# 10 week old pup lunging at our kids.. HELP



## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Hello, I'm have a serious problem with our 10 week old pup lunging at our children. I took a week and a half off of work to be home with the new pup, and while things were difficult we managed to avoid any incident of our pup seriously biting of of our boys. We have a 6 year and a 3 year old.

This pup is seriously smart, he was potty trained in about a day (obviously we still have to watch him though).. he knows the commands Sit & Down.. and has done very well with all the level I games put forth in the book "My smart puppy"

He does not seem to understand though, that he is not allowed to treat our kids as his toys, chasing, nipping and biting.

Now, I'm back to work, and it's day 2 and my wife is overwhelmed.. When she pushed the pup away from the kids and tells him off, he lunges at her, growls (probably play growl..) and if she tries to pick him up to place him in a timeout area, he nips at her face and or hair.

I exercise him in the morning, work on training him, get him all worn out.. and he goes and lays down.. then this morning, he gets up.. all tired like, and just goes for one of the boys..

I want to know how to correct the dog so he will quickly understand.. or any help or suggestions.. seeing as he's only 10 weeks old, he's not even to his snotty adolescence stage yet.. so I fear things are going to get way worse, before they get better..

please help!


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Peter, 

If your dog was 10 months I would agree that you have a serious issue. 

Your pup is 10 WEEKS ... this isn't really a SERIOUS issue. He's a puppy, this is what puppies do. Now, I'm not saying what he is doing is acceptable, because it's not, but he sees your kids as his playmates. Have you ever watched puppies play? Especially GSD puppies? They are not all marshmallows and roses let me tell you. Kyleigh sounds like a baby lion when she's playing with her best buds (dog friends).

I haven't a clue how to link other threads in here, but there are TONS of threads, information, advice and suggestions in the puppy forum. 

Every dog is different, so you'll need to weed out the ones that work for your puppy and the ones that don't. AND, it will take some time to figure out which one works and which one doesn't, and you always need a back up. Kyleigh figured out that if I did "a" she couldn't jump, so she'd try something else, and I needed to have "b" in my "back pocket so to speak" to let her know that THAT won't work either. 

And I'm sure your wife is very overwhelmed, a puppy and two kids ... that's a LOT of work for one person all day. Do you have a crate for the puppy? There is absolutely nothing wrong with your wife putting the puppy in the crate for an hour or so while she gets the "important" things done, and then bring the puppy back out to play. 

The time out area ... are you expecting a 10 week old puppy to sit / stay in an area for a long period of time? If you are, your expectations are WAY TOO high. Your puppy can likely sit / stay in one area and not move for about ohh ... 10 seconds ... and then his attention span is on to something else. This is NORMAL. 

Please go through the puppy threads ... you'll discover a whole wealth of information. 

And good luck, and have fun with your puppy! Before you know it he'll be a year old and you'll wonder where the time went!


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Yeah, I've read through pretty much everything I can find on here, and I guess I'm looking for a magic solution.. obviously there is none.

As far as the timeout goes, it's a whole room that is gated off, so he is separated from the family, but can still see the family.. he's not expected to sit in a corner and not move 

The other thing we've noticed, he seems to be most unruly right before, and right after he poops.. am I crazy or has anyone else noticed this?


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

GSD pups go through what is referred to as the "land shark" stage. Its normal. Be prepared for some sore hands and torn pant legs. Here is a video of my daughter and my dog ruger as a pup;





 
What helped us was too have toys, ropes and tugs in easy reach around the house. We learned to redirect the biting on to a play object.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

My arms and legs had so many cuts from Rocky that people thought i was cutting myself and I had to wear long sleeves at work (waitressing) because people complained.

Normal behavior


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

LOL Nope, there is no magic solution ...just time, patience, consistency, training, patience, training, patience, consistency (get the idea ha ha)

The whole room? Too much space!!! Would you have let your 10 month baby when they were learning to crawl have the whole first floor? Same idea with your puppy ... too much space for that young pup! Pop it in the crate for a quick time out - NOT as punishment, but a time out - put a toy / kong with peanut butter or something in the crate with him. 

Punishing him at this age is useless, he's too young to get it ... just keep him exercised, played with, sleeping IN HIS CRATE and repeat until his brain cells start connecting for longer than 10-15 seconds!

Ky was the same right before and after she pooped ... it was hilarious ... a couple of times she pooped and then turned around and barked at it - I almost fell off the deck laughing at her!


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

They dont call them land sharks for nothing. Sounds like you have a nice puppy.


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

PatchonGSD said:


> They dont call them land sharks for nothing. Sounds like you have a nice puppy.


At 10 weeks is he in the land shark phase? or has it yet to even come?


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> My arms and legs had so many cuts from Rocky that people thought i was cutting myself and I had to wear long sleeves at work (waitressing) because people complained.
> 
> Normal behavior


Omg lol!!! I feel your pain. My hands are tore up. 


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

I have 2 kids and 2 dogs. One being a 4 month old GSD. Lots of separation needed!! Get an x pen and put it in the kitchen with lots of toys and things to chew. When the kids are napping have her to a couple short obedience exercises and tug games to tire him out. Crate time is ok too. It's all just management until the puppy is older. It is a lot of work for your wife so hopefully she wanted this puppy as much as you did. The puppy I have is MY dog so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. My husband does help when he's home. But care is 98% my responsibility. 


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Capone22 said:


> I have 2 kids and 2 dogs. One being a 4 month old GSD. Lots of separation needed!! Get an x pen and put it in the kitchen with lots of toys and things to chew. When the kids are napping have her to a couple short obedience exercises and tug games to tire him out. Crate time is ok too. It's all just management until the puppy is older. It is a lot of work for your wife so hopefully she wanted this puppy as much as you did. The puppy I have is MY dog so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. My husband does help when he's home. But care is 98% my responsibility.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


Ok, so lots of separation is ok? our breeder said we should not separate them much.. I also read you should not play tug with the pup.. but I figure it's better he understand that he can chew and bite a rope, instead of pants or people.. maybe I'm wrong.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Playing tug with your pup is LOADS of fun and a great way for him to expel energy! Just be careful b/c puppy teeth aren't as strong as adult teeth ... don't pull TOO hard!


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

Yes separating toddlers from land sharks is a must. Or someone is bound to get hurt. Tug is great for puppies and training. Can someone link him something for that? I don't know how. There was an old school though that tug made the dog aggressive or something. Not true. Most agility/obedience/schutzhund people use tugs as rewards with training. 


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

By separation I don't mean away from the whole family. The x pen allows them to be close without hurting anyone or tearing up the house. And I make sure to give the puppy lots of individual time throughout the day. But she's rarely by my kids unless she's tired and I'm there to watch. 


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Capone22 said:


> By separation I don't mean away from the whole family. The x pen allows them to be close without hurting anyone or tearing up the house. And I make sure to give the puppy lots of individual time throughout the day. But she's rarely by my kids unless she's tired and I'm there to watch.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


Ok, this makes a lot of sense...


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

How's his recall?

My Border Collie puppy still has a jumping problem with strangers or people he really likes that encourage it. 

Much like it would be if he started to run after children, I recall him (he has a beautiful recall inside, I can call him out of rough play with numerous other dogs) and treat him, let him calm down by me, play a game with a toy if necessary, and let him wander away. If he gets too rambunctious I call him away again. It's great recall training and would teach him that when the boys run/move, he runs to you and sits!


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

DJEtzel said:


> How's his recall?
> 
> My Border Collie puppy still has a jumping problem with strangers or people he really likes that encourage it.
> 
> Much like it would be if he started to run after children, I recall him (he has a beautiful recall inside, I can call him out of rough play with numerous other dogs) and treat him, let him calm down by me, play a game with a toy if necessary, and let him wander away. If he gets too rambunctious I call him away again. It's great recall training and would teach him that when the boys run/move, he runs to you and sits!


I would say it's pretty decent.. especially if he knows I have a treat.

The problem seems to be that nothing is more alluring than my little boys legs when he's (the dog) is rambunctious.

We've done a LOT of work with him in a short period of time..

We play a "Look at Me" game that he totally gets.. I'll toss a treat, or a piece of food, or ball.. while on leash.. and before he goes for it, he knows he has to look me in the eye.. and I have to tell him go get it. No problem.

We play a game called "Mine", where i throw down something he wants, like a bagel, or a shoe, and I block him from it until he sits and looks up at me.. at which point he gets a treat.. he excels at this as well.

but again.. kid legs are the end all be all for this pup.. it's like dropping a bucket of blood in a pool of sharks (though, he wants to play.. not kill).. 

unless of course, he's totally wiped out energy wise.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Peter. said:


> Now, I'm back to work, and it's day 2 and my wife is overwhelmed.. When she pushed the pup away from the kids and tells him off, he lunges at her, growls (probably play growl..) and if she tries to pick him up to place him in a timeout area, he nips at her face and or hair.


Pushing a pup away from you when he's jumping and biting on you, will only excite him MORE. He thinks it's a game and the more you push, the more he will push back.

At ten weeks, GSD pups are landsharks. It's totally normal behavior and they grow out of it, but it does get tiresome! Is your pup crate trained? He should be crated in the house when the children are playing, otherwise he will want to join in the play, puppy-style, which means leaping on you and biting. That is how puppies play, he is not being snotty, malicious or dominant, he's just being a puppy.

Arm yourself with a stuffed toy, rope toy, Kong or whatever he likes best, and whenever he bites you, stuff the toy in his mouth and play tug-of-war with him. Eventually he will find that it's more rewarding to bite the toy than your hands. You might try spraying your hands and sleeves with Bitter Apple, so that the pup learns that they taste awful, further encouraging biting toys instead of human parts. This works sometimes... other times, the pup seems to develop a taste for Bitter Apple. 

See if you can find a Puppy Kindergarten or socialization class in your area, that will help him blow off steam with other puppies, and they sneak a little bit of elementary obedience/manners in there as well as giving you tips on how to handle a spunky GSD pup.


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Freestep said:


> At ten weeks, GSD pups are landsharks. It's totally normal behavior and they grow out of it, but it does get tiresome!


Ok, so he's in this phase now.. how long can it last?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Kyleigh said:


> Do you have a crate for the puppy? There is absolutely nothing wrong with your wife putting the puppy in the crate for an hour or so while she gets the "important" things done, and then bring the puppy back out to play.


Totally agree! It's better for everyone, humans and puppy alike, that he gets some down time. If you don't have a crate for him, I'd suggest getting one.



robk said:


> GSD pups go through what is referred to as the "land shark" stage. Its normal. Be prepared for some sore hands and torn pant legs. Here is a video of my daughter and my dog ruger as a pup;
> 
> German Shepherd puppies and Wii Fit don't Mix - YouTube
> 
> What helped us was too have toys, ropes and tugs in easy reach around the house. We learned to redirect the biting on to a play object.


That's exactly what I did - toys EVERYWHERE! When we moved from one room to another, I'd grab at half dozen or so of the favorite toys of the moment and take them with us.



Freestep said:


> Pushing a pup away from you when he's jumping and biting on you, will only excite him MORE. He thinks it's a game and the more you push, the more he will push back.


This can't be overstated - dogs will paw at each other to initiate play, and what are human hands to a dog? Paws. I understand the instinct to push away a jumping puppy, but as your wife has already observed, that just encourages him to continue. Instead, you can body block (no hands!), you can turn away, and you can also have him drag a lightweight leash which can be stepped on or picked up, or he can even be tethered to someone by a leash. 



> Arm yourself with a stuffed toy, rope toy, Kong or whatever he likes best, and whenever he bites you, stuff the toy in his mouth and play tug-of-war with him. Eventually he will find that it's more rewarding to bite the toy than your hands.


:thumbup: He doesn't know how he's supposed to interact with humans, so you need to show him. He wants to engage with you, and that's good, so redirect him to a toy when he jumps and bites.

And as Freestep suggested, if you haven't signed him up for a puppy class, now is the time. How long the landshark phase lasts has a lot to do with how he's handled and managed, and how diligent and consistent everyone is about working on bite inhibition and developing appropriate play skills. I've found that my pups are usually much easier around 6 months or so, but I put a LOT of work into them from the day they come home, and they've been in at least one and maybe even two classes by then. I would expect to see the worst of the biting to be over by around 4 months old - before teething begins and jaw strength develops.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Peter. said:


> Ok, so he's in this phase now.. how long can it last?


You don't want to know.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

When they are done teething around 5-6 months of age, the mouthiness mostly goes away. When my pup was young, she went through a phase where you couldn't even pet her--she was like a snapping turtle!

Some more suggestions that may or may not work:

Say "OUCH!" in a high-pitched yelp when he bites you. When puppies bite each other too hard, one of them will yelp. This is how they teach each other bite inhibition. 

Some folks will tell you that when the pup is biting your hands, to draw his lips down over his teeth so that when he bites down, he's biting himself. You can also try pressing your fingers down on the back of the puppy's tongue, or putting your hand far in the back of his mouth, puppies hate this. It may be useful to pair these actions with "No bite!" or "Easy!" Some folks think these methods are cruel; personally, I don't think it's going to hurt your pup or undermine your relationship, but I like the "substitution" technique with a tug toy better, because it teaches your pup that YOU are fun and worthy of attention. This will serve you later on when your pup goes through the adolescent phase where they tend to be overly interested in everything BUT you. You can carry a tug toy with you, which will help get his attention and focus, and later, tug play can serve as an obedience reward. This is how many police, detection, and Search & Rescue dogs are trained.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

shepherdmom said:


> You don't want to know.


:rofl::rofl:


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Freestep said:


> Say "OUCH!" in a high-pitched yelp when he bites you. When puppies bite each other too hard, one of them will yelp. This is how they teach each other bite inhibition.


This definitely does not work with our pup.. he'll just lunge for your facewhen he hears it :crazy:


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Peter. said:


> This definitely does not work with our pup.. he'll just lunge for your facewhen he hears it :crazy:


Yeah, that works great with some pups, but not with all of them. It should be very *LOUD* and *SHARP*, enough to startle him, not wimpy. If that doesn't work to get him to stop (for even a second - at first that's all I'd expect, and I'd immediately praise and continue play if he does that), then try something else. It worked great with Keefer, fairly well with Halo, and not at all with Dena, lol! 

With Dena, always having a toy to shove in her mouth worked much better.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

I used to have to say *HEY* in a loud deep voice and that worked ... the high pitched voice made Ky more hyper!


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

I'd try each and every one of these repeatedly. If they all fail (which they did with me) then it's time to remove the mouth from you and give a stern 'no'. Reward for 'easy' mouthing, though. Everything is about the mouth with these guys, so expecting a shepherd to never put their mouth on you is like expecting you to never breathe. I have a strong willed, stubborn, bossy little man. It takes a bomb going off for him to think "did I do something wrong?" or to stop doing something he REALLY wants to do. However, he's the first I've had to not respond to at least one of these other methods.


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

Don't ever play with your puppy without a toy. Ever. Ever ever ever!! I had a week maybe of Hype being a little landshark and I had a huge amount of toys or bones to keep her busy with instead of my hands/my stuff. She picked it up pretty quickly. However she still tries to rough around with my nephew (3). I think I taught her off/leave it command before sit just because I didn't want to deal with another landshark.


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Kaity said:


> I think I taught her off/leave it command before sit just because I didn't want to deal with another landshark.


Curious how you taught Off/Leave it.. 

I've been doing the food in a closed hand, saying off, and when he backs away and sits, he gets a treat.. he learned that very fast.. 

I wish I could put my kids inside my closed fist and do the same exercise! hah


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

I traded toys. I don't think you can expect a 10 week old puppy to just stop in her tracks and drop what she has and focus on you. I don't think that's realistic unless you have extreme expectations of your pup - most people/trainers I know let pups be pups. Put into a family environment and it's a different story, however. I can let my pup do whatever she pleases - as long as I deem it acceptable in my home because I don't have to worry about many others around. Now when people come over that's a different story and she's learning her place in the kennel if she won't calm down after people arrive.

You can do some practice off/leave it's with two toys of equal value. Trade ball for ball. I like doing thing because I don't feel like my puppy thinks I'm TAKING away from her. The best way to train for me is in real life situations. If Hype grabbed something of mine, something she's never had before theres a 50/50 chance I'm going to get it back with ONE command at her age. On the other hand she can tell when I'm being firm and would like her to stop what she's doing and go into a down stay. Usually if I'm asking her to off something of mine I replace it with something of high value to her that makes a loud squeaky noise. In the middle of playing I give the off command and soon as she complies I shove a tasty treat in her mouth! Puppy should be figuring out that it is a good thing to drop whatever and look at mommy/daddy. Not 'oh no! I have to run away with it before they take it from me!" Think in the mind of a puppy.. What would puppy do? And go off of that! 

Kids gotta be hard to have around kids. I think the biggest mistake any parent makes is putting the responsibility of the puppy on their child. Um, your child does not know structure? Nor do they understand how to RAISE a puppy. Kudos to parents who can raise both young kids around dogs. I know when I plan a family I better plan to raise some dogs ahead of time so I don't need to worry about the two!


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

10 weeks is nothing though.. I hate to break it to you, but you have a long way to go. Wait until the pup is 6-10 months.. I'm sure we will see you back here almost pulling your hair out. Just remember a lot of pups end up in shelters around this age because people don't have the patience to stick it out with the dogs or they can't give the commitment to their pups at this awful but greatly rewarding stage! You may want to teach the place command with the pup learning to go in his/her crate for some alone time.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

I used the "at at", and easy a lot,..a lot! Also replaced arm with toy in their mouth! I have permanent reminders of my boys on my arms!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you don't have a problem with a 10 week old pup.
the problem is you and your wife not understanding
puppy behaviour. enroll in a puppy class. with constant
training and guidance your pup will learn.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I'm surprised no-one has asked this yet - how do your KIDS behave around the puppy?

If they are running and screaming then they are causing the puppy to chase and bite because the puppy views them as playmates.

If two puppies are playing and one gets too rough the other puppy will yelp. This is the noise you want to try to mimic. Take the word RIPE and remove the R, so you get IPE. You want to say it LOUD, fast, sharp and with FEELING!! The puppys reaction should be to stop and look at you. REWARD for the correct response!!

Have lots of toys around - especially ones the kids AND puppy can play with. Tugs toys are GREAT! You can make long tugs very easily. Get some fleece fro the fabric store, cut into strips and braid them to make a nice, long tug like this one:

http://www.baxterboo.com/images/products/large/twisted-braided-dog-tug-toy-redgray-1.jpg


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

Lauri.. those fleece toys would last 2 seconds in my house hold haha! Balls on strings are awesome toys too. You can get some nice bite toys from dog sport gear that we use for sport, but I also find them to be resilient and they work very well at keeping puppys mouth away from your (and the kids) hands. 

When your pup starts to teeth, soak and ring out the fleece bites and freeze them. I freeze water bottles and throw them to the pup. Can also cut off the plastic and give to the pup and freeze some treats in it if you're okay with cleaning the mess.


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## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

Not to be rude but, did you not know that puppies do that? Your puppy is teething and just like kids they bite everything and everyone. When my GSD puppy was age 2-4 months all we had to do is deal with it, be prepared to be bitten, redirect a bite, I trained my dog "no bite" whenever she goes for the nip I say "no bite" and if she doesn't she gets a treat, took about 10 times to do this and her bites are now only when playing hard even then they are controlled if I say "no bite" in time. You can try that but know that you will have to deal with it for months until the teething is done, it gets better after the pup is 4 months old. Give the pup some digestible rawhide and toys and yes when kids run its an invitation for the pup to play...its what they do. You really have to watch your kids now because when a big dogs play they jump and can easely knock over a child. Pup needs TRAINING, 2 weeks is a joke, you and your wife just need to deal with it, be strong and dont give up on the pup.


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> I'm surprised no-one has asked this yet - how do your KIDS behave around the puppy?


My kids behave pretty well actually.. think of a rope toy just laying on the floor unprovoked, the pup sees it and thinks "Yeah, I want that thing in my mouth"

That's mostly how it goes..


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

that's exactly how it goes. everything is a chew toy to a pup.



Peter. said:


> My kids behave pretty well actually.. think of a rope toy just laying on the floor unprovoked, the pup sees it and thinks "Yeah, I want that thing in my mouth"
> 
> That's mostly how it goes..


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

julie87 said:


> Not to be rude but, did you not know that puppies do that? Your puppy is teething and just like kids they bite everything and everyone. When my GSD puppy was age 2-4 months all we had to do is deal with it, be prepared to be bitten, redirect a bite, I trained my dog "no bite" whenever she goes for the nip I say "no bite" and if she doesn't she gets a treat, took about 10 times to do this and her bites are now only when playing hard even then they are controlled if I say "no bite" in time. You can try that but know that you will have to deal with it for months until the teething is done, it gets better after the pup is 4 months old. Give the pup some digestible rawhide and toys and yes when kids run its an invitation for the pup to play...its what they do. You really have to watch your kids now because when a big dogs play they jump and can easely knock over a child. Pup needs TRAINING, 2 weeks is a joke, you and your wife just need to deal with it, be strong and dont give up on the pup.


I realize puppies bite, and that we need to "Just deal with it".. I was just looking for advice on how to do so. As far as training goes, I was just giving the information on what we've been doing thus far. I realize 2 weeks isn't a long time, but I don't consider the time spent with him, a joke.. we've tried to make the most out of the time we've had so far.


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Kaity said:


> 10 weeks is nothing though.. I hate to break it to you, but you have a long way to go. Wait until the pup is 6-10 months.. I'm sure we will see you back here almost pulling your hair out. Just remember a lot of pups end up in shelters around this age because people don't have the patience to stick it out with the dogs or they can't give the commitment to their pups at this awful but greatly rewarding stage! You may want to teach the place command with the pup learning to go in his/her crate for some alone time.


Yeah, from reading all the comments I think the biggest keys to success in our situation is recognizing when our pup is in one of "ultra puppy play drive" moods (normally around poop time) and either..

1. Tether him to one of us adults, and reward him for playing with toys (with or without kids) instead of nipping at kid legs.
2. Put him in an x-pen (which we got last night from a neighbor) with some toys in plain sight of the family.
3. Tell the kids to go hang out in another room while we wear him out, do some training, or take him for a walk.

I'm also hoping he gets better at going for walks, as I think this will go a long way in releasing some energy, and could be something we could do with the kids.. We're working on that as well.

How old was your pup when he/she could go for a mostly obedient 10-20 minute walk?


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## Renmure (Jun 5, 2012)

Hi Peter

Sounds like you have your hands full 

One issue that I'm not sure if I've picked up from your posts, so please correct me if I'm worng, but it sounds like you have been doing all of the training, playing, excercising and so on with your pup but a big issue now is that you are back to work. Does your wife do an eqaul amount of these tasks with you? Also do you get your kids involved in any of them? I do understand that your kids are really young but your pup is likely to see them differently than you and react to them differently if all of their interaction with him is on a different level than yours. Often he may know that he cant get away with an action with you but if he dosn't get the same repreimand in exactly the same way with others, then it will be more difficult to teach him what you expect of him. Consistency is the key.

I work full time but my OH is home based so he spends most time with the dogs walking, playing and there is no question that Nzo (our 6m GDS pup) reacts to us both differently and that my OH is Master to Nzo- however I feed the dogs and also am the one that takes Nzo to his training class each week - its a relief from work, he really makes me laugh!:wild: but most importantly he has to listen to and answer to me and we both have a lot of fun. But importantly it means that Nzo listens to me almost just as much as to my OH and he gets exactly the same reaction from either of us to anything he does that we dont want him to do.

As to the walking question, I think a lot of people will say that puppies at 10 weeks should have as much free excercise as they want - they will stop and sleep whenever they are tired but forced walking on a lead say on roads or pavements should be limited to around 5 mins for every month in age, so for your pup around 10-15 mins of walking. Different people cope with this in different ways because where you live and what space you have will make this more or less easy to follow. We are lucky in having lots of land around us that our dogs can run around in so the walking issue never really arises and Nzo did exactly as we expected at first in dashing around like a maniac and then just stopping and lying down to catch his breath before heading off again.

Good luck with your pup - there are lots of threads on here which deal with the issues you raise so I hope you find some helpful answers to your questions.

Wendy


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Renmure said:


> Hi Peter
> 
> Sounds like you have your hands full
> 
> One issue that I'm not sure if I've picked up from your posts, so please correct me if I'm worng, but it sounds like you have been doing all of the training, playing, excercising and so on with your pup but a big issue now is that you are back to work. Does your wife do an eqaul amount of these tasks with you? Also do you get your kids involved in any of them?


So far, my wife and have worked with him i'd say a 60/40 split.. where I was the 60%. So she has been pretty involved, even more so now that I'm back to work. Right off the bad, the boys helped us in feeding him, making him sit before the bowl reaches the floor.. No problem.. 

This morning I had my youngest giving him the sit command, and treating him, as well as walking him around the house a bit with me. I'm definitely going to ramp up these types of interactions.

If anyone has any suggestions as to any kind of kid specific training games, let me know.

Also.. a user pm'ed me suggesting I check out the leerburg "establishing pack structure with your puppy".. has anyone seen this? was it helpful?

I think part of my problem is that there are many conflicting views on how to raise your puppy.. Play tug.. DONT play tug.. stick your finger down his throat.. DONT stick your finger down his throat.. I'm trying to figure out what works best for our situation.

When I first wrote this, my wife called me totally overwhelmed dealing with all three.. but we've since formulated somewhat of a plan for how to handle him when he's in super play mode.. she's had a better experience going forward and is starting to recognize when he might be too much to handle for the moment.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Peter, you wrote: I think part of my problem is that there are many conflicting views on how to raise your puppy.. Play tug.. DONT play tug.. stick your finger down his throat.. DONT stick your finger down his throat.. I'm trying to figure out what works best for our situation.

The reason you are getting so many "conflicting" views is that sometimes what works with one dog won't work another dog. 

For example - someone suggested that you say OUCH in a high pitched voice and the puppy will stop biting. BUT, that only amped up YOUR puppy (as it did mine when she was that age). So then you get someone like me who suggests saying HEY in a deep voice because THAT worked for me in getting Kyleigh to stop biting. 

Everyone is giving you advice / suggestions on what worked for THEM. You need to figure out which one is going to work on your puppy. Trial and error. 

I quickly learned that other methods that I have used to train other dogs simply didn't work with Kyleigh, so I had to find alternative methods. 

That's why you see so many "views" - trial and error and you'll find the one that works ... Jag suggested that you pick one that seems to work the first couple of times and stick with it. I second that comment ... BUT keep in mind, after a month or so (or even two weeks), you might have to try something else!

Good luck,

Marion


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Just saw this thread and some really good advice here! I think Marion says it well to explain why so much different advice. There are many ways to accomplish things and training dogs is no exception. Personally, I prefer positive methods that will not harm the relationship with my dog. BUT-- not at the expense of anyone's safety.

You will have to use some trial and error to find what works best and at some parts of your pup's development the 'what works best' may change. As your pup hits a certain age, he will challange you some just as a teenage kid challenges mom and dad. The 'what works' now wil most likely become a different 'what works' at that time.

FWIW ---I have had GSD's since 1989. I have raised numerous puppies. Each one is different and has needed some different methods. I always use positive methods first before adding force or harder corrections. The positive methods are re-directing to toys, YIPING at the pup etc. The force or corrections are pinching lips on teeth, fingers in mouth, pops on chin etc. But depending on the dog, you may have to try those too. 

I have a 7 month old pup. I was ready for an easier dog and boy did I NOT get that!! Lydi is a hellion. I still have marks on my arms and hands!  But she is a great dog and will do well in competition for me. 

I also sometimes think these pups that are hellions become some of the best dogs if they are developed well and dealt with firmly and fairly. They really are not too much different than kids in that regard. 

I think you guys will do well and have a great companion for your kids in a very short time.


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## Saratm_93 (Oct 24, 2012)

i dont know if anyone has asked you this if they have im sorry for a repeat question. but do you let your kids play tug of war with him or any "rough housing" with the pup. if so then that probably your problem there, once a child of any "younger" age that doesnt quite understand the concept of "dominance" play rough with a puppy the pup thinks that it alright to have pretty much a free for all wether it be "Lunging" "Growling" "Ripping Cloths" ECT. Mainly because the pup is then going to see your kids as another puppy.


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## Peter. (Aug 22, 2012)

Update: One week later and our situation is much improved.. I don't think we're out of the woods by any means, but our pup seems to understand it's not acceptable to nip and play bite our boys. The few times he has since, a simple no bite command, and be backs off. Before, he'd just keep going for them..

A few times I've witnessed him walk by one of the boys, opening his mouth and angling toward a leg.. only to close his mouth and move along.. as if he's thinking "wait.. that's a no no"

I'm not sure exactly what worked, or, if it's only temporary.. but we did go out and buy a few more toys, and continued to have the boys feed the pup and be more involved in training. I'm just happy he's relented for now


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## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

Glad to hear there is improvement. Like I said earlier the "no bite" is what worked for me.


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