The ways our four-legged friends greet us sometimes irritate us. This includes sniffing at the rear of other members of the same species as well as jumping from people. Young dogs jump at us to get to the mouth – there they look for nutritious souvenirs. Adult dogs often maintain this behavior, but there are a few tricks you can use to stop your dog from jumping.

Replace jumping with a game

The ideal solution for playful dogs: You can replace jumping with a playful greeting ritual. Pull a rope at the dog or throw a ball or other toy. This will take your dog’s attention away from you. You should of course always have the toy ready before you start.

Turn before starting

When your dog rushes towards you to jump in greeting, turn your side or back to him without a word. This prevents your dog from reaching its ultimate destination, your face. The greeting ritual becomes less interesting for the dog and he also lets other people do the jumping-off attempts.

Skilled tackle

Before jumping, spread your legs apart in a V-shape and guide the dog through. This gives him physical contact and can replace jumping. Of course, only if the dog can easily fit through the straddle. Otherwise, with very large or fat dogs, there is a risk of losing your grip or being lifted up.

Slight squat

With large, strong dogs, you simply push one knee slightly forward, as a buffer, so to speak. It doesn’t hurt, but it is uncomfortable and irritating for the dog. With small dogs, it is sufficient to push the tip of the foot forward and touch it.

Saving fling

For smaller dogs and those that are not very agile, jump a meter to the side just before your dog takes off. So the dog runs into the void. Caution: It makes sense to jump right and left, otherwise a clever dog will see through the trick.

Distract from jumping

Armed with a little treat, you can distract your dog from jumping. Before starting the jump, toss two or three treats next to you. That should be a distraction for most dogs.