How to stop your dog jumping up at people

Many dogs jump up at people because they’re excited to greet them. They might be a familiar person they know and like, or a new, exciting person that your dog wants to say “hello” to.  

When dogs are excited, they can find it difficult to contain their emotions and body movements. That burst of energy can be expressed by jumping up. If they’re excited, they might also have a fast-wagging tail, loose body and be panting gently.

Jumping up can also be a result of frustration, particularly if your dog wants to get something but can’t. This could be attention from a person, getting to another dog, or wanting to move forward on a walk.  

Dogs may jump up at a person, even if they’re not the direct cause of the frustration. This is a redirection behaviour. For example, if a dog wants to get to a cat on the other side of the road but can’t because they’re on their lead, their frustration increases. Jumping up at the person on the end of their lead releases that frustration and communicates how they’re feeling.  

Other signs of frustration include whining, barking, and grabbing at things like clothing or their lead.  

A stressed dog who’s overwhelmed, overstimulated, and unsure how to behave might jump up. Jumping gives them a physical way to release tension. 

Anxious dogs may jump up at people they know to seek reassurance and security. In these circumstances, jumping up does not represent excitement but is instead a way for dogs to communicate they’re unsure.

Jumping up may be combined with other body language signs like a tucked tail and panting. A dog who jumps up at strangers or visitors may feel anxious about greeting them.  

If you think your dog is anxious and they’re looking for support from you, it’s ok to reassure them. Comfort your dog when they have all four paws on the ground, so you’re not encouraging them to jump up more.  

Dogs repeat things that work well for them. For example, learning to jump at the table, counter or worktop to get the food left on it.  

Sometimes, jumping up can be accidentally rewarded by owners. For example, telling your dog to get down when they jump at you for attention. Most dogs will take any attention, even being told to get down! Don’t worry though, this is an easy and common mistake to make.

Over time, if jumping up has a good outcome for your dog, the behaviour is likely to be repeated. That outcome might be attention, reassurance, or access to something they want. This is how habits are formed.

The good news is that habits, even if they’ve been reinforced, can be changed with the right support and consistency. 

Your dog might jump on visitors because they’re excited, or because they’re anxious about them entering the home. A dog who’s excited and enthusiastic about greeting visitors is likely to have a loose, wiggly body and a relaxed wagging tail. It may be wagging fast if they’re very excited.  

They probably want some attention from the visitor in the form of physical and verbal affection, so they may lean on them to encourage this.

If your dog is anxious or scared by a visitor and jumps up, they’re likely to have a tense body. You may notice their ears back and their tail between their legs. They may also vocalise and jump up to try and get the visitor to move away or not enter the home.

Dogs are likely to jump up at familiar family and friends for attention, or because they’re excited. They may associate specific people with exciting and positive things, like food, play, or their favourite walk.

Jumping up can become a channel for excited energy. If family and friends give your dog attention for jumping up, they’re likely to jump up again and again. 

If a dog jumps up at strangers on a walk, they may be curious to learn more about the person. Dogs gather information by sniffing and, in some cases, using their mouths. This is particularly common for puppy and adolescent dogs.  

If your dog can’t get to someone because they’re on their lead, they might jump to try and get closer. They may also be excited to say hello. If your dog hasn’t learnt a polite greeting and approaches people this way, they won’t know any different or that this can cause a problem.  

Some dogs are worried by unfamiliar people on walks. This could be all people, or those with a specific characteristic like having a beard, wearing a hat, carrying an unusual bag or using a mobility aid. A dog who hasn’t met, or has had a negative experience with, strangers may jump up because they see them as a threat. They’re trying to make the scary person move away. Look at your dog’s body language around strangers to understand if they’re relaxed, excited, scared or frustrated.

Remember, a dog doesn’t have to cause any physical damage, or have malicious intent, to be deemed as dangerously out of control in the eyes of the law. The law is not breed-specific and applies to all dogs. Keep your dog on a lead around strangers if they’re likely to jump up. 

Some dogs might start nipping or mouthing at your arms or clothing while they’re jumping up. Mouthing is when dogs and puppies use their mouths to explore, and it’s completely normal.  

This doesn’t mean it can’t be a problem. Mouthing can cause painful bruises and injuries. 

Just like jumping up, dogs can mouth for lots of different reasons, like being over-aroused, frustrated or anxious.  

Find out more about mouthing and how to manage it.  

If your dog is jumping up and biting with their teeth, this can cause significant and lasting damage. Dogs can bite with varying severity and for different reasons. It’s important to remember that a dog is never biting to be naughty. They are trying to communicate. Dogs who feel threatened may use aggressive behaviour to do this.  

We can support both you and your dog to minimise and prevent jumping up and biting.

Dogs jump on children for the same reasons as on adults.  

Unfortunately, they don’t know the difference between children and adults in the same way that we do. This can result in dogs excitedly greeting and knocking children over by accident.

Dogs may be more likely to jump up at children because they’re closer to their level. If your dog only jumps up at children, they might fear them. Children can move differently than adults. They’re noisier and more unpredictable, which can be worrying for our dogs.  

Keep your dog separate or on a lead around children if they’re likely to jump up, even if you’re in the house.  

Some children may need reminding to give your dog space, even if they’re on their lead, to prevent jumping. Check out our advice on children and dogs for more support. 

It’s also important to teach children how to behave around dogs, both at home and out and about. Our experts have put together a wealth of educational resources, to help children feel safe and confident around dogs.  

We’re also proud to be one of eight UK charities collaborating to make animal welfare education accessible to every child between 5 and 11 in the UK, as part of the Pet Education Partnership. 

Your dog needs to learn they won’t gain anything by jumping up. Instead, it’s keeping all four paws on the floor that will get your attention. Make sure you reward your dog with praise when that's the case, especially at times when they’re most likely to jump up.  

You can prepare by listing the times your dog might usually jump up. Be quick to interact with them before they do. This might mean having a handful of treats or their favourite toy with you when coming home from work. Then you can open the door and engage with them before they start jumping up. 

Discouraging your pooch from jumping up by telling them off or saying “no, get down” could be rewarding for some dogs as you’re giving them attention. In fact, they’re more likely to learn that jumping up gets you to look at, talk to, and touch them. Some dogs will find this desirable.  

But for others, being told off can be distressing, making them anxious or confused. This anxiety might make them jump up even more to make the situation better. So, make sure you stay calm and don’t respond.

Whenever you stop responding to any behaviour the way your dog is expecting you to, they’re likely to try that same behaviour with greater intensity. They will be determined to get you to react the way you usually would.

Don’t worry – this is part of the learning process.  

It can be frustrating but persevere and remain consistent with the training.

Over time, your dog will learn that there’s no point jumping up. Instead, they’ll start to learn new, better and safer ways to behave.

If you’re consistent, your dog will quickly learn what works to get your attention, and what doesn’t. Without consistency, they may get confused and try everything to see what behaviour works best.  

Try not to encourage your dog to jump up at you, even if you like it, as this can be confusing when we don’t want them to jump up at other times. Make sure all your family and friends are on board with training. Let any visitors know the game plan before they arrive. 

If you need to stop your dog jumping up on walks, have plenty of their favourite treats ready. Using reward-based training in all aspects of their life will help build a close bond and keep their attention on you.  

You can reward your dog for sitting, or scatter-feed to help them behave politely when you say hello to someone. It’s also useful to prepare your dog for visitors coming to your home.  

If you think your dog is jumping up because they’re worried and want some reassurance from you, avoid the scary situations while you work on improving their confidence.  

Most dogs thrive on routine and require a balance of mental and physical activity, as well as rest, toilet breaks, food and water.  

Creating a routine that becomes familiar to your dog can reduce uncertainty and help them relax, as they know what to expect.  

It’s good to build in some time for your dog to wind down after anything over-arousing or stimulating, like a high-energy walk or training session. Licking or sniffing enrichment is a great option to lower arousal and set your dog up for success.   

Dogs often jump on specific people because those individuals are more exciting, move in a stimulating way, smell interesting, or have previously rewarded the behaviour-even accidentally.  

Some people bend down, talk in a high voice, make eye contact, or offer hands for sniffing, which may encourage both excited and nervous jumping.  

Your dog may also feel more confident or familiar with certain people, or equally be more unsure of others, making them more likely to jump up.  

Consistent training, predictable greeting routines, and coaching visitors on how to respond will help reduce selective jumping. 

When dogs are on their leads, movement is often restricted. They might feel excited or anxious, then become frustrated if their options are limited.  

When dogs can’t approach, sniff or move away because they’re on a lead, jumping up or pulling the on lead can become an outlet for the excess energy and emotion.  

Try to keep at a safe distance from others, so your dog can remain calm and focused on you.

Keep the lead loose where possible and reward your dog for calm behaviour, when all four paws are on the ground.

No, jumping up is not your dog showing dominance.  

Dogs jump because they’re excited, seeking attention, anxious or unsure how to behave in greetings.  

It’s a natural, puppy-like behaviour that many carry into adulthood unless they’re taught an alternative.  

Rather than trying to take control or challenge you, your dog is simply using the behaviour that has worked in the past and trying to communicate with you.  

If your dog jumps up when they’re near other dogs, they may be excited, anxious or frustrated.  

If your dog has pals who they like to play or walk with appropriately, then continue these social interactions to avoid your dog missing out.

However, try to avoid situations and environments where your dog jumps up or displays other unwanted behaviours, until you‘ve taught them how to behave differently.  

The more your dog repeats this behaviour, the more likely it is to happen again, so we want to avoid it where possible.  

You might need the help of a trainer or behaviourist to help your dog feel differently and teach them suitable alternative behaviours.

How long it takes varies depending on your dog’s age, how big their emotions are, past experiences, and how consistent everyone is with the training. 

Why your dog jumps up, and in what situations, also has an impact on the time taken to stop the behaviour.  

Many dogs improve within a couple of days or weeks. But it can take longer, especially in challenging environments or new situations, and will likely take a few months of regular practice.  

Success comes from patience, support, and consistency from the whole family. 

No. Telling your dog off doesn’t help and can even make the behaviour worse by adding excitement, confusion, or anxiety.  

Jumping often happens because your dog doesn’t know what else to do, so punishment doesn’t teach them a better option.  

Instead, calmly ignore the behaviour, and reward them when all four paws are on the floor.

If a dog is very frightened, they might jump up or show aggressive behaviour to get something threatening to go away. This behaviour is an expression of fear, not a sign that the dog is inherently aggressive.  

If your dog has a history of jumping up when they’re scared, and this has worked to get whatever they fear to move away, they’re more likely to repeat this behaviour.  

If your dog is displaying aggressive behaviours, call our free Behaviour Support Line.  

It’s important to remember that even if your dog is excited to say hello to people, they can still cause injury when jumping up and may also scare people.  

It’s your responsibility to teach your dog how to greet people politely.  

We can help if you and your dog are struggling with this.

If your dog jumps over your garden fence or into a field on your walk, they could get you both in trouble.  

Bigger dogs will find it easier to jump over a fence, but dogs of all sizes can be surprisingly good escape artists.  

Your dog probably wants to get to something the other side of the fence, like wildlife, doggy pals, or an empty field to run in. Unneutered males, or bitches in season can escape to try and find a mate. However, your dog may be looking to escape via a fence if they feel trapped with something they are worried or scared of.  

Keep your dog on their lead or use a long line, both in the garden and out and about, if they’re likely to escape. And consider making fences higher to stop them being able to jump over.

If you don’t want your dog to share the sofa, you need to teach them that it is off-limits.  

Your dog isn’t jumping on the sofa to be naughty. They see it as a comfortable space to rest, or somewhere to spend time with you.  

If you’ve adopted your dog, they might have been allowed on the sofa in another home.

Provide them with a comfy space of their own and give them choices of suitable sleeping spots. Avoid telling your dog off for getting on the sofa, as this might make them feel worried.

Instead, teach them to get off the sofa when asked by following our training advice. You can also teach your dog to only jump on the sofa when invited, or not at all if you prefer.