Q: My Pit Bull is a jumper. She gets very riled up and jumps all over me sometimes when she
wants to play or when I first come home. What can I do?

A: Jumping up is a very typical, normal dog behavior...dogs who jump up on their owners lack a
basic understanding of manners (i.e. they were never taught), or else have been inadvertently
"trained" to jump up by humans (dog jumps up, is given some sort of attention). Ignore jumping
behavior (attention actually reinforces the problem), and teach your dog an incompatible
behavior (like SIT). If you find your dog is jumping on you in a very excited manner, for instance,
upon your arrival home, try completely ignoring your dog for 5 or ten minutes, wait for her to
settle down, and then ask for a sit and give her some calm attention.

Basic obedience training is always a big help in creating a dog that respects boundaries and
has self-control. If you haven't enrolled in an obedience class, now would be the time to do so.
Be sure the class emphasizes positive reinforcement and does not use choke chains or prong
collars.


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