Why Ignoring Your Dog's Jumping Often Doesn't Work

One of the most common pieces of dog training advice you'll find online is this: "If your dog jumps on you, turn your back and ignore them."

For some dogs, that works. For many dogs, it doesn't. In fact, sometimes it makes the behavior significantly worse.

Most jumping isn't aggression. It's excitement, overstimulation, and a dog seeking interaction, attention, or engagement. The dog wants something from you and is using jumping as the strategy to get it.

The problem with simply turning away is that you're not addressing the motivation behind the behavior. You're hoping the dog will decide the behavior isn't rewarding, but many highly stimulated dogs don't process it that way. Instead, they become more frustrated, more excited, and more determined.

The jumping gets bigger. The scratching gets worse. The dog starts climbing on you. Some dogs even begin humping or turning the entire interaction into a chaotic game.

It's like throwing water on a grease fire. The technique doesn't just fail — it makes things worse.

A more effective approach is to remove the dog's ability to rehearse the jumping behavior altogether. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a leash attached to the dog's collar while you step on the leash. The leash should allow the dog to stand, sit, and move comfortably, but not leave the ground enough to jump on people.

Now the dog begins teaching itself. Every attempt to jump becomes unsuccessful. Every calm choice becomes successful. There's no wrestling match, no chasing the dog, and no constant leash corrections. The dog's own actions create the outcome.

This is also why I rarely address jumping in a vacuum — I look at what the dog is seeking and build that into the training.

Over time, jumping becomes unfulfilling while calm behavior becomes rewarding. Don't just focus on stopping the jump. Focus on changing what the dog finds rewarding. When you understand the motivation behind the behavior, the solution becomes much clearer.

Avi Kornblum is a Certified Shelter Dog Specialist and the official trainer for four South Florida rescue organizations. He works with reactive, anxious, fearful, and adopted dogs throughout Broward and Palm Beach County.

(954) 900-9013 · www.theacdt.com