Why Does Your Dog Jump on Certain Situations?

Have you ever wondered why your dog jumps at certain things? Many canine behaviorists have different notions about why dogs do certain things that they do. Jumping is on of those undesirable behaviors that need to be addressed with firm hands. It is better to prevent developing such behaviors rather than correcting it once developed. The answer to ‘Why does your dog jump at certain situations?’ may be best understood by analyzing “when (at what situations) does your dog jump”. Ever spared thoughts on that?

It has been noticed that dog jumps at certain things and on certain occasions, for instance: when they find a lizard on your wall or when they come across someone they love or at certain peak moments, like when you enter his room with his food bowl or when his handler pick up the leash. After analyzing all these situations it is clear that dog jumps:

1) When they are inquisitive about something (seeing a lizard)
2) When they are excited and happy about something (seeing someone he loves or seeing you picking up his leash)

When they are inquisitive about something, some dogs get stimulated as the thing incites him. When he finds a butterfly flying around or a lizard he is stimulated to go near them, which makes him jump.

Peak moments like when you pick up his walking leash or the ball stimulates him thinking that its time for him to go play and his bouncing begins.

Corrective, reward based training is essential as an effective jumping mishap solution. Even after you have perfectly spotted out the when(s) and why(s) behind your dog’s jumping tendencies, you should not expect to get rid of the problem within days. The first step is to establishing yourself as the leader of the pack. Are you the pack leader yet? Some really big mistakes that I had made while establishing pack leadership. I am sure this post will help you follow the right path.  

Corrective measures, including setting up a set of strict rules for your dog and consistently maintaining the rules throughout his life is a must to control the jumping mishaps.

Understanding why your dog sometimes does certain things is of prime importance when it comes to setting up the rules. At the outset keep off your attention from him and turn back when he starts jumping.

Giving him attention and not resisting him in his mistakes are almost equivalent to rewarding him for what he’s doing. A simple trick to correct this is… as soon as he starts jumping, seeing you coming with his leash, say ‘NO’ strictly, firmly and sharply. Turn back and go away without putting his collar. Repeating this consistently every time he commits the same mistake will help him understand that he’s not going to be rewarded (taken out to walk) if he does what he does. Real reward, like lavish praises and letting him go play, should certainly be connected to desirable behavior (staying calm even when he sees you picking the leash). Being consistent with this rule will let him understand the link between his behavior and your corresponding action. Help your dog to help you stop the jumping behavior.