How to Stop a Goldendoodle from Jumping

Goldendoodles are playful, energetic and loveable.  This playfulness, and loving nature can come with some not so good other behaviors, including jumping.   While I don’t always mind this behavior, sometimes I wonder how to make it stop, I bet you do too.

I did a little research today on this and discovered some ways to manage this behavior.

Goldendoodles are a great companion animal.  They boast a friendly and loving nature that lends itself well to a close, loving relationship with their pet parent.  However, they can sometimes display other negative behaviors despite their high intelligence and gentleness.  One of those behaviors is jumping.

Like any dog, a Goldendoodle is limited in how they express love and playfulness to those they love while being around them.   

Jumping is a physical means for them to express what they are feeling, they love you so much they want to be close to you, your face, your lap, whatever they can get.   

Without proper management and training, this behavior can become a nuisance if left unchecked. Thankfully there are ways to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping.

How To Stop A Goldendoodle From Jumping

Obedience Training and Socializing

A great way to help stop a Goldendoodle from jumping is to train them.  Thorough and adequate training and socialization can teach a Goldendoodle what is expected of them in various situations.  Training can begin when they are a puppy and continue into adulthood with review periods throughout their lives to remind.

Learning the basic commands of Sit, Stay, and Come and Leave It will help keep them in line when they can’t control themselves.

Goldendoodles are quick learners due to their high level of intelligence.   This will make it easier to train and to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping.

Redirect Behavior

For Goldendoodle puppies, it can be helpful to redirect their behavior when attempting to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping.  At this age, they may not remember the obedience training taught to them for too long.  They will need plenty of reviews, and this is where redirecting can be helpful.

While they are going through the training process and being socialized with other dogs, redirecting can help to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping.   Diversions in the form of toys and treats or scenery changes can work wonders to stop a Goldendoodle puppy from jumping until they are through training.

Lexie went crazy for these pumpkin treats. They’re great because they’re easy on her sensitive stomach:

And she LOVES this crackle stick. It’s super annoying, but I’d rather hear her happily chewing on it than jumping on me and my guests:

Ignoring the Behavior

Ignoring the behavior can also help to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping.  For dogs that know better and are older, ignoring the behavior and not offering the attention they seek can stop a Goldendoodle from jumping.  They should be ignored without response.  This includes not talking to them, touching them, or making eye contact with them.

Any response can be thought of as encouragement, and the jumping may end up continuing.

Once they have changed their behavior and you help to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping, a Goldendoodle can be rewarded with praise, treats, and of course, attention.

Limit Contact

If that doesn’t work, it is possible to stop a Goldendoodle from jumping by removing yourself from the situation.  Jumping is a way of expressing excitement or emotion for a Goldendoodle while seeking attention.

By removing yourself from the room, situation or area, you can take away the excitement and limit their ability to gain your attention.  This can stop a Goldendoodle from jumping, but in some instances, it can return when you come back into the room.  This may need to be repeated over again.

After repeated events where you leave the room and limit your contact with them, a Goldendoodle should get the message and stop jumping.

This may seem like a bit harsh since they are jumping at or on you to be close and you are limiting your contact with them but in truth you are teaching them that this way of expressing their need for closeness is not appropriate.

Get Busy

Becoming busy can help a Goldendoodle stop jumping.  Taking your attention and energy and channeling it away from your dog can reduce their excitement and jump or other negative behaviors.

This can also work in reverse and is dependent on your unique Goldendoodle.  Some Goldendoodles will respond to this method by becoming more insistent with their jumping at or on you as if demanding attention, but it varies.  Each dog is individual in how it will react.

If they respond well to this tactic and you have helped your Goldendoodle to stop jumping, you can offer them a treat or words of praise because they followed your insistence and calmed down.

Provide a Rest

To get a Goldendoodle to stop jumping, it may be required that they take a rest.   Some dogs cannot cope with certain situations, let alone how they react to them.  Their love for attention and closeness can cause them to forget their good manners.

If a Goldendoodle can’t control the urge to jump, they might need quiet time out for a rest, which can soothe they’re out of control emotions and remind them not to jump.

If they return to the prior situation behaving appropriately, they can be rewarded in whatever way the pet parents see beneficial.

Mental Stimulation

Individual dogs and especially the highly intelligent ones, might need mental stimulation.  If, after a couple of attempts to stop a jumping Goldendoodle, there is no cessation of the behavior, it is possible to provide a mentally stimulating toy to occupy the mind.

Some dogs behave better around others when they have something to do to keep their mind occupied.  These toys are specifically designed for the stimulation of a dog’s mind and their physical bodies and can be very distracting for them at certain times.  This can help your Goldendoodle to stop jumping.

Here are a couple of my favorites in order from easiest for beginners to hardest for advanced:

Why Do Goldendoodles Jump So Much?

Jumping is a natural way for a Goldendoodle to express excitement and their need for closeness to those they love.  They might jump up when you first get home as a way of expressing how much they missed you and are excited to see you.  They also might jump when you sit down in an attempt to be close to you for hugs and kisses.  Sometimes they will jump at other people who come to the house too.

It is a pretty typical behavior amongst Goldendoodles and can usually be remedied with little fuss since they are such people pleasers.  While it can be a common problem with this breed, some dogs will naturally be a bit more insistent and make it a hard to break habit.  These Goldendoodles need help to stop jumping.

How To Reinforce Not Jumping

Once your Goldendoodle has stopped jumping, it is essential to offer some encouragement for the good behavior.  At this time, it is appropriate to provide petting, some treats and words of praise.

Preventing Your Goldendoodle From Ever Jumping

Yes, it is possible to prevent a Goldendoodle from jumping before it happens.

Adequate training for this highly intelligent dog is the best way to accomplish this task.

Aside from this, meeting their needs before a situation arises can reduce the chance that a Goldendoodle will jump.

When there are house guests, or the Goldendoodle will be around others, it may be beneficial to keep them on a leash or hold them in arms for others’ happiness and security.  This can help your Goldendoodle to stop jumping.

If a Goldendoodle were to jump at or on someone, it most likely wouldn’t cause any damage unless that someone is a small child.  However, it can be surprising to the person who is not prepared for it, or doesn’t like dogs.

The best method to be used for stopping a Goldendoodle from jumping is to prevent it from happening in the first place.  This requires learning and understanding your unique dog.

Once the bond is established between Goldendoodle and pet parent and training has begun, paying attention to body language cues and triggers can help a pet parent prevent the behavior.  This bond and anticipation of behaviors can help a Goldendoodle stop jumping by preventing it in the first place.

While the Goldendoodle is being trained and bonding with the pet parent, the pet parent notices what triggers the Goldendoodle’s negative behaviors in specific scenarios.  This allows them to reinforce training commands at critical times while limiting situations that the Goldendoodle cannot handle.

Whatever commands or methods are chosen, the pet parent must maintain a calm, if not somewhat dull, attitude while remaining in control of the situation.  A Goldendoodle’s behaviors can be modified by the emotions and reactions of those around them.

Final Thoughts

Removing negative behaviors, including stopping a Goldendoodle from jumping, can be accomplished with various methods.

Some dogs may respond better than others to one method over another.  Whatever method works, it is possible to stop any Goldendoodle from jumping as long as we remember to pay attention to and love them above all else!