How To Teach Your Dog Not To Jump Up On Furniture And People

Dogs can be really great sofa companions. They make adorable cuddle partners and can offer a lot of comfort and warmth. However if you don’t plan to allow your dog on the sofa in adulthood it is best to never let them up in the first place, even when he's still a cute little puppy (and yes, we know it’s difficult!)

A dog lying down on the sofa testing the authority of its owner

If you're quite happy with a dog on the sofa, that's great. If not, get training!

It is very easy to give your puppy lots of fuss and attention when he jumps up, however every time you give him the attention that he is demanding you are encouraging this behavior. He will learn that jumping up will get him a reward. Picking your dog up to have a cuddle on your lap will have the same effect, even if you put him down after you have fussed him.

Preventing Your Dog Jumping up

Always ignore your dog when he jumps up, and never reward him with attention or praise. Anticipate when he is going to jump up, and make him sit before he jumps; or, if he’s already up, take his paws and put them firmly but gently back on the ground, without giving him any other attention. As soon as he sits, give him lots of praise and fuss.

A Yorkshire Terrier relaxing on the sofa testing its owners authority

This Yorkshire Terrier has made himself very much at home on the sofa

He will learn that to get the attention that he wants he must follow your command to sit. This should prevent this unwanted behavior, but you must make sure that you command him to sit every time he tries to jump up, or put his paws back on the ground, otherwise he will learn that sometimes jumping up does get rewarded and will continue to test you. Remember to tell your whole family so that your dog isn’t getting rewarded without you knowing, otherwise your training will be pointless.

It's not just about sofas - no one wants to have a dog that jumps up at every visitor, like this Elo

It is very easy to give your puppy lots of fuss and attention when he jumps up. However, every time you give him the attention that he is demanding you are encouraging this behavior. He will learn that jumping up will get him a reward and he will continue to challenge your authority. Picking your dog up to have a cuddle on your lap will have the same effect, even if you put him down after you have fussed him.