Why does my dog jump on me?

If your dog has been jumping on you a lot, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my dog jump on me? Likely reasons why your dog jumps on you are excitement, wanting attention, wanting something from you, dominance and inadvertently encouraging the behavior.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog jumps on you and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why does my dog jump on me?

Below are likely reasons why your dog has been jumping on you and what would make each of them more likely.

Excitement

A likely cause is that it is showing its excitement. This would be more likely if it jumps on you more in situations such as when you arrive home or when you’re playing with it and if it shows signs of excitement such as wagging its tail around, having a lot of energy and licking you.

One reason why excitement could be a cause is that it might want to greet you at the face. It could also be because puppy’s mothers would feed them from the face and they would jump up to get the food.

In this case, it would help to avoid giving it attention when it starts jumping and to give it attention when it is not misbehaving.

Fear

The cause might be that something has been causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it does it more at random times or if it does it more in situations such as when there are loud noises outside.

In this case, it could help to let your dog stay in a quieter part of the house.

Not enough training

If you have not given your dog much training, it will likely behave the way that it feels like behaving. The way that it feels like behaving is unlikely to be the way that you would like it to behave. This is why it is important to give it lots of positive reinforcement training by starting with the basics and building up from there.

Training it the wrong way

If you have given your dog training, the cause could be that you have been training it the wrong way. This would be more likely if you have not been able to get your dog to behave the way you want it to at all.

Additionally, if you have been training your dog in a different environment, it might be the case that your dog has been having a hard time remembering the training in the new environment.

Instead, it would help to train your dog to behave the way you want using training methods such as positive reinforcement training and “Nothing in Life is Free” dog training.

Encouraging the behavior

It might also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as extra attention, toys or treats, when it starts jumping on you, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to reward your dog when it behaves the way you want and to avoid giving it any rewards when it does not.

It wants attention

The cause could also be that your dog is trying to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if your dog jumps on you when you have not been giving your dog attention for a while and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.

Boredom

A part of the cause could also be that your dog is bored and under-stimulated, which has caused it to do things to stimulate itself. This would be more likely if your dog has been jumping up more since getting less exercise and if it jumps up less after it has gotten exercise. It would help to make sure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

It wants you to give it something

Another possible reason is that your dog wants you to give it something. This would be more likely if your dog does it more at around the same time that you would normally feed it or walk it. In this case, it would help to avoid giving it what it wants until it stops jumping.

Dominance

Often, people jump to the conclusion that their dogs do it because they are trying to be dominant. However, it has been shown in studies that wolves take turns in taking the lead.

Despite that, it could still be doing it due to bullying behavior which would be more likely if it tries to get you to move and if it shows signs of aggression when doing it. In this case, it would help to avoid giving it reasons to feel threatened and to get it to learn to behave the way you want it to with training programs such as NLIF (“Nothing in Life is Free) dog training. If it does become aggressive, the best option would be to get help from a professional dog trainer or behaviorist in your area.

Also, there are debates on just how dominant dogs can be.

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider to help figure out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

If your dog has always jumped on you

If your dog did not always jump on you, it would help to consider what else happened when it started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior gets rewarded, a change in how you interact with it, getting less exercise or a change in how you have been training it.

The timing of when your dog jumps on you

It is also likely that the timing has a lot to do with why your dog has been jumping on you. It would help to consider the timing of when your dog has been doing it. For example, if it does it when you arrive home, the cause is likely to be excitement. Whereas, if your dog jumps on you before it has gotten food or exercise, it might be trying to get you to feed it.

The body language your dog shows

It would also help to consider the body language your dog shows when it jumps on you. If it does things such as wag its tail and lick you, it would be likely that your dog is excited. If it does things such as cry or hide, it would be more likely that something is causing it to be anxious. Whereas, if it does things such as bite or growl, it would be more likely to be due to bullying or dominant behavior.

How to stop your dog from jumping on you

Below are some options you have when dealing with your dog jumping on you.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

Seeing as it might be doing it in order to get extra attention from you, one option would be to stop giving it attention when it jumps up, by leaving the room if necessary, and to wait for it to calm down before giving it attention again. If it then starts jumping up at you again you would stop giving it attention again. Doing this should teach it that jumping up does not result in it getting what it wants from you.

Positive reinforcement training

You could also train your dog not to jump up using positive reinforcement training. This is where you reward it when it does not jump up and stop rewarding it when it does.

To use positive reinforcement training to get it to stop jumping do as follows:

1. Get some treats that your dog likes
2. Get it to sit. If you haven’t taught your dog how to sit yet then you can do this by luring the treat above its head until it sits naturally
3. Tell it to stay and then wait for half a second then give it a treat. The idea is to reward it for staying sat and keeping its attention on you so you want to reward it before it has a chance to fail.
4. Do the same as above but increase the duration each time you get it to stay.
5. When your dog is able to stay for over 15 seconds start to introduce distractions such as the squeaking of a toy. Start out with minor distractions such as simply showing it the toy and then build up to harder ones such as rolling the toy in front of it.

Redirect its focus

Another option would be to redirect its focus onto something such as sitting or laying when it seems like it is about to try to jump up at you. Doing this should help to get it out of the habit of jumping up at you.

Give it exercise

It would help to make sure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Get help

If your dog has been being aggressive or you are unable to get it to stop, another option would be to get help from a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see what has been causing your dog to behave that way and how to get it to stop safely.

Why does my dog jump on me when I arrive home?

The reason why your dog jumps on you when you arrive home is likely to be that it is excited and that it is trying to greet you and to see what you have on you. In this case, it would help to avoid giving it any attention until it stops jumping and to reward it only when it does not jump.

Why does my dog jump on me at night?

Your dog might jump at night because something has been causing it to be anxious such as noises or another person or pet. However, it could also be due to things such as getting a lot of energy at night or learning that the behavior is rewarded. It would help to limit reasons why it might be anxious and to give it some exercise in the evening.

Why does my dog jump on me when I sit down?

Your dog might jump on you when you sit down because it has learned that the behavior is rewarded. Another possible cause is that it is actually being dominant. It would help to avoid letting it sit on the couch by training it to sit elsewhere and to train it not to jump on you when you sit down by immediately standing up when it tries to jump on you, getting it to sit somewhere else and rewarding it when it sits there.

Why does my dog jump on me during walks?

Your dog might jump on you during walks due to excitement, trying to get your attention or because it is playing. To get your dog to stop doing it, it would help to stop walking it until it calms down and then continue walking it until it starts jumping again. Repeating this process should teach your dog that jumping results in you not walking it. It would also help to reward it when it does walk the way you want it to.

Why does my dog jump on me and bite me?

It is common for puppies to jump and bite because they are teething and because they have not yet learned that it is not ok to bite. If your dog is an adult dog, it could be due to encouraging the behavior, a lack of training or dominance. It would help to avoid giving your dog extra attention when it starts jumping and biting and to only give it attention when it stops. If it does it aggressively, it would be recommended to get professional help.

Why does my dog jump on me and lick me?

If your dog jumps and licks you, it is likely to be due to excitement and giving your dog extra attention when it does it. It would help to try ignoring your dog when it starts doing it and to reward it only when it does not jump and lick.

Why does my dog jump on me in the morning?

The reason why your dog jumps on you in the morning is likely to be due to some separation anxiety and being excited that you are about to feed it. It would likely help to try not feeding it until it stops jumping.

Why does my dog jump on me when I wake up?

Your dog jumping on you when you wake up in the morning is likely to be due to separation anxiety and wanting food. If your dog does it when you take a nap during the day time, the cause might be separation anxiety, boredom or wanting attention.

Why does my dog jump on me when I run?

The reason why your dog jumps on you when you run could be due to excited, playing or because it is being dominant. It would help to stop running and not give it any attention as soon as it starts jumping then to reward it when it only runs alongside you without jumping. Repeating this process should teach it that jumping results in it not getting what it wants.

Why does my dog jump on me when I cry?

The reason why your dog jumps on you when you cry is likely to be that it thinks you are behaving unusually and that it is trying to comfort you. If you don’t want your dog to do it in this case, it could help to get your dog to stay in a different room temporarily.