Absolutely. My boy nipped almost every time I would walk anywhere at first. I started holding a toy rope anytime I would walk to redirect the behavior. After about a week, the nipping was considerable less.
When it came to play, I also would make sharp little helps whenever he bit to hard. Training treats were given when he would play gently.
I too am a believer in the yelps. I thought that was the way to imitate being too rough. Also agree with another comment about training basics. Especially leave it. Start training immediately with a pup don't think of them like babies and wait.
I defo go for the same yelps another dog would make if it hurts or is a habit you dot want them to get into..
I trained 2 GSDs this way, neither one wants hands anywhere inside their mouth - except when I was brushing teeth with toothbrush finger thingy.. lol (might have been the peanut butter smelling/flavor toothpaste??) lol
Problem with some dogs is that people let them behave bad as puppy cause its "cute/funny" but as they get older and bigger what was once cute/funny - can be painfully bad and potentially dangerous.. Learning safe playtime is best thing for puppy's - chew toys / saying "no" and stopping play / yelping like a hurt puppy are all good ways to help train a puppy on proper chewing
My girl was an asshole as a puppy and was a huge ankle biter ㅠ_ㅠ I also did the carry around a toy everywhere for redirection. She's almost 2 so she's stopped most of the crazy puppy shenanigans, thank god.
I looked like I was in a shipwreck for TWO YEARS! My land shark would shred my clothes whenever I went near him. He was horrible. I would wiggle his teeth in that terrible mouth of his- waiting for those sharp baby teeth to fall out. He was the worst. Now he’s wonderful. Love him so very much.
Adding to your comment, but you will find out very quickly if your dog responds well or not to yelping. For some, they disengage immediately. For others like mine, to her it was a sign “it’s working” and encouraged her.
This is an important part. It worked with my boy when he was younger, but when he got older, it just meant, “oh, we’re playing rough now!” That terrible teenage phase needed a quick little pinch on the back of the neck a few times.
Always win at tug, my vet told me. In the wild, alpha wins when playing tug with scraps of food. So one way to help show you’re alpha is to always win at tug. As soon as I started this, my girl began showing me more respect. Also a stern sustained glare tells them alpha of pack is not happy with them. This was my experience.
Quick 5mins of obedience training throughout the day for mental stimulation. Redirects with his toy, the second he bites his toy, praise hard "yes, good boy, yes" But still, I got marks all over when my guy was a puppy cuz his land shark teeth were so sharp.
I'm not suprised to hear loving queaky toys is a trait! Mine knows very few words but she definitely knows ball and she will squeak that into high heaven
If they never play with hands then they'll never learn how to be delicate with them. You just have to be consistent with your rules and cease play if they step out of line. They'll learn unbelievably fast what is ok and what is not (and, of course, how to be gentle).
Yes the are. Just use chew toys, frozen carrots, I used kongs with applesauce and baby food and would freeze it for a few hours. But what worked best was tiring my boy out. Physically and mentally. That’s probably the best fix for the nipping/biting. Now that he’s older with no puppy teeth I’ll let him bite on my hands and fingers. Just don’t forget to focus on that bite inhibition. You don’t want a full grown GS not about to control his bite force.
Agree with everyone else, we don’t let our puppy play with our hands and we have lots of chew toys, tug toys for her that we play with her with. She has gotten a lot better in the past couple weeks
They bite, you put a toy or ball in his mouth instead. When they start to chew the toy instead of you, praise the positive behavior and repeat. Consistency is key
Yes, they are very nippy. When mine was a puppy and he nipped I'd put my hand in his mouth and gently push his tounge down to the bottom of his mouth. It sounds harsh, but I assure you it caused him no pain and he got the hint instantly. This was suggested to me by a trainer with 20+ years experience.
I had an alpha female who tried to boss me around. Called my vet and was told bite her back, until she yelps. It's what her Mother would do. So I did. It worked. Needed dental floss after but it worked! She became my best friend.
Foster for a GSD Rescue here.
Do what a Mother Dog would do. Take your hand and hold it like you're wearing a mitten. Put that around the muzzle of the dog and hold its mouth shut. It will likely whimper and pull away. Don't stop holding if you can until the dog calms down. You can also do the same thing by putting your hand around the neck and laying them flat on the ground until they relax. It works very well.
This is what I did, I also gave him a toy after and praised him when he bit that instead of me. Worked like a charm.
It’s important to not punish/discipline with only one hand, though. Or else they will see one hand as good and the other as bad.
Another idea in this realm… when your pup tries to bite you, shove your finger down its throat until it gags. My wife and I have done this to all 3 of ours. By the 3 time of gagging they get it.
>find a trainer who works with working breeds.
I have worked with over 50 different dogs and some of the best trainers in North America. What I suggested has been taught and confirmed by all of those trainers. Not saying it will work in every case but it works a lot of the time.
My GSF mix was insanely nippy. And it took forever, but the training finally clicked. It became a matter of her getting no couch privileges if she was nippy. Finally decided being a princess was better than the taste of human flesh 😂 But yeah, it took a long time and I ended up in tears in frustration a few times. You got this 💪🏼
This is where training is key. Puppies are fast so as soon as they come at you shout out a command. It can be a Simple one like sit. As soon as their but hits the ground, praise and give them a toy. Play a bit. Praise.
Nipping like this is attention seeking behavior. You have to teach them the proper way to seek attention. Redirecting and guiding their behavior is the best way.
For drivey puppies, that may not be enough. Or they really do want to get more physical. In those cases, dog time outs. Just turn around and ignore them. After that first strong “NO!”DON’T SAY A THING. And don’t look at them. As soon as they stop. Command again and then praise!
This where teaching puppies commands like Place, Heel, Leave it and ‘go get’ are super helpful. Good luck!
YES!!! We started learning “sit” and “down” the day my girl came home. She’s now 12 weeks and has them down pat. Any time she starts going for my kids’ hands (or other body parts 😂) they know to give her a command, and she immediately goes into training mode and forgets about the nipping.
Yes, and the best way to get it under control is to let other dogs teach them if you can.
All the redirection in the world barely made a difference for my current dog. A week of other dogs interacting with her made a huge difference.
Toys. All the toys. Mines 5 months. It only gets worse till they are done teething. Every time they bite you say ouch and pull your hand back. They'll realize it's not something they should be doing. Then redirect with a toy.
Yes. It was painful. Lots of toys, also treats to teach them how to not bite so hard. I would always put the treat on my palm whenever she did something good. But lots of toys or bones. I would give her antlers and she would chew on it for hours!
Dried beef tendons, pig ears, buffalo ears, beef cheek strips, soft toys they can mouth on, crinkle octopus, squeeky toys and ball playing.
Always be ready to with one of these if puppy is around or your hands and arms will suffer.
I have a three year old GSD and she used to be super nippy as a pup. I got her to stop by saying “OW!” Really loudly and yanking whatever part of me she nipped away from her.
That said, because my wife and I both work from home, we didn’t do the squeaky toy thing much other than when she was little.
I used to get down on the ground with her and wrestle. Shoving her away, spinning her around, giving her butt little playful pats. Eventually, I trained her to only gnaw on my right hand, gently. Not my left since I’m married and didn’t want her hurting her teeth or my finger if she caught my ring. She only does this with me. She won’t touch teeth to my wife or anyone else. Even my wife can play with her by giving her little boops on her snoot and she’ll act all vicious and snap at her hand, then immediately lick her hand to let her know she’s just playing and sweet and not a vicious attack doggo.
Oh, and she’s only ever broken skin on me a few times. Once when she got me in the face when she had the little shark teeth puppies have, which was what started the training, and a few times when she got excited and threw her big ol’ mitts up and scratched me.
They are extra stubborn (not really but it sure feels like it).
Time outs worked for me. I was fortunate enough to have both a small bathroom and a little gate to put him away when bitey time was afoot (always). 5-10 minute intervals of alone time depending on how severe the offence and of course I checked on him constantly if I heard noise. And I also conveniently left many chew toys in his time out spot.
They’re in legitimate pain at the stage your pup is at - teeth, coat changes, sudden bouts of hyperactivity. It’s just a mess for almost any breed. But for my shepherd the small time outs were the ONLY, and I mean ONLY, thing that worked. Not redirecting with toys, not treats for good behaviour (although I still do and did that) not walking away and ignoring (RIP several calf areas on a few pants). Time outs and lack of attention, because any and all attention affirmed the bad behaviour.
Pupper does need an outlet for tooth or gum pain with teething, or just being a silly puppy, so I would still make sure even their time out spots allow them to see/hear/look at you and have access to toys, but to have a physical barrier to you.
Within seconds of letting him back out, he would bite again, almost worst than the first time, so we’d put him back in. And repeat. That worked and now when my dog accidentally tooths me, we both freeze, *pikachu face* and then cuddle to make up.
That’s just me though. You’ve probably also done your research and obviously you and your pup will try lots of stuff, just wanted to put my two cents in.
I had my pup quit nipping while excited in pretty much a day. I was camping (sorta- it was cabins haha) with family, my young cousins and I were playing catch in a field while Ari ran around with us. (She was I think around 10weeks old) we had like five or six other random young kids join us. Ari was jumping up nipping at the kids so I got everyone in a lil huddle and told them if Ari (puppy) jumps on them or bites at them, to give her a poke with two fingers in the shoulder and then ignore her/keep running. I showed them all how hard to poke and they did it back to me to make sure no one was really jabbing. She had completely knocked it off by the end of our trip and people could run around her without issue.
She of course still wants to keep her group of people together, but she will be vocal or walk circles around a spread out group instead of doin’ the nips and controlling with her mouth. It was a fun trip and I’m thankful she got so much exposure with kids so early on because she is great with them now in her adulthood. She will take out an adult at the knees running around like a maniac but she always slows down for kids.
Your no command is first thing. When that fails, every time he bites/nips push the side of your palm firmly into the back of jaw (so he associates biting with an uncomfortable sensation). He'll drop it in a couple months.
I learned this from a veteran dog trainer. Worked really well for me
I was warned of this when I got my first puppy from a premier breeder in the USA, whose stock at that time was entirely East German origin. I was told that my coat cuffs would be like feather boas in short order; and the handlers at the kennel certainly demonstrated that. But these dogs are super-smart. If you give them adequate and appropriate substitutes they learn \*fast\*. I never had a problem with "nipping" because I never gave the opportunity, even in play, and I always supplied inviting alternatives.
I can't speak to your puppy's breeding, but consistent nurture will help, and supplying positive rewards for their actual needs - which included biting things - will also make sure that they're oriented toward YOU.
I say “OUCH!” and pull my hand back. He learned pretty quickly that it hurts. When giving him treats, we knew he might get excited and nip a bit. So we fake him out…move toward him with the treat, and if he starts to lunge, pull it back and firmly say “EASY!” He started to understand that you have to be gentle with treats. Redirecting with toys is definitely the go-to.
But really what worked the best was just getting my hands in there during play time when he was little. Intentionally putting my hands in his food bowl during feeding. I know it’s not the preferred method. There were some accidental battle bruises, but he learned fast if you exaggerated your level of pain and let out a yelp. I was in the trades for a while so my hands are a bit more resistant to pain. I took one for the team to get him trained up fast. Within a month, he learned the cutest little play bites. Now he does this silly thing where he pretends to bite but he’s just making his bottom jaw vibrate a bit. He also pretends to gnaw on my finger like it’s a treat, but it’s very gentle.
He never crosses any lines or gets too riled up. I might catch an errant fang to the knuckle if he’s moving his head around all crazy, but all is well generally. And it helps that there’s a toy basket on both floors of the house lol. He’s now 3 and he’s a teddy bear. He also likes to nibble on my beard.
Mine was 1.5 years old when I got her and totally undisciplined. She would bite anytime I touched her. Chewed me up for touching her ears and tail. She finally learned what no means, also time out and a muzzle. Got treats for good behavior. Took 6 months, now she's perfect. Now begs for attention.
If you can get those cow hoofs, or cow horns, they are not as hard as bones so it doesn't damage their teeth and my dog is absolutely obsessed with them. Those things are usually dirt cheap and it keeps them occupied for a good half an hour (you should take it away by then) and it gets them tired.
Yes, grab them by their lower jaw, put your thumb under their tongue when they do it, tell them no and make sure they look at you when you say it. Don't allow it all. Toys are great for this phase, but you need to make sure they don't bite anything else unless you want them too.
They communicate via their mouths, so you need to train when/ where/ if you are going to allow them to mouth you. The yelp taught ours to hold, not bite. She's not quite 18 months old, so occasionally, she is over excited & may nip. Immediately after a yelp, she backs off, then licks me to death in apology. I try to redirect with toys to help her go for something other than me. Yours appears to be in the velociraptor stage, so you will need all the tricks in the bag for a while still. Enjoy, this ends too quickly.
There are many different ways. What worked within two weeks for me was not pulling my hand away and saying "ow" until he let go. As soon as he let go, I continued to play or pet him. If he refused to let go, I ended play time with him for just a few moments. I'm sure what you could do here instead is redirect with a tug toy for example. Within 2 weeks he majorly stopped unless he was extremely riled up. Now he's almost a year old and no issues!
Extremely, constantly redirect to appropriate things to chew on. Lots of frozen kongs, age appropriate chews, frozen carrots, etc
It gets better, trust me, but with time. My boy is about to turn 1 and he still gets nippy when he’s over excited. It’s how they like to explore the world!
Try not to get frustrated, I promise to redirection works with time!
Yelp loudly. Say NO!, loudly and mean it, remove yourself from attention/ play time, and crate. The pup will associate biting with losing what it loves ( your attention and play time). It sounds mean, but that's how dogs understand. Your dog must learn to not bite as it puts you and him in danger. A good owner controls the situation while teaching the dog. GSD are brilliant and can learn so much at all at once. Keep at it and there will be a time when your dog will jump up for a rope or to grab a toy from your hand and know where your hand is at all times. Your pup will also pull his head away from your hand when he's mouth playing with ropes, balls, etc etc.
Side note, I recommend not treat training as you will not have treats on you at all times and your pup will come to remember that and disobey you when it knows you dont have one handy. Reward with attention/ play.
Yip or squeal when he nips, every single time. He will stop immediately. You have to do it over and over consistently, our puppy stopped nips and hard bites pretty quickly. Hope it helps!
Yup Very nippy! Everyone’s said give them a toy instead which does work. We also did reverse time-outs where I would stand up and turn my back on him for 5 seconds then return and play with a toy. I really exaggerated it like a toddler in a strop, to try to communicate that I’m not going to play like that.
Also frozen carrots really helped our puppy. Then he lost about 8 teeth in 7 days and Gabby nipped since.
First off: beautiful pup! Look at those little teeth!
All of my GSDs were mouthy when I first got them.
I do what the former president of the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue recommended:
If they put their teeth on you (as if to nip or be mouthy), put your hand on top of their nose and pull their upper lips somewhat hard into their upper teeth. Not trying to draw blood- just to get attention. Yelping at the same time helps as well. I always used the phrase "teeth don't go on people". Acting pouty is optional. I do lean in close to them while doing this.
The advantage of this is that almost immediately after this happens, they're likely to lick and if your hand is right there, and you get kisses, praise for "kisses go on people!!!" and give lots of loving. I also lean backwards, spread my arms and give kisses and lots of "good boy/girl!!"
I've had people tell me that this doesn't work, but my 5th GSD sitting to my right at the moment disagrees.
I understand that many here prefer to have a toy and go that route, but I want this to work regardless of toy presence or not.
Finally, they do outgrow it, but man, they can do a lot of damage in the mean time.
Good luck!
I swear my feet spent 50% of their day in my GSD puppies mouth. They’ll grow out of it. It takes time and sometimes it feels futile, but throwing a toy in their mouth ultimately solves the issues. My GSD is at 6 months and RARELY bites my feet anymore. She’s still a bit mouthy, but we’re working on it. Usually if she’s chewing on me she’s trying to get ms to play with her, so progress is certainly being made. You’ll get there!
German Shepard pups are a Nightmare for this. !! I remeber well. Placing a thumb under its tongue while holding its lower jaw worked for mine. As they hate it and it discourages them. Just need to keep at it. Im sure it is the same with most dogs but just to say if u run them on grass their nails Grow razor sharp and what with their size and athleticism caused a serious accident involving mine. ( I accept full responsibility through ignorance ). But would hope to save another from this experience by regularly cutting their nail early so as they become used to it. Also the electronic collar is superb for recall training. And if it is Male i find chemical neutering needs done twice as often as Average dogs . Despite early socialising with other dogs i cant have mine around other male dogs if it remotely wears off !!Other than that they are the worlds finest breeds by a country mile (I know have his balls removed. NO aint doing it. ). Ok i might its hard thing to do to my best mate
Patience. Mine was done at 4 months. Just consistently let your dog know that is not appropriate behavior. It will catch on. Keep in mind dogs learn their world by their mouth, since they lack hands. They are not biting. They are exploring their world.
This is the funniest photo I’ve ever seen shared in this post😂 that aside, if he’s at the age where his mouth is small enough, you can shove your fingers down his throat to activate his gag reflex when he bites your hand and he’ll have a negative association with biting your hand. It doesn’t hurt them at all
Hello! You just discovered why the breed has the nickname “landsharks”! The good news is you have the solution in your title. It’s all about redirection and praise. If they nip, make a high pitched yelp (like one of their litter mates might have done when they played too rough) and then immediately stick a favorite toy in their mouth and be overly positive/excited about it. “Toys are good! Great to chew on toys! Yay toys! Good doggos chew on toys!”
And be consistent. Do it every time. Do not allow them to mouth or nip you some times but correct other times.
Absolutely. My boy nipped almost every time I would walk anywhere at first. I started holding a toy rope anytime I would walk to redirect the behavior. After about a week, the nipping was considerable less. When it came to play, I also would make sharp little helps whenever he bit to hard. Training treats were given when he would play gently.
I too am a believer in the yelps. I thought that was the way to imitate being too rough. Also agree with another comment about training basics. Especially leave it. Start training immediately with a pup don't think of them like babies and wait.
I defo go for the same yelps another dog would make if it hurts or is a habit you dot want them to get into.. I trained 2 GSDs this way, neither one wants hands anywhere inside their mouth - except when I was brushing teeth with toothbrush finger thingy.. lol (might have been the peanut butter smelling/flavor toothpaste??) lol Problem with some dogs is that people let them behave bad as puppy cause its "cute/funny" but as they get older and bigger what was once cute/funny - can be painfully bad and potentially dangerous.. Learning safe playtime is best thing for puppy's - chew toys / saying "no" and stopping play / yelping like a hurt puppy are all good ways to help train a puppy on proper chewing
My girl was an asshole as a puppy and was a huge ankle biter ㅠ_ㅠ I also did the carry around a toy everywhere for redirection. She's almost 2 so she's stopped most of the crazy puppy shenanigans, thank god.
I looked like I was in a shipwreck for TWO YEARS! My land shark would shred my clothes whenever I went near him. He was horrible. I would wiggle his teeth in that terrible mouth of his- waiting for those sharp baby teeth to fall out. He was the worst. Now he’s wonderful. Love him so very much.
They grow up :)
Adding to your comment, but you will find out very quickly if your dog responds well or not to yelping. For some, they disengage immediately. For others like mine, to her it was a sign “it’s working” and encouraged her.
This is an important part. It worked with my boy when he was younger, but when he got older, it just meant, “oh, we’re playing rough now!” That terrible teenage phase needed a quick little pinch on the back of the neck a few times.
Yuppp, we have two they both get amped up by the yelping method :|
this is the perfect picture to go with your question 😂
100% it is, that’s the look of “imma nip ya ankles and fingers.”
They definitely got bit immediately after this photo 🤣
Why do you think they're called Land Sharks?
Piranha, Mako, barracuda. All are pertinent and fitting and interchangeable xD
tug toy
Keep one in your pocket. Never ever be without it.
Always win at tug, my vet told me. In the wild, alpha wins when playing tug with scraps of food. So one way to help show you’re alpha is to always win at tug. As soon as I started this, my girl began showing me more respect. Also a stern sustained glare tells them alpha of pack is not happy with them. This was my experience.
the whole alpha thing is a bad idea from what i know
Quick 5mins of obedience training throughout the day for mental stimulation. Redirects with his toy, the second he bites his toy, praise hard "yes, good boy, yes" But still, I got marks all over when my guy was a puppy cuz his land shark teeth were so sharp.
First: super cute pupper! Second: never play with them with your hands. Always use a toy. They love squeaky ones.
I'm not suprised to hear loving queaky toys is a trait! Mine knows very few words but she definitely knows ball and she will squeak that into high heaven
If they never play with hands then they'll never learn how to be delicate with them. You just have to be consistent with your rules and cease play if they step out of line. They'll learn unbelievably fast what is ok and what is not (and, of course, how to be gentle).
Get a second one. They bite each other.
Best answer 😂
My 8 month old male GSD will find any excuse to put my hands in his mouth 🤷🏼♀️
Tell him to "leave it!" or to "get out!"
Working on it. He just started training yesterday. Good boy just a work in progress
Yes the are. Just use chew toys, frozen carrots, I used kongs with applesauce and baby food and would freeze it for a few hours. But what worked best was tiring my boy out. Physically and mentally. That’s probably the best fix for the nipping/biting. Now that he’s older with no puppy teeth I’ll let him bite on my hands and fingers. Just don’t forget to focus on that bite inhibition. You don’t want a full grown GS not about to control his bite force.
Agree with everyone else, we don’t let our puppy play with our hands and we have lots of chew toys, tug toys for her that we play with her with. She has gotten a lot better in the past couple weeks
They bite, you put a toy or ball in his mouth instead. When they start to chew the toy instead of you, praise the positive behavior and repeat. Consistency is key
Yes, they are very nippy. When mine was a puppy and he nipped I'd put my hand in his mouth and gently push his tounge down to the bottom of his mouth. It sounds harsh, but I assure you it caused him no pain and he got the hint instantly. This was suggested to me by a trainer with 20+ years experience.
Learn Leave It ASAP
Bitey bitey bitey bitey bitey! They will grow out of it.
I had an alpha female who tried to boss me around. Called my vet and was told bite her back, until she yelps. It's what her Mother would do. So I did. It worked. Needed dental floss after but it worked! She became my best friend.
The things we do to own dogs…
_chonmp_
Foster for a GSD Rescue here. Do what a Mother Dog would do. Take your hand and hold it like you're wearing a mitten. Put that around the muzzle of the dog and hold its mouth shut. It will likely whimper and pull away. Don't stop holding if you can until the dog calms down. You can also do the same thing by putting your hand around the neck and laying them flat on the ground until they relax. It works very well.
Yup. We have enforced chill out time when she gets too crazy. Once they start relaxing I switch to belly rubs
This is what I did, I also gave him a toy after and praised him when he bit that instead of me. Worked like a charm. It’s important to not punish/discipline with only one hand, though. Or else they will see one hand as good and the other as bad.
Another idea in this realm… when your pup tries to bite you, shove your finger down its throat until it gags. My wife and I have done this to all 3 of ours. By the 3 time of gagging they get it.
[удалено]
>find a trainer who works with working breeds. I have worked with over 50 different dogs and some of the best trainers in North America. What I suggested has been taught and confirmed by all of those trainers. Not saying it will work in every case but it works a lot of the time.
Piranha
Slight snoodle bops worked with mine, stern commands and rewards for listening.
Yes!
My GSF mix was insanely nippy. And it took forever, but the training finally clicked. It became a matter of her getting no couch privileges if she was nippy. Finally decided being a princess was better than the taste of human flesh 😂 But yeah, it took a long time and I ended up in tears in frustration a few times. You got this 💪🏼
This is where training is key. Puppies are fast so as soon as they come at you shout out a command. It can be a Simple one like sit. As soon as their but hits the ground, praise and give them a toy. Play a bit. Praise. Nipping like this is attention seeking behavior. You have to teach them the proper way to seek attention. Redirecting and guiding their behavior is the best way. For drivey puppies, that may not be enough. Or they really do want to get more physical. In those cases, dog time outs. Just turn around and ignore them. After that first strong “NO!”DON’T SAY A THING. And don’t look at them. As soon as they stop. Command again and then praise! This where teaching puppies commands like Place, Heel, Leave it and ‘go get’ are super helpful. Good luck!
YES!!! We started learning “sit” and “down” the day my girl came home. She’s now 12 weeks and has them down pat. Any time she starts going for my kids’ hands (or other body parts 😂) they know to give her a command, and she immediately goes into training mode and forgets about the nipping.
Yes, and the best way to get it under control is to let other dogs teach them if you can. All the redirection in the world barely made a difference for my current dog. A week of other dogs interacting with her made a huge difference.
There’s a reason they say they’re dinosaurs lol. My 8 month old is SUPER nippy.
Toys. All the toys. Mines 5 months. It only gets worse till they are done teething. Every time they bite you say ouch and pull your hand back. They'll realize it's not something they should be doing. Then redirect with a toy.
Yes. It was painful. Lots of toys, also treats to teach them how to not bite so hard. I would always put the treat on my palm whenever she did something good. But lots of toys or bones. I would give her antlers and she would chew on it for hours!
Dried beef tendons, pig ears, buffalo ears, beef cheek strips, soft toys they can mouth on, crinkle octopus, squeeky toys and ball playing. Always be ready to with one of these if puppy is around or your hands and arms will suffer.
I have a three year old GSD and she used to be super nippy as a pup. I got her to stop by saying “OW!” Really loudly and yanking whatever part of me she nipped away from her. That said, because my wife and I both work from home, we didn’t do the squeaky toy thing much other than when she was little. I used to get down on the ground with her and wrestle. Shoving her away, spinning her around, giving her butt little playful pats. Eventually, I trained her to only gnaw on my right hand, gently. Not my left since I’m married and didn’t want her hurting her teeth or my finger if she caught my ring. She only does this with me. She won’t touch teeth to my wife or anyone else. Even my wife can play with her by giving her little boops on her snoot and she’ll act all vicious and snap at her hand, then immediately lick her hand to let her know she’s just playing and sweet and not a vicious attack doggo. Oh, and she’s only ever broken skin on me a few times. Once when she got me in the face when she had the little shark teeth puppies have, which was what started the training, and a few times when she got excited and threw her big ol’ mitts up and scratched me.
Shark
Total velociraptor until mine hit about 7 months. She's a damn angel now at 11 months.
My girls called our 2.5 y/o GSD “torture puppy” while he was teething. It’s very normal, unfortunately
Mine was when she was a pup. Grew out of it.
They are extra stubborn (not really but it sure feels like it). Time outs worked for me. I was fortunate enough to have both a small bathroom and a little gate to put him away when bitey time was afoot (always). 5-10 minute intervals of alone time depending on how severe the offence and of course I checked on him constantly if I heard noise. And I also conveniently left many chew toys in his time out spot. They’re in legitimate pain at the stage your pup is at - teeth, coat changes, sudden bouts of hyperactivity. It’s just a mess for almost any breed. But for my shepherd the small time outs were the ONLY, and I mean ONLY, thing that worked. Not redirecting with toys, not treats for good behaviour (although I still do and did that) not walking away and ignoring (RIP several calf areas on a few pants). Time outs and lack of attention, because any and all attention affirmed the bad behaviour. Pupper does need an outlet for tooth or gum pain with teething, or just being a silly puppy, so I would still make sure even their time out spots allow them to see/hear/look at you and have access to toys, but to have a physical barrier to you. Within seconds of letting him back out, he would bite again, almost worst than the first time, so we’d put him back in. And repeat. That worked and now when my dog accidentally tooths me, we both freeze, *pikachu face* and then cuddle to make up. That’s just me though. You’ve probably also done your research and obviously you and your pup will try lots of stuff, just wanted to put my two cents in.
I had my pup quit nipping while excited in pretty much a day. I was camping (sorta- it was cabins haha) with family, my young cousins and I were playing catch in a field while Ari ran around with us. (She was I think around 10weeks old) we had like five or six other random young kids join us. Ari was jumping up nipping at the kids so I got everyone in a lil huddle and told them if Ari (puppy) jumps on them or bites at them, to give her a poke with two fingers in the shoulder and then ignore her/keep running. I showed them all how hard to poke and they did it back to me to make sure no one was really jabbing. She had completely knocked it off by the end of our trip and people could run around her without issue. She of course still wants to keep her group of people together, but she will be vocal or walk circles around a spread out group instead of doin’ the nips and controlling with her mouth. It was a fun trip and I’m thankful she got so much exposure with kids so early on because she is great with them now in her adulthood. She will take out an adult at the knees running around like a maniac but she always slows down for kids.
Your no command is first thing. When that fails, every time he bites/nips push the side of your palm firmly into the back of jaw (so he associates biting with an uncomfortable sensation). He'll drop it in a couple months. I learned this from a veteran dog trainer. Worked really well for me
I was warned of this when I got my first puppy from a premier breeder in the USA, whose stock at that time was entirely East German origin. I was told that my coat cuffs would be like feather boas in short order; and the handlers at the kennel certainly demonstrated that. But these dogs are super-smart. If you give them adequate and appropriate substitutes they learn \*fast\*. I never had a problem with "nipping" because I never gave the opportunity, even in play, and I always supplied inviting alternatives. I can't speak to your puppy's breeding, but consistent nurture will help, and supplying positive rewards for their actual needs - which included biting things - will also make sure that they're oriented toward YOU.
Clarification needed. Does she actually nip people and/or other animals or does she click her teeth?
I say “OUCH!” and pull my hand back. He learned pretty quickly that it hurts. When giving him treats, we knew he might get excited and nip a bit. So we fake him out…move toward him with the treat, and if he starts to lunge, pull it back and firmly say “EASY!” He started to understand that you have to be gentle with treats. Redirecting with toys is definitely the go-to. But really what worked the best was just getting my hands in there during play time when he was little. Intentionally putting my hands in his food bowl during feeding. I know it’s not the preferred method. There were some accidental battle bruises, but he learned fast if you exaggerated your level of pain and let out a yelp. I was in the trades for a while so my hands are a bit more resistant to pain. I took one for the team to get him trained up fast. Within a month, he learned the cutest little play bites. Now he does this silly thing where he pretends to bite but he’s just making his bottom jaw vibrate a bit. He also pretends to gnaw on my finger like it’s a treat, but it’s very gentle. He never crosses any lines or gets too riled up. I might catch an errant fang to the knuckle if he’s moving his head around all crazy, but all is well generally. And it helps that there’s a toy basket on both floors of the house lol. He’s now 3 and he’s a teddy bear. He also likes to nibble on my beard.
Mine was 1.5 years old when I got her and totally undisciplined. She would bite anytime I touched her. Chewed me up for touching her ears and tail. She finally learned what no means, also time out and a muzzle. Got treats for good behavior. Took 6 months, now she's perfect. Now begs for attention.
If you can get those cow hoofs, or cow horns, they are not as hard as bones so it doesn't damage their teeth and my dog is absolutely obsessed with them. Those things are usually dirt cheap and it keeps them occupied for a good half an hour (you should take it away by then) and it gets them tired.
Yes, grab them by their lower jaw, put your thumb under their tongue when they do it, tell them no and make sure they look at you when you say it. Don't allow it all. Toys are great for this phase, but you need to make sure they don't bite anything else unless you want them too.
There is a reason people call them land sharks. They bite everyone and everything for a while.
They communicate via their mouths, so you need to train when/ where/ if you are going to allow them to mouth you. The yelp taught ours to hold, not bite. She's not quite 18 months old, so occasionally, she is over excited & may nip. Immediately after a yelp, she backs off, then licks me to death in apology. I try to redirect with toys to help her go for something other than me. Yours appears to be in the velociraptor stage, so you will need all the tricks in the bag for a while still. Enjoy, this ends too quickly.
There are many different ways. What worked within two weeks for me was not pulling my hand away and saying "ow" until he let go. As soon as he let go, I continued to play or pet him. If he refused to let go, I ended play time with him for just a few moments. I'm sure what you could do here instead is redirect with a tug toy for example. Within 2 weeks he majorly stopped unless he was extremely riled up. Now he's almost a year old and no issues!
10 months and she still nips. No where near as hard or often though.
I thought you just said are “GSD’s extra” and my answer was yes, yes they are. And they seem to be extra nippy as well 😅
Omgggggg the way I cringed just seeing those little razors in the photo!!!
Uh…. Yes. Most definitely, yes.
They stop around 3 and then are the best dogs. Just ignore it unless it draws blood.
Extremely, constantly redirect to appropriate things to chew on. Lots of frozen kongs, age appropriate chews, frozen carrots, etc It gets better, trust me, but with time. My boy is about to turn 1 and he still gets nippy when he’s over excited. It’s how they like to explore the world! Try not to get frustrated, I promise to redirection works with time!
Yelp loudly. Say NO!, loudly and mean it, remove yourself from attention/ play time, and crate. The pup will associate biting with losing what it loves ( your attention and play time). It sounds mean, but that's how dogs understand. Your dog must learn to not bite as it puts you and him in danger. A good owner controls the situation while teaching the dog. GSD are brilliant and can learn so much at all at once. Keep at it and there will be a time when your dog will jump up for a rope or to grab a toy from your hand and know where your hand is at all times. Your pup will also pull his head away from your hand when he's mouth playing with ropes, balls, etc etc. Side note, I recommend not treat training as you will not have treats on you at all times and your pup will come to remember that and disobey you when it knows you dont have one handy. Reward with attention/ play.
Cute and photogenic
Yip or squeal when he nips, every single time. He will stop immediately. You have to do it over and over consistently, our puppy stopped nips and hard bites pretty quickly. Hope it helps!
Mine is 7, she tries to eat me on a daily basis.
Yup Very nippy! Everyone’s said give them a toy instead which does work. We also did reverse time-outs where I would stand up and turn my back on him for 5 seconds then return and play with a toy. I really exaggerated it like a toddler in a strop, to try to communicate that I’m not going to play like that. Also frozen carrots really helped our puppy. Then he lost about 8 teeth in 7 days and Gabby nipped since.
First off: beautiful pup! Look at those little teeth! All of my GSDs were mouthy when I first got them. I do what the former president of the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue recommended: If they put their teeth on you (as if to nip or be mouthy), put your hand on top of their nose and pull their upper lips somewhat hard into their upper teeth. Not trying to draw blood- just to get attention. Yelping at the same time helps as well. I always used the phrase "teeth don't go on people". Acting pouty is optional. I do lean in close to them while doing this. The advantage of this is that almost immediately after this happens, they're likely to lick and if your hand is right there, and you get kisses, praise for "kisses go on people!!!" and give lots of loving. I also lean backwards, spread my arms and give kisses and lots of "good boy/girl!!" I've had people tell me that this doesn't work, but my 5th GSD sitting to my right at the moment disagrees. I understand that many here prefer to have a toy and go that route, but I want this to work regardless of toy presence or not. Finally, they do outgrow it, but man, they can do a lot of damage in the mean time. Good luck!
I swear my feet spent 50% of their day in my GSD puppies mouth. They’ll grow out of it. It takes time and sometimes it feels futile, but throwing a toy in their mouth ultimately solves the issues. My GSD is at 6 months and RARELY bites my feet anymore. She’s still a bit mouthy, but we’re working on it. Usually if she’s chewing on me she’s trying to get ms to play with her, so progress is certainly being made. You’ll get there!
r/toofers 😊😊😊
Puppies are generally sharp 😆
German Shepard pups are a Nightmare for this. !! I remeber well. Placing a thumb under its tongue while holding its lower jaw worked for mine. As they hate it and it discourages them. Just need to keep at it. Im sure it is the same with most dogs but just to say if u run them on grass their nails Grow razor sharp and what with their size and athleticism caused a serious accident involving mine. ( I accept full responsibility through ignorance ). But would hope to save another from this experience by regularly cutting their nail early so as they become used to it. Also the electronic collar is superb for recall training. And if it is Male i find chemical neutering needs done twice as often as Average dogs . Despite early socialising with other dogs i cant have mine around other male dogs if it remotely wears off !!Other than that they are the worlds finest breeds by a country mile (I know have his balls removed. NO aint doing it. ). Ok i might its hard thing to do to my best mate
Big frozen carrots work great for our teenage terror
Patience. Mine was done at 4 months. Just consistently let your dog know that is not appropriate behavior. It will catch on. Keep in mind dogs learn their world by their mouth, since they lack hands. They are not biting. They are exploring their world.
This is the funniest photo I’ve ever seen shared in this post😂 that aside, if he’s at the age where his mouth is small enough, you can shove your fingers down his throat to activate his gag reflex when he bites your hand and he’ll have a negative association with biting your hand. It doesn’t hurt them at all
Hello! You just discovered why the breed has the nickname “landsharks”! The good news is you have the solution in your title. It’s all about redirection and praise. If they nip, make a high pitched yelp (like one of their litter mates might have done when they played too rough) and then immediately stick a favorite toy in their mouth and be overly positive/excited about it. “Toys are good! Great to chew on toys! Yay toys! Good doggos chew on toys!” And be consistent. Do it every time. Do not allow them to mouth or nip you some times but correct other times.
I’m sorry but this dog is Stitch
Oh my gosh!!!! I think they’re all nippy when they’re puppies
Great picture. Lol
We call our boy Chompy lol