Australian Shepherds are known for their playful and active personalities. They love to jump, and often use this behavior to express excitement or happiness. While this can be adorable, it can also be a bit of a nuisance when your Australian Shepherd is constantly jumping on guests or disrupting family time. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips and tricks that can help you keep your Australian Shepherd from jumping up on people.
Training your Australian shepherd to stop jumping up is easy when you have a working method and you stay consistent with your method of training. The 3 most effective ways to train your Aussie to stop jumping up are:
Australian Shepherds like to jump when they're looking to express excitement or happiness. This behavior is often seen when Australian Shepherds are greeting their owners or family members. They may also jump up on people in an attempt to get attention or playtime. While this behavior is natural for Australian Shepherds, it's important to find ways to discourage it, especially if it's becoming a nuisance. Most Australian Shepherd owners recognize this issue predominately in the following scenarios:
These are often the most common scenarios when your Australian Shepherd may jump up and cause problems.
Below is a popular video from Cesar Millan demonstrating how he approaches the problem of a dog jumping up on people.
The step-forward method is a popular choice amongst Australian Shepherd owners. The method is just as you'd expect - you essentially take steps towards your Aussie when they jump up on you. The step-forward technique is effective at teaching Australian Shepherds not to jump up on visitors frequently.
Get yourself some treats and have them ready to use for positive reinforcement & encouragement.
Go over to your Australian Shepherd after he or she has had some time to relax and unwind.
If your Australian Shepherd tries to jump up on you, step towards them. This will help throw off their balance and make them return to all fours.
Repeat This Process until your Australian Shepherd understands that jumping up is not a wanted activity.
Just as you'd expect, the leash method is a simple and effective way to help your Australian Shepherd that jumping up on family members or guests isn't acceptable. It's easier to train Australian Shepherds to not jump on visitors if you just put a barrier between them. It may take some time, but it's well worth the effort.
Get yourself a leash - hopefully 6-8 feet in length. What you essentially want to do here is connect your Australian Shepherd to the leach and wrap the loose lease length under your foot. This effectively prevents your Australian Shepherd from being able to jump and forces them to recognize this.
Once you've got your Australian Shepherd on the leash, slowly introduce a guest. You do not want your Australian Shepherd to show wild excitement and begin jumping up on them. Instead, you want to encourage calmness, non-jumping, and desired behaviors.
If your Australian Shepherd fights you on the jumping, stand your ground. If your furry friend still isn't getting the message, you can consider using a tactic of "ignoring" your Aussie while folding your arms across your body to show your Australian Shepherd you're not happy.
You will likely need to do this on multiple occasions and get into a routine to engrave jumping as bad inside your Australian Shepherd's mind.
Just like the two previously mentioned methods, this last "Sit" method is very much what it sounds like. This approach is great for getting Australian Shepherds to stop jumping up on guests frequently.
Go over to your Australian Shepherd and greet them. Make sure the greeting is a calm, respectable one. Before your Aussie has time to jump up on you, be sure to command them to "sit".
If your dog jumps on you instead of sitting, fold your arms across your chest and look up towards the sky or ceiling. Essentially divert your attention AWAY from your dog. When your furry friend is calm, tell him to sit again if he hasn't already. Wait for him to either sit or depart.
Throughout the rest of the day, if your Australian Shepherd wants your attention, you should start with the sit command. If they decide not to listen and walk away, repeat this process until they understand what's happening.
Over time your Australian Shepherd will pick up on these changes. After all, Australian Shepherds are incredibly smart and capable of grasping complex ideas.
The best way to get your Australian Shepherd to stop jumping obnoxiously on guests, friends, or family is to get them to do something alternative than jump. The goal is to get them preoccupied with something else. Australian Shepherds are known to be energetic and playful dogs. While this may be adorable, it can also be a nuisance when they start jumping on guests or family members. In this article, we've outlined three different methods that you can use to help your Australian Shepherd stop jumping up - the reinforcement & encouragement method, the leash method, and the sit method. Australian Shepherds are smart dogs and with a little bit of patience, you'll be able to teach them not to jump up in no time!
For the most part, yes. Australian Shepherd puppies have a lot of energy and are still learning boundaries. It may take some extra time and patience to get them to understand not to jump up, but it is certainly possible with the above methods!
You must be clear with your expectations of your Aussie. If your furry friend jumps up on the couch without your explicit approval, remind them that they're not supposed to be up there. command them to move off the couch and continue reminding them until they understand and form a cohesive understanding.