Dogs have a natural proclivity to jump on people. How often they do this will vary with breed and personality. It’s been suggested that dogs jump up on people to get a better look at someone’s face — not to attack that person, but to interact with him or her. Dogs interact with each other this way, too. Especially if they’re of similar breeds, their faces are close to each other and they use their senses of smell and vision to explore.

Therefore, one way to get your dog to stop jumping is to remove his or her need to reach out to you. Instead, kneel down and “get on the dog’s level.” Let your dog explore your face safely, at the same time watching for too much assertiveness on the dog’s part. Most dogs won’t bite their owners this way, especially if the owner has assumed the “alpha” position, or leader of the pack position.

If you’ve just gotten an older dog and aren’t quite sure how it’s going to respond to you yet, take some precautions as you try this technique. Put a collar on your dog and then insert your thumb underneath the collar behind your dog’s neck; this will give you the ability to jerk the dog’s neck sideways if you need to.

If at all possible, jerk sideways, not backwards. A dog’s neck muscles are strong, but you can easily injure your dog’s throat if you use a sharp backwards motion. Remember that you’re trying to teach your dog not to do this particular action and at the same time protect yourself, but you are not punishing your dog.

You can also train your dog off leash to discourage jumping. Wear a pair of sturdy pants and stand your dog in front of you. You can of course train your dog to “sit,” but this isn’t going to work all the time. Usually, a dog jumps after he or she has been running our standing. Therefore, start this exercise with your dog standing.

Your dog will have a certain body tension if he or she is about to jump. Watch for this and when it happens, tell your dog to “sit.” If the dog still jumps, pick your leg up just slightly and nudge your dog in the chest with your knee or thigh. As you do so, put your hand palm out near your dog’s face and say, “Off!” as you do so. (Don’t say “down,” since that indicates a different behavior.)

Again, when you do this, be gentle. Don’t knock your dog in the chest overly hard, and don’t push your hand into his or her face. Your raised knee or thigh simply blocks the dog from jumping and puts it slightly off balance. You’re putting your hand palm up and outward as you do so to block the dog’s vision and discourage him or her from jumping again.

If you’re working with a partner, you can try leash training, especially if the dog still doesn’t get the idea that he or she shouldn’t jump. When the dog begins to jump, have your partner hold the leash and jerk sideways as you say, “Off!” Again, you, as the alpha leader, should be the one who’s saying, “Off!” and not your partner. The dog should obey and focus on you.

If you don’t have a partner and you are training outside, you can wrap the leash (assuming it’s long) around a post or tree. This is somewhat more difficult, because the dog will be jerked backwards instead of sideways, which is less helpful than a sideways jerk.

You can use positive reinforcement to teach your dog, too. In that case, take a favorite toy or treat in one hand, and when your dog begins to jump, hold the treat/toy above and slightly behind your dog’s head. This will distract your dog and slightly unbalance him or her. It also encourages the dog to sit, just when he or she wanted to jump.

As with any type of training, persistence and consistency are key when you say, “Off!” Be firm but patient with your dog as you train him or her. With time, most dogs will understand that they must obey and suppress their natural urge to jump until you give them permission to do so.

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