5 Month Dog Keeps Nipping! (shepherd, biting, toy, aggressive)
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I have a 5 month old German Shepherd & he wont stop biting my arms, legs & ankles. He does not do it out of aggression he's just very playful i guess. How can I stop him from doing this, I've had him for about 2 1/2 days.
You'd do better posting this in the Pet (Dog) forum at the bottom of CD, you'll get a lot of answers but in the meantime, would give say 'NO!' and give him something appropriate to chew (have a few chew toys and rotate them) - would also get some Yuck or Bitter Apple to spray on your shoes, feet, hands etc - it works better when wet so you have to reapply often. Is he getting a lot of exercise - remember, a tired dog is a good dog - not sure what breed/mix he is but a lot of dogs need hours of exercise (esp. those bred to hunt, herd etc) - try not to get discouraged, it's a phase and they do outgrow it. Good luck.
Don't give something to chew on when he snips you. He will take that as a reward.
Dogs learn by association and reward for actions.
Say in a loud voice Ouch and move away and ignore him. Don't pet him or feed him or give him a toy thinking that will draw his attention. Anything you do at that point is either reward or punishment. Your ignoring him is punishment. He wants to be your friend. He needs to be taught what is acceptable and what is not. You can smack his nose lightly. You don't want to hurt him, just let him know you are the Alpha member.
Puppys do what you describe. It is their way of showing affection.
But he needs to learn that any teeth to your skin is unacceptable.
You don't have to be cruel or hurt him. You can pick him up and put him in another room for awhile. Sort of like a time out.
He wants to be with you. Once he figures out that snipping gets him something he dont like, he will stop.
It's all about actions and consequences, or rewards for actions.
Your puppy loves you, he just needs to learn what is acceptable in how he shows it.
If you teach and take care of him now, he will take care of and protect you when he gets older.
Dogs are great. I've had them all of my 63 years. They are the most, unconditional loving species on earth.
They just need some training from the time they are pups. Being mean to them isn't an option. They learn from love and us understanding that they aren't capable of thinking like we do.
They learn from instinct and any reaction from us that brings praise or reward to whatever they do.
And if they are treated right, they will be the most devoted friend you could ever have.
At FIRST nip, squeel loudly: "Ouch! You hurt me!" and then turn your back to him. Do NOT play with him -- ignore him COMPLETELY, keeping your back to him for a full count to sixty. Repeat for every nip.
IF after you've tried and not succeeded on the earlier technique (some dogs need more than positive corrections), THEN try this older technique:
Gently but firmly grab the outside of his muzzle and command (also gently and firmly -- no yelling) NO BITE. Relax but retain your hold lightly until he struggles a bit, and then release (and in a very happy voice) say: GOOD Dog NOT Bite! accompanied with lots and lots of petting, patting, and happy handling.
Never hit, yell, or act aggressively toward another, especially dogs.
I used the above method with my two BC/Corgi puppies when they were very young. It worked very well, and they were very nippy at first.
And don't allow other people to play with the dog and let him nip as play. It IS play to him.
A friend of mine had a young Lab, and I used to let him mouth my arm in play. My chiropractor asked if someone at home was hurting me- like a husband beating me up! My friend did ask me to stop letting the big guy play by mouthing, and she was right.
Two and a half days is a nanosecond in training time. Just be patient and consistent!
I have a 5 month old German Shepherd & he wont stop biting my arms, legs & ankles. He does not do it out of aggression he's just very playful i guess. How can I stop him from doing this, I've had him for about 2 1/2 days.
Have you nipped him back on the ear, hard enough to get his attention with out harming him? Sometimes a strong "no" is not enough for pups who nip-play perseistently. You and your boundaries are being tested. Sheperds are smart and you need to establish that you are alpha.
It is very common for GSD puppies to be extremely oral. Ours was, much more than any other breed Ive ever had. He is now 9 1/2 years old. It was a challenge...he wanted to nip all of us, all the time, he considered us his litter mates and wanted to play. We decided to be consistent and all have the same response, we would cry "ouch" in a high voice and stop playing with him. We had varying degrees of success, I will admit. He did catch on, though. GSDs are extremely intelligent. But he is fighting his inner compulsion to have fun with pleasing you, a great temptation.
Hang in there, it does pass. My old GSD grew out of it and he has been one of the great loves of our lives.
I have had 6 GSDs and that is very natural behavior. Redirect it to another objects-sternly- "no bite" - present the object - "here". The high pitched "OW" often makes it worse not better.
I have had 6 GSDs and that is very natural behavior. Redirect it to another objects-sternly- "no bite" - present the object - "here". The high pitched "OW" often makes it worse not better.
I have had multiple GSD's as well and they are a very mouthy breed. I always found that redirecting them to something else worked best.
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