Soft Paws® Can Help with Dogs That Jump

Does your dog jump on people? This is a common behavioral issue. Whether your dog is small or large, jumping can irritate your visitors, and painful scratches can add injury to insult.

Don't worry: you can train your dog to keep all four feet on the floor. In the meantime, you can use Soft Paws® to cover your dog's nails and decrease the scratching damage that's done to people's legs when he does jump.

How to Train a Dog Not to Jump on People

When you are training a dog to do anything, the basic tenet to keep in mind is that dogs learn best when they are praised for doing the right thing. Come up with an alternative that you would rather have your dog do when he would normally jump on someone. Here are some examples:

• Sit and wait for the person to approach the dog.
• Grab a dog toy to absorb some excitement and wait politely.
• Sit and offer a paw to the visitor.

Once you've decided what you'd like your dog to do instead of jumping on people, make sure it's something your dog knows how to do. If you need to teach your dog to sit, for example, or to offer a paw, you'll need to do that first.

Once you're ready to train your dog not to jump on people, set up some training sessions. It doesn't work well to wait for someone to come to the door and try to teach the dog then. That can be sporadic and just too exciting for the dog to be a good training atmosphere. Instead, employ a friend or family member who usually triggers your dog to jump to help you.

Put your dog on a leash and have the helper come in, knock on the door, or whatever usually triggers your dog to jump. Tell your dog to sit, give him his toy, or give the command for whatever you want your dog to do. Give him lots of praise and a treat when he does it.

Go slowly, and don't forget to be positive. Don't respond if your dog does jump other than to use the leash to guide him down, repeat the command you want him to follow, and praise him for complying. You might need to have your partner back up and start from further away, gradually moving closer as your dog responds better to your command.

Over time, your dog will learn that it is more rewarding to sit and wait for attention, grab a toy and play, or offer a paw instead of jumping on people.

Soft Paws® Can Help with a Dog That Jumps While You're Training

While you are in the process of training your dog not to jump on people, having Soft Paws® nail caps on his claws will decrease or eliminate any damage he'll do to people's leg or arms. You still want to pursue training, of course, because jumping on people can be upsetting and cause injury other than scratches, especially if the dog is big. Still, the Soft Paws® can help reduce injury during the time when your dog is still in training and might jump on someone.