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If you’re looking for a cute trick to teach your pup, you’ll love our guide on how to teach your dog to jump into your arms!

It’s actually a lot easier than you might think!

In fact, it only takes five steps and a little patience.

Read on to find out how to do it!

RELATED: How to teach your dog to jump over hurdles

How to teach a dog to jump into your arms

Jumping up and down is a favorite pastime for many dogs.

In fact, sometimes you have to spend time teaching your pooch not to jump on random people and scare them to death.

Since dogs love to jump and love to be with you, all you have to do is combine these two actions.

So, it’s not that hard to teach a dog to jump into your arm, as you probably imagine.

Don’t believe me? Just watch this cute video first.

If that’s not enough to convince you to teach this trick, let me tell you something.

It’s a great exercise for dogs who need to let go of some steam. And it’s a nice way to bond with your dog and establish trust.

So, let’s read on to learn the method!

#1 Make preparations

While you don’t need any special equipment to teach your dog to jump into your arms, you do need a couple of things.

First, you need a low chair or a couple of pillows that you’re going to stack on the floor.

You also need a surface higher than the chair/pillows. It could be a low table or another high chair.

In addition to this, you have to prepare some high-valued treats for your dog.

That’s because you’re going to use positive reinforcement and make Rover associates the jumping up into your arm with something delicious.

Just break up the treats into small pieces so that you don’t overfeed your dog too much.

Finally, you should pick the right place for teaching this trick. Your dog might knock you down on the ground when he jumps up.

There shouldn’t be anything that might get into the way or a window you could fall from.

Otherwise, both of you might get hurt if you happen to fall on the sofa or the table.

#2 Teach lap jumping

Place the low chair/pillows in the middle of the spot you have chosen. Then sit on the chair and call your dog to you. Ask Rover to jump onto your lap.

Most dogs do not need any encouragement because they love to sit in your lap, but if your dog is hesitant, you might lure him with a treat.

The moment the dog jumps onto your lap, mark the behavior with verbal praise and reward him immediately. Remember to put your arms around your dog to steady him in your lap.

Practice this move a couple of times and then introduce your cue word. It might be “Jump up” or “Hop up,” for example.

Continue to practice until the dog readily jumps when he hears your cue word. That could take you a couple of days.

Just remember that the session should not be very long, or your dog is going to get bored. 10-15 minutes a day are enough.

Before we go on, here’s a tip on how to teach a small dog to jump into your arms.

Depending on your dog’s size, you might want to start sitting on the floor. Just like in this video.

After all, toy and teacup breeds are fragile and probably won’t be able to jump from the ground to a low chair.

#3 Practice with a table

Once you have practiced the above step for a couple of days and your dog is obeying, then you can sit on a low table instead of a chair.

If you don’t have a table, use whatever object you have available but it shouldn’t be higher than your chest.

Sit on the table and give your dog the cue word. If you have practiced the previous step well, your dog should jump up at you without hesitation.

Mark the behavior and reward your pup with a tasty treat. Then continue the table practice for a couple of days.

#4 Teach jump from the squatting position

I’m sure that you’re wondering when we’re going to get to the part where you will be training your dog to jump into your arms.

Well, we’re almost there. It’s time for you to stand up, but you’re not going to be at full height.

Instead, you’re going to do the squat position so that the dog is still jumping onto your lap first.

I recommend that you do that against a wall or another solid surface in case your pooch launches at you too enthusiastically and knocks you down.

Once you’ve assumed the position, give your dog the command word.

Rover should be already so accustomed to the command that the change in your body shouldn’t worry him.

When Rover obeys, you must remember to embrace him in your arms and support his weight.

If you drop Rover too often, that might damage his confidence, and Rover might be reluctant to jump up at your arms.

Also, praise and reward. Then continue to practice this routine for a couple of days until your dog is jumping with confidence.

#5 Wrap it up

By now, your dog should be confident enough to jump whenever you give him the command.

So, assume the following stance –  one leg slightly forward and chest slightly backward.

In this way, your body is forming a plank that your dog will use to jump into your arms.

You can watch this video to see what position I’m talking about.

Then all you have to do is continue to practice and build your dog’s confidence.

Remember to praise and reward Rover each time he succeeds in his task.

Eventually, you can phase out the treat and reward your dog with extra petting or a game when Rover does as you say.

If your dog has problems jumping up at your arms, you should go back to the previous step and repeat it as many times as it takes.

As you can see, teaching your dog to jump up at your arms is fun and easy.

However, keep in mind that jumping is not recommended for young puppies whose growth plates haven’t closed.

So, talk to your vet if you have any concerns, or you’re wondering if you should train your small dog to jump into your arms.

What do you think about these instructions on how to teach your dog to jump into your arms? Tell us in the comment section.

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