My Pit Bull Jumps on Everything
Your pit bull is full of energy, as you may know, there is no exception to when you walk in the door, someone else walks in the door if you even remotely act as if you are playing with them they will jump and prance in excitement.
Getting your dog to stop jumping can be an enduring task for you, your dog truly does this because he cannot control his excitement. Your 90-pound pit bull may do this in a friendly manner, but their strength and weight is intimidating and will knock you over. Try ignoring their jumps when you walk in the door and waiting for your pup to calm down before you acknowledge them. This may take 2-10 minutes and will be hard for them to understand at first, but with persistence, it can be accomplished.
Telling your dog commands like “No” and “Down” is an excellent way to reinforce the behavior you want from your dog, rewarding that behavior with treats and attention lets them know what is expected behavior and what’s not. Hitting and yelling at your dog does not improve their bad behavior and can sometimes be more harmful than productive. Use a calm, asserted voice when directing your pit and let them know that a quiet response and warm greetings are fine, but jumping is not tolerated.
Being consistent with this discipline is the only way your pit will find out when jumping is the accepted behavior. If they jump on furniture and bounce around the house when company comes over, this will be a bit harder to control. Start with inviting just one person over so that you can handle the situation easier, and give strict commands to stay in bed or sit when the company enters the room. When they have calmed down, allow them to get up and greet guests with good manners. Practicing this over and over will eventually lead to a kind introduction, instead of a panicky frenzy.
Getting your pit to obey to all commands with a guest over or when you walk through the door takes time and persistence. Show your dog how they should act by setting the tone each time undesirable behavior is acted out and carry through with positive reinforcement and discipline, just as you should in the rest of their training.
