Why Is My Dog Jumping and Biting Me During Walks?

Question: How to Handle a Dog That Jumps and Bites on a Walk?

"Hi! We have an 11-month-old puppy named Sadie. She's a large Bernese Mountain Dog and the fourth we've had of the breed. We also currently have a 6-year-old dog.

Sadie has been our toughest puppy yet with a lot of behavioral issues. She's made strides in every aspect (not perfect but much better with jumping, biting, snatching things, and crate/bed training) except the end of her walks.

She walks very well the entire walk, and then right at the end, she loses it. She jumps on us, bites her leash, pulls as hard as possible, and thrashes. She started doing this on walks with the other dog a while ago, so we walk them separately, but now she's just turned the behavior onto us.

I'm not sure how to redirect or fix it. And it is especially harder since she's gotten so big and is very strong. She's like a different dog for five minutes."
—Erin

Dog Trainer Response

Erin, I appreciate you reaching out and sharing your concerns about Sadie's behavior. I understand the challenges you are facing, which can feel quite demanding when you're dealing with a young, large dog with high energy. I am happy to hear that you have already made significant improvements in addressing several of Sadie's behaviors. This goes to show your loving dedication and Sadie's ability for positive change.

The specific issue you mention taking place at the end of her walks is not uncommon. It is often seen in untrained puppies and juvenile dogs. I have witnessed this behavior numerous times, the worst case being a young Labrador that I fostered/trained due to displaying this problematic behavior toward anybody who walked her.

"Fits" Looked Like Attacks

During her intense "fits,” she would give me visible scratches and bruising from her repeated nipping and jumping. To outsiders, it looked as if this dog was "attacking" me. The nipping was initially targeting the leash, and then, as with Sadie, it started involving my sleeves and arms. Even though I don't have a video to analyze Sadie's behavior directly, I understand the challenges posed by her behavior during these episodes.

On the positive side, it's good that these jumping and biting episodes happen at the end of the walk rather than "out of nowhere" and unexpectedly, as may happen in some cases. This element of predictability is helpful, as it helps provide more control over the behavior. Let’s take a closer look at what may be triggering these jumping and biting episodes and what can be done to manage and potentially ameliorate the situation.

In This Article

• What Triggers Dogs to Jump Up and Bite During Walks?
• 15 Ways to Stop a Dog From Jumping and Biting on Walks
• How to Reduce Leash-Biting on Walks
• The Importance of Working With a Professional

What Triggers Dogs to Jump Up and Bite During Walks?

During these bouts of biting and jumping, it may be helpful to carefully evaluate what is happening in the dog’s surroundings. Sometimes, we can identify an exact stimulus or situation that evokes the behavior. Following are some potential evocative factors:

• Seeing a person approaching
• Seeing a dog approaching
• Seeing dogs/animals in a yard
• The beginning of a walk
• Changing the route of a walk
• Cutting a walk short (due to rain, lack of time, etc.)
• Failure to remove the leash in an area where the dog used to be off-leash
• The walk coming to an end
• Tension on the leash
• The dog feeling tired/cranky

Exposure to these stimuli and situations may generate emotional responses in dogs that can culminate in the behaviors you are seeing. Many behaviors we see are simply manifestations of internal turmoil. Let’s take a look at what may be happening to the dog “internally.”

Note: These are just a few possibilities; only a professional evaluating your dog in person can provide a potential "diagnosis" about what is evoking the behavior and the consequences that are maintaining it.

1. High Arousal Levels

Hyperarousal is a state of increased physiological activity that leads to increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and a heightened state of alertness. The dog’s body is in full gear, often in response to low-intensity stimuli. The goal of high arousal states is to increase a dog’s level of alertness, mobility, and swiftness to respond.

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Hyperarousal may originate from various emotional states, which can be pleasant (happiness, excitement, anticipation) or unpleasant (anxiety, fear, anger). Dogs can reach a state of hyperarousal when exposed to people, dogs, or other animals, and if left untreated, sometimes that arousal may spill into aggression.

When a dog is in a hyper-aroused state, it becomes difficult for them to focus and perform operant behaviors such as responding to a cue to sit, lie down, or make eye contact.

2. Overstimulation

Overstimulation occurs when a dog is exposed to excessive or intense stimulation. Stimulation may be visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, emotional, or physiological in nature. When exposed to excessive or intense stimulation, the dog may have difficulty processing all the stimulatory overload. This hyperstimulation can contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and may cause the dog to enter a hyper-aroused state.

3. Boredom

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some dogs may start jumping up and engaging in arousal biting when they feel the walks are unstimulating. As boredom sets in, they may grow increasingly frustrated by being held back by the leash and not being able to interact with their environment, so they'll start biting the leash and/or the handler.

4. Frustration

Since you mention that the jumping and biting behaviors occur at the end of the walk, there may be some element of frustration at play. It could be that your dog struggles with the walk coming to an end and manifests her displeasure this way. Visual markers or other cues can inform her that you are getting ready to return home.

Some dogs may become frustrated when their routes are changed or during a part of the walk that gets a little boring. In rescued dogs with a history of not being walked much on a leash, the leash limiting their interactions with their environment may cause frustration and displacement behaviors (scratching an itch, licking).

Frustration may also take place when dogs see other dogs or people at a distance and the leash prevents them from going to greet and meet them as they would like. Even seeing a fleeing animal, such as a cat or squirrel, and not being able to chase it can cause a dog to turn his frustration on anyone who happens to be close by.

5. Seeking Interaction

Sometimes, these behaviors may be motivated by a desire to seek interaction. One young Setter I worked with had the habit of biting the leash at the beginning of walks. He felt that the leash was the most fun thing to chase and mouth. The owner would attempt to remove the leash from the dog's mouth, and this only reinforced the behavior, considering that it turned into a fun game of "tug the leash."

If going back home at the end of a walk involves turning, it could be that, one day, your dog felt pressure on the collar from the leash, decided to bite the leash, and enjoyed the interaction with you trying to remove the leash from her mouth. Soon, a new habit was established, and she may have found tugging on your clothing or body parts equally, if not more, reinforcing than tugging on the leash.

6. Tiredness (Feeling Cranky)

Tiredness and lack of sleep can play a big role in a dog’s emotional well-being, especially in young dogs. While most dogs are seen taking naps during the day, it’s important to consider the quality of their sleep.

Rapid eye movement sleep (REM) is believed to modulate emotional arousal in both humans and animals. This means that restorative REM sleep can help dogs to better cope with emotional arousal when awake. Non-REM sleep, on the other hand, is believed to influence a dog’s cognitive learning, allowing dogs to better retain learned skills.

Research has shown that insufficient REM sleep in both humans and dogs leads to increased anxiety, impulsivity, and protective emotional intensity in response to aversive stimuli.

7. The General Excitability of Juvenile Dogs

Something else to consider is that dogs, just like humans, go through the adolescent stage, which is not without problems. Adolescence in dogs may start as early as six months up to one to two years of age, although in large breed dogs such as Berners, it may last up until three years of age. Among Berner owners, there is a common saying: "Three years a puppy, three years a good dog, three years an old dog, and the rest is a gift."

Excitable behavior is considered to be a relatively “normal” behavior trait in juvenile dogs. The Center for Shelter Dogs defines excitable dogs as displaying one or more of the following behaviors: energetically jumping up, mouthing people (usually the arms and legs) with some degree of pressure, grabbing at clothing, and tugging at the leash.

It's Normal to Struggle During the Adolescent Stage

Many dog owners struggle with dogs during the adolescent stage, as dogs will often manifest problematic behaviors such as higher energy levels, more independence, and a general reduction in obedience.

Not surprisingly, behavioral problems during this time are the number one reason owners give up their adolescent dogs to animal shelters. The good news, though, is that most behavioral problems in teenage dogs can be prevented through management, training, and socialization.

15 Ways to Stop a Dog From Jumping and Biting on Walks

To stop a dog from jumping up and biting you on walks, you will need a multi-faceted approach. Some of these methods work on the issue directly, while others work in the background. Following are several tips to reduce these episodes.

Note: Please work along with a professional for safety and correct implementation of training/behavior modification.

1. Proactive Prevention

Like actors, dogs get better and better at performing undesirable behaviors the more they get to rehearse them. When we allow a dog to constantly repeat problematic behaviors, it's akin to giving them the script for a bad play. Through many repetitions, they get more and more adept at reciting the lines of misbehavior, turning an occasional behavior into a well-practiced performance.

While we may often feel helpless in the face of a dog who gets into a hyper-aroused state, there are several options we can try to help set the stage for success.

2. A Change in Scenario

As mentioned earlier, the fact that the jumping and biting behavior occurs in a specific situation (at the end of a walk) gives us more power to take steps to avoid it.

• Loop walk: In a dog who is triggered by the act of turning to end a walk, taking the dog on a loop walk where there is constant movement without abrupt stops or turning points may sometimes help.
• Route change: Another option is changing the route of the walk altogether so that the dog cannot predict when the walk is about to come to an end. This change of scenery may require driving the dog to different locations, which can help make the entire walk interesting and engaging while reducing negative emotions associated with walks coming to an abrupt end.
• Avoid the jumping area: Not walking in the area where the jumping and biting has occurred in the past for a few weeks can also help.
• Shorter walk: Sometimes, a too-long walk or one that causes sensory overload may be to blame, as the dog's biting and jumping may be a manifestation of feeling tired/getting overstimulated. It may be worth experimenting to see whether switching to shorter walks where the dog gets to sniff around a lot can help the dog relax more and settle.
• Alternate dog walker: Some dogs may also be selective and may manifest the behavior with one owner and not the other. It may be worth experimenting to see whether the person walking the dog has an influence on the behavior.
• Longer leash: A longer leash may help dogs not used to being on-leash achieve more freedom to interact with their environment so there is less frustration build-up. These dogs may benefit from learning how to wear a leash and collar and how to give in to leash pressure rather than trying to resist it.

If the behavior persists on every walk and the dog keeps getting overly aroused, it's a sensible choice to give a temporary break from walks—and provide exercise and mental stimulation through structured fetching games and training—until steps can be taken to reduce the behavior.

These options may be worth a try and could help manage the situation while working in the background on other comprehensive strategies for long-term improvement.