[Giselle Gonzalez]

I got my puppy Abie at around 8 weeks old and he was always a nibbler but he also was very loving so I thought he would grow out of it when he stopped teething. He was born into quarantine so he’s never been out on a walk (my neighborhood isn’t safe at all so I can’t walk him outside my house) but I never thought that would be an issue since my backyard is pretty big. He is now 5 months and even though I do everything I can to make sure he’s a happy puppy, he does this thing that I don’t think any other dog does and it’s so bad that it gives me anxiety. So I’ll just go out to the backyard to play with him or when it’s time for me to refill his food bowl, and he’ll come out and jump on me and lick me and everything will be fine until like 5 minutes in when I’m playing with him he’ll start to run circles around me like he’s a shark in water or something. Then I’ll try to get him to stop by saying “sit. You want a treat??” And I’ll keep repeating that because I know what’s coming next, he literally bites my leg through my clothes and one time he even got his tooth stuck in my clothes doing this, and he will just bite me multiple times and so hard while I try to run in the house and it just won’t stop. Every day he does this and I don’t even provoke him. Someone please help, my parents are threatening to give him away but I know that he’s not himself when he attacks me. I don’t know how such a tiny little dog can make my legs bleed and I have bite marks everywhere. He’s gotten all of his shots too and I just can’t figure out why he does this.

 

[dogslife]

Well... he's doing this because he's a puppy. The behaviour is called "mouthing" and it's a normal part of puppy development.

That said, it's something your dog needs to learn "not" to do. You can train it out of him but it sounds like you need a different approach. Maybe search for "mouthing" on the forum or contact @JoanneF, who is better at this stuff than I am.

good luck.

 

[BigBlackDog]

So I’ll just go out to the backyard to play with him or when it’s time for me to refill his food bowl, and he’ll come out and jump on me and lick me and everything will be fine until like 5 minutes in when I’m playing with him he’ll start to run circles around me like he’s a shark in water or something. Then I’ll try to get him to stop by saying “sit. You want a treat??” And I’ll keep repeating that because I know what’s coming next, he literally bites my leg through my clothes and one time he even got his tooth stuck in my clothes doing this, and he will just bite me multiple times and so hard while I try to run in the house and it just won’t stop.

Puppies get what are commonly called the zoomies, where they run these wide circles and then snap as they come by you. Perfectly normal puppy behavior!

Your reaction to it determines theirs! Understanding that it is normal and it is play, then just bounce forward toward your puppy as he approaches. Most puppies I've seen actually love that, and it will cause them to veer off and try again next round.

The thing is, it's play! Try not to be anxious, and look at it like wonderful puppy exuberance because that's what it is! Your puppy has all this energy, and it needs to expel the energy somehow! So, enjoy it and make it a game!

You'll find once you join in the fun you'll no longer be the target of any nips. Your puppy can't help it; so stop giving commands it can't and won't listen to, and join in the fun of puppy hood!

My current dog is just 4 yrs old, and on occassion still gets the zoomies. I love it! And you will too once they mellow out a little LOL! Enjoy your puppy!

 

[JoanneF]

He isn't being aggressive. This is just an extension of the boisterous play he had with his littermates but he needs to learn this is not how to play with humans. Some people find a sharp 'ouch' works but it can just ramp up the excitement. Some people find putting a toy in the dog's mouth works, others find the puppy is still more interested in nipping hands. My preferred method is to teach him that teeth on skin equals end of fun. So as soon as he makes contact, walk out of the yard for a few moments. As long as the whole family is consistent - do it immediately and do it every time - he will learn. You could use a house line to draw him away, which keeps your hands both out of reach and also keeps hands for only good things.

That said he may well be bored too. Have you ever read the book or seen the film ”Room”? Unfortunately you have missed the socialisation period for puppies, the outside world may be overwhelming for him.

 

[agility collie mom]

He looks like a Jack Russell Terrier mix. High energy and very intelligent. My guess would be boredom is a major factor. Try brain work like dog food puzzles, snuffle mats, teaching him tricks: there are trick training groups on facebook that you can join. They demonstrate one trick every week to work on. A lot of them are involved with Teaching Skills and Sparking Excitement! | Do More With Your Dog! It is a fun thing to do and you can submit videos to trick evaluators on line to earn titles. If you want any of the tricks books that Kyra Sundance publishes you can buy them on ebay for great prices.

 

[Shadowmom]

You have absolutely NOT missed the socialization period with him. I got my last two dogs from shelters at ten and a half and sixteen months of age and neither were socialized at all to other dogs or people and I took both dogs with me everywhere and taught them both to love strangers and new people. My last dog came to me being called dog aggressive and I trained him to tolerate and ignore other dogs and even be friends with a few. And he absolutely loved people.
My current dog loves most dogs and loves people. We passed out Canine Good Citizen Certificate test on the first try and I've used him as a therapy dog at my jobs. And he started out barking and lunging at most strange men and anyone with hats or anything on their heads as well as skateboards, bicyclists, joggers, people dancing, fighting, roughhousing or yelling and a bunch of other things. He hardly reacts to any of that now unless someone acts threatening to me. I like that so I don't train him to ignore it.
The behavior you describe is typical puppy play. If he's had his shots he'd probably have a lot of fun playing with other puppies and dogs at a puppy social place or dog park or if you have friends with social well trained dogs.

 

[Oreo0420]

My puppy does that too when she's about 4-5 months old. Especially when we are walking, and I want to run a little, she will suddenly jump on me. The first few times, I though she was just playing with me, and I just hold the leash away from me, so she won't jump on me too hard. Until one time she bites me pretty hard, my leg was bleeding, I realized she was trying to bite me.
I emailed a trainer, she told me to turn my back to her, and arms across, pretending I am a tree. Meanwhile, step on her leash so she can't hurt me. But I am a little afraid, so never tried that method.
She also told me when she gets too excited, I should bring her to a tree or post, tie her there, and let her sit and be quiet, I tried that, and she quiet down, but every time I run again, she still jumps on me.
So I tried to avoid running with her, I think she got too excited when I run, and as a puppy she can't control her excitement.
Then I tried to make her really tired, like go for long hike, then tried to run a little. And when I sensing she's about to jump on me, I stop, but if she runs along, I run a little.
And also, my puppy loves sticks, she always find a stick and just hold on to it. And I find that's a safe time to run with her. Even when she tried to jump, I know she can't bite me.
Since you can't walk with her outside, I will suggest do a lot of fetching to tire her out. And maybe still have a leash on her, so you can step on it to avoid getting hurt.

 

[JoanneF]

You have absolutely NOT missed the socialization period with him. I got my last two dogs from shelters at ten and a half and sixteen months of age and neither were socialized at all to other dogs or people and I took both dogs with me everywhere and taught them both to love strangers and new people.

The puppy’s brain physiology changes at around 16 weeks, and that is the time when the ”puppy socialisation period” ends. It's not to say there is nothing you can do to get your dog accustomed to new things after that, but as a dog training / behavioural science theory, it is a well researched and widely accepted model.