Dogs jump when they’re excited. They’ll jump all over another dominant dog out of respect and they’ll jump all over you out of glee. But while dog jumping on people is generally a clear message of affection, it isn’t always appropriate. A large jumping dog can overwhelm and scare small children for instance, or it can make bringing in the groceries an even harder chore than what it already is. Here’s how to stop your dog from jumping without hurting its feelings.

1. Train a jumping dog to sit when you enter the house. Start your training with the dog on one side of a gate, since a gate looks and works similar to the way a house door appears and operates. Issue the sit command and reward the dog with a treat when it sits. (See our article about the sit command for further information.) Should the dog jump up onto the gate, step back and issue the sit command again. Repeat as necessary. Once the dog understands that it is to sit when you’re on the other side of the gate, use the same technique to train it without barrier.

2.Teach the dog to sit on a designated mat when visitors arrive. The mat will help reinforce the idea that the dog is to remain in one spot when people enter the home. First place the mat where you want the dog to be when others enter your home. Then train the dog with a "go to the mat" or "mat" command using positive reinforcement. With the dog on a leash, give the dog the "go to the mat" command and then lead the dog to the mat. At the mat, give the dog the "sit" command. When the dog sits on the mat, give it a treat. Do this a couple of times until the dog follows your commands without resistance. Then try it with the dog off the leash. It might help if you put a small treat on the mat before you give the dog the "go to the mat" command. With regular practice, the dog should follow your command without you having to lure it with a treat beforehand. If you have a toy dog, you might want to train it to sit on a chair or on the couch instead so it doesn’t get trampled by your visitors.

3. Turn your back to the dog. This trick doesn’t always work and it doesn’t teach the dog how to properly greet people, but it will work in a pinch. When you enter the home, and you see your dog start to charge toward you out of excitement, turn your back to it. In dog world, this posture says, "No" or "Not now, "or "Not interested." And in most cases, the dog will sit or stand -- waiting for you to turn back around and face it. This gives you time to rush and turn off the house alarm or quickly perform some other task.

A persistent dog will run around to your front side and attempt to jump on you again. Just keep turning your back until the dog gets the hint. And only give it attention when you’re ready. You needn’t force the dog to wait after you’ve taken a bath just to say hi. However it’s silly to try to juggle the dry cleaning and pet a jumping dog at the same time. Give yourself an opportunity to free your hands before petting the dog – and give your dog an opportunity to learn some patience.

Then get started on the dog jumping training tips described above!