Goldens are strong and muscular dogs and can cause problems if they jump on people.
Your dog can’t jump on people if he is sitting as it’s physically impossible to do both things at the same time. Since your dog jumps on people for attention, teaching him to sit when you pet him can eliminate the jumping.
When you come home from work and your dog is excited to see you, don’t try to greet him with your arms full. Instead, greet him with empty hands. Then, when he tries to jump, grab him by the collar or the scruff of the neck and tell him to sit. When he sits, praise him by saying, “Good boy to sit!” and pet him enthusiastically. If he tries to jump up again, use your hands to put him back into the sitting position.
If your dog is really excited and it’s hard for him to control himself, have him sit and roll him over onto his back and give him a belly rub and a massage. This is still giving him the attention he needs but it is relaxing him at the same time.
You can also use the leash to teach your dog not to jump. When you are out for a walk and see your neighbor, don’t let your neighbor pet your Golden until you make him sit. If he starts to jump on the neighbor, use a snap and release of the leash and a verbal correction by saying, “No jump! Sit.” Use the same technique when guests come to your house; leash your dog before they come in.
The key to correcting the problem of your dog jumping on people is to make sure that the bad behavior is not rewarded. If someone pets your dog when he jumps up, the bad behavior is rewarded. When he learns that he gets all of the attention when he is sitting, then he will start sitting automatically for petting and when he does, praise him enthusiastically.
Please note: This article is part of a collection of dog-related content that we purchased the rights to. Opinions expressed may or may not agree with those espoused by Master Dog Trainer Adam G. Katz. When in doubt, please refer to the advice given in Adam’s dog training book. This article is provided for your enjoyment, only. It’s relevance to real world working dog training may be limited.