How to Stop Your Dog from Jumping on Guests (The Polite Greeting Guide)

It’s a familiar scene: The doorbell rings. You open the door to greet your friend, maybe carrying a hot coffee or wearing nice clothes. Suddenly—BAM! Your 60-pound “puppy” launches themselves at your guest like a heat-seeking missile of love.

Coffee spills. Clothes get muddy. Your guest laughs nervously while trying to fend off a slobbery assault. You shout “Down! Off! No!” while physically dragging your dog away.

It is embarrassing, stressful, and potentially dangerous (especially for grandma or toddlers).

But here is the secret: Your dog isn’t trying to be rude. Jumping is a compliment! In dog language, face-to-face greetings are how you say “I love you!” The problem is that humans walk upright, so dogs have to jump to reach our faces.

In this guide, we will teach you how to translate “I love you” into a polite, four-on-the-floor greeting that everyone can enjoy.

Why Do Dogs Jump? (The Reward Loop)

To stop a behavior, we must understand what fuels it. Most dogs jump because it works.

Think about it:

1. Dog jumps on you.
2. You push them off, grab their paws, or yell “No!”
3. Result: You touched them. You looked at them. You talked to them.

To an attention-seeking dog, even negative attention (yelling) is better than no attention. By pushing them down, you have inadvertently turned greeting into a wrestling game.

The Golden Rule: Four on the Floor

The goal is simple: Attention only happens when four paws are on the floor.

If even one paw leaves the ground, the human becomes a statue.

• No Touch: Pull your hands into your chest (the “chicken wing” pose).
• No Talk: Be silent.
• No Eye Contact: Look at the ceiling.

Method 1: The “Ignore and Reward” (For Low Excitement)

This works best for dogs who are just happy, not frantic.

1. Walk through the door.
2. If the dog jumps, turn your back immediately. Cross your arms. Be a tree.
3. Wait. The dog will eventually slide off you because there is nothing to hold onto.
4. The moment (and I mean the micro-second) all four paws hit the floor, turn around and say “Yes!” calmly.
5. Pet them low (under the chin). This keeps their head down.
6. If they jump again? Turn your back again.

Why this works: It uses “Negative Punishment” (taking away the thing they want—you) to reduce the behavior.

Method 2: The “Scatter Feed” (management)

Sometimes you don’t have time to train. You just need to get groceries inside without being assaulted. This isn’t training; it’s management. But it prevents the bad habit from practicing.

1. Before you open the door, grab a handful of treats.
2. Throw them on the floor away from the door.
3. While the dog is hunting for “treasure” (sniffing the floor), you walk in peacefully.

Bonus: Sniffing calms the dog down. By the time they finish eating, the initial excitement of your arrival has faded.

Method 3: The “Sit to Say Please” (Advanced)

This teaches an incompatible behavior. A dog cannot jump if they are sitting.

1. Put your dog on a leash. Have a friend approach.
2. Ask your dog to “Sit.”
3. Friend approaches.
4. If the dog stands up/jumps: Friend immediately turns around and walks away.
5. Ask dog to Sit again.
6. Friend approaches again.
7. If dog stays sitting: Friend gives a treat/pet.

This takes patience. You might have to repeat the approach 10 times before the friend actually reaches the dog. But the dog learns: “Sitting makes the person come closer. Jumping makes the person vanish.”

The “Place” Command Strategy

For serious jumpers, the door is just too exciting. The best solution is to give them a job to do away from the door.

1. Train a solid “Go to Bed” or “Place” cue (see our article on Calmness).
2. When the doorbell rings, send the dog to their mat.
3. They must stay on the mat while you answer the door.
4. Your guest can go over to the mat to say hello only if the dog stays calm.

This keeps the dog physically separated from the excitement zone.

Troubleshooting: The “Guest Problem”

The hardest part of this training isn’t the dog; it’s the humans. Guests love to sabotage training. They say, “Oh, it’s okay! I love dogs!” while letting your 80-pound Lab jump on their white sweater.

You must advocate for your dog.

• Put a sign on the door: “Training in Progress. Please ignore the dog.”
• Leash up: Put your dog on a leash before guests enter so you can prevent the jump physically.
• Be the bad guy: Tell your guest, “Please turn your back if he jumps. We are working really hard on this.”

Summary

Stopping jumping requires consistency from everyone in the house. If Dad lets the dog jump but Mom doesn’t, the dog will just become a confused gambler.

1. Ignore the bad: Turn your back.
2. Reward the good: Low pets and treats for four on the floor.
3. Manage the environment: Use leashes and baby gates when you can’t train.

Your dog wants to say hello. Help them do it in a way that doesn’t require dry cleaning bills.