How to Stop Mouthing, Nipping , Biting  & Jumping up in Puppies

Puppies spend a great deal of time playing, chewing and investigating objects. All of these normal activities involve puppies using their mouths and their needle-sharp teeth. When puppies play with people, they often bite, chew and mouth on people’s hands, limbs and clothing. This kind of behavior may seem cute when your puppy is seven weeks old, but it’s not nearly so endearing when he’s three or four months old—and getting bigger by the day.

Understanding Why Dogs Mouth, Nip, and Bite

Mouthing, nipping, and biting are very normal in puppies; however, this behavior can also lead to a potentially dangerous habit. More than 8.5 million people suffer dog bites each year in the India., and over 800,000 undergo medical treatment for these bites. If you’re struggling with mouthing, nipping, and/or biting behaviors in your puppy, it’s important to understand why.

Puppies mouth, nip, and bite for a wide range of reasons, both intentional and accidental. Some reasons include:

• Play
• Fear
• Surprise
• Guarding
• Frustration
• Pain

In many cases, puppies will use their mouths during play. As your pet doesn’t yet realize that their actions can cause pain, they may nip or bite too hard. There are also instances where a puppy will nip or bite out of fear, aggression, or guarding behavior. Some puppies also display “reactive” behavior and may show aggression towards humans or other pets.

Identifying Triggers for Mouthing, Nipping, and Biting

When attempting to stop mouthing, nipping, and biting behaviors in puppies, it’s important to understand what triggers your pet. For example, some puppies tend to mouth more when they are over-tired. Helping your puppy settle down when he’s showing signs of fatigue can help reduce these unwanted behaviors.

If your puppy tends to bite at your feet when you walk, consider your footwear. Fluffy socks or slippers may appear as an invitation to nip. Instead, wear a pair of sneakers or other shoes that won’t be as appealing.

Also, remember that puppies tend to mouth and nip when they are going through the teething stage. Puppies generally begin to get teeth around three weeks of age, and by six weeks, all of their deciduous teeth will likely have erupted. During this period, try to give your puppy chew toys to help relieve any discomfort they may be experiencing.

Stopping Mouthing, Nipping, and Biting Behaviors

It’s important to be patient with your puppy when attempting to stop any mouthing, nipping, or biting behaviors. It will take time for your puppy to understand that you do not condone the behavior. In the meantime, avoid getting frustrated or angry at your pet.

When your puppy mouths or nips, stay calm and try not to react. When you give your puppy attention when he mouths, your pet may see that as a reward and may continue the behavior. Ignoring your puppy when he mouths, nips or bites shows your pet that he will not get rewarded with your attention. If the mouthing becomes too much for you to tolerate, remove yourself from the room with a safety gate or door between you and your pet.

One of the best ways to stop mouthing, nipping, and biting behaviors in pets is to redirect your pet. Keep a variety of toys and chews accessible that your pet can safely play with and bite. Providing your puppy with an outlet can help satisfy their need to mouth without your hands becoming the prime target.

Regular rest, healthy meals, and lots of exercise are also important for growing puppies. Young puppies can become irritable when overtired, increasing their likelihood of mouthing or nipping. Hunger can also make puppies irritable, which could trigger mouthing. It’s important to keep your puppy satisfied in all aspects, which includes giving your dog plenty of opportunities to run, play, and explore its surroundings, both indoors and out.

The following tips and tricks can also help stop mouthing, nipping, and biting behaviors in puppies:

• Use positive reinforcement:Never punish your puppy for natural behaviors like mouthing, nipping, or biting. Instead, use positive reinforcement, such as offering a chew toy or praising them for stopping their unwanted behavior.
• Socialize your pet:Your puppy may nip or bite when placed in unfamiliar situations. Socialize your dog by introducing him to new people and places, which will help him feel more at ease in new situations.
• Avoid high-risk scenarios:There are certain times when you should avoid disturbing your pet, such as when they are sleeping, eating, or ill. Avoiding these situations can help prevent dog bites.
• Remove temptations:When training your puppy not to mouth, nip, or bite, remove items that could be tempting to your pet. This could include loose hanging clothing, fluffy slippers, or robe belts.

 Why Do Puppies Bite?

Puppies are born with needle-like teeth, but with very under-developed jaw muscles. One theory is that this allows puppies to safely establish with their siblings the acceptable limits of how hard they can nip their pack mates. This process is called bite inhibition and you can see it in action in the litter. When one puppy bites too hard, the recipient will give a yelp, and the play will stop. In this way, puppies learn how hard they can nip before their adult teeth and strong jaw muscles develop. Puppies also chew a lot when they’re teething, as it helps to reduce the pain.

Training puppies not to bite at all is just an extension of this natural socialisation process – but it still requires time and patience to make sure the training sticks. It goes without saying this is an exceptionally important element of puppy training, as a biting adult dog is a serious danger to other people – particularly children – and pets. Not only that, the law is very strict about biting dogs, and there is a very real risk that your dog will be taken from you and even destroyed.

It’s normal for puppies to use their teeth during play and exploration. It’s how they learn about the world, and it plays an important role in their socialization. Not to mention, puppies also chew on everything—including you and your clothes—while they are teething.

Here are a few reasons why puppies bite.

1. They’re Exploring the World

Puppies learn a lot from biting things, including other puppies, their pet parents, and inanimate objects. They receive sensory information about how hard they can bite that particular object, what it tastes like, and whether they should modify their behavior.

Depending on the feedback a puppy receives, like the taste and consistency of the object or the reaction they get, a puppy may continue to bite, change their bite pressure, or stop entirely.

2. Your Puppy Is Teething

Adult dog teeth start to grow in when your puppy is 12–16 weeks old, and your puppy’s gums may be a bit sore during this time. Because of this, puppy biting tends to hit its peak when a pup is about 13 weeks old.

During this time, you’re likely to see an increase in chewing on objects—including you, your clothes, and maybe even your hair.

3. It’s Play Behavior

Some puppies nip or bite to entice play. When puppies bite each other, they learn a very important skill: bite inhibition. With play biting, puppies learn how much pressure they can apply with their teeth and what happens when they bite too hard.

For example, let’s say Puppy A and Puppy B are playing together. When Puppy A bites too hard and causes pain in Puppy B, Puppy B will cry out and refuse to continue to play with Puppy A. Puppy B may even move away from Puppy A.

Through this interaction, Puppy A learns that if he bites too hard, other puppies won’t play with him. So, Puppy A makes his play bites softer, so they don’t result in play with Puppy B ending.

Some puppies may learn through a one-time process, while other puppies need multiple play sessions with multiple puppies to learn to soften their bite.

Your puppy will try to engage in play by biting you because, to them, this is a normal dog behavior. When this happens, you will need to understand how to respond so your puppy has clear and gentle guidance.

What to Do About Puppy Mouthing

It’s important to help your puppy learn to curb his mouthy behavior. There are various ways, some better than others, to teach this lesson. The ultimate goal is to train your puppy to stop mouthing and biting people altogether. However, the first and most important objective is to teach him that people have very sensitive skin, so he must be very gentle when using his mouth.

Bite Inhibition: Teach Your Puppy to Be Gentle
Bite inhibition refers to a dog’s ability to control the force of his mouthing. A puppy or dog who hasn’t learned bite inhibition with people doesn’t recognize the sensitivity of human skin, and so he bites too hard, even in play. Some behaviorists and trainers believe that a dog who has learned to use his mouth gently when interacting with people will be less likely to bite hard and break skin if he ever bites someone in a situation apart from play—like when he’s afraid or in pain.

Puppies usually learn bite inhibition during play with other puppies. If you watch a group of puppies playing, you’ll see plenty of chasing, pouncing and wrestling. Puppies also bite each other all over. Every now and then, a pup will bite his playmate too hard. The victim of the painful bite yelps and usually stops playing. The offender is often taken aback by the yelp and also stops playing for a moment. However, pretty soon, both playmates are back in the game. Through this kind of interaction, puppies learn to control the intensity of their bites so that no one gets hurt and the play can continue without interruption. If puppies can learn how to be gentle from each other, they can also learn the same lesson from people.

When you play with your puppy, let him mouth on your hands. Continue play until he bites especially hard. When he does, immediately give a high-pitched yelp, as if you’re hurt, and let your hand go limp. This should startle your puppy and cause him to stop mouthing you, at least momentarily. (If yelping seems to have no effect, you can say “Too bad!” or “You blew it!” in a stern voice instead.) Praise your puppy for stopping or for licking you. Resume whatever you were doing before. If your puppy bites you hard again, yelp again. Repeat these steps no more than three times within a 15-minute period. If you find that yelping alone doesn’t work, you can switch to a time-out procedure. Time-outs are often very effective for curbing mouthing in puppies. When your puppy delivers a hard bite, yelp loudly. Then, when he startles and turns to look at you or looks around, remove your hand. Either ignore him for 10 to 20 seconds or, if he starts mouthing on you again, get up and move away for 10 to 20 seconds. After the short time-out, return to your puppy and encourage him to play with you again. It’s important to teach him that gentle play continues, but painful play stops. Play with your puppy until he bites hard again. When he does, repeat the sequence above. When your puppy isn’t delivering really hard bites anymore, you can tighten up your rules a little. Require your puppy to be even gentler. Yelp and stop play in response to moderately hard bites. Persist with this process of yelping and then ignoring your puppy or giving him a time-out for his hardest bites. As those disappear, do the same for his next-hardest bites, and so on, until your puppy can play with your hands very gently, controlling the force of his mouthing so that you feel little or no pressure at all.

What to Do Next:

Teach Your Puppy That Teeth Don’t Belong on Human Skin

• Substitute a toy or chew bone when your puppy tries to gnaw on fingers or toes.
• Puppies often mouth on people’s hands when stroked, patted and scratched (unless they’re sleepy or distracted). If your puppy gets all riled up when you pet him, distract him by feeding him small treats from your other hand. This will help your puppy get used to being touched without mouthing.
• Encourage noncontact forms of play, such as fetch and tug-of-war, rather than wrestling and rough play with your hands. Once your puppy can play tug safely, keep tug toys in your pocket or have them easily accessible. If he starts to mouth you, you can immediately redirect him to the tug toy. Ideally, he’ll start to anticipate and look for a toy when he feels like mouthing.
• If your puppy bites at your feet and ankles, carry his favorite tug toy in your pocket. Whenever he ambushes you, instantly stop moving your feet. Take out the tug toy and wave it enticingly. When your puppy grabs the toy, start moving again. If you don’t happen to have the toy available, just freeze and wait for your puppy to stop mouthing you. The second he stops, praise and get a toy to reward him. Repeat these steps until your puppy gets used to watching you move around without going after your feet or ankles.
• Provide plenty of interesting and new toys so that your puppy will play with them instead of gnawing on you or your clothing.
• Provide plenty of opportunities for your puppy to play with other puppies and with friendly, vaccinated adult dogs. Playing and socializing with dog buddies is important for your puppy’s development—and if he expends a lot of his energy playing with other puppies, he’ll feel less motivated to play roughly with you. Consider enrolling your puppy in a good puppy class, where he can have supervised playtime with other puppies and learn some important new skills! Please see our article,
• Use a time-out procedure, just like the one described above—but change the rules a little. Instead of giving your puppy time-outs for hard biting, start to give him time-outs every time you feel his teeth touch your skin.
  • The instant you feel your puppy’s teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds. If your puppy follows you or continues to bite and nip at you, leave the room for 30 to 60 seconds. (Be sure that the room is “puppy-proofed” before you leave your puppy alone in it. Don’t leave him in an area with things he might destroy or things that might hurt him.) After the brief time-out, return to the room and calmly resume whatever you were doing with your puppy.
  • Alternatively, you can keep a leash attached to your puppy during time-out training and let it drag on the floor when you’re there to supervise him. Then, instead of leaving the room when your puppy mouths you, you can take hold of his leash and lead him to a quiet area, tether him, and turn your back to him for the brief time-out. Then untie him and resume whatever you were doing.
• If a time-out isn’t viable or effective, consider using a taste deterrent. Spray areas of your body and clothing that your puppy likes to mouth before you start interacting with him. If he mouths you or your clothing, stop moving and wait for him to react to the bad taste of the deterrent. Praise him lavishly when he lets go of you. Apply the bad taste to your body and clothes for at least two weeks. After two weeks of being punished by the bitter taste every time he mouths you, your puppy will likely learn to inhibit his mouthy behavior.
• Be patient and understanding. Playful mouthing is normal behavior for a puppy or young dog.

General Precautions

• Avoid waving your fingers or toes in your puppy’s face or slapping the sides of his face to entice him to play. Doing these things can actually encourage your puppy to bite your hands and feet.
• Do not discourage your puppy from playing with you in general. Play builds a strong bond between a dog and his human family. You want to teach your puppy to play gently, rather than not at all.
• Avoid jerking your hands or feet away from your puppy when he mouths. This will encourage him to jump forward and grab at you. It’s much more effective to let your hands or feet go limp so that they aren’t much fun to play with.
• Slapping or hitting puppies for playful mouthing can cause them to bite harder. They usually react by playing more aggressively. Physical punishment can also make your puppy afraid of you—and it can even cause real aggression. Avoid scruff shaking, whacking your puppy on the nose, sticking your fingers down his throat and all other punishments that might hurt or scare him.

When Does Mouthing Become Aggression?

Most puppy mouthing is normal behavior. However, some puppies bite out of fear or frustration, and this type of biting can signal problems with future aggression.

Puppy “Temper Tantrums”
Puppies sometimes have temper tantrums. Usually tantrums happen when you’re making a puppy do something he doesn’t like. Something as benign as simply holding your puppy still or handling his body might upset him. Tantrums can also happen when play escalates. (Even human “puppies” can have tantrums during play when they get overexcited or upset)! A puppy temper tantrum is more serious than playful mouthing, but it isn’t always easy to tell the difference between the two. In most cases, a playful puppy will have a relaxed body and face. His muzzle might look wrinkled, but you won’t see a lot of tension in his facial muscles. If your puppy has a temper tantrum, his body might look very stiff or frozen. He might pull his lips back to expose his teeth or growl. Almost always, his bites will be much more painful than normal mouthing during play.

If you’re holding or handling your puppy and he starts to throw a temper tantrum, avoid yelping like you’re hurt. Doing that might actually cause your puppy to continue or intensify his aggressive behavior. Instead, be very calm and unemotional. Don’t hurt your puppy, but continue to hold him firmly without constriction, if possible, until he stops struggling. After he’s quieted down for just a second or two, let him go. Then make plans to contact a qualified professional for help. Repeated bouts of biting in frustration are not something that the puppy will simply grow out of, so your puppy’s behavior should be assessed and resolved as soon as possible.

When and Where to Get Help
A trained professional can help you determine whether or not your puppy’s mouthing is normal, and she or he can guide you through an effective treatment plan. If you suspect that your puppy’s biting fits the description of aggressive or fearful behavior, please seek consultation with a qualified professional,

Puppy jumping up

Most puppies jump up as it is a natural canine greeting behaviour. Puppies want our attention and up until now they only know one way to get it so you can’t blame them for doing what comes naturally. Teaching your puppy not to jump up is simple. You just need to show them that you’ll respond and give them your attention when their paws are on the floor so there’s no need to jump.

Why do puppies chew?

Chewing is a natural puppy behaviour that helps develop their teeth and jaws. Owners shouldn’t try and stop their puppy chewing as all dogs need to do it but instead should make sure they give their puppy things to chew that are appropriate and safe.

• Give your puppy lots of safe chew toys to give them an outlet for their need to gnaw. If you can, redirect their chewing to these toys, they won’t focus so much on the items you do not want them to chew. For example, if they’re chewing your slipper, don’t try and take it away from them as it will turn into a brilliant tug toy, simply find one of your puppy’s chew toys, make it irresistible by playing with it and your puppy will lose interest in your slipper almost immediately.
• Make these toys far more interesting than anything else they may consider chewing. You can do this by buying toys that you can put treats or food inside, or that have a texture or make a noise that your puppy enjoys. Use some trial and error to find out what your puppy really enjoys, as long as it is safe and healthy.
• Tidy up! If you have things lying around on the floor or within puppy reach, you can’t expect them not to have a nibble on them. Puppies don’t know what is theirs and what isn’t!
• Praise your puppy when you see them chewing a safe and appropriate toy.
• Consider putting your puppy in a playpen when you’re at home but can’t watch them all the time. Make sure they have some safe chew-toys in there to keep them happy and so they can play safely.
• Chewing can also occur when your puppy is bored. Make sure you are spending lots of quality time with them, giving them plenty of enrichment and interactive toys and games, and that they are not being left on their own for long periods of time.

Things to avoid when teaching your puppy not to play bite and mouth

• Don’t encourage play biting with fingers. As cute as it might seem when your small puppy is chomping on your fingers, you really don’t want your puppy growing up learning that play biting is an appropriate way of interacting with people – as your puppy grows, this habit can be very problematic and painful.
• Avoid using high-pitched squealing or similar noises in an attempt to let your puppy know they have hurt you – this tends to excite puppies which can often encourage more biting.
• Don’t tell your dog off. Although it might be painful when your puppy play bites you, you don’t want to frighten them as they may begin to lose trust in you. It’s better to expect and anticipate mouthing episodes, and then manage them in a safe and helpful way.

Seven steps to get your dog to stop chewing and mouthing

There are plenty of practical steps you can take to stop your pup from mouthing and chewing things they shouldn’t. Here’s some advice from our dog behaviour experts.

• Puppy-proof your living space: Make sure you remove prized possessions or put them out of reach. Restrict your puppy’s access around your home using child gates or a playpen, but always make sure they have fun and safe things to chew in their zone.
• Provide suitable toys and chews for your puppy to play with: Swapping your pup’s toys daily will keep them interested. Dogs enjoy chewing lots of different things, so try to mix it up with rope, rubber, and soft toys. Remember to praise them when they chew on the right thing. Joining in and having a game is a great way to reward them, and you might just have some fun too.
• Always keep a toy handy: Recognising signs that your puppy is getting ready to play, such as an increase in energy, bouncing, pouncing and batting things with their paws, means you can give them the toy before they start chewing or mouthing at you. This way you’re showing your puppy how to get it right from the start.
• Avoid rough and tumble wrestling games which involve biting: There’s a risk your puppy will expect to be able to play like this whenever they want and with whoever they want. Puppies need a consistent message that biting or mouthing us is never okay, otherwise they’ll be confused and could become worried or frustrated.
• Stop playing if your dog starts biting: If your puppy puts their teeth on you, stop what you’re doing and stay still. If they continue, turn away and cross your arms – a clear signal that your attention has been withdrawn.
• If this doesn’t work, move away, leaving them to calm down for a moment before going back. Once your puppy is calm you can praise them. Over time your puppy will learn that mouthing means the fun ends, so they will gradually stop doing it.
• Don’t tell your puppy off for mouthing or chewing: Telling a puppy off will only make them worried, and that could make their behaviour worse.
• Provide appropriate exercise, socialisation and mental stimulation: Your dog may be more likely to bite or chew things if they’re bored and not getting enough mental or physical exercise.  For some great ways to keep your puppy busy in the right way, take a look at our activity ideas. These include suggestions for toys and chews, how to make homemade puzzle feeders and ways to engage your pup with fun training.
• Rest is also important – puppies are much more likely to mouth when over-tired – so make sure they have time to relax too.

HOW TO TEACH YOUR DOG NOT TO JUMP UP

The most common reason why a dog will jump up is to try and gain our attention. By reacting to a dog jumping up we can unintentionally encourage them to keep doing it.

Your dog usually learns to jump up when they are a puppy. It can be tempting to encourage the behaviour when your dog is small, but once your dog is fully grown it can become a real problem. Although your dog may just be being friendly, not everyone will appreciate them jumping up, and some people may find it quite intimidating.

Timing, consistency and perseverance are key when training your dog not to jump up. When you first start you may find your dog jumps up more. This is because jumping up has been rewarded previously, so your dog might think they just need to work harder to get your attention. This is normal, so persevere and keep at it.

STEP 1 – DON’T REWARD YOUR DOG’S JUMPING UP BEHAVIOUR

When your dog next jumps up at you, turn your back and completely ignore them. Don’t say anything and try not to make eye contact. Be patient and wait until all four of their paws are back on the ground. As soon as this happens, turn around and reward your dog with positive attention.

If your dog gets over-excited when you give them attention, consider using a food reward instead. If you choose food, then wait until all four of their paws are on the floor and then place a treat or scatter a few treats on the floor for them and encourage them to focus downwards.

You will need to turn away every time your dog jumps up. This may feel a little repetitive, but consistency is essential. The more consistent you are, the quicker your dog will learn that jumping up doesn’t work. Instead they will start to realise that they are more successful at getting your attention when all four feet are firmly on the floor.

STEP 2 – EVERYONE YOUR DOG MEETS CAN HELP THEM STOP JUMPING UP

As well as being consistent yourself, you need to ensure that every person who interacts with your dog follows the same rule and ignores your dog’s jumping up behaviour. You don’t want all your hard work to go to waste! This includes everyone in the household and even people your dog meets when out and about. To make sure your dog doesn’t get to practice jumping up at strangers at places like the park, you can use a longline (10m long lead.) Clip the longline onto your dog’s harness, and if you see people in the distance, pick up the line and recall your dog back to you. That way your dog is under control and more likely to be able to focus on what you are asking them for (i.e. a sit) When your dog shows appropriate, calm behaviour you should reward them.

STEP 3 – IF YOUR DOG IS FRUSTRATED, DIVERT THEIR ATTENTION

If your dog is getting frustrated and is still jumping up despite being ignored, then you may need to change your approach. Continue to ignore the jumping up, but instead ask for a more constructive behaviour that your dog knows well, such as a “sit”. Before someone says hello to your dog, try and ask your dog to sit, and ask the person not to give them attention until they do it. When your dog sits, reward them with treats or attention. As before, repeat this process every time your dog jumps up. Continue to ignore the jumping up behaviour and instead ask for the calm behaviour. Keep practising and your dog will soon learn that sitting gets attention and jumping up doesn’t.

STEP 4 – KEEP THEM ON A LEAD AND MAKE THEM WAIT TO GREET PEOPLE

There are a couple of other tips that you can use to help stop your dog jumping up.

In the same way you can use a longline when out and about at the park, you can do the same at home using a houseline. A houseline is a 2m long lightweight lead. As visitors arrive, keep your dog in a different room or behind a baby gate. Once the visitors are settled and therefore a bit less exciting for your dog, bring your dog in to the room on the houseline. Use treats to keep your dog focussed on you and ask them to sit as they greet the visitors. As always, make sure that they get rewarded for appropriate behaviour. You can also use treats to encourage your dog to keep all four feet on the floor and divert their attention down instead of leaping up at people.

Compiled  & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)

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How to Train a Puppy not to Bite :Managing Behavior Issues like Mouthing, Nipping and Play Biting in Dogs