My puppy constantly jumps and bites my child. Is this normal?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
i have an 11 week old beagle hound mix that is constantly jumping and biting on my 2 yr old daughter is this normal and she also comes up to you and bites for almost no reason
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 26th, 2017
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.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 10th, 2020
If it happens around the same time every day you might want to try taking her for a walk or some play time then - she may just have extra energy and exercise can definitely help. If she already gets plenty of exercise and the timing is random you should try working on a command like sit when she's jumping. To discourage biting remove any attention when the behavior occurs and give her an appropriate chew toy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
New Pet
Is it normal for a puppy to bite you?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! It is very normal for puppies to be mouthy: want to chew on your fingers, play with your fingers like they are toys, jump up and try to grab your fingers, nip, etc. It isn't normal to do it aggressively. They tend to grow out of this behavior by 6 months. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ Have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My girlfriend's dog keeps nipping/biting and jumping on me. I'm not around but maybe 4 times a month and the dog is only 13 weeks old. She's a sheepadoodle. Any reason it's like this with me?
This can be frustrating, but is normal exploratory behavior at 13 weeks old. Like small children, puppies put everything in their mouths (hands included) as a means of exploration. Blesszuri is also beginning to teethe and can be expected to start losing her puppy teeth around 16 weeks of age. That said, she should not have a free pass to display this behavior just because she is exploring and teething. Whenever she bites or jumps on you, put an appropriate chew toy in her mouth, walk away and ignore her for a few minutes. When she interacts with you appropriately, praise her positive behavior with play time, belly rubs, or even a small treat. It can take a long time and a lot of consistency, but eventually Blesszuri will understand that she only receives attention and praise when she exhibits positive behaviors and interactions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hey my dog will not stop biting/jumping on people. He is only three months old but his teeth are sharp. He bites hands/feet/calves: boots what can I do to get him to stop. People come to my house all the time, and don't like that he does this. He wil
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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
my 40days old beagle biting everything
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get Cooper teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that he tries to nibble at you, you say no and give him the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We brought our 8 week old Brittany Archie home Saturday he was pretty calm no biting he has had lots of excercise and attention everyday but he is bitting and jumping like crazy and running mad every once in a while is this common ?
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 a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my 3 month old puppy shadow "humps" alot. When we stop him he became aggresive and starts to bites us. What should we do. Is it normal for a puppy to hump at this stage.
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! No, that much humping is not normal and Shadow acting aggressive when stopped is not normal. I recommend aggressive training. Start practicing: sit, stay, come, etc. He should have plenty of exercise: doggy daycare, walks, parks, one on one play. Keep a leash on him and use a gentle leader for the muzzle. When he start to hump, gently use the leash/gentle leader to make him stop as soon as he starts. Make him sit, give him a treat and play with him. Do not grab him or touch him where he can bite you. Humping is not always sexual in nature, but I would neuter him due this behavior and the aggression he is showing. Humping can also be due to anxiety or to show dominance. https://www.petco.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=24&fromPageValue=search&searchTerm=gentle+leader&omnitureEnabled=false&cm_sp=Searc
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hi this is my little nova she is 6 months old ! I’ve been training her in many different ways , one problem I have with her is that she takes her play biting to a different level just need help on teaching her ways on how to stop biting when I say so
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Nova is adorable! Play biting is very normal in puppy-hood, though at 6 months this should be significantly improved or resolved. Never use your hands to play with her or rile her up. Only offer toys. The minute she gets crazy and starts lunging for your hands, etc you need to make her sit or lay down. Always have treats on you to reward her when she listens. If she is too worked up and not listening, put her in a 5 minute time out. Try to have a leash on her at all times, I really like the muzzle gentle leader harnesses as it allows great head control. That way you can easily pull her off you. She should know how to look and leave it on command. If you are reaching a plateau with training I recommend hiring a trainer to focus on your areas of concern. Professionals can really help when we have exhausted what we can do alone. Exercise is also important: frequent walks and play time or consider doggie daycare a few times per week. I hope this helps
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 4 month old Shiba Inu chews a lot and not just her toys. Sometimes it is me. Is this just normal puppy behavior? Is there something I should do? I usually hold her to my chest and restrict her from biting and sometimes she will calm down. My
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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Aloha. I have a cute Puppy called Moana. She is Goldador. I'd like to know how can I make her stop bitting us? She is 3 month old. Thank you.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! You are right she is absolutely adorable! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get Moana teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that she tries to nibble at you, you say no and give her the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Hi, my golden retriever is 12 weeks old and she is VERY disobedient, even though we've been trying to train her since she came home! She jumps up and begs for our food, even though she's never had people food before, bites and nips HARD constantly, a
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! A lot of this is puppy behavior and jumping is the hardest bad habit to break. It sounds like you need more professional help if you have tried training her and this is where you are at. I recommend a private trainer than can work one on one with you and Bella. A group class setting will not get you where you need to be. I applaud you for trying to fix this now at such a young age. I can't tell you the countless numbers of animals I see where the owners think this behavior is okay. Once her vaccines are up to date consider doggie day care a few times a week as an outlet for her energy. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/jumping-up-on-people/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/ I wish you the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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