How to Train Australian Shepherds to Not Jump

Imagine racing through an agility course with your Australian Shepherd. You run alongside him as he jumps over obstacles, races through tunnels, and darts around poles. You excitedly race all the way to the finish line together, and praise him enthusiastically as he jumps into your arms. Next, imagine that you are with your Aussie getting ready to try to beat his previous Dock Diving record. The lure is tossed out over the water and your pup flies into the air, soaring across the sky for an instant before falling into the water below. Now picture yourself with your dog on a cattle ranch, signaling him from a distance to herd the last of the cattle into the corral. Your dog darts back and forth, nipping at a stubborn cow's heels and jumping out of the way when the cow kicks. 

Now imagine that you are walking into your home with your family from out of town. You open the door for your guests and soon realize your mistake as your energetic and very excited Australian Shepherd runs to the door, jumping on your surprised guests, and getting so much air when he leaps that he practically licks them on their faces. You grimace and wonder if the jumping is simply unavoidable with your bundle of energy and fur, or if perhaps there is something that you can do about it?

Jumping is natural for your dog, but jumping becomes a problem when it is on people and causes injury, annoyance, and sometimes fear. Jumping on people is something that your dog can learn not to do though. With your help, he can learn to greet people in more appropriate ways and to save his jumping for all of the other, more appropriate, areas of his life.

Jumping is a problem not only because of the potential injury, annoyance, and fear that it can cause, but also because your dog is less likely to be taken places, greeted by people, and welcomed back if he jumps. Ongoing social interactions are important for your dog, and a dog that greets people politely is much easier to bring around people.

Your dog is likely jumping on people to get closer to whoever he is jumping on and to receive attention from that person. Your dog is probably trying to be friendly, which is a good thing, but he needs to be taught a better way to express his friendliness. It is important to show your dog a different way to greet people while he is learning not to jump. The training is more likely to be successful if your dog is being rewarded for his calm behavior while he is being taught not to jump. It is also important for your dog not to be rewarded by anyone with attention for jumping. If your dog is being rewarded with attention for jumping then any efforts at training him not to jump will not be very successful.

To get started you will need lots of small treats that your dog likes. You will also need a small Ziploc bag that can fit into your pocket, or a treat pouch. You will need people who will practice greetings with your dog as he improves, and lots of patience and a good sense of humor. If you are using 'The Leash Method' then you will also need a six or eight-foot leash and an assistant to help you. If you are using 'The Sit Method' then your dog will also need to know the 'sit' command.