How To Stop My German Shepherd From Biting

Focus Six: Avoiding Undesirable Behaviors

You might not realize this, but a puppys teeth and claws are razor sharp and can do some serious damage!

They dont realize quite how strong they are at first, so its important to teach them that nipping, chomping, or jumping up and scratching at you is not appropriate unless you like being covered in cuts and bruises.

How to discourage your German Shepherd puppy from biting, scratching and jumping up

What You Shouldnt Do

There are some things that you should avoid when training your dog to stop biting. The first thing you want to do is avoid yelling at your dog or hitting them. Why?

If theyre biting for your attention, youll be giving them what they want. Moreover, itll give them negative feelings, and we dont want that.

Also, when they try to bite your hand, dont move it away. They might think its some sort of a game and keep trying to bite you.

Last but not least, dont opt for shock collars as theyll only cause your puppy pain and they wont solve the problem anyway.

Focus Two: Human And Animal Socialization

Its likely there are plenty of people queuing to meet your new puppy, as well as a whole host of animal friends to get to know.

Add to this potential for seeing furry friends and their humans whilst youre out on walks and its especially important to focus on how to behave around them as soon as possible.

Every day your puppy is exposed to new sights, smells, sights, sounds and sometimes even tastes if you turn your back for long enough.

You need to keep them reassured that everything is okay and remove them from anything that appears to be overstimulating.

The primary concern here is to make sure your dog feels safe and secure, and that the experience will be positive as much as you can anticipate.

German Shepherds have a tendency to be wary of strangers, whether theyre dogs or people, and can go into guard dog mode pretty quickly if they feel threatened.

Therefore, they might be a little aloof and resistant the first few times you interact with somebody.

This means checking that those you are introducing to the puppy know how to properly handle and treat one, especially any children who happen to be around.

Likewise, you should also ask in advance whether any animals you might come into contact with have proven they are able to stay relatively calm and behave appropriately when spending time with other dogs.

Things To Remember When You Socialize Your German Shepherd Puppy:

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Games To Stop Your German Shepherd Puppy’s Biting

This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

How To Stop German Shepherd Adult Dogs To Bite

With Adult German Shepherds, the problem can be Different because they are not puppies.

An adult German Shepherd You have may have had a problematic past.The previous owner has abused it.Maybe he is not socialized and trained correctly.

The first step to take is finding out the cause of the behavior. You can ask your Breeder or the rescue shelter from where you rescued the Dog.

Tell them about his biting problems or aggressive behavior and ask about the background of the German Shepherd Dog.

After you have Found the Cause of his biting behavior, you can go ahead for finding a Solution.

Never Think that you should not rescue a Dog. Dogs from shelters can be excellent companions. People who work in Shelters love animals, And they try their best to keep them happy and safe.

A Rescued German Shepherd Can Suffer From Separation Anxiety. If you have rescued a German Shepherd, he might not feel much comfortable in the new house. Some Of them Bite new people because they do not Know Them.

Some Rescued Dogs need time to adapt but Do not Worry He will. You can use some training methods like giving him safe toys to chew.

If you think you have Some Budget to Spend For Your Dog Then go ahead with a professional trainer.

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Why Do German Shepherd Puppies Bite

Its important to understand that your fuzzy little friend isnt being aggressive this is just how your puppy plays. Up until this time, your puppy was with its littermates, and playtime meant lots of mouthy, nipping fun.

Accordingly, this is the only way your GSD knows how to play! As a new puppy parent, youll need to teach your dog other gentler ways to play.

A German Shepherd puppy also uses their mouths to explore different things like toys or hands, ankles, furniture pretty much anything they can get their mouth around.

Because dogs cant pick things up and examine them, they resort to using their mouths. While being mouthy isnt inherently a bad thing, youre in trouble when teeth start getting involved.

Your puppy could also be teething, which can increase their mouthy behavior.

Now that you understand a little more about why your pup is biting, you shouldnt be alarmed. Just be patient as you work through the German Shepherd puppy biting phase give your pup time to learn to be gentle when playing or seeking your attention.

Dont Alpha Roll Or Grab Your Dog By The Scruff

Outdated techniques, such as grabbing your GSD by the scruff and shaking him, or using an alpha roll may increase your dogs aggressive behaviors.

Results from a study using aversive training methods highlight:

The use of incorrect punishment can jeopardize both the physical and mental health of dogs.

You should never place your German Shepherd in a position where you are using old-school techniques that arent supported through science.

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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.

Why Does My German Shepherd Bite Other Dogs

If your German Shepherd has been biting other dogs, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might bite other dogs and a number of things that you can do to stop it.

So, why does my German Shepherd bite other dogs? Possible causes can be that it didnt get enough socialization as a puppy, it is dominant, its protecting its owner or territory or it is due to its prey drive if it only does it to small dogs.

There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why your German Shepherd does it and there are a number of things that you can do to stop it.

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When Will My German Shepherd Stop Biting This Is What You Should Know

Puppy German shepherds will often bite your hands or ankles when you are round.

And often, these needle-like teeth can cause much pain, Right? And the worst can happen if they grow with such behavior. Imagine receiving a bite force of 238 psi on your hand from your adult German shepherd dog.

You will often struggle with bruises, broken bones, or even expensive medical bills.

So, you may be asking yourself, When will my German shepherd stop biting? Will it be soon? Well, hold on to learn when your Germans shepherd will stop biting you.

Contents

German Shepherd Puppy Biting Ankles

If you notice your german shepherd puppy biting ankles, then unfortunately there at the stage in their development where theyre biting everything.

Its a fairly common problem a lot of puppies . However, your German shepherds formative months are the months you really want to establish what they should and shouldnt be doing.

So keep reading to find out why German shepherd puppies like to bite ankles, and what you can do to stop it!

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Create A Quiet Zone For Their Naps

Put your dog to bed if theyre wild and out of control. German Shepherds need plenty of rest to stay happy.

Remember when I said that puppies sleep up to 20 hours a day?

In the beginning, youll need to ensure your puppy gets their rest and sleep so they arent irritable and cranky.

Just like in toddlers and human babies, your puppy can become hard to handle and act wild when they havent had enough sleep.

Your German Shepherd needs to have a bed of their own in an area away from the business of your family.

Your German Shepherd Didnt Get Any Socialization

Germans shepherd have to stay with their mothers for eight weeks. Its at this duration that the bitch will train its litter various socialization skills, like how not to bite.

So, if you got your German shepherd puppy before it had stayed with its mother for long, he will probably bite you often as he didnt get this lesson.

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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.

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.

What To Do With A 6 Month Old German Shepherd

While your puppy still lacks maturity and focus, you can increase training to help teach your dog obedience skills. Increase daily obedience and practice to help them learn better training basics and learn how to train a 6 month old German Shepherd the right way. Your beautiful German Shepherd puppy will grow very quickly!

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Dont Grab Your Dog By The Jowls And Shake Them

Although you might have heard someone say to you to grab your German Shepherd by the jowls to discipline them for biting, this will only instill fear and anxiety in your dog.

Furthermore, this study showed that a whopping 25% of dogs grabbed by the jowls and shaken became aggressive. This percentage also includes dogs whose owners forcefully grabbed an item and removed it from their mouths.

Give Your German Shepherd The Right Things To Chew

Help your German Shepherd stop biting you by giving them something else to chew on.

Your German Shepherd will most likely chew on everything you dont want

Unless you show him what you DO want him to put his teeth on.

You already know your German Shepherd is biting you, so anticipate the biting behavior and substitute a toy for your hand or ankles. Instead of just telling your puppy no let them know whats OK to bite and chew if they start nibbling at your fingers or toes.

Even better

Keep a few small toys in your pocket to offer them as they race around the house.

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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 didn’t 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.

Why Is My German Shepherd Puppy Biting And Nipping

Little pups that bite on hands or chew on toys are doing so because they are developing teeth.

Recently, we got a new addition to our GSD family, a cute male named Bobby, and surely Bobbly likes to bite everything. He doesnt like plastic materials and thus he doesnt like his dog mom Kong toys.

We did order a set of tug ropes for him and it is working. .

Here is the model that we ordered from Chewy.

They chew on toys because their gums feel irritated and to make the pain go away, they bite and chew on things.

This behavior during the teething period is very normal and not much of a problem. However, if a GSD pup doesnt leave its biting habit behind when it has grown into an adult, it becomes a huge problem for everyone.

Another reason that GSDs bite a lot is that they did not receive proper training as pups. When people start to appreciate or encourage GS biting or nipping, they are making it develop this into a habit.

Your dog will start to bite at visitors and household items. This is a problem that needs to be controlled right away or else someone will end up getting hurt. If you let your GSD bite and nip, you are letting it take over.

Biting and nipping is also a play game for GSD pups. They like to bite other pups in the litter, and this is usually harmless. However, when a pup gets hurt unintentionally, it makes a loud sound. This sound is an indication for the pup that it is hurt, and it is time to stop.

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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.

German Shepherd Jumping And Biting

Whats worse than dealing with puppy biting? When your pup decides its a good idea to bite AND jump! This is something your German Shepherd may do when theyre excited or just seeking attention.

As a pup, Allie thought she should greet everyone by jumping in their face and nipping kind of like a kiss hello, but with teeth.

It didnt matter if you were 6 feet tall, she wanted to be in your face, and if you werent careful, she would get a good nip in before you could react. And as she got bigger, it was harder to control.

Of course, I knew this wasnt aggression she was just excited to see a new face! But trust me, it got old quickly. Again, this is pretty normal behavior for a puppy, but its definitely something you want to stop sooner rather than later.

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