When Will My German Shepherd Stop Biting And Nipping Me
Your German Shepherd will generally stop biting when theyre around 6 to 8-months old.
German Shepherds generally stop biting around 6 to 8-months old. This is after all 42 of their adult teeth have grown in and they begin to learn bite inhibition while managing a soft mouth. You can speed up this learning process by keeping everyone in your family on the same track, using consistent discipline, and understanding that stopping your GSD from biting doesnt happen overnight. Your German Shepherd bites generally to initiate play and doesnt think its wrong.
Teach them to not bite you by sticking with positive training and avoid scaring or intimidating them. A German Shepherd that is fearful of you not only takes longer to train but wont bond with you.
Should I Get Chew Toys For My Puppy
Your puppy needs toys to chew on while they are teething. Toys help manage German Shepherd puppy biting as they soothe their gums when teething.
Toys also stimulate your GSDs curiosity and help keep your pet busy in a healthy way.
Ensure that the chew toys you purchase are suitable for teething as your puppy transitions to its adult teeth. Also, purchase dental sticks to maintain teeth and gum health as your puppy develops.
Keep your puppys favorite toy close by, as this will also help it stop mouthing. Mouthing includes snapping at ankles and other human body parts, which is undesirable behavior.
If you have a favorite toy on hand, you can quickly distract your puppy from biting. Instead of nipping and mouthing on you, you can use an old toy or rag to play tag or tug of war with your pet.
Healthy socialization starts at a young age with friendly play among litter mates. Using a toy, like a Kong, to distract German Shepherd puppy from biting is a way to replicate this back and forth to train your pet to stop biting.
Teach your pet good behavior as a puppy to carry through long into its adult years through positive reinforcement. As it grows into an older dog, change the toys for professional obedience or advanced training methods to continue to stimulate your GSDs impressive intelligence levels.
Always Supervise Your Puppy When Young Children Are Present
A German Shepherd that bites a child is a massive problem.
In most case the bite wont be serious. But its still enough of a risk to make sure you supervise younger kids during German Shepherd play and at all times.
Kids can easily be knocked over by an excitable German Shepherd, and Ive seen puppies try to go for ears and faces when they are over-excited.
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Puppy Biting Women And Children
My skin is a bit thicker than my wifes or my kids skin, especially the kids who seem to have soft, sensitive skin. This training method can be very difficult with small children. If your kids are over the age of 6, go ahead and practice with them BEFORE puppy introduction. Bite on their hand and teach them to react properly if needed.
When Should I Start Socializing My German Shepherd Puppy
You should start to socialize your puppy as early as 8 weeks. Things you can introduce to your puppy include, but not limited to:
- People and children
- Cars, trucks, bikes, scooters, etc
- Different surfaces like concrete, stones, bricks, mud, sand, etc.
At first, your puppy may get a bit uncomfortable because everything is new to her. Give her encouragement and make reward her with a treat if she does approach it.
Socialization is a lifelong exercise for your German Shepherd. You should keep stimulating your dog with new encounters as much as you can.
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Why Do German Shepherd Bite A Lot Tips To Stop Dogs From Biting
If youre blessed with a German Shepherd puppy, sometimes you might feel broken when it comes to those constant nibbling behaviors. Dont feel bad. Youre not alone.
This breed is really known for nibbling, and those sharp puppy teeth hurt! If your arms are covered in bruises, scratches, and teeth marks, youre definitely upset about it and looking for a way to lessen the pinching and to finally allow those wounds to heal.
How To Quickly Discipline A German Shepherd For Biting: A Step
Knowing how to discipline a German Shepherd for biting and nipping will not only help save your hands and legs from tiny razor-sharp teeth
But teaching your GSD puppy to stop biting can also help you with valuable training skills!
Skills that will not only help you control and stop your German Shepherds bites and nips without force or fear, but have a better behaved dog overall.
Lets get down to business teaching you how to discipline a German Shepherd puppy for biting or nipping.
You dont have to live with a baby Jaws on the loose any longer!
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Be Consistent With Your German Shepherd To Remove The Biting Problem
The key in successful dog training is consistency. To stop your German shepherd from biting, you will need to repeat the technique you prefer several times before you succeed. You will also have to be your dogs leader and not a friend of the same level. When you are a leader, you are doing your dog a favor.
They Were Raised In A Poor Environment
In some cases, the excessive nipping may be an indication of a puppy raised in a very poor breeding environment, where the puppy didnt get a chance to learn the ABCs of bite inhibition with his littermates and mom and the breeders did little about it.
Some of the worst cases of poor bite inhibition are often seen in puppies removed too early from the litter or singletons. In some cases, the biting may be genetic, due to a poor temperament and weak nerves.
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Is Your German Shepherd Puppy Biting Ankles
Nothing is worse than an ankle-biter! I was very lucky not to have this problem with Allie. But many owners arent so lucky and have a problem with their German Shepherd puppy biting their ankles.
Why does your German Shepherd puppy target the ankles? Because your GSD is a working dog trying to do its job herd you around the house like livestock. German Shepherds were originally bred for herding flocks of sheep. And you are your pups favorite sheep!
Your furry pal may also think heel nipping is just a really fun game. If you walk past quickly, its very tempting for your playful pup to reach out and bite.
Using a toy as a distraction and keeping your pup active will help nip ankle nipping in the bud!
Why Your German Shepherd Bites Your Feet
Each of the different reasons why your German Shepherd bites your feet and ankles will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it does it.
Below, I will mention a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might bite your feet or ankles and the signs to look for.
It wants attention
The reason why it bites your feet could be that it wants your attention.
This would be more likely to be the reason if it starts biting your feet when you have not been giving it attention for a while. It would also be more likely if it does it when you had just left it alone for a long time perhaps because you were at work.
If that is why your German Shepherd bites your feet then it would help to give it more attention in the form of exercise, training and playing games such as tug of war in addition to training it not to bite your feet.
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It is teething
If your German Shepherd is a puppy then the reason why it bites your feet is likely to be that it is teething. When they are teething their gums will be painful and biting and chewing on things helps to soothe their gums. This is why they tend to bite and chew on things a lot as puppies.
If your German Shepherd is still a puppy then it is very important to take the time now to train it not to bite your feet and to behave the way that you want it to. You can do this using the tips mentioned below.
It wasnt trained not to as a puppy
Excitement
It is exploring
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When Should A German Shepherd Be Spayed/neutered
The most important finding in German Shepherd Dogs is that there is no advantage of neutering or spaying before 12 months of age.
Dr. Benjamin L. Hart, DVM, Ph.D., DACVB, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine says, I advise owners of German Shepherd Dog puppies to be in no hurry to neuter a male or spay a female, I always tell them to wait until their dog is at least a year old before neutering.
What Toys Do German Shepherds Like To Bite And Chew
The best toys to get your German Shepherds attention when theyre acting wild and biting you are toys that are like wild prey and withstand your pups shark-like teeth.
Ive had excellent success using rolling toys that are built for heavy chewers, like this Monster Ultra Durable Chew toy. The key to using this toy is to roll it away from yourself when your puppy is aggressively nipping and biting you.
The action of the roll taps into your dogs natural herding instinct to chase the prey . Its also strong enough to engage your German Shepherd in a game of tug while keeping your fingers safe.
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Instead of letting your dog chew on whatever they want, find appropriate toys to reduce their boredom and give them a place to put their teeth.
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Why German Shepherds Bite
Most German Shepherds will show some fear or aggression at some point in their lives. Most will let you know they are scared with a little bark, letting you know to keep away.
If you dont keep your distance, the barks can turn into a growl, with their little puppy teeth showing. If you continue to advance and upset them, the growl can then become a snap and possible bite.
Most German Shepherds will bite you with a little nip when scared, and hopefully wont cut you. But, with an older and more aggressive German Shepherd, that bite could be very painful, particularly to young children.
Do German Shepherds bite a lot?
When German Shepherd are puppies, they do tend to do a lot of biting. Most of the time its all about playing and teething, and most will grow out of the behavior.
Why German Shepherd puppies bite?
The teething phase is when you will notice your German Shepherd puppy biting the most. Ive written at length about the German Shepherd teething phase before, which explains how they explore their surroundings with little nips and chew on things to soothe their painful gums.
Some German Shepherds will also bite a bit too enthusiastically when they are playing with you. This is a hangover from their days with their siblings where mouth play would have been used.
An adult German Shepherd that bites is a problem
Dont Use Force Coercion Or Any Type Of Physical Punishment
Some people use coercion-based methods such as the Alpha Roll to teach the dog that the human is the dominant one in the relationship.
In the Alpha Roll, the human pins down the dog on the floor on his side or back and holds that position to exert dominance.
This stemmed from early studies which deduced that wolves maintained a hierarchy in the wild where one member of the pack is an alpha.
In truth, this concept has been debunked by wolf experts of today who observed that wolves volunteered to pose submissively as a retreat.
Besides, it has also been proven in many studies that dogs have very different behavior from wolves.
The alpha roll is therefore an outdated training method that should be scrapped and never used on your pet, as it only leads to more behavioral problems.
Pinning your dog will cause him to freeze out of fear, which can also turn into aggression. It also teaches your dog that physical touch is something to be feared.
Your dog may never trust you this way, and you dont want this to happen if you want to form a healthy bond with your pet. Nobody wants to be punished by hand, not humans and certainly not dogs either.
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Offer Them Frozen Carrots
Puppies tend to bite and chew when their teeth are coming in. They do this to relieve the pain and help soothe themselves.
Freeze fresh carrots and have them on hand for times when your dog is acting out and biting you.
Give them a carrot to gnaw on and bring icy relief to their gums.
Even better, say CARROT when you give your dog the carrot to help train them to understand the word. After a few repetitions of saying the cue word, the next time they bite and nip you say CARROT and see if they follow you to the freezer or race you there.
What To Do If Biting Becomes Aggressive
Although puppy mouthing is normal, there can be cases where biting can signal problems and possibly even aggression.
How can you tell if a puppys temper tantrum is a warning sign or just playful mouthing?
Well, its not always easy to tell the difference. Look for physical differences in your pup. When play fighting, your puppys overall demeanor should be relatively relaxed.
If your puppy is having a moment of aggression, their body may stiffen when snarling, and bites will typically be more painful than during regular play.
Also, if your GSD puppy is biting out of fear or frustration, you may need to take action. These types of behavior are not something your pup will just grow out of.
If youre worried that your new puppy may be exhibiting signs of aggression, contact a qualified professional for advice.
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Redirect Your Gsds Destructive Chewing To Chew Toys
As indicated earlier, chewing is a natural need in dogs and should not be eliminated. Instead, destructive chewing should be prevented or corrected through training.
Experts in canine care suggest that redirecting your dogs tendency to chew valuables to chewing toys offers healthy alternative stimulation and enhances your dogs welfare. Also, these toys should be rotated often to avoid habituation, which would lead them back to chewing what they are not supposed to.
According to Preventive Vet, you should evaluate your GSDs chewing behavior to understand your dogs type of chewer. This helps to decide the best chew toys for your dog.
Dogs can belong to one of the three types of chewers, and each has some recommended types of toys, as shown below. The recommended toys are from Amazon and are ones that I personally like.
| Type of chewer |
| Nylabone Big Chew Chew Toy |
Remember that your German Shepherd should not be chewing toys the entire day, as this can become another behavior problem. Instead, give chew toys when your dog shows signs of putting his mouth on what he should not.
Your German Shepherds other time of the day should be occupied with exercise, play, sleep, as well as time to connect with you.
Other chewing considerations:
Edible chews are a good alternative to mix things up a bit for your GSD. However, these dont last very long, but I like to give them to my German Shepherd to reward good behavior.
Why Do German Shepherd Bite
So, why do German Shepherds bite? There is no hard and fast answer to this question. But the main reasons would often be his upbringing and past .
In other cases, it is a completely random act and every individual dog can differ, even if they are from the same litter. Sometimes even being taken away from their mother and siblings too early can affect their social skills and affect aggressive nature.
Here are the many other reasons why your German Shepherd may be biting you.
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The Most Powerful Deterrent To Nipping Is Ignoring Your Puppy
We are all familiar with the high abrasive screech a puppy makes when we accidentally cause her pain.
Some puppies even carry on a prolonged wailing if you step on a toe or tail. But more compelling is the way a puppy abruptly withdraws, heading away from you or refusing any contact with you for at least several seconds.
Puppies in a litter who are too exuberant suffer the same social withdrawal from siblings and mother.
When a puppy nips at you, the most effective way to grab his attention is to withdraw yours. Many puppies do not listen to commands like stop or no biting.
Physical withdrawal of contact, play, or affection is a means to control something your puppy craves. Some behaviorists refer to this training method as managing a resource.
To work, you need to achieve physical separation immediately upon inappropriate or unwanted nipping from your puppy.
When the offensive act occurs, remove yourself by turning your back, placing your hands out of sight, or walking away.
If your pup is an ankle biter, as herding dogs can be, put a baby gate that you can step over and effectively insert between you and your pup.
Ignoring your puppy for a few seconds can be particularly useful for pets who bite mainly to get your attention in the first place.