It’s only natural for your puppy to jump up when they’re excited or pleased to see you but this is something you need to discourage before they grow up and this becomes a habit. So even though it might seem cute now, when your pup comes home with you, start to teach them the behaviours you’d like to see straight away.
Find out more about how to stop a puppy from jumping up – and why they do it - by reading on.
Why does my puppy jump on me?
Jumping up as a greeting behaviour is totally natural. So, when your puppy jumps up at you, they are greeting you or trying to interact with you in the only way they know how – and in a way that is totally polite in ‘dog language’.
If you watch a litter of puppies greeting their mother, they will jump up at her face and even try to lick around her mouth. Dogs who live in the same family and are closely bonded will also do the same thing.
It is important to recognise this – and not to think that our puppies are being ‘naughty’ or inappropriately ‘attention seeking’. In fact, it is because of your bond and your growing relationship that they want to do this. So, celebrate that your puppy is looking at you as their family – but now you need to teach them another way to greet you and interact.
Why does my puppy need to stop jumping up?
Though it might seem cute, as your pup gets older, jumping up can become inconvenient and more dangerous as they grow bigger and stronger. Your dog could accidentally cause an injury (especially to children or vulnerable adults), frighten someone with their over-enthusiastic greeting, or cover someone in wet muddy paw prints. This could even put you on the wrong side of the law!
So far, your puppy has only had their littermates and their mum to play and interact with and so only know ‘dog language’. You and your family now need to take on the role of teachers and playmates – and teach them how to behave in their new life as a companion dog living with humans.