How to Teach Your Dachshund to Stop Jumping on People

Whether or not someone is a dog person, it’s not polite when your dog jumps all over people.

It’s simply bad manners. 

Besides being rude, it’s important to teach your Dachshund not to jump on people so they aren’t leaping up at children either. Although Dachshunds are small, they can hurt a small child by knocking them over. 

If your Dachshund is jumping on strangers or house guests, not only can it be annoying, but it can also be harmful to your pup’s back. 

In this article we’ll discuss how to teach your Dachshund to stop jumping on people using positive reinforcement and redirection.

If your concern is about other jumping around the house, please read our article How to Keep Your Dachshund from Jumping On and Off Furniture.

Why it’s Harmful for Your Dachshund to Jump

In general, Dachshunds shouldn’t be excessively jumping. It’s not safe for your Doxie to jump often or very high.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is very common in this breed. It’s is a debilitating disorder which affects the spinal column. 

Jumping can make be a trigger for an IVDD related spine injury.

This disease is genetic and causes the spinal column to age prematurely and become brittle.

The brittle disks can rupture on their own or be triggered by jumping.

While sometimes IVDD-related injuries are inevitable, it’s important to err on the side of caution and minimize jumping as much as you can.

Why Your Dachshund Jumps on People

Your Dachshund is probably jumping on you and other people because they want attention! 

If new people arrive at your home, your Doxie is going to do whatever they can to gain favor of your guests. 

The first step in their mind?

Jump on those people so they know that your Dachshund is there and needs love!

Your Dachshund may also be jumping on people because that person has something that your pup wants – a toy, food or treats. 

Guests may not appreciate your dog jumping all over them.

Besides jumping up on people being bad manners, it can be irritating when you (or a guest) are dressed up in fancy clothes and your dog starts clawing at it as they jump on you.

It’s also possible that your dog’s nails can cause little tears in their clothing that become bit holes after being washed once or twice.

So how can you stop this behavior?

3 Steps for Getting Your Dachshund to Stop Jumping on People

It’s always best to use positive reinforcement when training your Dachshund a new skill or behavior.

Positive reinforcement involves lots of tasty treats and praise. 

Here are some simple steps for getting your Dachshund to stop jumping on people.

Stop rewarding the behavior

If your Dachshund is jumping on you or other people, do not give them the attention they are craving. 

If you bend down to pick up your pup or pet their head when they are jumping, this is considered a reward. 

Even looking at them and saying no is a reward because they’ve gained your attention – dog’s don’t always care if the attention is positive or negative.

Ignoring your dog’s behavior tells them it’s not okay.

Instead, send the message that your dog won’t get what they want by turning your back on them or walking away.

It’s best to insist that your guests do the same.

Let friends and family know that you’re working on correcting the behavior, so it’s crucial that they stick to the plan.

Redirect the behavior

When your Dachshund is jumping on you, ask for a different trick or command instead. 

Training a Dachshund is possible but it’s important that you don’t only focus on telling them what not to do. They need to understand what you would like them to do instead.

For example, if you only say “no jumping”, you are telling them what not to do but not telling them what to do instead.

Also, like mentioned above, negative attention is still attention and rewards them for their behavior.

Try asking them to do something simple like “sit” or “down.” Then, offer a treat or reward when they perform the redirected action. 

This way the jumping isn’t being rewarded, but the command you asked for is. The bonus is that you will have a better trained Dachshund.

Be repetitive and consistent each time you react to their jumping.

Remember to be repetitive and consistent, otherwise your Dachshund isn’t likely to understand that jumping on people is never acceptable and stop doing it.

Manage the behavior

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links (Amazon Associate or other programs we participate in). As an affiliate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

It’s not always possible to completely stop the jumping but you can minimize and discourage it.

Keep your Dachshund on a harness and leash when you have visitors, or are out for a walk, so if they begin jumping up on someone, you can safely turn around and walk away from the situation. 

You can also physically prevent them from jumping on guests by putting them in a dog playpen or dog crate.

Make sure you don’t use their crate as a place of punishment.

Remember that your Dachshund’s crate or playpen should be a place of safety and happiness, rather than one of punishment.

You can help make a positive association by giving your dog a stuffed treat toy or tasty chew when placing them inside.

Final Thoughts

Jumping can hurt a Dachshund’s spine, and exacerbate any issues with previously diagnosed IVDD. 

Jumping is also considered “bad manners,” as most people don’t prefer a dog to be hurdling up their pant leg.

Teach your Dachshund to stop jumping on people using these simple three steps:

1. Don’t reward the jumping behavior, even with negative attention. Never physically scold your Dachshund.
2. Redirect the behavior to a more appropriate action such as “sit” or “down.”
3. Physically manage the jumping with a harness, playpen, or crate.

It’s absolutely imperative to make sure that every member of your family is on board with the new training regimen. 

If one person is working hard to correct your Dachshund’s jumping but another is ignoring the new routine, your pup won’t properly learn. 

This can lead to frustration, or completely giving up on teaching your Doxie better manners.

If you’ve taken the above steps using consistency and repetition, but your Dachshund won’t cease their incessant jumping, seek the help of a certified canine behaviorist or trainer who uses positive reinforcement.

About the Author: Through her 17 years of owning and caring for Dachshunds, and almost 10 years researching and writing about them, JW has become a respected expert in the Dachshund community. Read more about her here.