German Shepherd jumping on people - 2008-08-28

Question

I have an 8-month-old German Shepherd pup that has a bad habit of jumping up on people. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't try to nip as well. He is just being friendly but being such a large dog he just bowls you over. Sydney NSW

Answer

Jumping is often reinforced by our behaviour, e.g. pushing the dog away and/or telling it to get down, and/or taking it by the paws etc. Best way to stop this is not to make eye contact and cross arms when people walk in, so the dog does not get any attention. You will find that this attention seeking behaviour will subside. If needed turn your hips, never use your knees as they may puncture the chest.