Your French Bulldog won’t stop jumping, and you desperately want to know how to stop this undesired habit!
It’s understandable why most people don’t like for a dog to jump on them. However, one of the most common and frustrating behavioral problems in dogs is, you guessed it, jumping on people. This is not only frustrating because of the risk of getting your clothes dirty or torn, but it can also cause injuries to people and your dog.
With the tips below, you can learn how to stop your dog from jumping and stop this unwanted behavior once and for all.
How to Stop Your French Bulldog From Jumping on You When Coming Home
Start by ensuring that your Frenchie is never allowed to jump on you from the time you bring it home. Initially, you may find it cute that when you come home from work or errands, and your Frenchie is so excited to see you and starts jumping and wagging its tail happily.
At a young puppy age, this may appear sweet and fun. However, when you consider that a French Bulldog can grow to weigh up to 28 pounds, then you’ll probably realize that this habit can’t continue forever.
Changing habits is very difficult for dogs, just like it is for humans. That’s why it’s important to start teaching your Frenchie early on that this behavior is unacceptable. After all, your dog won’t understand why he was allowed to do this at one point and isn’t anymore.
Teach your Frenchie boundaries immediately. Make sure that coming home to your Frenchie is normal and doesn’t call for over-enthusiasm. Here are ways to stop your dog from jumping on you upon your return home:
- When you return home, set your things down calmly and quietly.
- If your Frenchie is overly excited, ignore it until it is calmed down.
- Once calm, gently greet your pup. If you do it enthusiastically, then you’re demonstrating unwanted behavior.
If your dog is overly excited when you come home and your calm return doesn’t make a difference, it may have some separation anxiety.
Teach ‘Sit’
The “sit” command is a very important command to teach your Frenchie. This is the base of having control over your dog and also indicates that you are the leader. Leadership is something your French Bulldog needs. Learn how you can teach this command and other important ones. Once your Frenchie sits on command, you can tell it to do this when he jumps on you. Always give a treat and praise to reward wanted behaviors.
How to Stop Your French Bulldog From Jumping on Guests
When your Frenchie has a habit of jumping on other people, there are two possible reasons: your dog is very enthusiastic or very dominant.
Dogs demonstrate their dominant behavior towards other dogs by ‘standing on them’. The dominant dog then lays its paw on the other dog’s back. Your French bulldog must learn that you are the alpha and that this type of dominant behavior is unacceptable.
Helpful Tip: One way to teach your Frenchie that you are the alpha leader is when eating. If dogs live in a pack, the alpha dog eats first. The rest of the pack only starts eating once the leader has indicated that they can also eat. You, as the alpha, can do this by having your Frenchie sit before he gets food. Once he has performed this task, he will receive his food. This task is a good basis for teaching your dog their place.
Now, back to how to stop your dog from jumping. A common mistake that causes your Frenchie to think that jumping is normal is unknowingly rewarding this behavior. What often happens is that when your dog jumps up, they are petted and coddled. Don’t do this because it encourages the unwanted behavior of jumping.
The following tips will show you how to stop your dog from jumping. While you can and should do them with your dog, have visitors and other family members try them out, too. Or step in and do it when needed. Consistency is key.
Unbalance
When your dog jumps on you, take a step forward at that exact moment and give the commands “down” and “sit.” When the dog jumps, it stands on two legs taking away its balance for the moment. If you take that step forward, your dog will be out of balance, which isn’t a pleasant experience for the dog. If you consistently do this when your Frenchie jumps up, it will associate jumping with an unpleasant feeling, and the behavior will be discouraged.
Dance
If your Frenchie jumps on you, grab both his front legs and hold them up. At that point, give him the “off” command and walk toward him. Because of that step forward, the dog must take a step back or sit down. He is brought out of balance in this way and won’t enjoy that. Continually doing this will give your Frenchie an unwanted feeling, and the goal is that they will eventually stop doing the action that results in this feeling.
The Belt Method
Put a collar and leash on your Frenchie. Hold the leash giving, allowing it to be just slightly loose. Stand up straight and hold a toy or reward in your hand at chest level. Try to get him excited so that he wants to grab the reward. When he tries to grab the toy or reward by jumping, give him the “sit” command immediately. The dog is not only corrected by your voice but also by a pull on the leash. Doing this regularly is a good training technique.
Turn Your Back
If you can see that your Frenchie is about to jump on you because they are excited and coming towards you, turn your back and completely ignore it. You can also turn your back if they are already in the process of jumping up. Give your dog the “sit” command and continue to do this (turn around and say ‘sit’) until your dog has calmed down. Only provide a reward when your command has been executed. This will show your dog what behavior you do and don’t want to see.
The Knee Method
The knee method is the least preferred option. This method entails raising your knee the moment your dog wants to jump on you. Your Frenchie will get your knee in its chest, which brings him out of balance and gives an unpleasant experience.
The issue with this method is that your Frenchie could get the knee in its stomach, which is extremely painful, or the knee can hit his throat. There is a risk of injury with the knee method, so either be extremely mindful or avoid it completely.
One method often does the trick to get your dog to stop jumping. Other times, several methods used in combination are the answer. All dogs are trainable with patience.
In Conclusion
Every dog has a submissive side; as a pet parent, it is your job to bring this side out and reward it. Following one or all tricks on how to stop your dog from jumping should get the job done. Patience is a virtue, as the process can take time. Some Frenchies may learn fast, and others may not.
The more you teach your French Bulldog desired behaviors, the more you and others will enjoy your adorable dog’s presence. As always, be patient and consistent!
