Does your dog have a habit of jumping on people when he sees them? If so, you know how embarrassing it can be. But imagine how annoying - or frightening even - it is to your guests.

Teaching your pooch to keep all four paws on the floor is part of being a responsible dog owner. It's also relatively easy to do. This is a good thing, because while some dogs are simply jumping up in excitement -- others are using it as a way to show you who's the boss. Here's what I mean...

It's true - the main reason dogs jump is because they are just plain happy to see you! Their adrenaline is pumping and they are excited about something. This happens when you come home after being gone for awhile - or when someone comes over to visit.

There is also a less common, but more serious reason dogs will jump on you.

You've probably heard that dogs are pack animals. This means they live in groups - and everyone has their rank in the group. The leader of the group is the alpha dog, and he will do certain things to show that he is the boss. For example, the alpha dog always eats first - before anyone else in the pack. The also shows he's "top dog" by showing he's physically superior. This is done with another dog by putting one or both paws over the other dog's shoulder. If he thinks he's the boss over you, one thing he will do is jump up on you.

You have to understand, you are a part of your dog's pack too. If he's jumping up on you at other times (not just when he's excited) it's likely he's expressing dominance over you.

If you find that this is happening, you need to realize that you're dealing with more than a simple jumping issue. Your dog thinks he's your pack leader. It's time to brush up on your alpha-dog techniques. Better yet, get some outside help. Since this is a more complex issue, you are going to need to make some serious adjustments to your overall relationship with your dog.

That said, most jumping problems are simply a case of excitement. Solving this type of jumping is relatively easy. The key is consistency. You can't expect your dog to understand that it's okay to jump up on you when you're in your grubby weekend clothes - but not when you're dressed up to go to work. If you want this habit to stop, he needs to be taught that it is never acceptable to jump up on you.

Here is a simple two-step method to stop your dog from jumping.

Step one is simple. Every time your dog jumps up on you, ignore him. Withdraw all attention - even negative attention. That means you can't yell at him, shove him, or correct him in any way. What you are doing is giving him the cold shoulder.

To do this effectively, whenever your dog jumps up on you, immediately turn your back to him. Use your posture to convey the message that this behavior isn't acceptable: fold your arms, turn your back to him, turn your face away and avert your eyes. Because dogs understand body language (it's a big part of how they communicate to each other) he will understand this message very clearly.

Just be sure you are ignoring the dog, not just the behavior. You can't look at him, talk to him, yell at him, or acknowledge him in any way. Without your attention, he'll settle down quickly.

Step two is very important. It's a matter of timing, so even though you're "ignoring" your dog, you have to pay close attention to what he is doing.

The minute your dog has all four paws on the floor, you are going to start praising the heck out of him. Get excited. Let him know that he's doing something great. Even though he was just jumping up on you, he'll understand that the praise is for being on the ground as long as you time it right.

This technique is simple, but it works. Give it a try today. You'll be surprised at how quickly your dog learns. All he wants is your love and attention. By making sure he doesn't get it when he's jumping, he'll soon become the well-behaved pooch you've always wanted.