Hi Kelly, I got my first Dobe, a beautiful black and tan female named Windy on the rebound. The owners had gotten her as an 8 week old puppy from a breeder who was a friend of their son's. They had the ears done, but were suddenly confronted with a quickly growing large dog. They had always had small dogs (Schnauzers) and were totally unprepared for the demands of a large dog, who also had the habit of jumping.

It didn't take me too long to break her of that. They jump because they want to get up to get attention. When the are small puppies, they do it, and it is harmless, but at some point we have to break them of it. At this stage, watch them, and when they squat down to jump, step forward. It throws off the timing and confuses them. At the same time, make the effort to bend down and pet them and make a fuss over them.

As they get larger, this will be less of a problem for you won't have to lean over as far to pet them. My six year old Red is so tall, I can pet him without bending over and I'm 6 ft tall, of course the is over 30 inches at the shoulder and weighs 120 pounds. I am grateful he stopped jumping at a very young age. If stepping forward doesn't stop it, as they start up, step forward a little, and lift a knee into their chest. They will quickly get the message as they really want to please.