Why does my dog jump up?

For some dog owners, the bouncy, joy-filled greeting that they receive from their beloved pooch upon returning home is a pleasant and welcomed antidote to the stress of modern life. For others however, the idea of being jumped all over and having their faces licked in a display of such unbridled affection may not be entirely appreciated!
 
In the past, dogs displaying behaviours such as jumping up have been described as trying to ‘dominate’ their owners. This is completely incorrect and I feel that it is important to stress that the ‘dominance’ myth surrounding dog and human interaction has long since been discredited by the scientific community.
 
To understand why dogs jump up we need to look at where this behaviour originates.
 
Dogs display their emotions primarily through body language. Greeting behaviour begins in puppyhood, initially seen when puppies instinctively lick their parents mouths, attempting to get them to regurgitate food which they can then consume (as would occur in the wild). When puppies grow older they no longer require this method to obtain food, but they retain a very similar behaviour of jumping up to nuzzle the side of their parents face as a way of reinforcing the bond and saying “hi”.
 
As we are surrogate families to our dogs, and knowing that they have evolved to live socially as members of a group, it comes as no surprise that they attempt to jump up to nuzzle the side of our face when we return home, desperately trying to re-strengthen the attachment with us following a period of unnatural social isolation.
 
If you are trying to stop your dog from jumping up, it is important to remember that he will be more likely to do this if he is rewarded with your attention when he does it. Try to ignore the behaviour or turn your back on the dog and wait until he is calm before giving him your attention. Alternatively, calmly ask him to “sit” and offer him praise and attention when he does so. By making sitting more rewarding than jumping up, your dog will soon offer you this behaviour instead. ©