Author archive: Terrie Hayward

Do you find yourself constantly shouting “off” when your dog jumps on the furniture or on people? This common problem can be frustrating, but the good news is that there’s a better way to handle it. In this guide, you’ll learn a positive reinforcement solution that doesn’t involve yelling. Instead, it teaches your dog exactly what you want them to do, building a stronger, more positive bond in the process.

Watch the full video:

The Problem with Yelling “Off!”

For many dog parents, yelling “off” is an instinctual reaction. However, this method has a few drawbacks. Yelling can inadvertently reinforce the behavior you’re trying to stop, as your dog may perceive your attention—even negative attention—as a reinforcer. More importantly, shouting doesn’t teach your dog what to do instead. It only tells them what not to do, leaving them confused and more likely to repeat the unwanted action.

Reinforce the Behavior You Want

The key to a successful solution is to shift your focus from punishing the behavior you dislike to reinforcing the behavior you like. The goal is to make the floor the most reinforcing and desirable place for your dog to be.

Here’s how to apply this method:

1. Mark and Reinforce: When your dog is on the furniture, try to get their attention. The moment they make eye contact, say a marker word like “yes” and place a treat on the floor where you want them to go. This teaches them that engaging with you and leaving the furniture leads to a reinforcer.
2. Build a “Treasure Pile”: If your dog is hesitant to jump down, simply repeat the process. Put the treats on the floor again after marking their eye contact. Eventually, the pile of treats will become so tempting that they’ll jump down to get them.

Are you frustrated by your dog jumping up on you, or your guests? It’s one of the most common—and annoying—behavior issues dog parents face. You’ve probably tried shouting “Off!”, turning your back, or pushing them down, only to have them spring back up a moment later.

The problem isn’t your dog; it’s the approach. Most methods are reactive. The secret to stopping jumping for good is to be proactive. In this post, I’ll break down a simple, game-changing method that teaches your dog polite greetings by preventing the jump before it ever happens.

The Flaw in Traditional Dog Training Advice: Proactive vs. Reactive Training

By the time your dog has already jumped up on you, they’ve already practiced the exact behavior you don’t want. Each time they jump, it’s another checkmark in the column of behaviors you’re trying to eliminate. This practice builds a long, strong reinforcement history for jumping, making the habit harder to break.

Instead of waiting for the mistake and then reacting, the goal is to reinforce the good choice before the unwanted behavior can even happen.

The Proactive Solution: The “Circle Method”

This technique turns training into a simple game. It creates a clear visual boundary that makes it physically impossible for your dog to jump on you while they are learning the correct behavior.

What You’ll Need:

• A long leash (a biothane one works well)
• High-value training treats

Step-by-Step Guide to Stop Jumping

Step 1: Create Your “No-Jump Zone” Lay your long leash on the floor in a circle and stand in the middle of it. This circle is your personal space—a visual reminder to help you proactively reinforce your dog for keeping four paws on the floor.

Step 2: Reset Your Dog with a Treat To start a clean repetition, you first need to get your dog outside the circle. Mark (verbal marker word like “Yes!”, clicker, or visual thumbs up)  for any behavior you like, and then toss a treat outside the circle. Once your dog goes to get the treat, they are now reset in the correct starting position.

Step 3: Mark and Reinforce BEFORE They Enter the Circle As your dog finishes the treat and starts moving back toward you, watch them closely. The moment before they cross the line into the circle, mark the behavior d toss the treat outside of the circle. Your only criteria is that they are not yet inside your circle. It doesn’t matter what else they are doing. 

Step 4: Master the “Mark for Behavior, Reinforce for Position” Rule This is the most important part. You mark your dog for the behavior of approaching politely without entering the circle. But you deliver the reinforcement (the treat) for position by tossing it away from you, outside the circle again.

Even if your dog steps into the circle after you mark, the treat should still be tossed outside. This resets them for the next repetition and reinforces the idea that good things happen when they are away from you, not on top of you.

Why This Method Works

This proactive dog training approach is highly effective for a few key reasons:

• It Prevents Rehearsal: It makes it physically impossible for your dog to jump on you, meaning they can’t practice the unwanted behavior.
• It Builds Value for Distance: Your dog quickly learns that keeping a small, polite distance from you is what earns reinforcers.

• It’s Clear and Positive: You are not punishing the dog. You are simply teaching them what you want them TO do instead: keep all four paws on the floor. Once your dog is inside the circle, the chance of them jumping on you increases dramatically. This method avoids that situation entirely.

By consistently playing this simple game, you will build a powerful new habit of polite greetings, finally putting an end to frustrating jumping.

Is your dog uncomfortable with having their paws handled, especially for things like nail trims? Helping your dog become more relaxed about this behavior is a process that can be broken down into small, manageable steps. You can also watch a full guide on this topic in my video on paw handling.

The key to success is to make the process so easy that your dog can succeed. This approach helps build their confidence and makes them more receptive to the training.

Watch The Full Video Guide:

Read Your Dog’s Body Language

A crucial part of this process is learning to read your dog’s body language accurately. Understanding what your dog is trying to tell you is a key component of knowing when to progress and when you need to take a few steps back. This helps set both of you up for success and prevents you from pushing your dog past their comfort level. Signs of discomfort can include lip licking, yawning, turning the head or body away, or pulling the paw back.

The Right Way to Structure Training Sessions

To help your dog, you’ll want to keep your training sessions short and easy. When you’re working on repetitions, most of the steps should be easy, a few should be medium, and only every so often should you introduce a harder or more difficult step. Varying the difficulty is really important because if the sessions always get harder, your dog will likely lose interest and see it as a “terrible game” they don’t want to play. By keeping the sessions engaging and mostly easy, you’ll help your dog stay motivated and build positive associations with having their paws handled.

The video also suggests using a clicker to mark the exact behavior you want to reinforce, which helps the dog understand what earns them a treat. You can also see a step-by-step process starting with just touching the dog’s shoulder and gradually working down to the paw. Finally, the video demonstrates how to introduce a nail grinder, beginning with simply having it nearby and then turning it on in a separate room so the dog can get used to the sound. The process then moves to picking up the paw while holding the grinder, and finally, touching the grinder to the dog’s paw.