Puppies have a lot of energy. They will use that energy all the time hence you may run into some issues. Puppies jumping and biting is one of the most common issues these days. It may look nice and cute for a few days but after that, it is a nightmare. Luckily you can stop this. Below is the guide on how you will do this easily and in a reasonable time.
Stop Biting Training
The first thing you will have to do is to help your puppy understand that biting you is not an option. When you want to pet him, hold a toy for chewing in your other hand. He will focus his attention on the toy instead of biting you. Puppies jumping and biting is not acceptable hence you must teach them to stop this. This is how you start! The next time you want to pet or scratch him, keep the toy in a different hand so he can’t anticipate where the toy is. Always do this and repeat it as long as possible.
The next thing you need to know is that you need to pet him for a few seconds only. When you pet or even scratch him, a puppy will become too excited. He will want to bite you hence this training will not work. Yes, it can be hard to pet your puppy for a few seconds only but this is mandatory.
Refocus His Bad Habit
Now is the time for the next step or an additional one if you prefer. Ideally, you will use all of these tips from the content in order to train your puppy quickly and effectively.
Basically, you need to yell ‘’ouch’’ when he bites you. Place your hands on your armpits and walk away like you are in pain. You will have to repeat this all the time, or every time when he bites you. Ignore your puppy now. He needs time to calm down. Only when he is 100% calmed down, can you give him a toy or give him a special treat.
This will teach your puppy that biting you is painful. Puppies do the same thing when playing together. If one puppy bites another one too hard, he will scream. The first puppy will know that this is painful and he will stop doing it. But, if your puppy lives with you and not with other puppies, who will tell him that he bites too hard? It is actually your responsibility.
End Jumping Behavior
You can put an end to the jumping issue as well. The process is similar to the one from above and you should do similar things. First, understand that your puppy is too happy and excited when he sees you so he thinks that jumping is nice and you like it. It is his way of saying ‘’I like you and I want to play with you’’. But the truth is that this is a bad habit. Just imagine him jumping on your trousers while his paws are all muddy!
The first time when he jumps on you, say ‘’off’’ and walk away. Ignore your puppy. He will follow you and he will still jump on you but you must ignore him at all costs. Just fold your hands and keep saying the same word. When the puppy calms down, give him a treat. You can praise him as well. Keep in mind that if you look excited or happy, he will want to jump on you again! Stay calm and react like nothing special happens.
The goal of this training is to teach your puppy one thing. To teach him that sitting will get him a reward while jumping will not. You will have to repeat this for a few days at least. Some puppies learn this soon while others need more time. Do not stop the training before he learns to behave or you will just prolong the time you need.
You Must Stay Consistent
We know that this is obvious and we actually have the same fact above. But consistency is absolutely mandatory. Puppies can’t learn a new thing within hours and they need time. To help them learn what you want, you need to invest time and consistency into that. You are an alpha for your puppy so you set the rules and he must obey them. There is no other way. If he thinks that he is alpha, you will have a dog who will never obey you. This is a serious problem.
A Few Mistakes You Must Avoid
There are a lot of mistakes dog owners make when it comes to puppies jumping and biting. If you are a new owner, odds are high that you will make a mistake or two. Well, now when you know about these, you can never make them.
- Hitting or even showing your puppy. Never hit or even shove your puppy. He will believe that he must stay defensive and in fear. This can make things more complicated than you can imagine.
- Enjoying rough play or tug a war. Rough play is something you must avoid at all costs. It basically encourages the behavior you want to stop. Yes, this is fun but not something you should do at this point.
- Yelling on the puppy. This can cause depression, fear, and all sorts of other issues. It will make training much harder and in some cases even impossible.
- Allow young children to perform training. It may look fun but it is not acceptable. Children can easily yell, push or do something wrong which will once again, prolong the training.
The Final Word
Now you know that puppies jumping and biting is not acceptable and you can stop that. Here you will need patience, a lot of it. You will need time and you will need a small amount of effort. However, within days you will have a puppy that respects you and doesn’t bite or jump on you. Eventually, you will have a great, adult dog who loves you and shows you that in a proper way.