Can I make a guess?
You were on a walk with your dog…
And they kept jumping on you, didn’t they?
And you want to know the reason for such behavior.
Aha!
You jumped in the right article.
Continue reading to discover:
- If dogs are capable of jealousy.
- Why you need to walk your dog regularly.
- The origin of the ‘jumping-on-you’ behavior.
- 9 reasons why your dog jumps on you while walking.
- And that’s just the beginning…
Why does my dog jump on me while walking?
Your dog jumps on you while walking because they’re playful, overstimulated, jealous, or anxious. Lack of training and exercise can be a reason for this behavior too. Other causes include encouragement and uncorrected behavior from puppyhood.
9 reasons why your dog jumps on you while walking
#1: They want attention
You’re just trying to enjoy a peaceful morning walk with your dog…
Then, they jump on you…
Scratching your calf and biting your clothes.
“But what is the purpose of this behavior?”
Jumping is a dog’s form of greeting.
Remember all the times that you come home after a long day of being gone.
Your dog jumps on you as a form of “Hello, hooman!” or an “I’m so glad you’re home!”.
You, the equally delighted fur parent, return the excitement.
Other times, you gently remove their legs from you because you’re tired. And that you can’t deal with such energy at the moment.
Despite that, your dog remains persistent.
Why?
Because you gave them the attention they want. It might’ve been a negative response, but for a dog, attention is attention.
“Jumping when I get home is different from jumping while I walk them….”
Yes, but both situations show a common need…
They show attention-seeking behaviors.
Amidst your peaceful walk, your dog jumps on you. Mainly because they seek your recognition.
And maybe for you to be a little more joyful in walking them.
“Can my dog tell?”
Yes, your dog is sensitive to your attentional state.
This study stated that they’re able to do so from observing your facial expressions.
To further help you recognize this instance, here are other attention-seeking behaviors:
- Leaning against you.
- Nudging towards you.
- Attentively-gazing at you.
- Vigorous wagging of the tail.
#2: They’re overstimulated
As a fur parent, you probably know that under-stimulation can affect your dog’s well-being.
This time, let’s talk about overstimulation.
Overstimulation occurs when your dog gets overwhelmed by the environment around them.
Simply, there are too many things that they can explore…
And so, they take a tour…
You start to see the first sign of overstimulation: hyperactivity.
Hyperactivity occurs when your dog experiences sensory overload…
There are just so many things around them!
Hyperactivity also causes these behaviors:
- Nibbling at you.
- Running around.
- Biting things all over the place.
But, dogs aren’t always social. They have their limits, too.
In this research, results showed that dogs are not always feeling playful.
With that, next up is tiredness.
From too much exposure, your dog has used up their energy. And they’re starting to feel overwhelmed.
They’re no longer comfortable.
They jump on you again, hoping to communicate that they’re tired.
The jumping behavior may be accompanied with:
- Worried eyes.
- Flattened ears.
- Constant pacing around you.
- Attempting to hide behind you or other available objects.
If you notice that your dog is tired, it’s best to consider finally going home.
#3: Lack of training
Your dog jumps on you while you walk because they might think it’s okay. Or that it doesn’t matter if it is.
Unfortunately, you haven’t trained them much in this area.
Without proper training, your dog will not be familiar with what’s okay and not.
Sometimes you reward this behavior positively…
Other times, you lightly scold and nudge them off…
With that said, inconsistency can cause obedience issues in your dog.
As a dog parent, your orderliness is essential. Your behavior could be passed down to your four-legged friend.
Take it from this study. Results show there is a connection between human behavior and a small dog’s obedience.
Its conclusion tells us that consistent engagement and training improve dogs’ discipline.
Aside from all of that, proper behavior training is important as well.
But we’ll get to that later…
#4: They’re not used to being walked
Do you walk your dog regularly?
If your answer to that question is a ‘no,’ then that might be the explanation.
Your dog’s jumping on you as you walk together because they’re not used to this exercise.
They don’t know how to behave appropriately.
And since this activity doesn’t always happen for them, they become overly excited.
They might have this high-energy level, which they’re not used to handling.
And so they jump on you, spin around, and bark at everything during the walk.
#5: They’re being playful
Your fur baby wants to add some spice into your walking activity…
“Hooman…hooman…let’s do something else.” says your dog as they jump on you.
For your persistent doggo, walking isn’t enough. They still have so much energy.
They find walking too…boring.
Usually, this playful message is accompanied by cheerful biting.
Don’t mistake these behaviors as aggressive.
Actions done out of good nature are gentle.
That’s why you’ll notice that your dog is calm as they do so.
Or they seem like they’re smiling, and their tail is energetically wagging.
Remember, attending to your dog’s playfulness is very important. It affects your relationship with them.
Watch out for these 7 playful dog breeds:
- Boxer.
- Pomeranian.
- French Bulldog.
- Golden Retriever.
- Labrador Retriever.
- Jack Russell Terrier.
- Australian Shepherd.
You might also want to check out: Why does my dog jump on me when I sit down?
#6: They’re jealous
Imagine:
While walking your dog, you bump into a fellow fur parent. They’re walking their dog, too.
As you usually bump into them, you become acquainted.
Hi’s and hellos are exchanged between you and the other dog parent. While your dogs exchanged boops.
As you can’t resist the presence of dogs in general, you pet their dog, too.
And now, here comes the jump of jealousy!
Your pooch wants your attention to be limited to them, and to them only…
But wait, you might be wondering, “Dogs are capable of being jealous?”
Yes, they are!
Research says that a dog’s jealous tendencies are similar to a child’s.
But that’s not all!
Your dog could be jealous of your friend.
Maybe after you pet their dog, you decide to catch up with them.
As you two talk, your pooch wants you to only focus on them.
A study found that even ‘potential rivals’ can trigger jealousy in your dog.
In fact, 80% of dog parents confirmed that their dogs exhibit jealous behaviors.
What are these behaviors?
Aside from jumping on you, here are other ways to tell that your dog’s jealous:
- Whimpering.
- Pulling on their leash.
- Barking at who or what they’re jealous of.
- Trying to get between you and the “potential rival”.
- Pushing, either you or the object/person/canine they’re jealous of.
#7: A habit since puppyhood
As a small puppy, your dog used to jump on you to get closer to you.
When they were little, you didn’t mind this behavior.
They’re tiny and lightweight…the action doesn’t do much of a disruption.
And so, you must’ve missed your opportunity to regulate it.
Your dog has now grown a habit of jumping on you.
Since their body grew as well, the disruption arises.
You feel their weight on you as they jump, and sometimes they push you in doing so.
If your dog is large, you could fall if they pushed you…
1 point for your dog…
Kidding aside, scolding your dog for this behavior can be meritless.
Since they’re used to this being okay, the sudden change of preference will confuse them.
That’s why it’s important to train them as young as possible.
Establish that such behavior is a ‘no,’ and your dog can outgrow this habit.
#8: You encourage them to do so
Positive reinforcements work well on dogs. It’s a suitable training method that’s great for your dog’s well-being.
But, too much and overlooked positive reinforcement might promote the wrong behaviors.
In this case, the behavior’s jumping on you.
You may have rewarded this behavior one too many times. Or you reward them during situations that don’t need it.
Take for example:
During your walk, you passed by a fruit stand.
You decide to buy yourself apples or oranges, whichever you prefer.
While interacting with the vendor, your dog is constantly jumping on you.
The behavior is causing disruption, but you’re busy with something else…
And so you pet them while they’re hugging your calf.
Hoping for them to behave while you make a trade.
Or if they’re a small pooch, you decide to carry them instead. Picking them up also frees you from receiving other behaviors from your canine.
That’s why, bear in mind that treats are not the only rewards.
Your dog appreciates everything! From petting to a simple spoken validation.
“What can you suggest then?”
Positive reinforcement is still on the table.
As mentioned, it’s a good training method.
What’s essential is to use it properly.
But we’ll go in-depth with that further in the article…
#9: They’re anxious about something that’s around
Your dog’s anxious tendencies can be easy to spot.
As a dog parent, you just have to observe.
You also have to familiarize yourself with their triggers.
For example:
You and your dog are about to arrive in the dog park.
On this particular day, the park’s crowded.
Say that it’s the first time it’s been this loaded.
So before even reaching the fence, your dog jumps on you.
They might be telling you that they’re anxious about the number of people and furry friends. So they want to get out of there.
It’s best to remove your dog from this situation.
Maybe go back to the park next time…when there are not many people and canines.
That time, your dog can enjoy their time in the park.
You should also take note of this occurrence.
Now you know that your dog’s sensitive to crowds and noise.
Reading tip: Why Do Dogs Walk Slowly With Their Tail Down? 7 Reasons + 3 Tips
How to stop your dog from jumping on you while walking? 3 tips
#1: Divert their energy into something else
Reason #5 says playfulness can be a culprit.
If so, it’s time to engage with your dog.
You can divert their energy into another activity.
If you don’t do it yourself, your dog will decide where to turn their enthusiasm.
And so, you might not see the end of it.
Why?
Your dog could learn another destructive behavior. Yet again, you’re going to need to correct it.
Like said, the reason for this behavior is high energy. Neglecting your pooch will not make their stamina disappear.
What you can do:
You can unleash your dog and keep an eye on them as they wander.
This is perfect in a dog park. Your dog can run around and socialize.
If there are no furry friends around, you can play fetch with your dog.
Doing this will ensure that Fido will use their energy in a way that’s good for both of you.
#2: Be clear on your training
I mentioned in reason # 7 that it’s important to train them as young as possible.
Doing so will let your pup outgrow this habit of jumping on you.
Additionally, research suggests enrolling your pup in a puppy training class. This can help prevent disobedience.
You can also use positive reinforcement.
But make sure that you use it properly.
The trick to this is picking the right timing and command.
In this method, the behavior and consequence have a positive relationship.
This means that the more your dog behaves, the positive consequence (reward) increases. And so, the behavior increases.
But, too much usage of this method can cause disobedience.
It might get out of hand, and you might over-reward your dog.
You can also be mistaken for reinforcing negative behavior.
How?
Say you tell your dog to ‘sit,’ and they do.
You compliment them as they stand up and reach for the treat you’re handing.
In this scenario, you might’ve accidentally awarded the part where they stood up.
That’s why, yet again, timing is important.
Hand them the reward while they’re sitting. Train them to sit still and wait for the reward.
And while we’re at it. Please don’t use punishment as a training tactic.
It may show that it’s effective, but it’s not best for your dog.
In fact, it’s observed that dogs trained from punishment show stress-related behaviors.
These dogs can perform the command. But, they display low posture, muzzle licking, and yawning.
By using punishment, you create a condition of fear and stress for your dog.
Punishment can only lead to an increase in other problematic behaviors. It can also create welfare issues for your dogs.
That’s why positive training methods are highly suggested.
#3: Walk them more frequently
If you don’t walk your dog enough, you should consider doing so regularly.
Provide a walking space (ahem) for your dog in your daily routine.
Walking is an excellent type of bonding.
Plus, it’s perfect for both of your well-being.
A regularly exercised dog is:
- Happier.
- More relaxed.
- Extra attentive.
Here are the effects of not getting enough exercise on your dog:
- Obesity.
- Withdrawal.
- Hyperactivity.
- Constant barking and whining.
- Boredom due to under-stimulation.
- Undesirable destructive behaviors, which is from pent-up energy.
But, just like us, dogs have limited energy.
Fido’s bound to get tired, and we don’t want them to be over-exercised…
Effects of over-exercising your dog include:
- Sprain or joint injury.
- Tearing on their paw pads.
- Panting and drooling from heat exhaustion.
- Changes in their behavior, e.g., they don’t want to go on walks frequently or totally.
- Sore muscles. After an extensive exercise, notice how your dog gets up. Are they struggling? If yes, their muscles can be sore.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help you work this out.
Here’s how much exercise your dog needs:
- For puppies, they need about 15 to 20 minutes of exercise twice a day.
- For adult dogs, they need about a minimum of 20 minutes per day. But it also depends on their size and breed. Take note of their reactions to different lengths of exercises.
- For senior dogs, they need at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. Their different health conditions still require regular but gentle exercise.