# 11 Week GSD Puppy - Biting/Drawing Blood



## jenpret73 (Dec 12, 2016)

Hello,

We have a new puppy and she is precious - her name is Belle. She is our first puppy and honestly, we weren't expecting the biting. She tends to get excited easily and will oftentimes bite pretty hard. 

She will oftentimes bite unexpectedly and draw blood. Last night she was sitting on my husband and bit his face. Yesterday she nipped at my finger, bit it, and drew blood.

This has been going on for about a week. We've tried redirection with toys, water bottle, stern correction (NO!), yelping OUCH and walking away, and nothing seems to work.

I'm honestly in tears because I don't know what to do. A friend suggested a plastic training collar and she said to gently pull up on it if she bites and Belle will learn very fast she cannot bite, but I'm afraid I'd hurt her. Another friend suggested just crating her after she bites, but I'm not sure that's going to be effective. 

Any and all advice would be extremely helpful!


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

When she tries to nibble on hands use your finger as a tongue depressor and press on the back of her tongue.! She will gag a little but She won't like that and will learn not to bite hands. Keep your face away from hers she is a puppy they play by biting each other. And keep with the no bite and after depressing tongue give her a rope or something to chew on. But mostly enjoy the ride. She'll be big before you know it and you'll kind of miss getting bitten.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

That's why they're known as land sharks.There is quite a bit of info about this phase in the puppy forum here.Research and find a technique you are comfortable with and is effective with your particular dog.What has always worked for me is to make a fist and push gently but firmly into the little monster's mouth.It's very uncomfortable and she'll back away.No need to say anything,she learns by natural consequences that biting people is not pleasant.Then give her an appropriate toy.A shaken and animated toy makes it way more interesting.


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## le.tetrish (Aug 29, 2016)

For the yelping and redirecting (which is the approach we took) it took a very long time to see results, i'd say up until a month or two ago (he turned 7 months nov 24th). And we brought him home at 12 weeks. Now he really just puts his mouth around our hands and even then if I say no he will lick us to say sorry. The only time he draws blood now is if he is running around being goofy and accidentally just hits his teeth on us LOL!

Just stick with it! (which ever approach you choose, it will take time for it to work) Keep in mind these poor puppies are chewing and biting because their gums are itchy from growing teeth (i think?) Ive had my gum itch because my tooth was moving and it was super uncomfortable and biting down did help relieve it, imagine having that uncomfortable sensation for months!


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

Normal phase, usually will last until they get their adult teeth in. I used a toy to redirect, if he was getting too amped up I'd pop him into his ex-pen to settle down for a few minutes. She's a pup and right now doesn't know any better, be patient and consistent. Personally I don't like the techniques that involve making hands in and around the mouth unpleasant. This can backfire if in the future you need to give your pup medication by mouth, brush their teeth, removing something that is lodged in their mouth, ect.... They are going to recall you shoving your fingers in there as a form of punishment and want nothing to do with it.

Proper amounts of mental and physical exercise will also help with the biting. I like to give mine plenty of things they can chew, bully sticks, a variety of toys, ect...


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## Greyson.Johnson (Oct 27, 2016)

Our boy is 15 wks, and in the last couple of weeks I have noticed the biting has really lessened. He was drawing blood so we always had chew toys on us to put in his mouth when he would go to bite us. He also isn't picking up every thing he sees that was accidentally dropped on the floor anymore. He is learning and growing up!


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## volkeyn (Nov 25, 2015)

11 weeks is too young to be trained ..our boy is almost 1 year now and we went through all the steps...we have tried redirecting, stop playing, crating, ignoring, chew toys, lemon juice  , and so forth...only thing worked was my girlfriend hitting on to his muzzle , she tried this several times and the pup got really mad ) he wasn't expecting smth like this ...but it worked for my girlfriend he never bite her ever again..maybe some little mouthing....
but unfortunately this method didn't work with me...I tried but he kept coming back to draw some blood )) I had to wait until he was 5-7 months old....
BUT DO NOT LET HER KEEP BITING you , ONCE SHE DOES start bite playing stop interacting with her, ignore her and get away from her, ....she wants to interact with you but doesn't know how...after 7 months you or your husband can allow her to chew your hands or fingers gently because she will try....she will try to learn bite inhibition...my puppy would grab my hand with his mouth, look into my eye and slowly giving more pressure to his bite and when i say "ouch" he would release his bite then bite again...and keep trying like this...he was trying to learn bite inhibition...even now sometimes he does it, i can put my hand and fingers in his mouth now very safely, he would never bite..still he tries to bite a little sometimes just to play and when i give him "ouch" he releases...teach him how to bite but not until 7 months...until 5-7 months DO NOT LET HER BITE YOU BECAUSE THEY ARE BABY AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING...btw until you are %100 sure, maybe 7-9 months depending on the puppy, do not get your face anywhere close to her mouth, she will try to bite or her teeth may damage your face/eyes....


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Keep a tug or rope with you and redirect the puppy to a toy when she gets chompy...that's what has worked the best for us. I think some people have had success getting up and leaving the room when the pup gets too mouthy. My GSD puppies have always seemed to enjoy playing with me and training more than they have enjoyed pets and hugs. Most puppies outgrow mouthing when they are done teething. Make sure you are doing some appropriate obedience/training with your pup so she learns boundaries and manners, and I'm sure you'll be fine. Your pup sounds normal to me.


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## jenpret73 (Dec 12, 2016)

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for the tips. Right now I'm exhausted -- I've tried everything including walking away. When I walk away, she chases me and bites my shoes, my pants, etc. I am out of ideas.


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## JFza (Dec 9, 2016)

Hi Jen

My little swiss shepherd is 14 weeks now and although she does not draw blood, the biting can get REALLY annoying. She is gentle most of the time but early mornings or in the evening when she goes into play mode it can be exhausting. She does the pants thing, ankles, arms/hands and got me in the neck once because I picked her up in this mode and she just bit the first thing she found as she bit into the air.

Like most people have said I think it is just a phase, you seem to have it a bit worse but it will pass, just keep with the redirecting, I once moved Misty away from the same chair and redirected with a toy about 20 times in a row, eventually she got bored, just don't let their patience outweigh yours! As for toy I just got two new ones but I only give her one at a time, this way she won't get too bored. I also froze her small rope toy, apparently this is soothing for the gums.

Anyway good luck!


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## Pan_GSD (Oct 2, 2016)

cdwoodcox said:


> But mostly enjoy the ride. She'll be big before you know it and you'll kind of miss getting bitten.


i love my dog to death but i don't miss getting bitten one bit
bleeding up to my elbow everyday and taking a shower or washing hands HURT since the wounds and lacerations were open

i dont know maybe you don't feel pain but my dog's puppy biting phase was a pain...


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## Pan_GSD (Oct 2, 2016)

jenpret,

i have a 7 1/2 months old male GSD. i went through similar puppy biting phase that you describe. although my dog never bit me in the face. i was bitten from my hands, upto my elbow, and my legs weren't safe either. i have tried most of the things that you describe, except spraying water. i doubt that would have worked on my puppy.

i will copy paste a post that i wrote to another member who went through severe puppy biting phase, but PLEASE do not take it as advice, because it isn't. i just want to let you know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and your dog will grow out of it.

my dog did this for a little over a month, and then the intensity/frequency lessened, and my wounds have all healed up nicely

just be patient and try to give him MORE physical and mental stimulation throughout the day, and make biting your arm the least interesting thing for your dog

oh and since your dog will be teething soon, give him things to chew on (ice, wet towel in freezer, etc)



Pan_GSD said:


> ok so i am a first time dog owner
> i got my puppy at 6 weeks
> my biggest worries about dog ownership was food aggression, and humping (both non existent)
> but my biggest problem became play biting
> ...



i want to stress again, the above is just my story, and NOT advice
i always seem to rile people up and end up hijacking the thread since some members don't like the fact that i whipped my dog
but my dog, at 7 months, loves me and i love him dearly
your dog will grow up to be great too, as long as you just stick it out through this little phase

good luck


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

jenpret73 said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> Thanks for the tips. Right now I'm exhausted -- I've tried everything including walking away. When I walk away, she chases me and bites my shoes, my pants, etc. I am out of ideas.


right now, you have to pick a method and stick with it. It will take a while for her to get the idea. When you walk away, step out of the room where she can't follow. Over a baby gate or shut the door behind you. Wait 30 seconds or so and then come back. If she immediately goes for you, attempt again to redirect to a toy. If that doesn't work, step out again. 
She will get the idea. You haven't had her long enough for even one method to really sink in. Trying multiple methods will simply insure that she doesn't get the message. Same set of consequences every time, from every person.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Mine went through that phase- the land shark with needle teeth. My arms and hands were literally covered with bandaids, even though the 'down the throat' technique was used. Someone mentioned elsewhere about putting Vicks Vapo Rub (nurses love the stuff) on your hands. I wonder if anyone has tried this.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Don't like the yelp method. If you have a prey driven dog at all it can make things much worse. 
As others have said pick one thing and stick to it. Personally I prefer redirecting to a toy. As far as hitting goes you will never teach gentle if you aren't. Like children, dogs learn what they live. And while some dogs can take a slap and shake it off, the ones who can are probably not the dogs you should provoke a confrontation with.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I use a combo approach. First step is to redirect to a toy. If puppy is over-amped and immediately goes back to grabbing humans, get up and walk away. If necessary, step out of reach for a few seconds. If both approaches fail and the dog is instantly grabbing back at you, I put the puppy in the crate or x-pen. 9 times out of 10, they are asleep within seconds. Overtired puppies and toddlers tend to act up a lot more.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Notice Stonnie's dogs are not biting him at all.




Here is another method. He is pushing sales, but he has a few suggestions.






How to avoid escalating biting


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## parteedad (Dec 21, 2016)

We are going through the same thing right now. I'm on my 3rd GSD. This is the only phase I'm not so much a fan of. 

Biggest thing, as funny as it sounds, is to keep them worn out and busy. That will cut down on the biting / bleeding / annoyance, and help to keep your sanity.


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## JunYue97 (Aug 17, 2016)

I grab my pup's muzzle and hold there for a few seconds (or until she calms down reasonably well) when she does not stop with a no, it does not get rid of the behaviours but it does make "no" fairly effective. Then the behaviours go away on their own as she ages.


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## Shooter (Nov 19, 2016)

teetimedad said:


> We are going through the same thing right now. I'm on my 3rd GSD. This is the only phase I'm not so much a fan of.
> 
> Biggest thing, as funny as it sounds, is to keep them worn out and busy. That will cut down on the biting / bleeding / annoyance, and help to keep your sanity.


That is the key for me. A tired GSD is a well behaved GSD. It worked with my previous GSD and is working with my current. Right now Im letting my 13 week old blow off steam with ~ 3/4 mile off leash walk/run (I dont run he does) in the mornings then do a little leash work after that. I like to leash-walk him through Lowes where he hears lumber being stacked, sees people, fork trucks and some what a miriad of distractions and keep him focused on leash. By the time he gets home all the crazy land shark energy is petered out. 

Yup, I cant put on pants, socks or tie my shoes with out being under attack the whole time but I love it. He ripped a hole in my favorite pair of off-day ******* camo pants a few days ago but I know that comes with the type K9 I have here. My previous adult GSD never ever let me tie my shoes with out him trying to un tie them at the same time and I miss that interaction even today with him. It used to make me laugh so hard because he knew exactly what he was doing.


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

I don't really remember the biting phase. I think it can be indicative of not being active enough. A bored puppy is a naughty puppy. I did a lot of interaction such as training, off leash walking, traveling, etc


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Two of mine used teeth to communicate. It's not really biting, it is talking with teeth. With the first puppy using teeth, I had young children who wanted to race around with the dog. I was firm and would not let the dog bite. I also showed my children what they were doing to make the dog bite more and they stopped. Within a day the dog stopped biting. Last year, my puppy was also biting a lot. He was not a cuddly little ball of fluff you could put up to your face and snuggle with at that age. He was and is very oral. At 8 weeks, he wanted to drag a toy box across the room. You can't take a dog bred for bite sports or work, put fingers in front of him and expect no reaction. I used a treat method similar to the videos I posted. I put pieces of kibble in my fist. He learned if he nuzzled or licked my hand, he got food. If he bit, the food was withdrawn and the game was over. He stopped putting his teeth on me.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

When Max a pup we went through a very long mouthing stage. I always felt like I was being given a slight idea what it may feel like being mauled. those sharp needle teeth in that back of you calf was not my ideal of a morning greeting. My arms looked like I have been attacked by a racoon. He shredded my kids snow suits when on. Also ruined two north face costs that had to be sewn. He had to be leashed outside with the kids for awhile to keep him from playing and jumping on them. He was incredibly playful and the only time there was interaction with Max as a pup was grooming , training, walks and exploring. If we relaxing in the house and it would be just be constant redirecting then crate time. Max was mouthy for the longest of time when older he was very gentle but was a big communicator with his mouth. Our pup Luna who we brought home at 12 weeks and Max -play -so we are not undergoing any puppy teeth at all. Just one calf nibble in the morning but was it. When she gives us kisses we might get a slight knibble. She does not put her mouth on us at all though. My husband likes to play /wrestle Luna will play but will not use her teeth on him at all. I can see the differences between Max and Luna. She also listens very quickly does not have to be reminded of certain things and is extremely gentle. Where Max is the opposite. Two very different personalities. 

They all have different personalities some it may take a bit more work and time to get through the teething thing has been my experience.


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## Mxskater25 (Jan 4, 2017)

Sorry to bump an old thread but looking for advice. This is my first GSD but not my first dog I have ever owned. Training is going great, except for the biting, no matter what time of day she is biting like crazy. I can pet her no problem but after a min or so she'll start trying to attack my hands. I 80% of the time redirect her to a toy, that usually works but sometimes she drops it to go back at me. I let her teeth on me and tried the yelp thing. It worked at first but now, no matter when I yelp it drivers her more. I tried the walking away thing but she just follows me and attacks my pants and calves. Today was the worse she got me so hard on the hand I scruffed her to the floor(grab the back of her neck and pin her to the ground)...she yelped I yelled no...let go she tried again so I did it again....happened 3 times total till she figured out not to bite me. I'm confused on if I should let her play bite and suck it up to let her learn bite inhabitation, or all out stop the biting on humans parts. I don't want an aggressive dog that's my biggest fear. other than biting really hard I hardly every scruff her... I have never hit her. she's 3 months old. We also walk 3 times a day for about 2 miles and do a lot of training its usually right when she wakes up and right before bed when she's the worse.


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## cccollinnn (Nov 1, 2016)

Unfortunately, you just need to dig in & ride this out, all while trying your best to stay consistent with your training & try not to get angry. Trust me, it will go away. We tried everything & I remember having the same feelings you are. There is no magic method that will teach them bite inhibition in a matter of weeks. I truly believe they grow out of it but with training you can expedite that process a bit. I would suggest you crate train if you aren't already. I've come to learn that free roam of your house is a privilege, not a right. Start with the redirection & make sure you praise when she bites a toy. If she keeps going at your hands try to yelp, if she keeps going, walk away for a few mins, if it continues after that, crate her for a few mins & only let her out once she lays down & calms. Most importantly, understand what is realistic. This is a natural behavior for GSD's & with their teething, it is going to take months for it to stop. Not matter how hopeless it seems, I promise you it will get better. Also, make sure you & your husband are smart with your GSD. As cute has she is, it is definitely not smart to have her near your face at this age.


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## hammer55 (Dec 27, 2016)

I started sticking my finger down my girls throat and she stopped biting me hard, she now mouths me on occasion but does not intentionally bite, she on occasion get me (bites) when we are playing tug or fetching, but I don't think it is on purpose, she does get mad at me when I tell her not to do something still, she tests me all the time


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