Having a Boston Terrier is what really completes our family. I really struggled to train our dog not to jump on our guests or us. While it took a long time, the results were worth the effort.
To train a Boston Terrier not to jump, you must focus on ignoring and not rewarding the behavior, including negative rewards. If ignoring does not work, turn around or walk away. Everyone around you must be supportive and not reward the behavior.
If you’re curious about how to stop your Boston Terrier from jumping on you, you should read on. I will also discuss why your dog may be jumping on you and when it’s time to see the help of a professional trainer.
Why Your Boston Terrier Is Jumping on You or Your Guests
So, your Boston Terrier has developed a bad habit of jumping on you and your guests. You might be wondering exactly what is causing this unsatisfactory behavior. Several reasons could be behind this jumping, and you’ll have to get to the bottom to stop it.
Greetings
If you’ve been gone all day or your company has just come over, your Boston Terrier may be overly excited about the experience of having someone walk through the door. She will show this through animated jumping. Unfortunately, this is not the behavior we want from our dogs.
This jumping is, therefore, her way of saying hello. In combination with the excitement, she doesn’t know how else to communicate.
Hunger
If your Boston Terrier is hungry, she may be trying to tell you by jumping on you. If you notice the behavior, particularly around scheduled feeding times, you can be assured that this is the cause.
Attention Seeking Behavior
If you’re not giving what your dog considers enough attention, she may jump up on you to garner more. This behavior will be repeated if it has worked for her in the past.
Any positive reaction you give will reinforce this behavior. So, you must monitor your response whenever your Boston Terrier jumps on you.
Needs to Go Outside
It is also possible that your Boston Terrier needs or wants to go outside and is trying to alert you. While it is not the ideal way to notify you that she needs to go to the bathroom, you should check to see if that is the problem before it’s too late.
Lack of Proper Socialization
Boston Terriers need to be socialized at a very young age. This includes humans, not just other animals. Failure to do this will prevent them from developing the proper social skills they need when dealing with people.
Not having these skills can result in repetitive jumping on people, running around like crazy, and jumping on things they are not supposed to be on. Socializing them later in life is much more difficult, so you must ensure you do this at the right time.
Lack of Adequate Exercise
While Boston Terriers do not require excessive exercise, jumping could indicate that your current routine is too lax. You’ll need to boost your current regimen to ensure that she burns off enough energy to prevent her jumping behaviors.
3 Steps to Stopping Your Boston Terrier from Jumping
Now that we have explored the different reasons your Boston Terrier could be jumping, you’re probably wondering how to train a Boston Terrier not to jump. These 3 steps are the key to getting the behavior that you desire from your dog.
1. Stop All Rewards for Jumping
Did you know that shouting “no” or pushing your dog away was a reward? Either reaction is a negative reward but still gives your dog response to her behavior. Consider for a moment that your dog is trying to get your attention; any response is a reward for her.
Instead, ignore her. She may continue to jump, but you must not respond. If she does not tire of the behavior, turn away from her.
If turning away from her does not stop the behavior, you will have to take it a step further by walking away. This will be the ultimate indication for her that you will not respond to her behavior.
One crucial part of this plan is getting everyone that comes into contact with her on board. Even one person allowing her to jump or having a reaction will solidify her behavior and encourage her to continue.
2. Request an Opposing Behavior
You have most likely put in the time and effort to train your Boston Terrier in the basic commands, so she should know things like “sit” and “stay.” Now you can use this training to your advantage.
The next time your Boston Terrier jumps on you, request that she sit. She can’t jump on you and sit simultaneously, so she will have to choose. If she makes the correct choice and sits, reward her.
This reward should be what she was trying to get when jumping. By giving her what she originally wanted, you will be reinforcing the good behavior she just performed.
She will be more likely to repeat sitting than jumping in the future because she now associates it with the special reward she wanted badly enough to jump on you.
3. Manage the Behavior
The final option is to always keep a leash on your Boston Terrier. Yes, even in the house. This will allow you easy access to stop jumping behavior.
Despite your best efforts at getting the support of everyone around you, you’ll probably still have that one person that encourages your Boston Terrier in some way to continue jumping. If she’s wearing the leash, you can easily step on it to prevent her from being able to jump.
Also, you can grab the leash and remove her from the situation until she has had time to calm down. After she is more relaxed, you can take her back to meet and greet again, hopefully with better results.
When to Call in a Trainer
If you have tried everything possible and your Boston Terrier just won’t stop jumping, it’s time to call in a trainer. They will investigate the situation, diving deep into your dog’s problems to identify the best training solution.
They will have information for the entire family on how to get your dog to behave correctly. You will be given methods of deterring negative behavior, so you do not accidentally reward it.
Final Thoughts
Adding a Boston Terrier to your family can be a fulfilling experience. However, you may run across a training problem where your dog jumps on your guests or you. You will have to fix this issue quickly.
Boston Terriers can be trained not to jump on people by ignoring this behavior and not rewarding it. Rewards can include negative ones, such as saying “no” or pushing them off. When ignoring fails, the next best practice is turning around or walking away.
When your efforts to make your dog stop jumping do not work, it is time to call in a professional trainer. They will be able to provide you and your family with techniques for deterring jumping behaviors.