Dog Jumps On Guests — The 5-Minute Fix

Your dog jumps on every visitor. The guests politely say "it's fine, I love dogs." It is not fine. Mud on a suit. A scratched arm on a kid. An older parent knocked off balance. Here's the fix that takes 5 minutes per guest entry until the dog gets it.

Why Your Dog Jumps

Jumping is reinforced behaviour. Every time someone:

• Pushes the dog away while talking to it
• Says "down!" while making eye contact
• Pets the dog at chest level after jumping

…they paid out for the jump. The dog correctly learned: jumping = attention.

The 5-Minute Protocol

Pre-Game

• Dog is on leash before the doorbell rings.
• Leash is held by a competent adult, not a 6-year-old.
• Dog has a designated "place" — a mat or bed near (but not at) the door.

The Doorbell

1. Doorbell rings.
2. Dog goes to "place" on cue. (If the dog doesn't have "place," install obedience first.)
3. You open the door. Guest enters. Dog stays on place.
4. If dog leaves place, you reset. No anger, no yelling — just clean reset.

The Greeting

1. Guest stands inside, ignores the dog.
2. Dog stays on place for 30 to 60 seconds. Calm.
3. You release the dog with a cue ("free" or "okay").
4. Dog approaches guest with four paws on floor.
5. Guest pets the dog only if four paws stay on the floor.
6. If front paws come up — guest stands up tall, turns away. No eye contact, no "down boy," no pushing.
7. Repeat.

The Reinforcement

The first 10 to 15 guest entries done this way teaches the dog the new rule: four paws = attention; jumping = attention disappears.

By guest 5 to 10, most dogs are dramatically improved. By guest 15 to 20, the behaviour holds without the leash.

Why This Works When Yelling Doesn't

Yelling is attention. Pushing is attention. "Down!" while making eye contact is attention.

Standing tall, turning away, no eye contact = the only thing the dog actually wants is gone. Behaviour extinguishes when reinforcement stops, not when consequences increase.

The Common Failure Point

Family member who insists "I don't mind, let him jump." This person is sabotaging the protocol. Either they comply with the rule or the dog never learns. Have the conversation.

Toronto Reality

We see this in every Markham, Mississauga, and downtown household with multiple weekly visitors. The fix is faster than owners expect — usually 2 to 3 weeks of consistent enforcement.

Obedience program — $1,750 →. Place command + impulse control are core curriculum.

$50 evaluation →. Call (647) 551-2633.