# 6 month old --- still biting!



## WynterCote

Our 6 month old female GSD is still biting us all the time! I'm worried that this behavior will be harder to break the older she gets. We ALWAYS redirect to a toy but she still feels compelled to bite us when she's excited, hungry, has to go out, or wants to play, or for no reason I can tell. Yelling NO! does not help. She barks back and gets excited which leads to more biting. She likes bitter apple taste, so that was useless. Other than that she's doing great with training. Seldom accidents, loose on leash walking, knows basic commands and some tricks, obeys her limits in the house (no couches, etc..). She gets lots of attention and plenty of exercise every day. Any further advice before we break down and get the shock collar? Should I even expect biting to stop at 6 months? Thanks for any advice.


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## JKlatsky

Give her something else to bite. It's not enough to say No or discourage the biting. Consider that the GSD is a herding breed and very mouthy by nature. Rather than fight instinct, shape it. I know you always redirect to the toy...but what do you do with it once you give it to her? Toys are not fun unless they move. Your hands probably move ALOT. Teach your dog to tug and carry the toy and bring it back to you will keep her mouth off your hands.


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## kiya

Lakota is 5-1/2 months, she has learned bite inhabition from the other dogs, but occassionaly when she's playing, she will mouth me and realize who she has her little jaw clapped down on & then I can feel her loosen her grip almost with out me making a sound. I know she's still teething. She doesn't bite to get my attention. Actually she doesnt bark to ask to go out, I still have to watch for signs. One exercise I learned, teaching "leave it" was to hold a treat in your fist, of course pup will be sniffing, biting & clawing at your fist, when pup stops bitting, sniffing & clawing your fist, release the treat from your hand. That teaches them not to bite your hand. Maybe that would help a little.


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## jakeandrenee

WynterCote,
I am going through the same exact thing, Jake is a little younger and really is a great pup...but sometimes WOW! He biting my arms instead of toy, my toes etc....
I have been giving him a lot more things to chew on...stuffing a kong with ground beef and freezing it, tons of bones and bully sticks....it seems to help if his jaws are tired...he bites and realizes it's my skin and releases.
If you find the magic bullet please share....LOL I was hoping Jake would be past this by 6 months.....OH NO!


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## LaRen616

Tire that puppy out! Give her lots of toys to chew when she *tries to bite you *put a toy in her mouth. When she *bites you* make a loud "ah ah" noise and stop playing with her, show her your back, if she continues to get out of hand then she should be put into a time out for 15-20 minutes wether you put her outside, in another room or is some sort of crate.


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## Cluemanti

How old was she when you got her? I second the re-direct theory. I used to freeze a wet wash cloth, shape it so its a rope/cylinder shape and give it to her to chew on. She loved it!


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## jakeandrenee

I have done that also...but use chicken broth....I got that idea from this forum. He stays with it longer then just water...I also use muffin tins to make ice and put a drop of broth in it and a few pieces of kibble. Really helps the teething. And I agree, exercise helps so much....he's a different puppy when he is tired.


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## WynterCote

We honestly re-direct to a toy every time. We say "get your toy, ball, rope.." and she does and then we play. Those times are fine and fun.

But many during the day she bites and won't take a toy, just drops it and goes right for my hands/arms. If I say no she barks and jumps. I CANNOT turn my back at this point because I have many bruises on the backs of my legs and butt from trying this technique! We have to use the "reset" room (laundry room) for 10 or 15 minutes. But when she comes out, we get 5 minutes of a good dog and then its back to biting! Exercise is a great thing because a 1 mile walk around the neighborhood and we get about an hour of a pooped out pup. But if she's not lethargic from exercise, she's biting! There's no in-between normal dog time.

kiya - Thanks for the "leave-it" game advice -- we have not tried that yet and definitely will.

Cluemanit - We got our pup when she was 8 weeks old.


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## JKlatsky

Probably not what you want to hear...but sounds like a normal active GSD female! That's how our girl was...And at 2.5 years old now she's much better...but that's more because she's learned to calm down. Now she only gets mouthy when she gets REALLY excited and there's no toy to hand.

She's asking you to play. And it's her way of getting attention. With Anka...if I didn't want to play/focus on her, she had to be in her crate. She is only recently old enough to earn free time in the house. If she started to jump and bite me and I couldn't get her interested in a quiet activity like chewing on her bones- She'd go in her crate. She didn't know how to settle, there was too much going on in her body and her mind...She had to be doing SOMETHING. 

Sometimes the best cure is maturity and time.


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## Stosh

I agree- sounds like normal female behavior for that age. Uschi was relentless, she always had to be doing something. I had the same bruises, nips on the back of my legs from her trying to herd me, bite marks on my forearms, etc. Once she quit teething and hit 8 mos old it really subsided. Stosh, a male, is just now 6 mos old and he does a little playful nipping when he's excited, being petted, wants to go out, anything other than what he's doing at the time. When they try to bite my niece she grabs on to a tooth and holds it and they HATE that and leave her alone. The trainer put his thumb against the roof of their mouth and that seems to work for him.


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## WynterCote

Actually, JKlatsky - that IS something I wanted to hear. I can deal with it if it's normal and will pass. Like I said, we have ways to cope with it (exercise). I was getting worried that she may still be biter when she's and adult if we don't curb it for good now.


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## Relayer

The redirect thing is a very good way to go. When Max lays down with us, he would relentlessly bite. Now I just hold a bully stick firmly in my hand and he munches on that the entire time. LOL... I have to switch hands every now and then because he'll fatigue me. What a mouth they have!!


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## chocolat

2 other ideas to try

one is to cry like a puppy each time she hurts you..if you do it convincingly enough it will stop

the other is simply to rap her on the nose. There is only so many times you should tolerate this nonsense. sorry not into the kinder and gentler nation if a dog is leaving bruises on my body he deserved a wonk on the nose. I dont treat my dogs(bruising and hurting them) that way and I expect them to not treat me that way.
I often teach them to see and will give them attention that way. rubbing their ears usually.


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## Veronica1

I feel your pain. I don't know if the girls at work believe all my battle wounds are from my pup, though things have greatly improved just this past week all of a sudden.

Can you give your pup some play time with an adult dog who might teach her not to bite? I bring Panzer to play with my sister's adult lab weekly. Not only does he get completely worn out, but the lab teaches my pup when he's reached his limit of nips.


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## Stosh

You're so right Chocolat- nothing works like a pop on the end of the nose or gentle rap under the chin to snap the jaws shut...the surprise stops the biting. I was so frustrated with Uschi that I was ready to strangle her but a few pops- and time- did the trick


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## broski2815

Hi would love to know what you did to get past this biting? Im going through the same thing now.Loki is 6 months now and i have tried all you have.


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## sourdough44

broski2815 said:


> Hi would love to know what you did to get past this biting? Im going through the same thing now.Loki is 6 months now and i have tried all you have.



Puppy nibbling and play biting is on the normal side. As they get older with any strong biting I'd ramp up the 'corrections'. 

Let's say you had a 3 year old toddler who slugged you in the stomach, what would you do? Should you take a ball away? Or do a little more? It's about as simple as that.


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## Jenny720

Time and maturity is the best cure or only cure!!!!lots of "no biting" then redirecting to a ball or toy. Training exercises. Pop of the leash. Sometimes they need time out in their crate when extra rambunctious. Anything to get them out of that mind frame. Make sure pup gets plenty of exercise. As long as you are able to get them to switch gears and stop the behavior, you are doing well. These corrections /redirections have been our away of life since pup was about 10 weeks old ( 8 months old). Slow Gradual improvements along the way. Honestly at times we all loose patience. Just continue onwards and stay the course!!!!!!!


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## MairW

*Still Biting*

Our female will be 7 months old and we can't stop the biting. And her adult teeth hurt. Our previous GS was 10 months old when we rescued her, but it didn't seem to take this long to stop the biting. She really is a sweet pup otherwise.


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## Tannysmum

My 5 1\2 month bitch Tanya , has been having fun off lead with other dogs, recall is an issue , A few days ago whilst playing with 6 other pups and older dogs , she went with them over to a staffie which was on a lead and ended up being bitten and it took ten mins to get it off her face  .... i'm now too scared to take her to the fields or off her lead as she still has the issue of ignoring recall and i cant practice at home much ... any help ?? please


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## LuvShepherds

Tannysmum you will have better answers if you start a new thread leading off with your question. It doesn't fit this topic and people who can help you won't see it.


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## zudnic

One of my Rottweiler's loved the bitter apple spray, but hated Tobasco sauce. Very small drop. But it won't stop them very long. Exercise is usually the best tool. Walks are not enough. The average dog needs 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, a working dog, you can double that. Puppies/youths need a little less. I run mine for 10 to 15 minutes in the morning and repeat this in the afternoon. Plus he gets 4 walks per day. If I don't do this, he is a destructive vicious little bugger at 6 months. Biting usually means more play, but it can also mean they need something like more fresh water. Play like off leash around the yard running is what they mostly need. If you don't have a fenced yard, find a community tennis court.


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## Stonevintage

Redirection is good but sometimes they are just **** bent to chew on your hand. An effective method I've used is just to grasp their lower jaw from underneath and hold their mouth closed and say "No bite". They can't bite you and hate the feeling. Be very gentle and don't do it for more than a few seconds as it really distresses them. They will throw their heads around like a horse trying to shake a bit trying to dislodge your hand. Has never taken more than a couple of times before my pups got the message. The hand can grab back and do something that you don't like.....


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## Chip18

LuvShepherds said:


> Tannysmum you will have better answers if you start a new thread leading off with your question. It doesn't fit this topic and people who can help you won't see it.


Hey I should learn to say that!


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## selzer

Yelling no doesn't work? 

Well, of course it doesn't. It just ramps her up. 

Good leaders do not yell at dogs. You need to remain calm and not allow the puppy to bite your hands. 

This is so frustrating. 

Eh-eh, and get your hand and other parts, if necessary, out of the path of Jaws. Game stops right now. 

They do not bite me because I do not make biting fun for them. 

I do not make funny sounds or actions. 
I do not give them attention. 
I do not get all riled up.
I do not shove a toy or treat at them.
I stop any game or interaction if the teeth come out after telling them Eh-eh, that was my finger. Gentle with my fingers.
I TEACH them to be gentle, and TEACH the GENTLE command. 

If you really need a shock collar to control a six month old PUPPY, then maybe this isn't the right breed for you.


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## Chip18

WynterCote said:


> Any further advice before we break down and get the shock collar? Should I even expect biting to stop at 6 months? Thanks for any advice.


OK lose that plan! No one recommends doing that for this! 
Some trainers suggest just shove your thumb in the puppies throat, force him to disengage simpl direct and to the point.

Puppies chewed on my wife long after they stopped chewing on me. 

So apparently not transferable?? I'll see what I can dig up.


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## wolfy dog

So if she bites you and you give her a toy (re-directing) I think you are actually rewarding her which make s that behavior persistent. I did what Laren suggested. Picking him up and putting him behind a closed door for a few seconds.
One day when he was about 4 -5 months old, I came home and he was loose in the house with my DH and he (pup!) greeted me with a puncture wound in my upper leg. That hurt pretty bad. In a reflex I cursed him out and pushed him down on the floor. This happened faster than I could think at that very moment. But.... he never did it again. I don't recommend this as a general way of training but it shows that they know what they are doing.


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## selzer

Ok, this site is big on re-directing. And for baby puppies it works. Puppies have to chew, they play with their littermates by biting, and they explore their world with their mouths. That is normal. For baby puppies. If you have been shoving a toy in this dog's mouth for 3-4 months than it has failed.

When your little baby puppy chews on your fingers, you say, "Eh, MY fingers, here (put chew-friendly object in pup's mouth) YOURS." 

If the pup moves on to the toy, then say, good boy. Your toy. 

If he ignores the toy and goes for you again, "Eh! no play." And remove yourself from the line of fire. Puppies do this with each other. When one pup is being a bully, the others will not play with him. So he learns to inhibit his biting to a level that the other puppies are ok with.

Ok, teach your dog to be gentle. Do this not when he is biting you, but when you are playing, when you are happy, several times a day. Teach the word -- you are basically loading the clicker here, but no clicker. You are teaching your dog to act a certain way when you say a word. So use the word EVERY TIME, both as a reminder and as a reinforcement. 

First put a treat in your open palm. Say "GENTLE" as you offer the treat. If he takes it gently out of your palm, then say, "Good GENTLE, Good Boy" Do this for about a week, and the words I capitalize are for you to emphasize those terms with a consistent stress, in this case, gentle, Ge---nnnntle. 

Ok, after he is doing this well and you have given it some time, make it tougher. Put your thumb on the treat. Let him have it if he gets it without snatching or biting. Remind every time "Ge---nntle." Reinforce every time he does it right, "Good Ge---nnntle, Gooood boy."

After you do this for several days, make it tougher:
Close your fist around the treat. 
Offer with the reminder.
If he bites at your fist or claws it to get at the treat,
"Eh, and put it back in your pocket." Try again in a few minutes -- they are smart, they will get this.

If he licks your fist, open and say "Good GENTLE, Good boy!" 

After several days of this game, when he is consistently good at it, move on.

Go to putting the treat between the index and thumb. If he snatches -- do not let him have it. Always remind, and always reinforce. 

When this is good, the term GENTLE can be applied to other things like GENTLE with the baby, GENTLE with my fingers. 

In the mean time, you can teach the work HURT to your pup. When you are playing and he gets more finger than you would like, say, "EH, You HURT the momma." Stress the word "hurt" with a pained tone. Keep it consistent. Don't HURT my fingers. If he continues, get your fingers out of the line of fire, game over, no more playing for 20-30 minutes. If you must put him behind a baby gate so he cannot get to parts of you to bite. 

It is easier to each your dog what to do, than what not to do. But they are like 2-3 year olds, they can learn stuff like YOURS, MINE, GENTLE, HURT, NO, EH, YES, GOOD. 

Good luck with the puppy.


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## Abi had

JKlatsky said:


> Give her something else to bite. It's not enough to say No or discourage the biting. Consider that the GSD is a herding breed and very mouthy by nature. Rather than fight instinct, shape it. I know you always redirect to the toy...but what do you do with it once you give it to her? Toys are not fun unless they move. Your hands probably move ALOT. Teach your dog to tug and carry the toy and bring it back to you will keep her mouth off your hands.


Hiya my puppy Mika she’s 6 months is still biting an awful lot and it does hurt , I’ve tried Eveything to get her to stop she just doesn’t and the worse one is when we go out for walks she pulls she is reactive to Everything she barks and other dogs and she scares people because she barks at them and she also chases cars when they drive past and no matter the words we say or anything she will not listen and it’s draining because she leaves marks on me everyday I need help figuring out how to get her to listen to commands stop biting and get better at walking , many thanks Abi


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## Wunderwhy6

Abi had said:


> Hiya my puppy Mika she’s 6 months is still biting an awful lot and it does hurt , I’ve tried Eveything to get her to stop she just doesn’t and the worse one is when we go out for walks she pulls she is reactive to Everything she barks and other dogs and she scares people because she barks at them and she also chases cars when they drive past and no matter the words we say or anything she will not listen and it’s draining because she leaves marks on me everyday I need help figuring out how to get her to listen to commands stop biting and get better at walking , many thanks Abi


You will likely receive more answers if you start your own thread with this information


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## Abi had

Im Not sure how to work this thing haha sorry


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## Wunderwhy6

Abi had said:


> Im Not sure how to work this thing haha sorry


No worries, we all had to start somewhere to learn  
If you look at the top right, there should be a section that says “new threads” or something along those lines. Select that and it will take you to the most recently created threads. There is then an option there to create your own


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## WNGD

The first 15 replies in this thread are garbage. That is all.


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## AE316

6 months is still teething. Give the dog something to chew on for a few minutes then take it away after. Bully stick, ball, kong, etc. Probably best to rotate different toys each day so the dog isn't bored of the same toy. Let the dog play alone with the toy and at times with you also. When I pet mine she tries to go for my hands which at times I don't mind unless she bites hard. Most of the time I'll have a tug rope and offer that to her when I do a few pets or scratch her gently. I may stop letting her have my hand if she does that with others unless she understands it's only okay to do it with me.


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