# Are these normal GSD puppy behaviors?



## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

Hello everyone! I have a male GSD puppy that's currently 11.5 weeks old.

I've been worried that my puppy is acting aggressive. I've read through this forum and it seems like his behavior is just like any normal GSD puppy but I would like a peace of mind. The following are the behaviors that I've been concerned about whether it's normal puppy behavior or if he's being aggressive (not normal):

1) Out of nowhere, he would lunge at me, bark, and bite me really hard. This happens even when we're just chilling in the living room or when I'm taking him out to the yard. I don't even know what to do when he lunges at me like that when I don't have a toy in hand.

2) Ever since we got him, he would bite and bark at us whenever we wipe his butt and paws after he takes a poop. While wiping, he would bite at us or at the wipe/towel. Then after we wipe him off and let him back in the house, he would start barking and biting our ankles. 

3) We would try to put a collar, leash, bandana, or shirt on him and he would bite our hands and arms. It takes two people to try to put things on him, my hubby would distract him and I would hurry and try to put it on him. 

4) I recently took something out of his mouth and he bit me so hard it drew blood. This was the second time he bit me hard enough to make me bleed. 

5) He bites us at home but acts different outside. When he's at the mall, plazas, in the car, etc, the biting and nipping seem to stop. Whenever strangers pet him, he allows it with no problem. Also, he doesn't dare to look at most dogs outside and doesn't dare to bark back (yet). 

6) He doesn't like hugging or cuddling. He would try to wiggle out whenever we carried him or nip us when we try to hug him. I've read that this is normal so I'm not too concerned. It would be nice to cuddle with him one day though.

If these are just normal puppy behaviors, does anyone know at what age does the biting go away? I definitely look forward to that day haha.

I also have another question. He loves to bite everyone in the household but he has never bitten my mom before, which is a good thing haha. I'm just wondering if there's a reason why he doesn't bite her. Whenever he sees my mom, he gets super excited, tail wagging, ears down, and keeps trying to get more petting from her haha. She has never fed or given him any treats and never played with him before, only petting and greeting him, so I'm just curious why hehe. He does greet everyone else in the household too but not to that degree lol.

We're starting puppy classes next weekend, and we have been teaching him basic stuff like sit, down, hand, high five, and come but of course his come is not consistent yet. We will continue to try redirecting with a toy and ignoring him when he bites. We've started to take him on walks so hopefully this will work out at the end haha.

Thank you so much for any advice or comments! Sorry this is my first post and first puppy haha.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Yes, it is normal for GSD puppies. You have to keep the mouth and brain busy. Do not give him the chance to bite you. redirecting is good so keep that up. There is plenty of info on this subject on this forum. Once they have their permanent teeth it gets better, around 4 - 5 months of age.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

Out of no where bites usually meant my puppy was trying to tell me something. He even had an i have to poop bite. Im bored bites = needs mental or physical out let 
I need a nap bite. I wanna play bite. 

Your puppy is mouthy ALWAYS have a toy and try to always have treats. Never interact with your puppy unless you have a toy to redirect the biting to. Make the toy come alive and play WITH your puppy. 

Dude why does he need his butt wiped?? 
Just wipe his paws ignore the biting move on. Work on positive ways to SLOWLY get your puppy used to be handled. Nails cut, brushed, ears cleaned take your time. 

Stop dressing him up. He doesn't like it doesn't trust you. I think your ticking him off show a bit more respect. Hurrying thru something that's not medically necessary will work against you in the long run. Put a collar on and leave it on. It's not natural give him time to get used to it. Have him wear a drag line in the house. Hope you are crate training. 

Not biting you away from home he is probably mentally stimulated and to focused on the environment to think about biting you. 

Hugging, cuddling, truly enjoying a good scratch and enjoying verbal praise come in time a long time. Give it a year. 

Some of this is normal some issues your creating. 

Study your mom her actions, energy, behavior and words towards the dog. When she gives the dog attention does she wait until the dog presents or exhibits a certain energy or behavior? 
She is much more clear and consistent with the dog. He gets her. There is a reason why he is different with her and she is the reason.

I'm raising my first puppy too im speaking from my own mistakes and limited experience. Hindsight is 20/20.

With consistency they grow out of biting after teething at the most 7 months. I focused I think to much in the beginning on teaching sit down and such. I think those are good things given your coming at it from the proper perspective. They are brilliant dogs it is easy to be fooled or frustrated. Check out the collared scholar read some free articles on engagement, focus, motivation and relationship for a foundation that should be well established before training commands. 

Hope that helps. Welcome to the forum and share pictures.


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## KaiserAus (Dec 16, 2016)

I think you've got the wrong breed of dog... I'm not sure why you are wiping a GSDs butt, why you are dressing a GSD, why you are carrying a GSD... perhaps a Pomeranian would suit you better


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## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

wolfy dog said:


> Yes, it is normal for GSD puppies. You have to keep the mouth and brain busy. Do not give him the chance to bite you. redirecting is good so keep that up. There is plenty of info on this subject on this forum. Once they have their permanent teeth it gets better, around 4 - 5 months of age.


Thank you so much for your kind input! I feel much better knowing that it's just normal.



Apex1 said:


> Out of no where bites usually meant my puppy was trying to tell me something. He even had an i have to poop bite. Im bored bites = needs mental or physical out let
> I need a nap bite. I wanna play bite.
> 
> Your puppy is mouthy ALWAYS have a toy and try to always have treats. Never interact with your puppy unless you have a toy to redirect the biting to. Make the toy come alive and play WITH your puppy.
> ...


Thank you so much for your suggestions and for your time! I appreciate all the advice and for sharing your experiences. That was very helpful especially with the timeline of what to expect, and I feel much better knowing my puppy is normal. Kk I will post some photos soon. Thank you again!



KaiserAus said:


> I think you've got the wrong breed of dog... I'm not sure why you are wiping a GSDs butt, why you are dressing a GSD, why you are carrying a GSD... perhaps a Pomeranian would suit you better


To answer your questions, I had to wipe his butt because he had diarrhea and he's indoors. I've only dressed him a few times when it was cold and my main concern was him biting when I put on the collar and leash. I was carrying him because he used to pee on the floor right after I took him out of the crate so I had to immediately carry him outside. You don't know the reason why I got a GSD so the assumption/comment about the Pomeranian suiting me better was inappropriate. I still thank you for your time.


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## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

Hello these are some recent photos of my puppy hehe.


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## SlipperyRug (Apr 24, 2016)

Soooooo yeah, lol. 

One, purchase a cheap light collar and leave it on him 24/7. Also, purchase a cheap 4ft ish leash and have him drag it around the house. 
He’s definitely gonna want to chew them both up, but try and keep him occupied. If he does chew them up it’s okay because you bought some nice and cheap ones. 

Two, you should read up on mouth training. Your puppy IS GOING TO BITE. This is very natural, and just think of the mouth as you would a babies hand. (Grabbing everything you put in its face) 

Three, sounds like your Mom isn’t going to put up with his BS. Dogs have an innate sense about people and respond accordingly. 

Lastly, what “puppy” class are you starting? I would generally tell someone to use someone experienced with shepherds. You may be thinking “oh no” but With proper guidance you could have an amazing companion for years to come.


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## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

SlipperyRug said:


> Soooooo yeah, lol.
> 
> One, purchase a cheap light collar and leave it on him 24/7. Also, purchase a cheap 4ft ish leash and have him drag it around the house.
> He’s definitely gonna want to chew them both up, but try and keep him occupied. If he does chew them up it’s okay because you bought some nice and cheap ones.
> ...


Thank you for your response! Yeah thanks, I have a collar and leash on him majority of the time and take it off when he's in the crate. 

Haha yeah I think you're right that my mom wouldn't take bs from him because she wasn't really into dogs at first. My puppy was the one to initiate being friendly with her since the beginning and ever since then he would greet her all excitedly and my mom now loves him too haha. He also loves my hubby more than me. I guess I'm not as fun as them lol.

I'm doing the PetSmart trainings so I can get him to socialize with other dogs asap. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm thinking that if my puppy is still acting up in the near future, I'll for sure bring him to a trainer that specializes in GSD.

Thanks again!


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

The puppy socialization class is not really necessary, especially since our pups can play pretty rough. It can be fun, though, it depends a lot on who is leading the class. 

You can go back through our threads and find many people asking advice on Landsharking. I tend to use it to my advantage, with little games of tug as a reward for good behavior. We actually wore heavy leather gloves for awhile so we could rough house with our little guy. But soon his bite grew too strong to protect our hands from crunching and the gloves got tied to the end of a rope and became a tug toy.

Remember that our pups are super smart and super impulsive. Maturity and self control come slowly. And they need naps, just like our human toddlers do, or they get cranky and nippy and we get grouchy.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

Awe cute pictures looks like a lively little puppy!


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

I'm not so sure what you are describing is normal puppy behavior. Certainly GSD pups with high prey drive can be a pain biting anything that moves including you. I think the main problem is that you have taught your puppy these behaviors because you didn't correct the first incident immediately and continue to not punish the aggressive behaviors. He is only 12 weeks old, so he really can't do much damage to you. Think what the situation will be like when he is 85 pounds. He needs to learn who the boss is and right now it is him. The best way to correct a young pup like that is to quickly and immediately grab him by the side of the neck and give him a sharp shake while telling him "no!" is a stern, assertive tone. If he escalates with a neck scruff, put him on his side while holding his neck. Pinching around the chest area can also be an effective punisher. You get to decide when your pup shows aggression, not him. Redirecting to toys is good and always reinforce with praise and petting when he reacts appropriately to a correction. But you have to do these corrections in a quick, aggressive manner. If you do it half-ass or passively he will just disrespect you more. You are not trying to injure your pup, but rather inflict some non-injurious pain while startling him. It does sound like he has some temperament issues, but faulty learning/teaching is a big part of the problem.


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## girardid (Aug 13, 2015)

thats all normal puppy stuff no need to scruff or alpha roll unless you want to tear down his confidence or ruin your relationship


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

Watch this before you decide to start trying to alpha role or physically force your puppy to submit:

https://www.davekroyer.com/videos/free-video-friday-and34the-truth-about-alpha-rollingand34


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yeah just repeating- normal puppy behavior regarding puppy biting. But Anytime you take something out of pups mouth you put a real good tasty treat in his mouth. Cleaning paws or any grooming have someone feed treats to occupy him while someone does the grooming. Any grooming, nail trims should be fun and result in many treats and not wrestling matches of frustration. 

Regarding mouthiness - Max was super super super crazy mouthy all interaction was either training, nail trims, grooming, walks and interaction with toys and anything else would wind up in biting and constant redirecting with toys. Any corrections that were done were leash pops on a drag leash with a flat collar to stop behavior them followed up with a redirect of toy play. Dependent on the pup -time period can range but surely takes awhile. It’s is why Max learned many tricks-results of keeping him busy during the crazy long mouthy period. Brain always need to be kept busy otherwise the mouth would start. To me a sign of high intelligence. 

Max is super cuddly with me and was not until about a year old. Stages do not last forever so hang in their and when you run out of patience and just want to snuggle with your pup and it does not happen lol! The crate is your best friend. Kids really did not enjoy max much until he was older. No one in the house understood this puppy period but me and when all was said done family members were arguing who was going to walk max. So just hang in there.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Chip Blasiole said:


> I'm not so sure what you are describing is normal puppy behavior. Certainly GSD pups with high prey drive can be a pain biting anything that moves including you. I think the main problem is that you have taught your puppy these behaviors because you didn't correct the first incident immediately and continue to not punish the aggressive behaviors. He is only 12 weeks old, so he really can't do much damage to you. Think what the situation will be like when he is 85 pounds. He needs to learn who the boss is and right now it is him. The best way to correct a young pup like that is to quickly and immediately grab him by the side of the neck and give him a sharp shake while telling him "no!" is a stern, assertive tone. If he escalates with a neck scruff, put him on his side while holding his neck. Pinching around the chest area can also be an effective punisher. You get to decide when your pup shows aggression, not him. Redirecting to toys is good and always reinforce with praise and petting when he reacts appropriately to a correction. But you have to do these corrections in a quick, aggressive manner. If you do it half-ass or passively he will just disrespect you more. You are not trying to injure your pup, but rather inflict some non-injurious pain while startling him. It does sound like he has some temperament issues, but faulty learning/teaching is a big part of the problem.


The OP describes normal puppy behavior so well I had to laugh. This puppy is not even three months old yet. Nothing wrong with his temperament. Look at the pictures of him. What a mischievous little devil. I would not ruin the relationship with alpha rolls. I would yell NO! when he bites then redirect. Hes a baby.


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## Arathorn II (Oct 7, 2017)

Apex1 said:


> Out of no where bites usually meant my puppy was trying to tell me something. He even had an i have to poop bite. Im bored bites = needs mental or physical out let
> I need a nap bite. I wanna play bite.


My 14 month old still has the I gotta poop bite on my feet except now its little teeny tiny bites that mostly don't hurt, but occasionally do pinch me.

forgot to add he has started to bark to wake me up if he needs to go out too


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I wanted to add this to my post. This is goes for all grooming etc- wiping mud off paws, cleaning butts etc. Max tolerates nail dremels. Luna actually sits at the Matt and waits for a nail trim/ Dremel, ear cleaning, eye ointment application etc. She does always make me look way to good. 
https://youtu.be/MuXwKqXTBsE

Puppy biting-http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135827


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135827


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

SlipperyRug said:


> Soooooo yeah, lol.
> 
> One, purchase a cheap light collar and leave it on him 24/7. Also, purchase a cheap 4ft ish leash and have him drag it around the house.
> He’s definitely gonna want to chew them both up, but try and keep him occupied. If he does chew them up it’s okay because you bought some nice and cheap ones.
> ...


I disagree with putting a collar on a puppy 24/7. No collars in the crate. No collars in their own yard running around. You run the risk of the puppy hanging himself. 
Collars only when necessary.


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## desertsage01 (Jan 3, 2018)

your puppy is the SAME age as mine and the behaviors are exactly the same. Totally normal and YES annoying! Puppies are annoying. Don't get me wrong, I love puppies but they can be annoying. I will tell you what we do and it may or may not work on yours. Mine used to bite when putting collar on so I made sure when I put it on, I latched it in back of her neck instead of under so she couldn't get to me. And I got quick at doing it. Because I know she'll get over it in time. No sense in making a big deal over it.
Wiping with a towel. Mine thinks it's a game and she bit at me while I wiped her down (because it was raining so hard outside). I just ignored her. Put part of the towel over her head loosely and just let her bite the towel. After several times, she pretty much just layed there. Every time she went to get at my hands, I just threw part of the towel over her face. Again, no biggie.
As far as the biting when trying to just sit and enjoy your time..... mine also does not want to be cuddled or stroked. Only time is when she's falling asleep or just waking up. 
Mine will come over and jump on my lap as I'm sitting on the couch and wants to interact with me by biting. I just grab her bear and play with her with that. Something new I've been doing is when she goes to bite at my arms or hands, I just hold still, DON"T move. She lets go and just looks at me. As if she's asking, "why are you not moving??" Movement gets her going. So far, it's working - as kooky as it sounds. This might not work for all pups. But you can try it. If she doesn't stop right away, I'll say, "AHH" loudly and she stops. 
If she continues to grab things that are not her toys - like tv remote, couch, the cats, etc... I KNOW she's tired! Like a kid that will scream and throw things, throwing a tantrum because they need a nap. When that happens, I pick her up, and put her in her crate. She will moan and groan for about a couple minutes and then she's out. Fast asleep.
Sometimes they don't know they are tired.
I can tell when she's just tired and cranky because she doesn't want to play with any of her toys. When she just has energy and wants to play, she will shake her toys, plays with her ball etc.... So you just have to watch her body language and her personality and read her correctly. Hope some of this helps. Just know, your pup is not aggressive. Just a puppy.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Arathorn II said:


> My 14 month old still has the I gotta poop bite on my feet except now its little teeny tiny bites that mostly don't hurt, but occasionally do pinch me.
> 
> forgot to add he has started to bark to wake me up if he needs to go out too


The teeny tiny bites- are these in rapid succession? He's 'fleaing' your feet. Inga does this to my feet. I yell No Bite! She instantly switches to fleaing.


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## desertsage01 (Jan 3, 2018)

Bramble said:


> Watch this before you decide to start trying to alpha role or physically force your puppy to submit:
> 
> https://www.davekroyer.com/videos/free-video-friday-and34the-truth-about-alpha-rollingand34


Yup and I still have to have this conversation with my husband with our pup. He's OLD FASHIONED and has learned these techniques years past and still feels he needs to use them. But we have better ways now. I'm sure it will turn into an argument. he won't roll her but he'll hold her in his arms as she screams for a a bit and then she stops - she'll submit. But she goes thru all the 3 steps. She will first try to flight, then fight then submit. If he ever rolled her, I'd roll him right out of the house!!
He thinks he needs to assert "dominance" now while she's young. (eye roll). He thinks she's a handful. NAH, she's a puppy. We are having a TALK tonight!!!
I've told him over and over, you can cradle her and hold her, while you are holding a toy (re-direct her), toss the toy a few yards, let her go to go get it and let her bring it back. Repeat. It works with me. And if she continues to bite and destroy..... crate her for a while. She's just tired.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

I thought the video was good and believe Dave knows his stuff. But I think he was directing his lesson toward adult dogs. Also, I wasn't so much suggesting an alpha role as much as I was a correction/punisher such as pinching or grabbing the dog by the scruff of the neck. Also notice how he said how most aggression problems are rooted in insecurity. While you really can't assess a pup over a dog forum, I still say this dog has some temperament issues. The other part of the problem is the owners' passive acceptance of the unacceptable aggression. Also, someone suggested leaving a collar on the pup 24/7. If the dog is wearing a collar and not supervised he could accidentally be hanged.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

In Inga's landshark stage in spite of training my arms had more bandaids than skin. Thats how puppies interact, they don't have hands. In my early 60's, my skin has become thin and tears easily so I resorted to these . I highly recommend them. Also good for trimming roses and blackberry vines and fixing barb wire fences. These are very high quality. There are cheaper kinds, google arm chaps or look on Amazon.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Chip Blasiole said:


> I thought the video was good and believe Dave knows his stuff. But I think he was directing his lesson toward adult dogs. Also, I wasn't so much suggesting an alpha role as much as I was a correction/punisher such as pinching or grabbing the dog by the scruff of the neck. Also notice how he said how most aggression problems are rooted in insecurity. While you really can't assess a pup over a dog forum, I still say this dog has some temperament issues. *The other part of the problem is the owners' passive acceptance of the unacceptable aggression. *Also, someone suggested leaving a collar on the pup 24/7. If the dog is wearing a collar and not supervised he could accidentally be hanged.


We used the methods of training of Don Sullivan. You can get the CDs over the internet and he trains you how to train. This problem is addressed. Also, puppies are trying to figure out pack dominance order. Probably that why the puppy is so respectful of the Op's mom. The puppy senses the respect of the pack leader. Then the husband is next. The puppy probably considers the Op as a cohort, meaning equal (or lower) 

Don Sullivan teaches pack dominance order by not letting dogs get on equal levels with people on the furniture, making them wait and go out of doors before people (not bolt out and get hit by a car), people eat before dogs. This is a pack language that dogs understand. For people who are inexperienced I highly recommend Don Sullivan. Its balanced training. I must say that Inga has become the dog of our dreams.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

What I am talking about is single event learning, which is really too late to correct the problems of this pup because his aggression has unintendedly been reinforced too long for single event learning to occur. It is one thing for a pup to be mouthy, latch onto your pant cuffs, etc. But if you have to remove something from a pup, such as a bone because you have to leave and don't want the pup unattended with a bone, and he growls or bites you over the bone, the handler needs to instantly and assertively correct the dog. If done correctly, the problem will likely never happen again. But if you coddle a pup like the one the OP described, with each coddling, the aggressive behavior is reinforced. A simple twist/pinch of a sensitive skin area with enough pressure to make the pup yelp will usually work. And there can be no hesitation on the part of the handler that signals reluctance or insecurity to the pup. I think if someone is thinking about alpha rolling an adult, there have been some major mistakes over the course of training.


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## Arathorn II (Oct 7, 2017)

Nurse Bishop said:


> The teeny tiny bites- are these in rapid succession? He's 'fleaing' your feet. Inga does this to my feet. I yell No Bite! She instantly switches to fleaing.


Never heard of that before but that does describe what he does.

Sometimes it kinda tickles when he doesn't do it quite so fast.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

My pup is maybe a few days younger than yours and this is my 2nd GSD pup. It's all normal behavior, although my previous dog wasn't as bad as the current one. I keep in touch with some of the owners of my pup's littermates and they're going through the same deal. My hands are also all cut up and bruised. Just keep working on the redirection and/or "yelping" trick. The previous dog hated bitter apple spray....that helped a lot with the biting and chewing on objects. It may or may not help for you. With this current pup, it works a little.


Nothing is an instant fix. Don't expect someone to tell you a special magical method and the biting will stop right away. Not gonna happen. Trust me, you're not alone. It helps a lot knowing that others are going through this too. Just think of it this way...you're investing a few months of "bad" puppy behavior for a lifetime of having a great dog.


Just like someone above said, my pup's got the "I need to go out" bite, or the "I'm hungry" bite, etc. I didn't think about the "I need to nap" bite, but I'll certainly keep an eye out for that.


I have to comment on the other things. Wiping its butt? C'mon. I've never heard of anyone doing that...ever. I don't know what's going on but if your pup's having diarrhea, that should be the concern. My pup's also an indoor dog too, but he hasn't pooped in the house since the 3rd day I got him 3 weeks ago. (Peeing is a different story. Still working on that.)


The other thing...unless you're living in a really cold frigid area, there's no need to dress it up. We had snow here last week and at times it reached below freezing temperatures and I still didn't dress mine up. GSDs love the snow and cold. It's the heat that they're not crazy about, at least in my experience. A bandanna...come on, that's not for the pup to keep warm. It's for your own gratification.


Third and final thing, I know you want to hug your pup. I do too. With my previous pup (and this current one), I couldn't do it without getting bitten. When he grew out of his landsharking stage and into a mature dog, he loved to cuddle and loved the hugs. In the meantime, don't put yourself in the situations to get bitten. You're just asking for it, from the dressing up to the hugging. However some will say, when your pup bites, it's actually a good teaching moment.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Your pup had to earn the attention (reward) from your mom, you appear to be giving the attention freely. This can lessen the value and you could be unintentionally rewarding the unwanted behavoir. Take a step back and look at how you interact. Provide clear communication along with consistent structure. You will probably need to incorporate some level of corrections and of course rewarding too. Every dog is different so working with a knowledgable trainer can help you identify what will work best for you and your pup.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nurse Bishop View Post
The teeny tiny bites- are these in rapid succession? He's 'fleaing' your feet. Inga does this to my feet. I yell No Bite! She instantly switches to fleaing.
Never heard of that before but that does describe what he does.

Sometimes it kinda tickles when he doesn't do it quite so fast :Unquote

He is grooming you, a sign of friendship in dogs


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## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

Happy Easter everyone! Thank you sooo very much for all your responses and for all your help! For the past few days, I've taken your suggestions and I do see improvements. My energy was more positive thanks to everyone here comforting me that it's all pretty much normal puppy behaviors and that you've been through it all. He's now officially 12 weeks old haha. Here are some updates:

1) I took the suggestions to bring a chew toy with me whenever I bring him to the yard to pee/poo or just anytime I interact with him. He sort of stopped lunging at me but he starts biting/holding the leash in his mouth instead... still an improvement I think haha.

2) I let him in the house without wiping anything and so far he hasn't bitten me when we're coming in. I'm training him to wait when coming in and wait again while I lock the door. 

4) He still puts weird things in his mouth so I listened to the comments here to lure him with another item instead of pulling it out myself. It's working so far. I'll work on training him to leave it, drop it, and take it soon.

5) He started a new thing, barking at strangers while we wait outside a store. Just yesterday, we took him with us to go to the bank outside at the ATMs. He started barking at the people waiting in line. We also went to grab a drink and my hubby was waiting outside with him and he started barking at whomever passing by. I don't even know how to stop him when he's doing that. He also seems easily alerted when he sees someone passing by our house when he's outside. I really want to bring him around stores like we've been doing to socialize him so hopefully he stops this barking at stangers thing. He was just fine a few days ago. Not sure if this is his 2nd fear phase since he just turned 12 weeks.

Thanks again to everyone! I can't wait until I become an experienced GSD owner and help out others on this forum. I've been reading how people have this special bond with their GSDs and I'm beginning to see why it's so different to own one. They are very smart and seems to care about the whole family. He would run to each of us in the household (5 including me) and want to be petted every day, and he seems to treat each one of us differently based on our interactions with him. 

The other day, my hubby was pretending to be dead lol (lying down face down) and the puppy was so cute running around frantically on top of him and sniffing him all over and then he finally got on top of his back and started licking my hubby's ears lol. After the licking, my hubby "woke up," maybe the puppy thought he saved him lol jk. My puppy may or may not care/know if my hubby was really dead but it was so cute seeing the puppy like that haha.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

xmsxphantasyx said:


> .
> 
> 5) He started a new thing, barking at strangers while we wait outside a store. Just yesterday, we took him with us to go to the bank outside at the ATMs. He started barking at the people waiting in line. We also went to grab a drink and my hubby was waiting outside with him and he started barking at whomever passing by. I don't even know how to stop him when he's doing that. He also seems easily alerted when he sees someone passing by our house when he's outside. I really want to bring him around stores like we've been doing to socialize him so hopefully he stops this barking at stangers thing. He was just fine a few days ago. Not sure if this is his 2nd fear phase since he just turned 12 weeks.


My gal-dog still does that sometimes. It tends to bother people so best to teach your pup what to do instead. I start out with a no reward marker like "uh-uh" but if that doesn't work, I start to walk into her forcing her to circle and take her eyes off the person she is alerting on. She might still feel the need to bark but at least the person being barked at can see I am doing something about it and not letting her be obnoxious. This tended to happen most often at shopping centers so I started taking walks specifically at shopping centers. I went early before it wasn't crowded and sometimes trucks were there to stock supplies and workers were coming in for the day. We'd walk along the sidewalk at a good clip and every time we passed someone quietly, my gal got a reward. I was showing her that these people were normal, this was normal human behavior and what I liked to see her do in response. It didn't take her long to figure things out. Be aware that when something new and novel comes up, he might bark again to alert to it / test it out. One day my gal noticed a child manikin in a store window that NEEDED to be barked at. One day my big-boy, when he wasn't so big, found a statue that NEEDED to be barked at. But only for that first encounter. After that they ignored the things that didn't react to the bark. 

Now, if we are walking on a trail or in a neighborhood or tracking folks in the woods, I don't mind if my gal-dog gives a "hey I see you" bark. But just one or two and stop. It has to be a relaxed bark with no aggressive posture. As she figures this out she turns and gives me a beautiful doggy smile like,"I did that right didn't I" and I give her smiles and hugs and sometimes a treat or a bit of tug play.


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## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

car2ner said:


> xmsxphantasyx said:
> 
> 
> > .
> ...


Thank you very much for sharing your experience! Yeah I felt so embarrassed when he started barking at stangers. I don't want others to think he's dangerous so I'll definitely try your suggestion to show that I'm doing something about his barking. Thanks for sharing what works for you. I'll take treats with me now whenever we go shopping to reward good behavior. Good thing he's not that big yet so less intimidating haha. He also barked at my uncle and aunt today at the house even though he had seen them before. He saw the garbage truck today and barked as well. He barks at people with hoodies that look suspicious lol. He's still got a long way to go haha. Thanks again for your help!


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

xmsxphantasyx said:


> Thank you very much for sharing your experience! Yeah I felt so embarrassed when he started barking at stangers. I don't want others to think he's dangerous so I'll definitely try your suggestion to show that I'm doing something about his barking. Thanks for sharing what works for you. I'll take treats with me now whenever we go shopping to reward good behavior. Good thing he's not that big yet so less intimidating haha. He also barked at my uncle and aunt today at the house even though he had seen them before. He saw the garbage truck today and barked as well. He barks at people with hoodies that look suspicious lol. He's still got a long way to go haha. Thanks again for your help!


my female, as a little pup, had my daughter in law backed up into a corner. She was barking and barking and my DiL was squealing. I tried not to laugh but failed. It was just too funny. My DiL said that she didn't want her toes nipped (she was wearing flip flops). My pup thought she was big and strong. I told my DiL to just calmly stand her ground, literally. Backing up and making all that noise just encouraged the "attack". 

It is all about showing our pups what to do in situations. They really do look to us for advice. Even our grown dogs, in new situations, will often check with us first if that is what they become accustomed to.


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## xmsxphantasyx (Mar 28, 2018)

car2ner said:


> xmsxphantasyx said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you very much for sharing your experience! Yeah I felt so embarrassed when he started barking at stangers. I don't want others to think he's dangerous so I'll definitely try your suggestion to show that I'm doing something about his barking. Thanks for sharing what works for you. I'll take treats with me now whenever we go shopping to reward good behavior. Good thing he's not that big yet so less intimidating haha. He also barked at my uncle and aunt today at the house even though he had seen them before. He saw the garbage truck today and barked as well. He barks at people with hoodies that look suspicious lol. He's still got a long way to go haha. Thanks again for your help!
> ...


Awww that was so cute hahaha. Yeah my puppy did that to me too but I've learned to stand my ground after reading this thread lol. Thanks for the story!


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