Jumping Up on People (Canine)

by Petside Team

With dogs, jumping up most commonly occurs in the social contexts of greeting and play. Although considered a problem in pet dogs, the behavior is not actually a measure of disobedience but an example of interspecific expression of intraspecific social behavior.

Typical canine greeting rituals include facial sniffing, so it's completely natural for dogs to jump up on people in an attempt to gain facial proximity while greeting them. Similarly, it isn't surprising that dogs often paw and jump on human playmates, as these behaviors are often seen during play with members of their own species.

Attention is a powerful reinforcer, particularly in contexts like jumping up, where social interaction is the motivation. Effective training protocols include both negative punishment (jumping up will result in the loss of attention) and positive reinforcement (performing a preferred incompatible behavior will earn attention).

Common names: Jumping up, Jumping on people
Scientific names: Jumping up on people.

Diagnosis

Signalment
Although some breeds, like herding dogs and terriers, seem more easily and quickly aroused during play, there are no data that suggest an age or reproductive-status predilection for jumping behavior.

Incidence/prevalence
Jumping behavior is most prevalent in young, energetic dogs but can be expressed by dogs of all ages.

Geographic distribution
There is no unique geographic distribution for jumping behavior, but it is context specific to greeting and play situations.

Clinical signs (primary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Jumping up and against the person in a greeting or play context, with forepaws forward and supporting the dog. Relaxed posture, attention focused on the person's face, mouth open, tail wagging. A small dog may repeatedly jump on the person's leg or bounce about the person's feet while focusing on the face.

Causes (scientific, common term)
Normal canine greeting behavior, Normal canine play behavior, Excitement or arousal.

Organ systems affected (most to least affected)
No organ systems are affected.

Diagnostic tests
Behavioral observation.

Differential Diagnosis
Offensive lunging‚Äîi.e., body rigid, muzzle forward and lips back, tail up or trailing stiffly behind or low, piloerection (hair standing up).

Overview

Jumping up most commonly occurs in the social contexts of greeting and play. Although considered a problem in pet dogs, the behavior is not actually a measure of disobedience but an example of interspecific expression of intraspecific social behavior.

People often inadvertently reinforce jumping behavior by paying attention to dogs that jump on them. Attention is a powerful reinforcer, particularly in contexts like jumping up, where social interaction is the motivation. Because even emphatic scolding can reinforce jumping, such reactions rarely work to decrease the behavior.

Dogs are highly social animals and will work steadfastly to interact with people. Therefore, to be effective, treatments must focus on teaching appropriate behavior, as opposed to dissuading interaction altogether. Training protocols should include both negative punishment (jumping up will result in the loss of attention) and positive reinforcement (performing a preferred incompatible behavior will earn attention).

Treatment

Home care
Jumping should result in the loss of opportunities to greet and interact with people. During greetings, the dog must be immediately ignored each time it attempts to jump up. Ignoring includes turning away from the dog, refusing to touch or acknowledge the dog, and, if necessary, leaving the room for a one- to three-minute time-out. Likewise, whenever the dog jumps up during play, all interaction should instantly cease. Games should be stopped, and toys should be removed for a short time. After the time-out is over, play can resume.

Consistency is crucial for the effective reduction of jumping behavior, so all people who come in contact with the dog must be instructed to respond to jumping up in the same way. If this is not possible, measures should be taken to prevent the rehearsal and accidental reinforcement of the behavior, like leashing or confining the dog.

The dog should also be taught an alternative behavior, such as sitting or simply keeping its forepaws on the floor. This procedure is known as the differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI). To teach the dog that its forepaws must remain on the floor, pet parents can turn away when the dog jumps up and then immediately turn back to interact with the dog when it drops to its feet. Petting may provoke more jumping, which should be met with a repeat of the treatment protocol. This differential attention will help the dog quickly learn acceptable behavior.

Professional Care
If home care is unsuccessful, pet parents should seek a consultation with a certified pet dog trainer (www.ccpdt.org), a certified applied animal behaviorist (www.certifiedanimalbehaviorist.com) or a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior (www.acvb.org).

Action
Consistent behavioral modification is required to manage jumping-up episodes.

Outcome
Jumping up in dogs can usually be treated effectively with differential reinforcement of acceptable behavior.

References/Additional Readings

Hetts, S. Title. Pet Behavior Protocols. Lakewood, CO: AAHA Press, 1999; 27-44.

Overall, K. Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc., 1997; 260, 445-446.

Author

Kristen Collins, CPDT

Consulting Author

Jennifer Sobie, PhD

Editor

Steven Hansen, DVM, MS, MBA, DABVT, DABT