puppy grows into a much larger adult dog. It’s better to tackle the issue of jumping up early on to avoid the possibility of your German Shepherd knocking over or overwhelming a guest by accident.

As a general rule, allowing your puppy to leap up on others is at best, poor manners, and at worst, offensive or dangerous. Teaching him to respect the boundaries of both you and other people in your home is important for his growth and development and can create a good foundation for further obedience later on. 

Whichever way you choose to teach your Shepherd the rules of greeting new people, consistency is key, no matter how many people you have in your home. Getting everyone on board is a crucial step to maintaining training. Teaching your puppy good manners is best done as soon as he turns eight weeks of age and should continue throughout puppyhood. However, it should only take one or two weeks to really adjust him to your expectations when it comes to greeting visitors. Through the appropriate management and repetition, your German shepherd puppy can be the ideal host for your house guests.

To begin, determine how often you receive guests in your home, or if you are often the victim of your puppy’s jumping, make note of the times when he does it in order to plan out a proper training routine. You should be taking every opportunity to practice the method you choose in correcting his behavior and knowing these details will help you in doing so.

Once you’ve figured that out, then gather up some treats that your puppy enjoys to act as motivation. This will make it so he is more likely to behave in the way that you want him to instead of exhibiting the poor behavior.