Jumping joyfully on a person, putting paws on their chest – this is a manifestation of a dog's joy at meeting. Pets do this to lick the person's face. Such a reaction is natural, so almost every dog will jump on a beloved person, if not trained otherwise.
In the animal world, such behavior is not strange. Dogs lick a fellow's face if they are sincerely happy to see them. A similar sign of attention does not necessarily have to be addressed to fellow creatures. For example, a wagging dog will also try to lick the nose of a friend cat. And your nose is too high up. To reach it, they have to stand on their hind legs. Leaning on you with their front paws is the only way to maintain balance.
People usually do not like such behavior, especially when a pet grows from a small puppy into a large dog. But even a small dog can dirty a person and ruin clothes, showing joy at the meeting.
Scolding a pet for such behavior is not worth it, if only because for them it is absolutely natural behavior and they are genuinely happy in that moment. Shouting and punishments will not help solve the problem and will only make the wagging consider you incomprehensible and aggressive.
Attempts to push the dog away or move away from them will not be perceived properly and will only encourage more active actions. Pushing away the dog will be seen as a fun game, and trying to step away – as an invitation to jump again.
Scolding – is also a questionable idea. The dog understands that the person is unhappy, but does not realize the reasons. Moreover, at that moment it is itself extremely excited and finds it difficult to control itself.
In order to teach the dog not to jump on you, there is a proven method by dog trainers – ignoring. With its help, you need to teach your wagging friend to greet you while standing on all fours. It is quite simple to do this.
When you are greeted at home by an ecstatic pet and they try to lick your face, pretend that you do not notice any dogs around. To do this, stand straight without moving, cross your arms on your chest, and turn away from the pet, without saying a word. Ignoring will not please the dog. After jumping around a bit, they will stop. And at that moment, start behaving naturally, you can look at your beloved pet, talk to them, praise them for good behavior. A lovingly prepared treat will be an additional motivator.
Most likely, the puppy, noticing your activity, will repeat attempts to jump. In this case, repeat the ignoring. And as soon as your friend calms down, pay attention to them again.
Pets learn quite quickly with positive reinforcement. The dog will notice that you praise and communicate with them when they are on all fours, and will try to stick to this behavior to please you and get praise and attention.
