If your dinner invitations to family and friends haven't been met with much enthusiasm lately, you may have a dog jumping problem. Everyone loves a happy, playful pup, but no one wants to come home from a dinner party only to spend the evening fighting paw prints on their new blouse or pants with a stain stick. Here are some steps you can take to discourage dog jumping.

Greet Them Sitting Down

If you train your dog to sit when he greets people you'll have the problem licked. Start by teaching your overzealous pooch the ‘sit’ command. Begin at home when it's quiet and there are no distractions. Make sure your pet is rested, fed and doesn't need to go for a walk. Hold a small but delectable treat in your hand right at your dog's nose. Say "sit." Move your hand up and back so your dog backs up a bit and his rear goes to the floor. Give him the treat and lots of praise. If you repeat this training during several short sessions over the course of a few days, he should be sitting reliably at your command. In fact, he will probably begin greeting you sitting down in anticipation of a tasty tidbit.

Bring on the Family

Once your dog has mastered sitting for you, it's time to have him practice for others. Hopefully by now your dog has figured out that sitting in front of people can get him a treat. But greeting people at the front door can be very exciting -- a member of the pack is joining you or returning! Until you can rely on your dog not to jump up, keep him on a collar and leash when you're answering the door. Be firm but calm and be ready to reward him and offer a little treats if he sits when greeting someone to your home.

As he controls his dog jumping urge to use your friends and family as a backboard, you can back off on the treats and vary your rewards. Offer praise or playtime sometimes instead of a treat so you can get him to sit even when no treat is offered. Keep him guessing so you can keep him down on the floor where he belongs. And get those dinner invitations ready -- you're going to need them once you've taught that lovable canine to stop his dog jumping problem.