Have you noticed your dog jumping and biting on walks, and wondered how to stop a dog jumping and nipping? The answer may have as much to do with your actions as it does with your dog.
It is more than likely because you have inadvertently trained him to have this unwanted behavior. Of course, this is not always the case, but usually, it's a learned behavior that we have encouraged and cannot control in different situations.
if you take a closer look at the way you have rewarded your dog by giving them attention and how you have been so uplifted by the excited attention you received from your dog, then you will find the core source of the problem may be the way you have been subconsciously training your dog.
You love it when your dog gets excited to see you; you invite them to jump up, greet you, give your dog a big hug and reward them with lots of attention. The dog then associates the reward of lots of engagement with the act of jumping up.
We also tend to use our hands to get our dogs play-biting by making mouth contact. The dog again associates the play-biting with the reward of attention. When your dog goes for a walk, they will start jumping and biting because these are the two behaviors that reward them with all this attention from you.
Your dog will greet all people the same as they welcome you by jumping up. They don't Distinguish between you and other people. Your dog will not know he has to behave differently when walking unless you tell him how to behave by giving him clear training.
Other factors that cause your dog to jump and bite.
Other factors causing this behavior in dogs could be frustration, unfamiliar dogs being around when you go for a walk, over-excitement, anxiety, fear, lack of mental stimulation. Excess energy and unfamiliar people.
If you believe the cause of the problem might be some of these issues, you should try to avoid situations that might affect your dog.
If this fails, then you may need to consider taking your dog to the veterinarian.
Why do dogs bite when they are excited?
Dogs can have biting issues in a playful or nonaggressive way, the same as they jump up, mostly to get attention.
It might be negative attention when told off, but attention nonetheless. You need a command like "stop," make sure your dog fully complies, and again reward with some treat when they do.
Be Consistent with your Commands when Training your Dog
The main thing about training, and one of my most vivid memories from helping to train sheepdogs when I was younger, is to be consistent in your message or commands. Your dog picks up on many different communication cues, the sound of your words, tone, volume, and body language. If you get angry or do something differently, they think you are giving them a new command, and they get confused. So be consistent.
Also, it would help if you had consistency when other people are teaching your dog. Everybody needs to use the same commands, so the message is clear to the dog.
Commands for your dog.
The words you use to command your dog don't matter. The only reason we use certain words is so we can remember them. So it's probably best not to use too many commands as we need to make sure our dogs understand what we are trying to get them to do.
You can use stop, sit or stay to get your dog to stop jumping or biting and then give them a reward of a treat when he has fully complied. It is better to use this command every time your dog jumps up and not just when you are out for walks, reinforcing the message.
Use the leash to control your dog during walks.
You can do some things with the dog leash to help your dog stop jumping up at other people or dogs when you are out for a walk. The first thing you should do is make sure you're holding onto the leash tightly. If you notice that your dog is pulling on it, or if you see his head veering up and trying to get away, then you should stop walking and give him a chance to calm down.
If you're walking alongside the dog, you should try to hold him back on the leash. If he does not stay by your side, you need to get him away from the person, other dogs, or whatever he is going after. Once you've gotten away from the distraction, you need to use the leash to bring your dog back to your side.
You can also keep your focus on something other than your dog, like the person you are walking with. Not making eye contact will mean your dog will follow you and do what you want them to do.
A dog needs to sniff his surroundings when they are out for a walk. It would help if you encouraged this and not dragged them along when interested in some smell or other. This will also keep their attention on something different.
Why is this important to train your dog not to jump or bite?
Firstly, it is essential you not be pulled and dragged by your dog depending on the size of both you and your dog. If they are big and you are small, you can end tripping and falling, hurting your hands, arms, or wrists.
People who dog-sit for a living are at a higher risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (pressure on a nerve in your wrist. It causes tingling, numbness, and pain in your hand and fingers) because if you have to handle a few dogs at once, the strain on your arms and wrists can be quite severe.
It's vital to take care of your hands and wrists while caring for a dog. If you hire or ask people to walk your dog, you need to have done your best to make sure your pet behaves.
Can the Frequency of dog walks affect your dog's bad behavior?
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends it would be ideal for walking your pup for 30 minutes, five times a week. If you leave ample time gaps between walks, your dog may become a lot more excited with lots of energy. They are then more likely to jump and bite. When it comes to physical exercise, I think more is better.
Conclusion
It is probably a learned behavior issue if your dog jumps and bites when he is out for walks. They can be very excited. You need to be consistent and command your pet to stop this behavior whenever they do it, even if you have encouraged it before. If your dog is very excited when going for a walk, maybe consider taking them out more often. Jumping and biting can mean you will not enjoy bringing your pet for a walk, which is no good for you or them.
