Why does my 3-month-old puppy keep biting and jumping on me?

This is very normal behavior for a puppy this age - jumping up is a natural greeting behavior for dogs, and biting and mouthing are how puppies explore the world. You will need to be patient and consistent to teach him what you want him to do. When people come to the house, he needs to be on a leash or in another room behind a baby gate until he calms down. Praise and reward with treats when he keeps all four feet on the floor, or teach him to sit for greetings. Make sure that he has a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. Providing lots of things to chew on can also help, especially when you are busy or have company over - try things like bully sticks, cow or pig ears, rawhide chews, and puzzle toys like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. If these things don't help, I would recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can work with you in person to teach more appropriate greeting behavior. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! Puppies are generally quite playful and the behavior you are seeing is typical in puppies. Many times puppies tend to grow out of this. To start, I would keep a harness on her so that when she jumps you can correct this behavior and control her better. As for the biting, a trick of mine that works great is when a puppy is biting, stick your thumb underneath the tongue inside the mouth and grip the underside of the lower jaw while applying light pressure under the tongue to keep your thumb in the mouth until she becomes annoyed with this. Every time she bites, repeat this. At first, it will seem like a game to her but after a while, this becomes negative reinforcement. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have.

I see that Bailey is still very young, about three months old :) This is very normal behavior for a puppy this age - they want to put their mouth on everything and would rather bite than be held or petted. This is how they explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. Humping is also a common attention-seeking behavior in young puppies, or can be a sign of over-excitement or frustration. The good news is, these issues will improve on their own as he gets older; it's a normal developmental stage for puppies, just like toddlers who grab everything with their hands and may not always want to be hugged or held. At this age, you may only be able to pet him or cuddle with him when he's sleepy - this is okay. If he bites your hands, just stop petting and ignore him until he calms down, or grab one of his toys and use that to engage him in play. Most dogs are no longer mouthing nearly as much by the time they are 8-12 months old, so hang in there - just be patient and consistent, and he will get calmer and easier to pet as he gets older.

Hello, and thank you for your question. Puppies are teething around the ages of 3-6 months, which makes them interested in biting anything and everything at times! Ensure that he has appropriate, safe toys for him to chew on, such as rubber Kongs filled with treats or peanut butter, and rope toys. You can also try putting these toys in the freezer, which some puppies like as it helps soothe their irritated gums. When Shadow tries to bite you, give a firm "ow" or "no". Never hit him or use any other form of physical punishment. Instead, offer him his chew toy to play with on his own. Walk away, cross your arms and legs and do not give him any further attention. If this does not work, you may need to find a toy that is more rewarding for him, such as putting something even more tasty into the toy. The good news is that teething will finish by 6 months, so this should be a temporary behaviour. However, we want to teach Shadow what is appropriate to chew on, and what is not. Here is an article with some further tips to help prevent destructive chewing: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3701 I hope this helps!

Sounds like Archie has a case of the puppy zoomies! Being mouthy, jumping, and having periods of just "running around like a maniac" are all very common for puppies. Looking into basic obedience about how to stop jumping up behavior and biting/chewing can help start Archie off on the right foot. As puppies explore the world with their mouths much like toddlers do, there are a few things you can do to help turn this into a more positive behavior. The first is to yelp "ouch!" any time Archie gets a little too nibbly, and get up and walk away. He'll quickly learn that what he is doing hurts and doesn't get him any attention. You can also reward him by giving him lots of praise when you spot him chewing on an appropriate toy. If you catch him chewing something he shouldn't, replace it with the correct toy instead and give him praise if he continues to chew on it. Looking into a basic puppy kindergarten can also help get both of you used to each other and establish some "house rules" in addition to learning the fun stuff like sit and stay.

Chewing on lots of things, including human hands and clothing, is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. She will grow out of this behavior as she gets older, but there are some things you can do in the meantime that will help. Make sure that your pup has a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She should also have lots of different chews and long-lasting treats to chew on such as bully sticks, large rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. You will need to keep your belongings put away out of her reach for now, just like you would with a toddler or small child. For furniture or other items that can't be put away, you can use Bitter Apple spray to make them taste bad, which should help to discourage her from chewing on them. If you are playing with her and she bites you, just redirect her to one of her toys and use that to play with her instead. If she bites your hands when you pet her, calmly stop petting and wait for her to settle down. I would not recommend restraining her against her will, or pinching her ear to punish her for this behavior - these techniques often make things worse by causing frustration, and do not help her to understand what you want. In addition, doing things like this may cause her to be afraid of being picked up or handled, since she associates pain and discomfort with these things. Just be patient and calm, and redirect her to appropriate things to chew as needed - this behavior will go away on its own with age :)

Biting and mouthing during play and at other times including when you pet her, when you are walking, etc. is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. I do not recommend scolding her for this or telling her "no!", as this often makes dogs more frustrated and worked up, and tends to make the problem worse. Instead, redirect her to one of her toys and encourage her to bite the toy instead. Make sure that she has a variety of different toys available to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She also needs lots of different things to chew on - bully sticks, rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter are all good options you can try. This behavior normally resolves on its own as puppies get older, so there is no need to attempt to punish her for it - just redirect her to something more appropriate, and be patient while she learns :)