Dog Jumping and Biting: What to Do About It

Have you ever met a dog who has sudden, intense episodes of manic play, jumping and biting at your clothing or arms? It seems playful, but the dog cannot pick up on your cues that you are not having a good time. Owners are often left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, and sometimes scared. After one of these episodes, people can be left with long red welts, bruises, and the occasional swollen lip.

This is different from typical jumping during greetings. An excited greeter can still be frustrating, but at least the behavior is predictable. It happens when family, friends, or acquaintances walk through the front door, and it usually stops after about 5 minutes. The behavior in this guide usually catches the owner off guard.

If your dog is a puppy, my puppy biting guide covers what is normal and how to help.

The root of the problem is more complicated than it might first appear. The jumping typically happens when a dog becomes over-stimulated (fearful, anxious, or aroused) by the environment or by changes in the environment. The dog can go from 0 to 60 in a few seconds, and it takes much longer for the dog to come back down to calm.

Common patterns in these dogs

• They spend, or have spent, a lot of time cooped up, often more than 4 hours a day in a kennel or crate. Sometimes that is needed because of the dog's impulsive habits, like jumping up, chewing on things, or surfing tabletops.
• Their outside time is usually filled with high stimulation activity. To make up for all the time spent inactive, owners often try to tire the dog out with long games of fetch, daycare, frequent dog park trips, or long runs.
• They are used to an all or nothing way of living. They have not spent much time learning how to settle in high stimulation settings, and they have not learned how to regulate play.

These dogs can become adrenaline junkies, anxiously waiting for the next high stimulation activity. If it does not come soon enough, they create a high stimulation event of their own with rough and tumble play.

To help a dog come back down after an outburst, see my guide on how to calm an overstimulated dog.

It is common for owners to feel that these dogs need a firm hand. When a dog acts out of line, people often roll the dog onto their side, give a hard stare, knee the dog in the chest, or use other aversive training tools. A dog that is already on an adrenaline high is likely to respond to intimidation or pain by trying to match the person's combative approach.

An aversive approach can suppress the behavior for a short time. But like a covered pot of boiling water, there is only so long before the dog blows their lid.

I do not use or recommend any of these methods. This is why I use positive reinforcement and teach calm behaviors, which the tips below walk through.

Training helps your dog improve their problem solving skills. Food puzzles are popular, but it is even better when the problem solving becomes a bonding activity between you and your dog.

Train a high level of fluency on calming behaviors, such as:

• Settling on a training mat or dog bed
• Sitting or lying down on a variety of surfaces
• Heeling by your side

Start in a low stress, low distraction environment. Once your dog looks like an obedience superstar in your house or backyard, gradually build up to more challenging environments. Learning is ongoing, so there is always room for growth.

Animals spend most of their day working to acquire food. Our domesticated dogs are given free meals. Sometimes we ask for a sit or another trick before mealtime, but that uses only a tiny fraction of their energy. The excess mental and physical energy fuels the most common behavior problems.

To make better use of your dog's brain power, get rid of the food bowl and have your dog work for their food in training sessions. It is a great idea to carry your dog's meals on walks. Fill your training pouch and stop at a nearby park to hand feed your dog. This promotes calm, engaged behavior, and a dog that is calm and engaged is less likely to pull on leash and more likely to come back when called off leash. Every dog can benefit from this.

Use higher value, meaty food, such as a Happy Howie's meat roll, whenever you are challenging your dog to learn a new behavior, or when you are taking a learned behavior to new distractions or a new environment.

This jumping and mouthing is a misdirected effort to play. Some of these dogs find their toys less interesting than jumping and mouthing at an owner's arm. Others have no idea what to do with a toy because they have never learned how to play, so we need to teach them.

I have found that teaching tug with clear rules is a constructive way to build impulse control, and fetch works too. Whichever game you choose, the most important tip is to slow the game down. High intensity play will only fuel their fire. Get your dog to think and problem solve.

Keep play short

Aim for 5 minute play sessions, 2 or 3 times a day, and avoid long sessions. People often try to tire dogs out with long games of fetch or tug, when the dogs are really becoming over-stimulated. End each session with a decompression activity, such as a relaxing nature walk or a high value chew.

Playing this way also helps your dog think through high arousal and tune in to your facial expressions and body language. Many owners feel uncomfortable playing tug because it feels too similar to the behavior they are trying to undo. If that is you, you can teach your dog structured games of fetch. Some dogs are natural retrievers and some are not, but a good trainer can shape and build drive for the game by breaking the sequence down.

The video above is a good example of teaching a dog to keep all four paws on the ground around a toy. Here are the three moments I explain in the video:

• At 0:27, when Maya jumps up, I turn away and withhold the toy. It is important that she understands she will not have access to the toy until she is given a release cue.
• At 1:03, I use a release cue ("okay, go get it") and hold the toy low enough that she receives it with all four paws on the ground.
• At 2:12, Maya self-corrects. She is about to jump, but she restrains herself and keeps all four paws on the ground, because she is starting to understand that jumping does not get her what she wants.

Instead of taking this type of dog to daycare or the dog park, where they are likely practicing high arousal play, take your dog for hikes, to the lake, or on trips to the beach. The sights and scents of nature are great therapy. They can help recondition your dog to slow down and relate to you in a healthier way. It is physical exercise that generally promotes a calm state of mind, and it is good for you too.

I will be honest: I do not love head halters, because most dogs do not like wearing them. Even so, dogs that jump and bite at people, even with good intentions, can cause injury, and these situations need to be managed intelligently.

If your dog jumps and bites with guests, with kids, or on walks, you can use a head halter while you work on taking their training into those situations. A dog that paws constantly at the halter or muzzle is not properly conditioned to wear it. Spend time helping your dog feel comfortable by feeding meals while they wear it. A head halter should not create additional stress, frustration, or anxiety.

Contact a trainer if you feel you are not able to tackle these challenges on your own. You can reach out through the contact page, or explore the online courses.