How To Stop Your Shiba Inu from Jumping Up on People

If your Shiba Inu has been jumping on people, you are not alone. Most dog owners would vouch for this common dog behavioral problem. 

For the dogs, this might mean nothing, just an exciting way of greeting their owners. But some would consider this as rude and dangerous dog behavior. Your Shiba Inu jumping on people can be harmful, especially for small children, people with disabilities, and elders. 

However, like other dog behavioral problems, you can always stop your Shiba Inu from jumping up on people through proper and consistent training.

Why does my Shiba Inu jump up?

For every dog behavioral problem, it is important to understand why they do it. Here are a few reasons as to why your Shiba Inu loves jumping up on people. 

Way of greeting

If your dog has been jumping on you or your friends the moment they step into the front door, that is their way of greeting them. This is pretty much how they would greet a canine friend so they are acknowledging you the same way, as well. 

Excitement

When a dog jumps, a person’s first reflex would be to push the dog away and shout. However, all these hand movements and loud noises do nothing but excite your dog even more. 

In your Shiba’s mindset, when they jump, you are initiating a game of wrestle. If they don’t, all they receive is a pat on the head or being ignored. 

How to stop my Shiba Inu from jumping on people?

It’s a behavioral dog problem that most dog owners have experience with. However, it can still be managed. 

Control the situation

Having visitors around can be quite stressful, especially when you have an overly excited and jumping dog. One way you can handle this behavior is by taking away their opportunity to jump up. 

You can use a few of these techniques until your dog is fully trained to not jump at people. 

If you are expecting visitors, you can put your Shiba Inu: 

• Inside its crate
• Confine them in another room
• Restrain them with a leash and instruct them to sit. Don’t forget to reward their good behavior

Training

Almost all dog behavioral problems can be solved with proper training and your Shiba Inu jumping up on people is no different. 

One thing to note though with training your dog to not jump on other people is that it requires help from other people, especially individuals who your Shiba Inu likes jumping on. 

If your Shiba Inu likes jumping on other people, here is a training technique you can use: 

1. Ask someone to help you and act as the greeter. Make sure this person is someone that your Shiba Inu likes. 
2. Instruct your Shiba to sit. If your Shiba Inu is still not trained in the basic obedience commands, such as sit and stay, you might want to train them for that first to make this easier. 
3. The greeter will approach you and your dog. If your Shiba Inu stands, the greeter immediately turns and walks away. 
4. Instruct your Shiba Inu to sit again and ask the greeter to approach again. 
5. Keep repeating until your dog remains calm and seated even as the greeter approaches. 
6. If your Shiba remains well-behaved, the greeter can reward it with a treat. 

There will be people who’ll tell you that they don’t mind your Shiba Inu jumps on them. But remember, consistency is the key to a well-trained dog. So even if your visitors don’t mind, stick to the training rules. 

If your Shiba Inu jumps on you when you come in the door, you can do the following. 

• Keep greetings quiet. 
• If your Shiba jumps on you, ignore and go out of the door again. 
• Repeat until your Shiba Inu realizes that the only way to get your attention is if they are sitting and well-behaved. 

This training technique might require you to go back in and out a dozen times (or more!) before your Shiba learns. 

If your Shiba Inu jumps on you when you are sitting, don’t talk to them or push them away. Instead, stand up and ignore them until they are well-behaved.