What to Do When Your Puppy Jumps on People

How do you stop a puppy from jumping on people?

Make access to greetings depend on keeping four paws on the floor. When the puppy jumps, the person pauses or moves away; when the puppy stands or sits calmly, the greeting continues and that behavior is rewarded. Consistency matters more than repeatedly saying “off,” because attention during the jump can keep the behavior valuable.

Why do puppies jump during greetings?

Jumping brings a puppy closer to faces, hands, voices, and social attention. People often reinforce it unintentionally by touching, talking to, or pushing the puppy. The behavior may become stronger when greetings are rare, highly exciting, or different people follow different rules.

How should you set up greeting practice?

Begin with one calm person and enough distance for the puppy to think. The person approaches only while four paws remain down, then pauses if the puppy launches upward. Reward calm orientation, standing, or sitting before excitement peaks. The greeting-people skill guide explains the learning goal, and greeting mistakes can help clean up inconsistent setups.

What reactions commonly backfire?

Pushing the puppy away can feel like play, while kneeing, leash corrections, or shouting can add fear without teaching a greeting behavior. Asking for a long sit may also be too difficult at first. Reward the smallest version of a polite greeting that the puppy can repeat.

What does progress look like?

Progress means the puppy can remain grounded for longer approaches, recover faster after an exciting person appears, and greet a wider variety of people without constant restraint. A familiar family member and an enthusiastic stranger are different difficulty levels.

When is jumping more than a manners issue?

Get qualified help when jumping is paired with intense fear, lunging, growling, snapping, or a level of arousal that creates a safety risk. Management matters immediately around children, older adults, or anyone who could be knocked over.

Jumping usually changes when the greeting setup changes. Steve can help you decide who practices, how exciting the setup should be, and when your puppy is ready for a harder hello.