If a puppy jumps up at you out of excitement, does it annoy you?

[Nectar]

Our labrador puppy is 5 months old, lovely but very bouncy, especially in the mornings on the school run. I'm really trying to stop her jumping up at people, and hold her on a tight lead around small children and other dogs. This is working, and she's not jumping as much at people

Except for two dog walkers I see most days. One lady I've known for years and another who sometimes stops to chat. They act differently to most of the others though. They look quite irritated when they see us, say firmly to my puppy, 'STAY DOWN and then I'll stroke you!' It doesn't matter what I do to prevent her jumping, she'll ALWAYS jump at these two, they get annoyed and I just feel stressed by it.

I'm trying to avoid crossing their path in the mornings, but whichever way I go I run into one of them! Most people I pass want to stop and pay my puppy attention, saying how cute/adorable she is, and not to worry about the jumping as their child likes it! Funny enough she doesn't pay much attention to these though, only the ones who don't particularly like her!

These other two though have adult dogs, around 7/8 years old and maybe just haven't got the patience with puppies. One of them got hers as an adult from a rescue centre as she said she didn't want to go through the puppy stage, so maybe she's just never been used to a lively, bouncy puppy.

Does anybody else feel their dog annoys others, and how do you deal with it if avoidance isn't always possible?

[GemmaTeller]

It wouldn't bother me as I'm a dog person but I can see how it annoys other people.

I have boxers who by their very nature are giddy and bouncy,they don't jump up at people now as they 6 and 7 but when they were younger I usually had to sit them down and hold their collar before people petted them.

I also think it totally confuses them that some people don't mind them jumping up and being friendly and other don't like it.

I think the best way is to try and train her to keep all four paws on the floor when being petted and that the calmer she stays the more petting she gets.

[Locketjuice]

I would say yes It would if it came barging over no warning etc BUT I wouldn't stop to stroke a puppy and not expect it so if I was in clothes I didn't want to get muddy etc I just wouldn't stop, if I did stop and it did jump up I would just try and get it down

[Imnotaslimjim]

Really, you need to be teaching her now not to jump up. As soon as she starts jumping tell her firmly "down!" and praise her when her feet hit the floor. I have a rottie, and he was never taught. We took him on at 2 years old, and 7 stone, and fighting to teach him now!

While its cute as a puppy its not so fun as a full grown dog

[Juniperdewdropofbrandy]

I can't understand their problem if your dog's on a lead they don't need to get within bouncy distance?

No it doesn't worry me. Like dcs that are too quiet, puppies that are too quiet worry me. They're supposed to be bouncy. If they're aggressive it's a different matter. I wouldn't let a dog bounce/jump on people but if they encourage it then fair dos.

[tabulahrasa]

It wouldn't annoy me - but I'd not make a fuss of a puppy until it was back down again, so as not to encourage it.

[thegriffon]

They're probably trying to help you. My lab used to jump up a lot as a puppy, people never minded, said how cute he was and often gave him treats. I used to try and stop him but I wish I'd been stricter as he carried on till he was 18 months and we had some very embarrassing moments, e.g. large mud covered dog jumping up at smartly dressed people

[HDEE]

I despise other dogs jumping at me. They are hairy and they stink and I don't find other people's dogs cute. My own dog is okay though.

You should be telling everyone DO NOT stroke or pet your dog. At the moment he's being rewarded for his antisocial behaviour.

[Whoknowswhocares]

They sound very sensible to me! I doubt very much if they are annoyed, more likely they know that it is inappropriate to fuss the dog while it is jumping as it is a reward for bad behaviour
The people I would be crossing the road to avoid are the sabatours who undo all my training by encouraging my puppy to jump up, not those behaving sensibly and helping encourage good manners

[mrslaughan]

I think they are just trying to not reward bad behaviour.
My ddog ( 10month) doesn't jump up, but will occasionally ignore me when I ask him to wait , when we are approaching other people, and it really irks me when he is made a big fuss of.... Yes he is lovely and gorgeous, but not everyone loves big dogs, and he needs to learn to listen to me 100% of the time, and a loving fuss made of him, when he has ignored me, just reinforces the behaviour.

And I hate dogs jumping up, had an expensive top ruined by a dog I didn't know, doing exactly that, and I wasn't encouraging the behaviour.

[MagratGarlik]

If somebody's dog jumps up at my dc's, yes it annoys me, since you say, "saying how cute/adorable she is, and not to worry about the jumping as their child likes it". Come to that, I'm not fond of other people's dogs jumping up at me either, but I am particularly unimpressed at jumping dogs around dc's.

Even though I am a 'dog person', if I am walking along with my dc's minding our own business, I do not want a strangers dog jumping up, no matter how cute. Sorry. A 5 month old lab is big enough to knock over a small child and I only let the dc's go and pet other people's dogs if the owner says it is OK and the dog is calm and under control. I know he is only young and only a puppy etc, but now is the time to teach him what is and what is not OK before he turns into a 30 kg adult lab.

Sorry that is probably not the answer you want to hear.

[Startail]

No, and it doesn't bother DD2, but my otherwise totally level headed DD1(15) will not be happy. She isn't keen on bouncy dogs.

[poorpaws]

I was knocked to the ground by a bouncing retriever pup. Didn't bother me at all, I got up again and all was well. I actually told it's owner not to tell it off because it was very young and didn't mean to do it.

What I really can't stand is people who walk dogs in decent clothes. We have a local lady who walks her dog in obviously very expensive white trousers. I keep my two dogs well away from her.

[HDEE]

poorpaws, I can walk my dog in whatever clothes I choose. I shouldn't have to base my outfit around whether or not random dogs want to jump all over me.

If you can't stop your dog from jumping on people, then you should keep better control.

[digerd]

I chose my breed deliberately, as had one before and she was perfect for me. Small breed, non-aggressive, non-bouncy, non-hyper, independent but stubborn.
She never jumps up or even licks, but is so inquisitive and stands and stares at people, and as she looks so sweet, most people, especially women, approach her and she lets them gently stroke her head.
Sometimes she sniffs at the men's trouser hems, and most stroke her too and say how sweet and cute she is.
She is 2.5 and had her only 4 months.

I knew I couldn't have coped with a large, energetic, excitable dog, although I love stroking them too. But most are more interested in my little dog than me.

[Nectar]

Thanks for all your replies, yes maybe they are just trying to help, or possibly one of them is. The other one audibly tuts when my puppy starts to jump!

I will work harder on getting her to stop, as a few of you have said, it's easy to say 'Oh she's still young, etc etc', but it's easier to stop her now rather than find you've suddenly got an uncontrollable adult dog!

I suppose it's a bit like having a child in tow, there's a child at the dc's school who approaches me every day at the school gate, pulling at me, wanting to come back to my house, interrupting any conversation I'm having with my own dc's or other parents, while his mum just stands back and occasionally just says 'Oh bless him'!

I suppose the irritation I feel sometimes with her not controlling her child, could be similar to somebody being irritated at a dog jumping up, with the owner not realising it's really a problem. Hmm, I'll work on it!

[HoneyDragon]

I am at this phase still with my 12 month Lab.

I would probably have kissed those women.

I have stopped walking in one area as my battle to stop her jumping is thwarted by dog owners who let her jump up and fuss her. Or give her treats.

I like all dogs even ones that jump up, but I don't like it when dogs jump up, and they shouldn't jump up.

On bad days, I remind myself we'll get there but it seems very far way at the moment.

[Casmama]

I had my son at the beach when he was two and an exuberant lab puppy ran up behind us and jumped up on my son badly scratching his back and knocking him over in the process. It left him scared of dogs for a good six months despite previously liking them.
I new the owner had not expected it and was vey apologetic but I would expect him to keep the dog on a lead and under control around children until he was much more confident that the puppy would behave.
If you want to let kids pet the puppy then sit him down and crouch down with your hand firmly on his collar.

[Casmama]

Knew

[mrsmarzipan]

Our lab went through this bouncy stage too and I found it embarrassing as I felt it looked like I couldn't control her. We worked hard on it and the technique we used was to take a step towards her if she jumped up and asked anyone else to so the same. This makes her either walk backwards on hind legs or sit down. Sitting down is the easiest option for them so they tend to do it and once she had we made a fuss of her. It only took a couple of weeks and I have to say she never jumps up at anyone now (she just turned 1). Good luck, you sound like a responsible considerate owner and this stage will pass

[VerySmallSqueak]

I think they are trying to help.

A dog owner who has ever had a dog from a puppy,surely wouldn't be annoyed by this.
We've all been there.

If someone doesn't want to be bounced on by a puppy on a lead,they can always choose to keep their distance.

[BarefootShirl]

Wouldn't bother me as I love dogs but I still remember being scared shitless when an Alsatian jumped up at me when I was about 7-8. However I think it s important for the puppy to be trained to understand that they will only get stroked/petted if they are calm - although I know with labs that can be a slow process!

[Branleuse]

yes it would annoy me if a dog jumped up at me unless id specifically been playing with it. You need to nip that in the bud asap. You might think your puppy is adorable and playful, but in a few months, it will be a big dog and knocking people over and youll wish you werent excusing it as a puppy for so long

[Hassled]

Jumping up dogs and puppies freak the hell out of me - which I know is entirely down to the fact I have no experience of dogs and so am wary of them, but then that's true of lots of people.

Nectar - good on you for being aware that it might be an issue for people.

[Nectar]

Thank you all, and I will try out your tips, Mrsmarzipan!