# Puppy Jumping and Biting/Chewing



## Bella's Family (Aug 1, 2009)

I need some direction about training our pup not to jump on us and bite when greeting. We've had Bella for just two weeks now and she's shown herself to be very smart, well socialized and eager to learn. But we're at a loss as to the best way to break this bad habit she has of jumping all over us, and biting at our clothes, hands and feet whenever we walk into the room - or when we take her somewhere and she's excited to see other friends/family. 

My niece (who's experienced Bella's excitement first hand) says that you have to grab them by the collar and pull them to the floor - either into a sitting or lay down position of submission. But grabbing hold of her collar when she's leaping about and biting at hands is a bit of a stretch - especially for the kids. I have tried, with some success, to discourage this behavior by turning my back on her and leaving the room immediately. She cries for me, and I come back, but only stay once she stops jumping/biting. But that only works if it's just her and me because she uses this "manic" greeting on an individual basis - anytime anyone walks into her part of the house. Even if the rest of the family is gathered together with her, when someone new comes in, the behavior starts . . . and turning around at that point to leave makes no difference because it doesn't leave her alone. It takes her a good five or six minutes to "calm" (which is the marker word we're using) - but in the meantime, everyone is left with scratches from her claws and teeth, feeling much less enthusiastic about seeing her next time.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

She gets attention for that behavior....that's why she does it. The problem is getting everyone else to do what you're doing....removing the attention by going out of the room. That's not a viable option with guests and that's why dogs are taught to sit politely for petting/greeting....they just don't get to greet guests any other way.

For dogs that are really rambunctious it's often easier to teach the sitting/greeting while on leash. Stepping on the leash so they can't jump works well. Lots of practice and lots of praise for keeping the butt on the floor.


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## Bella's Family (Aug 1, 2009)

I found this thread on  - thought it was very well written and applicable to this discussion . . . so wanted to share it. Thanks to Virginia Wind, and especially cshellenberger for posting.


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## bimmergirl84 (Jun 23, 2009)

Try working with her in a one on one situation so she understands that only calm greetings get her any attention. That is working pretty well with our puppy right now. She is getting better at sitting for me when I come home from work instead of peeing and jumping all over the place.


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## Bella's Family (Aug 1, 2009)

Something that amazes me is a dog's accelerated growth . . . physically and mentally/emotionally. A troublesome behavior in a child might last for months, but in a puppy, it's a matter of days and then you're on to something new. That encourages me. 

Bella seems so eager to learn and just in the past day or so it feels like she's begun to understand what we're trying to teach her. She's calmed down a lot and the jumping up behavior has significantly diminished. She is also beginning to understand that biting/chewing needs to be "soft" - which I'm reading is important for later bite inhibition rather than completely eliminating biting/chewing. The difference is that now she's biting/chewing while calmly sitting with us, rather than while jumping at us. That feels huge to me. 

And in the midst of all this learning, she's becoming more confident - which is showing itself in this unbridled joy in play. Where she used to play timidly, now she'll let herself go and really have fun. For example, just two weeks ago, when we went to the lakeshore, she was afraid of the water splashing on the rocks and would run away. Day before yesterday she got into the water where this little creek runs into the lake and she was just beside herself with joy. She was spinning and splashing and rolling in the water - and then ran into the "waves" and out again. I was in hysterics, and she loved the workout. Then last night, rather than playing timidly with one toy, she was playing with her ball, her rope, her sock . . . tossing all of them into the air and then chasing them around. She must have gone on for an hour before (Hallelujah) she suddenly dropped everything and went on a very urgent search - straight for the door to outside! I let her out without her lead and she hurried to her "spot" and eliminated, and then ran back into the house for a treat!! It felt like a miracle . . . and this morning she did the same thing. We're progressing!


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## Nevallen (Aug 6, 2009)

I totally endorse the Virginia Wind article and practice this style of desensitizing with all sorts of issues.

On the chewing and biting front, when the pup is biting you or the kids, take a back foot and put that in her mouth and let her bite the foot. She will very quickly realise that biting hurts and will relate this back to not biting humans. It works.


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## bimmergirl84 (Jun 23, 2009)

Nevallen said:


> I totally endorse the Virginia Wind article and practice this style of desensitizing with all sorts of issues.
> 
> On the chewing and biting front, when the pup is biting you or the kids, take a back foot and put that in her mouth and let her bite the foot. She will very quickly realise that biting hurts and will relate this back to not biting humans. It works.


Thanks for posting this tip. I'll give it a shot over the next few days and see if she understands. 

One question though, how do I get her foot in her mouth when she is wildly going for my ankles? Do I grab her by the collar and stuff her back foot into her mouth? When she's in this state of biting frenzy if my hands or any part of my body go near her she tries to bite.


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## Bella's Family (Aug 1, 2009)

bimmergirl84 said:


> Thanks for posting this tip. I'll give it a shot over the next few days and see if she understands.
> 
> One question though, how do I get her foot in her mouth when she is wildly going for my ankles? Do I grab her by the collar and stuff her back foot into her mouth? When she's in this state of biting frenzy if my hands or any part of my body go near her she tries to bite.


Same thing here - it's like she's completely obsessed with getting whatever comes near her into her mouth. Rocks, sticks, leaves, hands, toes, her toys . . . it doesn't matter. It's like the itch that just has to be scratched . . . she's completely consumed.


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## Nevallen (Aug 6, 2009)

Transfer her attention away from your ankles by getting her to play with a tug toy. If you get a nip whilst playing with the tug toy, yell "ouch " and take the toy away for a few seconds. Resume the game. If you are getting constant bites to the hands you are now in a position to grab a foot and put it in her mouth.

Refocus away from the ankles every time she goes there and be consistent.


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## Bella's Family (Aug 1, 2009)

Funny thing happened today - coming downstairs this morning to a puddle and three piles, my husband was understandably discouraged. After taking Bella for a walk, he left her outside on her lead - not feeling able to trust her indoors. This is something we've not done before as she's been a bit afraid to be out alone (we have a large, agressive male lab next door and other dogs in the neighborhood that bark loudly and scare her). What was surprising was that by the time I came downstairs, Bella seemed to be feeling quite contrite. She behaved very submissively . . . no jumping, no biting at hands or ankles, no grabbing my pajama pant legs - AND she was the same with the kids! 

It seems to me that maybe she's really been "pushing the limits" with us, so to speak - and she knew it. This morning, even though she was not being disciplined for that behavior (the issue was the housebreaking), she was very eager to please and was not doing _anything_ that we've previously disciplined her for . . . whether chewing, jumping, biting or eliminating in the house, today Bella was a very well behaved puppy. In fact, at one point she was chewing on an empty water bottle we gave her and I was talking about something and said "No" in the midst of my sentence, and the crunch crunch of the water bottle instantly stopped!! And, amazingly, tonight she almost walked into her crate all by herself. She wasn't happy about it - and she needed a little push to finalize the matter - but then she settled right down to sleep. Interesting and enlightening day to say the least. Wonder what tomorrow will bring? Keeping my fingers crossed that we make it through the night without her messing her crate . . . that would be _huge_.


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