# What does "land shark" mean exactly?



## Traid

I have been reading some forum posts have keep coming across the "land shark" reference. Can someone clue me in on what exactly "land shark" means?


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## Femfa

*What does &quot;land shark&quot; mean exactly?*

Land shark means that by 6 and a half months, your dog is only leaving this amount of scars on you:










Should've seen them when she was 3 months old...


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## CranberryGSD

Basically, your dogs behavior acts like a shark on land.


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## Baillif




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## tim_s_adams

I just recently raised a puppy...she's now almost 10 months old, and I'm realizing that the scarring on my forearms is never going away.


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## tim_s_adams

I was only partially kidding. GSD puppies enter a stage where they chew on everything, and often you will be their primary target. Most suggest that you use firm corrections along with toys to redirect the puppy's attention, but you will be bitten, and you will likely bleed as a result. It goes away when they're about 6 months or so and are done teething...


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## bkernan

Landshark Phase: period of time* when your puppy or adolescent GSD takes on a teeth-first approach in all aspects of existence and you begin to wonder why you brought a seemingly murderous, vengeful chompity Pac-Man with fur into your home. Typically accompanied by superficial abrasions and scrapes to the upper and lower extremities of the Landshark?s handler. 

*note this period of time may seem infinite, and for the lucky few, becomes a way of life.


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## Sunsilver

THIS!


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## Coleen

I was convinced that Tasha was a Great White Shark instead of a gsd puppy!


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## Traid

Haha, great pictures guys! Thanks for clearing that up. Another related question. My pup (3 months) will often push his face into my belly when I am petting him and start to nibble. He doesn't really use his teeth when is is doing this. It's almost like he is trying to tickle me. Have you guys ever experienced this?


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## Sunsilver

He's trying to groom you. You will often see dogs do that to their own fur, as well as licking to clean themselves.

Edit: had to post this re. the 'landshark' reference!


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## islanddog

Sunsilver said:


> THIS!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gec-nqc1HUA


I'm feeling torn between thinking 'oh so cute' and being thoroughly terrified.

Having never brought a puppy into my home, I'm taking vicarious pleasure in seeing all the landsharks on this thread.


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## Sunsilver

islanddog, malinois pups are worse than GSDs, believe me!


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## Coleen

Sunsilver said:


> islanddog, malinois pups are worse than GSDs, believe me!


I didn't think that was possible! Lol


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## GSDLOVER3

Traid said:


> I have been reading some forum posts have keep coming across the "land shark" reference. Can someone clue me in on what exactly "land shark" means?


My definition of a land shark is a GSD that starting as a pup will eat and bite every thing it comes in contact with. I have owed GSD my whole life and I'm 68 now. Some settle down as they grow older but the 6 year old I have now chews stuff up 3 in pvc pipe is his toy and i cant leave a cardboard box any where. When he was a pup he destroyed everything. Taillights on my utility trailer and boat. Transponders on the boat just to mention a few. He has gotten better with age but where other pros grow out after teething of sharking well it still comes out every now and then. The good part my arms and legs arnt abused any more. I love my gsd,s and will tolerate the land shark. Their other habits way out weigh the shark attacr.


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## WNGD

Old thread but always relevant to today.

I guess I'll be the first and only one to offer some balance to this topic. I have owned 6 GSD over 40 years, obviously all different litters and parents, 4 female and now 2 males together and never once, not a single time have I had my hands, arms, face, legs or any pants, shirts etc bloodied or bruised. Not once. My forearms are spectacular 

Also understand the difference between normal teething and an active chewer.

Do they attempt to gnaw on your hands? Absolutely. But that's at a very young age where you teach them you're not a chew toy. And it's not negotiable. I don't ever remember having to overly correct a young pup and none of them have ever gone to a point where I couldn't correct them them or was over whelmed by a 12 week old ..... and none of my dogs were what I'd consider less than medium drive. Both current ones I'd say are medium to high prey drive.

I honestly don't get it. I don't get reports from seemingly sane owners, of it lasting for months or years.


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## saschasgirl

WNGD said:


> I honestly don't get it. I don't get reports from seemingly sane owners, of it lasting for months or years.


Well can you tell me what steps you personally take to stop puppies biting, then? And I'm not trying to be flippant, I'm seriously asking. Because I've done everything that worked with my previous puppies. I've read the posts here. I've watched the videos. And _nothing_ I've tried has helped with the 15-week old puppy that I have now.


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## WNGD

saschasgirl said:


> Well can you tell me what steps you personally take to stop puppies biting, then? And I'm not trying to be flippant, I'm seriously asking. Because I've done everything that worked with my previous puppies. I've read the posts here. I've watched the videos. And _nothing_ I've tried has helped with the 15-week old puppy that I have now.


If you have searched puppy biting threads, you've read what I do a dozen times since I have covered it that many times in just the last 60 days. I have people about to arrive for dinner or I'd find and copy/paste it again but there's no magic. 15 weeks is a perfect time to teach if you've done the ground work from 8-12

Can you post a video of when a 15 week old puppy is uncontrollable or rips into your arms?


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## Ken Clean-Air System




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## selzer

sharks will eat anything, so will puppies, they can be quite destructive and a danger themselves during this stage. So, it's not just that they can be bitey/mouthy to people (mine generally aren't, not the ones I've kept, no real teething on me), but they have baby-teeth and need to chew. Like babies part of exploration, everything goes in the mouth. Adult dogs have a better sense of not eating bitter/poisonous stuff that puppies don't have. So you be careful as they eat everything. 

There is another thing though. We often give kids a pass when they are teething because it hurts, or when they are growing, because it hurts. Dogs don't act like people in pain do. They might cry or yelp or limp in pain, but often a survival technique in nature is to mask pain, and the first you know a dog is hurting is when they act somewhat aggressive. So changes in normal temperament should be paid attention too because puppies grow rapidly. A human baby is born about 7-8 pounds, and after a year they are 15-20 pounds? I really don't know. But a puppy is born around 1 to 1.5 pounds, and at the end of 1 year, they are 55-80 pounds. Look at that tiny head of a one-day-old puppy, and compare it to the size of the skull of her mother or father, and know that that growth is going to happen within 12 short months. It's no wonder puppies are chewing and busy, energetic that first year -- land sharks. 

Cut them some slack but don't let them get away with murder, because if you do that first year right, your dog and you will be happier and better adjusted and with the growing and teething mostly out of the way, better tempered. I think this is why the first year, why puppyhood is the toughest.


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## saschasgirl

WNGD said:


> If you have searched puppy biting threads, you've read what I do a dozen times since I have covered it that many times in just the last 60 days. I have people about to arrive for dinner or I'd find and copy/paste it again but there's no magic. 15 weeks is a perfect time to teach if you've done the ground work from 8-12
> 
> Can you post a video of when a 15 week old puppy is uncontrollable or rips into your arms?


I've seen you comment in discussions but I couldn't tell you which advice in the puppy biting threads came from which person without going back to look through it all again. But like I said, I've already looked in the puppy forums, _especially_ in the stickies, and none of it has really helped me with this particular pup. Chances are I've already tried your suggestions. I've watched the McCann videos and followed her advice. I've watched other dog training videos too.

I don't have a video of my puppy when she's biting. I am doing my very best to not give her an opportunity to bite in the first place, and I'm not willing to set my dog up to fail just to get it on camera. I wouldn't know how to post it anyway.

I wouldn't say she's uncontrollable. I can put her in a crate and that's control. I can hold her firmly by the collar and that's control. But that doesn't teach her not to repeat the behavior. And at her age I'm not correcting her with anything more than a flat collar - and thus far she ignores all corrections as though they never happened.

I wouldn't say she rips into my arms. I have literally had my arm ripped open by a dog and had to get stitches, this isn't that. I still don't like having my hands grabbed by sharp puppy teeth.

I'm not the best or most experienced dog trainer but I've had dogs for 30+ years - Great Danes, German Shepherds, Boxers, a Border Collie mix. I have some experience with a variety of temperaments and behavioral issues. This remains the most frustrating puppy I've ever worked with.

I'm doing the best I can. She's very smart and she loves to learn when given the incentive to focus. I believe I'm making progress in small stages. But when people say things along the lines of "I don't get how people are having this problem" or "I'd have that under control within a few days" it drives me absolutely mental. I have tried, I've been trying, it's not a matter of laziness or stupidity or insanity and I resent the implication that if I haven't already solved the problem it must be due to one of those things.


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## wolfy dog

Puppies bite in whatever is in reach. So why give her access to your hands? Give her a toy BEFORE she bites you, keep her on leash to keep her away from your legs, sprinkle treats on the floor if you leash her etc. It's not rocket science to prevent biting. I have had several land sharks but only one bit me after my hubby released him from his crate to greet me when I came home (with a puncture wound). The first and last time he did it. Another one came running towards me with a wide open mouth. I wasn't going to wait to experience his intention so I caught him by holding on to both sides of his neck (NO shaking) and looked in his eyes with a stern "NO!" If he could have talked I would have heard, "I get it", which was true.
They bite us because they can. Their mothers and other adult dogs wouldn't have put up with it either and pups wouldn't even try after the first correction.


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## WNGD

Sachasgirl, you haven't given any details other than you have a 15 week old pup so all anyone can do is offer generalities on your specific situations. Don't be "driven absolutely mental" or take offence too easily. It's very tiring to answer this question over and over for owners who may have "read all the threads" and may or may not be doing X or Y correctly. Many people correct before laying the foundation of the pup knowing the desired action for instance.
Result? Confused or frustrated dog. It's very hard to offer more than generalities without knowing a lot more information or living with your dog.

What I do believe is that if I had the vast majority of dogs between 8 and 20 weeks, I would not have a biter and would not have scars on my arms.

Since you've read all the threads and watch many videos, let's make some assumptions.
1/ You got your pup around 8 weeks old. No idea if you just picked out a dog or worked with a breeder to get a dog with a personality to match your lifestyle and goals for the dog or whether your dog is dominant, confident etc. Let's just assume you liked the look of the dog and it's dam.

2/ Let's assume the dog is or mostly house trained and gets regular appropriate exercise for his age and that you interact positively with him often, are building engagement with him, feed him appropriately, are his world.

3/ From 8-12 weeks, your puppy wants replacement litter mates and basically wants to eat, sleep, play and bite. That's about it's life. Bite inhibition (learning to moderate the bite) was started with Mom and litter mates and now continues to see if you have the same rules.
So we make the assumption that you have started with "ow" and calm "no bite" and diverted to an appropriate bite item and that you engage them with that toy and make it preferable to biting you (diversion).

4/ 12-16 weeks, we assume that didn't end the biting (nor was it designed to) and needle teeth have progressed to teeth that can produce more pressure. Now that you have previously and completely set the expected alternate behavior, you move to "no bite!" he knows what that means and you divert to the appropriate chew/toy/frozen cloth as appropriate but if he continues to focus on your hand/arm/face (which he really shouldn't have easy access to), you need to offer a correction. His mother laid the foundation for you and you are letting it slide.

Bearing in mind that the pup needs an appropriate correction that over rides the pleasure of biting you! Scruff the side of the neck, firmer "no bite" and direct to the item. Interact with it, be animated, make biting the toy more enjoyable than biting you and being corrected. Do not be frustrated, do not be angry but be firm. Some people scruff the side of the neck, behind the neck or under the chin. Slow brief shake. Do not give access to continue biting you, wear gloves if you are tentative.

5/ 16-20 weeks, we assume you're still having the odd issue with mouthing/nipping/biting and no, it is no longer cute or he doesn't do it much or he's gentle most of the time; it's no longer acceptable. Teeth are for food and you are not his food and neither is your child or the kid next door or the kid at the park or visitors to your house or .... 

Again baring in mind teething (generally 3-6 months, different issue) your dog knows he can't put his teeth on you, he knows the desired action and appropriate alternative but still falls back occasionally or stubborn. With no real anger but the appearance no other option, the no bite and correction has to be ramped up, you mean business for the benefit of the dog because repeating and repeating with no results means you are letting him be desensitized to these easy corrections. 

"No bite!" is very firm low voice, since you know he realizes what the expectations are/were. Scruff and a pinch of the neck, eye contact, lift his front legs off the ground, brief form shake. Eye contact.
Can you see his eyes wide showing he's getting the message, this is what happens when I bite a human, this is no fun, I get it, give me another chance. So when you get the desired result, end on a high positive note. If every time he does the negative action, the reaction (that's clearly linked) far outweighs the joy of biting you and the preferred alternative is still pretty good.....it's in their nature to choose the latter. But don't misjudge how fun it is to tear into you so ....

Where the vast majority of owners go wrong is either the refusal to correct appropriately (or at all) or to accurately gauge what level affects their dog. Bottom line it's better to correct firmly a few times and get a perfectly behaving adolescent GSD, than under correct, positive only, buy them some ice cream and beg route with the same problems at 7 months and adult teeth ..... one is fair to the dog and the other isn't. But you need persistence and consistency, can't stress that enough.

It's not magic and there's a lot more involved that is dog specific like reading body language and establishment of yourself as the leader alongside this through other engagement and training. A dog that hasn't learned the basics is more difficult to teach the specifics. If your dog is still out of control at 4-5 months, you either haven't set the foundation early or you're not taking corrections seriously.....so your dog isn't.

So now honestly time. What don't you agree with, where can you see that you've been falling short and what do you need to change today. 15 weeks is a hugely trainable dog and so much fun!


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## WNGD

When you have a few hours to read, start here

Puppy BITING!!! Teaching Bite Inhibition

Good older thread with lots of good and bad opinions (mostly good).

I am SO ANGRY right now.


Watch these videos. McCann Dog Trainers has trained 80,000+ dogs. They’re common sense trainers, not TV stars pretending to be.

German Shephard pup 




And follow up with spouse



__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=517611625748326



Somewhat calm black lab 






Speaking of common sense, Google Stonnie Dennis








Also understand the difference between puppy play, teething and older pup biting (5+ months even if you still mistakenly call it nipping). There’s no such thing as OK, most of the time.



*Angel days and devil days: teaching bite inhibition to puppies*

Q: My Dalmatian puppy is almost nine weeks old. I got him when he was five weeks. He's playful and fun but I can't get him to stop biting me. That seems to be the only way he likes to play anymore — rough! I've been telling him No!, holding his mouth shut while saying “No bite!” and even shoving my hand back in his mouth like a trainer told me to do. Nothing seems to work. In fact, he thinks I'm playing a game with him and gets more excited the more I try to stop him. Sometimes he walks right up and attacks me! What can I do? Is he vicious?
A: No, he's not vicious, he's just being a normal, rambunctious, and sometimes obnoxious puppy. To get control of your pup's biting, it helps to understand why puppies bite in the first place.
Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs don't have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths. To a curious puppy, everything about this big world is brand new and exciting. He learns as he goes along. You can almost hear his thought processes as he discovers something he's never seen before: "Hmmm...what's this? [chomping on it] Something to eat? No? [tossing it around] Can I play with it? Maybe. Can I make it squeak?"
Playing is also a normal learning behavior for puppies, especially play-fighting. Play-fighting with littermates and other animals develops reflexes, coordination and physical skill. It also helps them develop social skills and teaches them how to interact positively within their canine society, their "pack." And it's great fun for them. Sometimes their fighting and "attacks" on us appear frighteningly fierce but to them, it's just a game. Much like a group of kids playing make-believe games and pretending to be grown-ups, puppies have their own games and pretend to be "grown-ups," too!
A dog's ability to control the force of his biting is called "bite inhibition." It's a critically important skill that every puppy needs to learn, the earlier the better. At first, they don't know their own strength nor how sharp their little teeth really are. Puppies learn to control the force of their biting from the reactions of their mothers and littermates during play and especially play-fighting.
We can teach puppies about bite inhibition, too, but some of the methods most often recommended aren't effective. Mother dogs' methods, however, are very effective, often more so than ours. I believe this is because they're speaking to their pups in the language they understand best -- dog language! A baby puppy is much too busy learning how to be a dog to take time to understand our human words and ways. That takes time and maturity. Puppies respond to dog language in a very powerful, instinctive way. We can take advantage of that by copying a mother dog's actions and using them for ourselves.
The idea of using mother dog's natural training techniques isn't new. Respected trainers like Carol Lea Benjamin have been using them for years. To understand these methods, let's take a look at a typical mother dog disciplining her brood. We'll use my Heather (Chow) and her four rowdy puppies as an example.
When a playful puppy bites Heather hard enough to hurt, she squeals in shocked indignation. The puppy, surprised at her reaction, usually hesitates a moment, unsure of himself, then tries to bite again. Heather yelps even louder this time and whirls on the puppy, growling, showing her teeth and scowling at him fiercely. Then she turns her back on him and storms away, completely ignoring him and any further attempts to get her to play. A smart puppy picks up her clear message quickly: "if you can't play nice, I won't play with you at all!"
If the puppy persists or doesn't take the hint, Heather doesn't fool around. With a menacing growl and using her teeth, she grabs him by the scruff of his neck and gives him a shake. If he sasses back, she gives him another little shake, tougher this time. She doesn't let go of the pup till he's acknowledged her authority (in dog language) by relaxing his body, laying his ears back and keeping still for a moment. Heather disciplines especially obnoxious puppies by knocking them over with her paw and pinning them to the ground, growling angrily and pinching them with her teeth. The puppies shriek but they're not really hurt. She doesn't let them up again untill they relax and lie still. After the correction, the puppy shakes his fur back into place and goes off in search of a playmate with a better sense of humor.
We don't have to growl at our puppies or shake them with our teeth, but we can modify Heather's technique for ourselves. The next time your puppy bites you, scream "OW!" in a high-pitched voice. Exaggerate a little. Then refuse to play with him or pay attention to him for a few minutes. If he doesn't get the message, give him a little scruff shake and scold him in a low-toned, threatening voice. You can exaggerate a little on that, too! Sound meaner than you really are. For puppies that just won't quit or seem to get wilder with every correction, flip them over on their backs, scold them in that same low, scary voice (growling) and gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.
We sometimes give puppies the wrong message about biting by some of the games we play with them. Wrestling and tug of war can encourage a puppy to bite and make it hard for him to distinguish when it's okay to use his teeth and when it's not. To make it easier for your puppy to learn good manners, it's a good idea to avoid these games.
Puppies seem to learn a great deal about bite inhibition and authority between five and eight weeks of age through play with their mothers and littermates. This is an especially good reason not to buy very young puppies. Puppies that were acquired earlier need to be taught these important things by their owners. They might require a little more intense use of Heather's methods than puppies that stayed with their litters longer. Puppies that receive little or no training in bite inhibition, either from their mothers or their people, may grow up to develop behavior problems.
I noticed that Heather picked out certain puppies for a little "extra" correction two or three times a day. She'd roll them over, pin them down for no apparent reason, growling at them if they didn't lie quietly. I noticed, too, that the puppies she chose were the most outgoing and dominant in the litter. She gave them regular reminders of her authority and the behavior she expected from them. I've found that using her technique myself works very well on puppies that've become too big for their britches!
Even with their mothers, puppies act a lot like kids -- they're always testing and pushing their limits. They have angel days and devil days. With patience, persistence and a few hints from your puppy's mother, you'll be able to tip the balance toward the angel's side!
More on kids and dogs is available in the article: Kids And Dogs: Safety first and Vicki DeGruy's award-winning column: Kids and Dogs: A common sense approach.


NOTE: I have never had to resort to pinning puppies in a sign of dominance and there are lots of articles disagreeing with flipping a pup over and pinning it. But scruffing a dog and lifting it’s forelegs off the ground with a firm, slight shake like you mean it, no anger, works wonders.


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## Shari Lee

saschasgirl said:


> Well can you tell me what steps you personally take to stop puppies biting, then? And I'm not trying to be flippant, I'm seriously asking. Because I've done everything that worked with my previous puppies. I've read the posts here. I've watched the videos. And _nothing_ I've tried has helped with the 15-week old puppy that I have now.


I pop my GS pup on the nose fairly hard so he sneezes when he bites at my hands.. He hates it and doesn't nip anymore during that playtime.


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## Sabis mom

Shari Lee said:


> I pop my GS pup on the nose fairly hard so he sneezes when he bites at my hands.. He hates it and doesn't nip anymore during that playtime.


Oh Wow! That really is not ok.


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## wolfy dog

Shari Lee said:


> I pop my GS pup on the nose fairly hard so he sneezes when he bites at my hands.. He hates it and doesn't nip anymore during that playtime.


That is abuse, not training to me. If it makes him sneeze it's pretty harsh. You may have injured his sinuses. Also realize that there is growth tissue in the muzzle that you can damage.


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