Might Be Overstimulated Fearful Or Anxious
In some cases, little dogs fail to keep a grip on gnawing because of overstimulation. Tactile over-burden can happen during recess or when the pup is prodded and touchy.Your GSD doggy may likewise nibble out of dread. Your doggy has just two guards break or chomp. Whenever your pup feels cornered, biting is the guard they most frequently depend on.
using some medications to help your dog is also good to train german shepherd puppy not to bite.
Be Aware Of Body Language
Dogs use body language to communicate. Pay attention to what your dog’s body language is telling you. A dog who is afraid or unhappy about having its territory invaded has the potential to bite. Behaviors such as bared teeth, raised hackles, a lowered head, or ears lying flat against the head are signs that a dog is uncomfortable and may bite. If you notice a dog displaying this type of body language, give it some space and advise others to do so as well. Remove your dog from the situation as soon as you feel safe to do so.
How To Get A Puppy To Stop Biting
Have you been asking the question, How do you stop a puppy from biting? While puppy biting is a completely natural behavior during the puppy stage, it is also important to let your pup know what is and isnt allowed to be chewed on.
Puppies begin biting very early on in life. Just like human babies, it is common for them to chew on objects during the teething stage to reduce discomfort. Furthermore, many dogs prefer using their mouths rather than their paws for manipulating objects. Once again, this behavior begins in puppyhood as young pooches start to explore their world.
Puppy biting may be cute at the beginning, but as your pup grows, these little nips can turn into painful bites. A puppys teeth are very sharp, and dogs often dont know how hard theyre biting. Thus, the puppy-raising experience will generally include that one moment when Fido playfully bites down on a finger and draws blood.
Needless to say, this is not a behavior we humans want to have continue, especially not into adulthood. Want to learn how to get a puppy to stop biting? Here are the steps to take to stop puppy nipping.
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The Puppy Might Be Overstimulated Fearful Or Anxious
Sometimes puppies lose control of their bite because of overstimulation. Overstimulation can happen during playtime, or when your puppy has become cranky due to teasing.
Your GSD puppy may also bite out of fear. Your puppy has but 2 defenses to run away or to bite. If your puppy feels cornered, then biting is the defense that she will most often resort to.
Use An Effective Time
When I refer to using a time-out as a way of teaching your German Shepherd consequences, Im referring to ignoring your dog for a few seconds, as opposed to putting him in isolation.
German Shepherds are very social and affectionate creatures, and placing your dog in this type of time-out will not work as it not only causes fear, but your dog wont understand what he has done wrong.
Using a time-out can effectively discipline a German Shepherd for biting and other undesirable behaviors. A great way to do this is to grab their collar, push their bum down, and make them sit.
The idea is that your German Shepherd will quickly learn to associate that the fun stops when his nipping starts! As always, timing is critical, so your pup learns what he has done wrong at the precise moment.
For very young puppies, you should only put them in time-out for a few seconds, between 7 and 10, and no longer than 30 seconds. At the end of the time-out, redirect your pup back to play and use lots of verbal praise or offer a training treat for good onward behavior.
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Here Are A Few Things You Should Not Do When Trying To Teach Your German Shepherd To Stop Biting
- Dont yell or use any kind of physical punishment. This is still attention your puppy bites, your puppy gets attention. You dont want to create that reinforcement loop!
- Puppies are easily excited, so dont jerk your hand away. Otherwise, your pup may see this as a fun new game, kind of like tug-of-war but with your hands or feet as the toy.
- Dont create tension or negative feelings around playtime. You want your furball to love playing with you! And its an important part of building a strong bond between you and your pup. The goal here is to encourage your German Shepherd to play as much as ever but to play gently.
Most of all, its important to remember to be patient and understanding during this phase. Your German Shepherds mouthy behavior is perfectly normal! And while it can be a challenge at times, youll make it through I survived my girls piranha teeth, after all!
German Shepherds Have A High Prey Drive
One of the primary and distinct characteristics thatmake a German Shepherd a popular choice for police and military work is their high prey drive, coupled with their intelligence and high trainability.
Why Are German Shepherds Good Police Dogs?Originally bred as herding dogs , GSDs work closely with the flock and deal with unruly sheep by gripping them on the back of their necks .
Take a look at the video below showing what GSDs were originally bred for. At the 6:47 mark, the handler even explains that some biting is necessary, but that its part of the training so that the dog does not go overboard.
GSDs also have a natural inclination to chase almost everything that moves in their surroundings. Your GSD is very sensitive to even the tiniest movements that occur in her environment whether its a squirrel, a rat, a ball, or your hand!
All too often, people get a German Shepherd without prior knowledge of its inherent characteristics a high prey drive included leading to a frustrated owner who does not know how to handle his dogs improper behavior that could have been corrected.
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Why Do German Shepherd Puppies Bite So Much
The majority of the time, German Shepherd puppies bite and mouth for normal reasons. There are certain exceptions such as fear, anger, or confusion that could cause your puppy to bite. However, body language and the unique situation will make it clear when your puppy bites out of fear or anger.
Most of the time, your puppy is just biting to explore the world around them. Here are some other possible reasons that your German Shepherd puppy might be biting!
As you can see, there are a wide variety of reasons for why your German Shepherd might be biting. They are all harmless and can be trained out of your puppy with proper discipline and the correct use of bite inhibition.
Dont Take Part In Rough Play
Rough play with your German Shepherd puppy can cause too much excitement for them.
Stop roughhousing with your dog before it frustrates them.
Use appropriate, puppy-safe toys instead of play sessions. This way, your pup can bite the toy instead of your fingers, hands, or arms.
You may also stress out your GSD by engaging them rough of play. For your pup to either keep up with the play or stop you from too rough play, they may bite you!
Dont get angry, yell or punish them.
From day one, avoid play that involves mouthing or teeth on the skin. Use toys to provide your dog a way they can bite to release their energy
Without nipping you!
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Training Goal #: Impulse Control
Learning to control their impulses is important for all puppies, and for the GSD, it can be one of the most important ways to curb problem behaviors to which this breed is prone if allowed to become bored: behaviors such as excessive barking, digging, aggressive chewing, and inappropriate chasing .
The key to impulse control is getting your dog to focus on you. This will have beneficial effects for all the rest of your training efforts, especially in AKC dog sports like Obedience and Rally.
Require that your puppy sit before getting food, playing with an exciting toy, going outside to play, or any other favorite activity. As your GSD puppy advances in obedience training and knows more commands, you can require more advanced commands or tricks in order to receive treats or play.
Why Does My Puppy Lunge And Bite Me
Your puppy is bored and looking for something to do. Once a puppy learns that nipping works to get your attention, theyre likely to try it all the time.
Now its also the best time to give them basic obedience training, such as SIT, NO, LEAVE IT or COME. By doing so, you are teaching your pup to pay attention to you and obey your command.
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Here Are Some Of My Favorite German Shepherd Supplies
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it helpful and useful as you raise and train your German Shepherd.
Here are some of my favorite reviews for German Shepherd supplies that I personally use and recommend. If you do decide to purchase them, please remember that Ill earn a small commission which helps me maintain this website.
Play The Treat Toss Game
This game is a go-to for all positive reinforcement dog trainers. And it’s one that I teach all my clients and students too.
It does mean you’ll need to be armed with treats a lot of the time. But that’s the nature of creating new behaviors.
Once that’s done, the food rewards are replaced by real-life rewards. But that’s for another article.
Now back to the treat toss game
As your puppy approaches with that I’m looking to engage with my mouth look on their face, quickly toss a treat a few feet away from you and let your pup go after the treat.
Once they eat the treat, they will naturally come back into you, at which point you can rinse and repeat.
This is not only a low-key way to redirect your puppy’s intentions positively, but you’ll be amazed at the power of this game as the foundation of a solid recall!
And the cool thing is you can actually use a portion of your puppy’s daily food allowance for this, so you’re not over-feeding them with extra treats.
And still, you’re really getting the value out of each piece of food.
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How Do You Train A German Shepherd Puppy Not To Bite
There is no one answer to this question as different puppies will have different personalities and therefore require different methods of training. However, some tips on how to train a German Shepherd puppy not to bite may include:-Start early: Puppies should be taught not to bite from a young age, so that they understand that this is unacceptable behavior.-Get their attention: If the puppy starts to nip, get their attention by making a loud noise or clapping your hands. This will interrupt their behavior and let them know that they are doing something wrong.-Correct them: Immediately after the puppy bites, give them a firm no and push them away. This will show them that biting is not acceptable
Do Use Toys As Alternative Items To Chew
Puppies will nib on your hands or your feet especially during the teething stage. Train this behavior away by offering the puppy a toy whenever she starts biting your hand or your ankles.
This teaches her what is acceptable to bite and which is not. It is good practice to always keep a chew toy nearby in anticipation of the biting behavior.
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How To Stop A German Shepherd Puppy From Jumping And Biting
If you watch a little of puppies, you will see them jumping and nipping at each other as part of the play. When things go out of hand and become too rough, his mother intervenes and regains control of the situation by growling at him.
Now when you brought your new puppy home, he likely wouldnt have any idea how to treat you or your children and mistook you as one of his littermates. Here is how you can stop your shepherd puppy from jumping and biting.
Dont Alpha Roll Your Gsd Or Use Techniques That Aggravate Aggression
Alpha rolling your German Shepherd and other techniques such as holding your pups mouth closed, putting your thumb under his tongue, pinching his neck, or grabbing the jowls and shaking only aggravates aggression.
Alpha rolling is a controversial and outdated technique that physically puts your dog on his back or side in a submissive position to show that you are dominant or the Alpha.
Its certainly no way to discipline your GSD for biting and other poor behavior, as it can cause more harm than good. One of the confrontational methods mentioned above in the same study caused an aggressive response in 31% of the dogs.
The study showed that 26% of dogs grabbed by the jowls and shaken also became aggressive.
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Do Start Training Early
We keep mentioning throughout this site that training and socializing your GSD as soon as you get her home is crucial.
Although training older dogs is not impossible, it is true that it is easier to train younger puppies, when habits are still new and can be easily corrected.
If left untrained, adult German Shepherds can be prone to aggression towards other animals and humans, which can result in tragic situations.
Its very important that you do not overlook the importance of early training and socialization. To get a better understanding of what is involved with these necessary steps, be sure to read these 2 excellent articles:
What Do So When Bitten By A German Shepherd
If you get bitten by a German Shepherd and it leaves a bleeding wound rather than just an abrasion, take the following steps:
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Expose Them To Different Situations
New scents and loud noises can make your puppy excited or feel threatened. A different kind of socialization is exposure to a variety of different places and situations.
This means taking your puppy outside. As they learn to adapt, they will show good behavior and not become an aggressive dog as an adult.
Speak To A Behaviorist
If you think your puppy is exhibiting aggressive behaviors, such as guarding their resources, you may want to speak to a behaviorist.
They will be able to look at your puppy as an individual case, and analyse their behavior properly.
They will also be best positioned to tell you whether your pups behavior is normal, or straying into aggression.
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When To Get Help With Your German Shepherds Biting Problem
If even after using all these training methods to stop a German Shepherd biting, you still have problem behavior, do contact a professional vet.
They can very quickly tell you if its simply mouthing to do with teething, or something more behavioral or health-based that needs to be addressed.
There are also specialist animal behaviourists who can help with biting and fear aggression in German Shepherds. If you are in the United States you can find help from a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist on the CAAB website .
Something to consider though is how long your German Shepherd could be teething for. It can last up until they are 8 months of age, so biting and chewing things is to be expected during this phase.
Why Does My German Shepherd Puppy Bite Me
All puppies, regardless of their breed, are curious in nature and like to explore the world around them. The difference is, instead of using hands like a small child would, they use their mouth to do many things, including tasting new objects, grabbing things, and playing with their mother and littermates. So, biting is actually a natural behavior in the canine world.
When your German shepherd puppy with his mother and littermates, if he bit his littermate too hard, the other puppy would yelp and then stop playing or return the bite. If your puppy nipped his mom too hard, his mother would correct him with a growl and snarl, and even a flurry of harsh barks.
Now your puppy has moved into your house, a new environment that he is not familiar with, far away from his mother and littermates. Because he doesnt know anything about you at all, he needs to re-learn how much bite is enough and how much bite is too much for you.
And as you may notice right now, our bite inhibition technique mimics the pups natural way of learning bite inhibition from his mother and littermates.
That being said, some German shepherds do appear more aggressive and have more tendency to bite than others. Here are a few reasons that explain the reason behind this behavior.
Theres simply too much power and prey drive in them, particularly if you have never handled this type of dog before.
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