While it's extremely flattering to think that your dog throwing himself at you is a sign of his undying fondness of your presence, your dog pouncing at you -or other people- can actually prove to be an problem in a lot of situations.

Just think of all the spilled drinks, toppled vases, stained shirts, and paw shaped, prune colored bruises that it causes. All that jumping might seem less a sign of affection and more like a sign that your dog needs to be educated to control his jumping when put in that light. Much like barking and chewing, jumping is something that needs disciplining.

Why do dogs jump at you anyway? There are three main reasons as to why a dog bites:

One reason may be that he wants to establish dominance in your household. This is a bad sign. Your dog literally throwing his weight around either on you or on the furniture is a sign that he's declaring his dog aggression and dominance or that he wants to move up in the hierarchy of the pack. It's his way of saying that he's the alpha-dog and that he intends to exercise his alpha-ness by toppling you or your tall, retro 80's lampshade over.

No one wants a domineering dog on their hands; not only is it difficult to train them, it's even harder to replace decades-old furniture.

Always make sure that he recognizes you as the alpha dog. Establish your authority over him so that he'll learn to respect you as the leader of the pack. For instance, if he gets overexcited and starts to jump, tell him firmly to sit - and make sure he follows it. If he doesn't stop, then ignore him. It's important for him to establish that his behavior is unacceptable and needs to be changed.

Another reason behind his persistent behavior is the possibility that you're unwittingly rewarding it.

Observe how you act in response every time he jumps on you. If you're the type who feeds him or takes him for a walk immediately soon after he jumps on you, then he'll clearly assume that jumping on you is a good thing because he'll end up associating it with a reward.

A lot of owners have lapsed into the inclination to give inappropriate responses to bad behavior. Don't assume that giving treats (or anything pleasurable) will divert bad habits; you're only reinforcing them.

This kind of mechanism will only aggravate the situation. Rewarding him will lead him to think that he's doing something nice and will be encouraged to repeat it to no end.

If you want your dog to learn something, you reward him whenever he does that thing. You reward him and praise him if he sits, stays, or fetches, right? It works in this case because he associates the action with a good thing. If a specific behavior results in a good thing, then he'll end up doing it over and over. This is why you have to be keenly aware of what you do with your dog every time he does something unacceptable.

Avoid this by changing your habits of dealing with him. Instead of creating a diversion for him whenever he does things you don't like, sanction discipline. If he jumps, tell him to sit or teach him the "off" command.

One way to teach him this is to tie him on his leash (like when a guest is about to arrive). Then if he starts jumping, pull him sideways and as soon as you do, say "off" very firmly. Timing is CRUCIAL here-you have to say it right after you pull him sideways but not too long after so as he will associate the behavior with the command. Do it quite a few times until he gets the picture.

He can also be assuming that paw prints on your shirt are the equivalent of waving his paws/hands to greet your arrival. For instance, he'll be inclined to repeat his habit of jumping if you reward his behavior by greeting him with open arms every time you come home from work. Rest assured, he'll always be in a frenzied rush to welcome you once he hears the door open.

Your best bet is not to make a big deal out of returning home. In fact, avoid greeting him as soon as you arrive. Ignore him for about 15 minutes and if he still insists on jumping around, you can squirt him with water pistol or shake a can of pebbles to calm him down. This will help him realize that he doesn't have to get overexcited when you get home, it's just a normal occurrence.

Another thing you should do is to greet him at his level. Dogs greet each other by licking each other by smelling each other's faces. And because you're taller than he is, he'll have no other choice but jump. To avoid this, after your 15-minute "grace period", stoop or sit down in front of him with your palms open-a gesture that should say, "Hey there! Come!" This will definitely avoid the necessity of jumping on you. Indulge him with praises if he doesn't job and if he does, sanction discipline.