# HELP! my 5 month pup scares me!



## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

my pup keeps biting me like im his play toy. when he bites me i grab him by the scruff of his neck and slam him to the ground and hold him there and yell no! but he just gets up and keeps on biting. what can i do? im afraid he's going to eat me! he's not growling or really biting. its a game to him but it does draw blood. he would rather bite me than his tug toy. im scared of my dog! :help:


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## Diesel_Maminka (Sep 19, 2013)

First of all...

Stop slamming him. 

Second of all.... He's got a biting habit. Trying changing his direction. But kong toys. He's a pup and teething. 

Welcome to GSD. I have a bunch of "puppy battle wounds" from my last 3 GSD's. 


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

Yes, stop slamming him to the ground!! You're getting him more amped up and making the game rougher to him, and you might even be hurting him. Like the poster before me said, hand him a toy whenever he bites you, I usually say NO BITE and then hand them the toy.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

Drive and bite hun . Do not hurt your dog, and teach your dog how to behave, and play with it  If all else fails go to a trainer . Do not be scared that would hurt your dog more then it does you, just learn how to take care of your dog ok...


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## Sagan (Apr 27, 2013)

Depending on how much drive you want in your dog you might want to consider not correcting him too hard when he's so young. I dealt with the biting until I knew the correction weren't going to interfere with the drive. If you aren't planning to work your dog then you just aren't correcting him hard enough to make him stop. A lot of positive only trainers will advise for other methods but if you study many different wild animals you'll notice that there are many natural negitve reinforcement, ie consequences to undesired actions of your pup. It really depends on your scenario and desires.


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

Stop engaging physically with your dog at this time. No slamming, no alpha-rolling, you are possibly rewarding biting behavior by engaging with the dog. Your pup looks like he's having a grand old time.

Re direct with a tug toy or a kong. If your pup insists on biting you to get you to play, walk away from him--put a door between you for a little bit--like 30 seconds. Your attention and play is a reward. If his behavior is unacceptable than you should ignore it.

The thing about "wrestling" or "rolling" a dog is that generally--if they really want to--they can win. You never want to let them know that. I've always played games like tug and even some "wrasslin" type of games with my dogs but I taught them when they were pups that I started the play and I ended the play and if they didn't obey my rules, the game ended.

I would suggest using a tug toy. Use a high value treat and when your pup is really tugging command him to drop it and give him the treat. When the toy is dropped, get even more excited and give it back to him. If he doesn't drop the toy, turn your back and stop playing. Basically, the fun continues when he listens and obeys but stops when he doesn't obey.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

Keep in mind, redirection takes patience. This is not something you will fix overnight. Be patient, be consistent, and unless you want to create a monster, stop being physical. At best, you're only going to amp him up even more. At worst, you're going to create or contribute to a fearfulness problem.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

he's puppy, by slamming him to the ground , your egging him on, so of course it's a game to him.

Get him out in the big wide world and EXERCISE him..take him for a hike, run him, sounds like he has alot of energy he needs to burn.

If you are truly 'scared' of him, maybe he'd be best with someone else.

Find an obedience class and take him.


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

No dominating, that did not work for us at all!
We stopped by redirecting, if toy does not work and he gets in a crazy mood, start training and doing tricks with treats to correct it. Worked great for us, no biting now at 8 month and many many kisses.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Exercise...exercise...exercise and when you're done, exercise some more. Your pup has loads of energy that needs to be burned off. Get a flirt pole. Google dog tricks. Exercise his mind as well. 

Physical corrections are only amping him up more. 

Seek professional help via training classes.


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

I cant really say anything that hasn't been said already except that you should read the above posts a few times over to make sure you know them by heart.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I'll only add that obviously harsh physical corrections aren't working and should be stopped, it's time to try something else. You've gotten some very good advice here and I really encourage you to find a trainer to help you out


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## My5dogs (Aug 30, 2013)

Redirection. Always have a toy in hand. This will pass


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

boomer11 said:


> ...


What a great looking puppy!


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

I have pictures like this somewhere on the forum


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## Chantald (Jul 23, 2013)

I have to agree with just about everything I've read. My 5 month old is still nippy and has left some broken skin. Redirect, and exercise lots (both physically and mentally). Also, wear long sleeves if its really that bad? I just wear a hoodie all the time because I'd rather deal with holes in my sweater than in my arms.

Do not keep doing the alpha roll business, it doesn't work, an even as a little pup, my guy just got even more worked up. It really did the opposite of calming him down. After reading about it more, I stopped doing it. There's too much potential for both him or you to get badly hurt doing that.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

You have already been given great advise. I will only add one thing. Have you crate trained? If not you should. When my pup was biting and a redirect with a toy didn't seem to interest her and she kept biting and nipping I told her "time out- crate" and she went to her crate for a minute or two to calm down. It gave us both a minute to calm and regroup to a different focus. When I released her from her crate I praised her for being a good in her crate and offered her a toy to play with on* my* terms. 
Have patience. Try not to be afraid of your pup as it senses your fear. Remember to, that a crate is not a place of punishment it is place of calm, safe, relaxation for your pup. 
Good luck to you! And what a gorgeous puppy!
:hug:


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

alexg said:


> What a great looking puppy!


The puppy does look really good lol I didnt even really look at the photo all that much the first time.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

he doesnt want to chase his ball or play with his tug. my butt is sore because when i turn to walk away and try to ignore him, he keeps chomping down on my butt. he waits outside my door for me to come out just so he can bite me.....


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

boomer11 said:


> he doesnt want to chase his ball or play with his tug. my butt is sore because when i turn to walk away and try to ignore him, he keeps chomping down on my butt. he waits outside my door for me to come out just so he can bite me.....


He wants something, find a trainer to help you out with that . I bet respect is a little low, but he is young too.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

he needs something and If I did not have a great dog I would take him, but I do...


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Are you seriously afraid of this puppy? Because it sounds like you know this isn't aggressiveness, just play biting. 

If you are serious about being afraid of this baby, than you can pack him up and send him over to me. I will find a place for him somewhere, and let him chew on me for a few weeks until we figure out that other stuff definitely tastes better.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

boomer11 said:


> he doesnt want to chase his ball or play with his tug. my butt is sore because when i turn to walk away and try to ignore him, he keeps chomping down on my butt. he waits outside my door for me to come out just so he can bite me.....


Are you for real? How old are you? Maybe your parents should get him in training class if he's not in one yet. It's the perfect time to get started at 5 months.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

should i just buy a bite sleeve and let him bite it? he loves the fight and rough housing. what kind should i get?


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> should i just buy a bite sleeve and let him bite it? he loves the fight and rough housing. what kind should i get?


No, you need to teach him that kind of playing isn't acceptable. It won't happen overnight but if you stuff a toy in his mouth or stop playing and turn your back every time he bites he will put 2 and 2 together. If he bites you when you turn your back walk away and put a door between you. When you open it, if he bites, shut it again. Wait a couple seconds then open it again do it until he calms down.


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## shugarhey (Jul 29, 2013)

He looks so proud of the work he's done  I am willing to bet that he has been doing this all along and never taught to stop... now that he is stronger and teeth are bigger it is understood why they should be corrected before they get too old. Good luck reversing this.

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## maxgsd (Dec 13, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> he doesnt want to chase his ball or play with his tug. my butt is sore because when i turn to walk away and try to ignore him, he keeps chomping down on my butt. he waits outside my door for me to come out just so he can bite me.....


You can't just offer him a ball or tug it has to be more fun than biting you. I had the same problems with my latest with the kids. When he's biting you you're probably flailing around because it hurts. That's 100% more fun for him to go after than a tossed ball or tug. Put the tug on a rope move it around like a prey item he will engage it.


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## MiaMoo (Apr 6, 2013)

I'd bite you constantly if you "slammed me to the ground" too...

Find a trainer, someone that actually knows what they're doing. 

He's a puppy, puppies bite. Mia was a little terror until she was maybe 6/7 months old, now you can shove your hands in her mouth and she won't bite down.


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

You have to make the tug, the ball or flirt pole more fun than biting you. Your dog is getting reaction/attention from you for the rough play. You have to give him a bigger reaction and reinforcement when he plays with a tug or ball. Flirt poles are pretty fun and a good way to work off energy while interacting with your dog.


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## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

I see your point about the biting, that's not acceptable behavior in a dog and -no pun intended - you need to nip this in the bud asap. 

Take the suggestions the others have given you and if at all possible, work with a trainer. Even an hour's worth of good instructions can be really helpful. The alpha roll thing isn't working, if that's what you're doing, and as your dog gets bigger and stronger it has a lot of potential for some really serious consequences. 

He's a beautiful dog and really worth the time (and a bit of money) to get him to learn good manners. Good luck.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

no you shouldn't buy a bite sleeve and let him keep on biting..what are you going to do when he decides to get a little to rough with someone else and bites them good? Get sued?? Pay some medical bills? The dog will suffer because he has bitten someone?

FIND A TRAINER and STOP being so aggressive with your puppy.. If you cant, and are afraid of him, plenty of offers to take him here, heck I'll take him..


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## Renofan2 (Aug 27, 2010)

What are your intentions with this puppy - sport or pet? Type of correction will depend on what you would like to do with your puppy. I went thru this earlier this year with my male. I really thought he would never stop biting me and have a lot of war wounds. Plenty of redirecting with other toys. Either way I agree with the suggestion above - find a qualified trainer that works with gsd's so you can learn the best way to handle his puppy biting. At 11 months Finn no longer thinks I am his personal chew toy.

C


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## Mwelsh03 (Jul 10, 2013)

Bitter apple spray twice into the mouth each time he bites you will solve that problem very quickly. My puppy stopped biting me within 2 weeks of doing that. 


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Cute picture - you can just see the expression on your puppy's face, "Put the camera down and let's get it on!" Please please understand that when you grabbed him to get him to stop biting, in his eyes you were playing with him. So basically, you trained him to do this. I know, it happens. Just be aware that it's your fault, not his. And now that you've reinforced this behavior for months, it will be difficult to change the rules of the game. 

Don't get a bite sleeve. If you'd trained him to have a soft mouth and he knew you were his only playmate, then it might not be such a terrible idea. But it sounds like you've given up trying to train him not to bite you, so you're just looking for some protection for yourself to keep the injuries to a minimum. That's pretty silly, because then you're only encouraging him even more. If you don't like his change from cute little baby puppy chomping on you to a 5 month old doing the same, then you're really not going to like a full grown adult dog doing it. 

I always taught my puppies to bite me with a soft mouth, so I don't know what sort of training goes into undoing what you've done. What others have suggested works when they're young and impressionable, like stopping play and removing yourself from the situation. Does he understand the word "no" yet? He really needs to learn that you made a mistake by letting him get away with this for so long. You do too.


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## ODINsFREKI (Jul 30, 2013)

I just got over this stage with my puppy. He was a shark! All I had to do was let him mouth me a little and play. If he got too crazy, I would make a loud IIIIPPPPEEE Yipe sound, stand up, say nei, leave the room and let him play by himself with a chew toy. Nothing teaches them that it's uncool better than not paying attention to them. If he plays harder than you want him to, make a yipe sound and let him chew on something else and ignore.

That dog is amazing and you are lucky to have him. If you don't want to be bitten, please ship him to me, I will pay for the air freight. 

Good luck and remember that it will pass with good training and some time.

The only way they know how to communicate at this age is by mouthing or biting. THink of it as a baby that only knows how to throw a fit and yell with their lungs!


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

OMG i let my dog out in the backyard to potty and he somehow caught a rabbit and brought it inside and started eating it!!!! now that he has tasted blood will he try and kill every animal?! this dog has bit me and killed a rabbit in less than a week. what happened to my cute little puppy???


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

You posted in the 'living with a working line' thread how well your dog is doing and settles nicely in the house. In addition to giving training advice in other threads. Not responding to the advice in this thread.

So what's up with this?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You posted this two weeks ago....apparently not the first time your puppy has killed a rabbit...maybe you should read the basic message in your own advice. 



boomer11 said:


> A good german Shepherd pup should be prey driven. If you don't have the time to properly manage one then it's probably best to rehome. But don't blame the pups for doing what comes natural to them. It's your fault! At 5 months you can't even get them to sit still much less stop chasing game. It is weird when you see your cute pup kill another animal though. When my pup killed a rabbit and was eating it's intestines, I wouldn't let him lick me for days!
> 
> If you're fed up because 5 month pups don't understand to leave things alone that they were born to chase then yeah you should rehome. Most definitely not the right dogs for you.


And stop slamming that puppy to the ground.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

@Boomer11...I am worried about your puppy. Not because of the puppies behavior but yours. Please rehome him. He deserves better IMHO.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

boomer11 said:


> OMG i let my dog out in the backyard to potty and he somehow caught a rabbit and brought it inside and started eating it!!!! now that he has tasted blood will he try and kill every animal?! this dog has bit me and killed a rabbit in less than a week. what happened to my cute little puppy???


 
Are you serious? My advice would be finding a trainer. I would go to some clubs to get educated on the breed and get some training there maybe? You obviously are in over your head.

Also, the slamming will do nothing but make him more aggressive and this dog will only get bigger and stronger. It's a prescription for a disaster for someone and the dog. A bite sleeve will only reinforce this behavior. *NO **BITE SLEEVE!*

Find a trainer to help you and don't abuse this dog anymore by slamming him as he is doing what comes natural and reacting to your actions. Find a trainer soon. it looks to me there is little control going on here judging by all the stuff tore up in the background. A trainer will help you take back some control. You also need to puppy proof your house or you'll be living in the vets office for him eating stuff he shouldn't. JMO


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

Sounds like a nice pup.

Stop slamming your dog into the ground. Really, just stop.

Where are you located? You need more help then be given on a forum I think. Maybe if you post your location someone close to you can help or hook you up with a good trainer.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

boomer11 said:


> OMG i let my dog out in the backyard to potty and he somehow caught a rabbit and brought it inside and started eating it!!!! now that he has tasted blood will he try and kill every animal?! this dog has bit me and killed a rabbit in less than a week. what happened to my cute little puppy???


He grew up


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

boomer are you reading what people are suggesting to you ? or are you just going for the wow factor?

You post this problem and rather than acknowledge the advice given to you, your posting he's a rabbit killer pics..

Maybe he's hungry?


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## PhoenixGuardian (Jul 10, 2013)

I agree with the other posters. He just thinks your playing, though i don't think you should re-home him unless you are fed up with him, or think he would do better. My boy, Phoenix, used to be a terrible play-biter. He gave me so many scratches! He grew out of it for the most part, though he will still mouth my hands and arms. I allow this, unless it is too hard, and only to me. He really needs exercise, he looks like he's definitely the age that he will start challenging you, especially when he doesn't have the right amount of exercise. If you can, find a trainer, and enroll in some obedience classes. find something that turns him on (besides your arm) for him to play with. Maybe a squeaky toy or kong, and re-direct him every time he bites you. He gets excited when you slam him down. What I did was when he bit me, I would pinch his top lips into his top teeth (just hard enough that he knows that that isn't fun) and tell him no, in a calm, though unhappy voice. Then walk away. If he comes up and bites you from behind, I would just do the same thing, as many times as it takes. I'm sure that lots of other people have better methods, but this worked for me, and my boy sounds a bit like yours. He grew out of it, and is my best friend of all time. Right now, he is passed out across the room, exhausted because we just played HARD for an hour. 
Your dog NEEDS a JOB, they are working dogs, and have to stay stimulated. Can you train for any kind of competition with him? 
As for the rabbits that he has killed, its just instinct/boredom/lack of stimulation. There's a good chance that now he'll want to chase little things like rabbits when he sees them, but it doesn't mean that he'll want to kill everything in sight. He just needs more. 
My Phoenix is horrified by blood :rolleyes2:, so he's never killed anything, though he caught a chicken once (but he was trying to put it back in the coop) but our huskies will kill anything smaller than a cat that they can catch. If we let them. But they won't, because we tell them not to. Its just training.
I know this was long, and maybe it wasn't even helpful, but its all just training. Just keep working, and keep the faith.
Good luck!


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Whoa! My now 9 month old pup was the land shark from ****-she passed land shark and became furry piranha...but never, ever did I resort to that kind of reprimand. (don't think I wasn't tempted, I was...) I had bite wounds ALL OVER me. Your dog has probably lost all respect for you at this point, especially when the dog also senses fear. Physical "throwing him on the ground" does nothing to make a dog stop doing this. He may end up really letting you have it! I had to work very, very hard at redirecting my dog, for several hours each and every day... and eventually, she stopped a couple of months after her adult teeth came in. She may still try to mouth me at times, but never, ever tries to harm me. You have trained him to behave this way. Please get a trainer. Bite sleeve? NO NO NO. 



boomer11 said:


> my pup keeps biting me like im his play toy. when he bites me i grab him by the scruff of his neck and slam him to the ground and hold him there and yell no! but he just gets up and keeps on biting. what can i do? im afraid he's going to eat me! he's not growling or really biting. its a game to him but it does draw blood. he would rather bite me than his tug toy. im scared of my dog! :help:


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

boomer11 said:


> OMG i let my dog out in the backyard to potty and he somehow caught a rabbit and brought it inside and started eating it!!!! now that he has tasted blood will he try and kill every animal?! this dog has bit me and killed a rabbit in less than a week. what happened to my cute little puppy???



Uum...this is what GSD's do. My female got her "first kill" about 6 weeks ago, a ground squirrel. I dewormed her...as all rodents in our area carry Taenia. 

I think you need to find your dog a new home. You are obviously in way, way over your head here. Anything in the yard is fair game for my dogs...but inside, they sleep with even kittens. This dog is going to end up a wreck. Please find him a home with someone who understands GSD's. Please. Please.


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

Springbrz said:


> @Boomer11...I am worried about your puppy. Not because of the puppies behavior but yours. Please rehome him. He deserves better IMHO.


Unfortunately I agree with this as well.


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## MiaMoo (Apr 6, 2013)

Rehome the dog. You dole out advice that you won't take yourself.


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

I really hope you aren't going to be one of the people who bring your beautiful GSD to a shelter just because you don't know how to care for him. There are WAY to many options out there besides giving him up if you cant handle him. Get some training with the dog, like others have said go to a club or just find a good trainer. I don't know where you live so I can not look for any trainers around you but the problem is not all on the dog its also on you as well. The dog is still a puppy so things are going to happen but it will get better with time!


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

i cant rehome the dog. its actually my brothers dog but he was just involved in a major car accident so i have to take care of it until he's out of the hospital. he told me to go on here if i had any questions. he's really well behaved when my bro is around but based on all the replies i guess this is how german shepherds act. guess ill just have to put up with it for awhile.....


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

also is there any way to just delete this thread? my bro might be mad if he finds out i slammed his dog a couple of times.


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> i cant rehome the dog. its actually my brothers dog but he was just involved in a major car accident so i have to take care of it until he's out of the hospital. he told me to go on here if i had any questions. he's really well behaved when my bro is around but based on all the replies i guess this is how german shepherds act. guess ill just have to put up with it for awhile.....


But the thing is that you don't have to put up with it.....you just need to do some training!


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> also is there any way to just delete this thread? my bro might be mad if he finds out i slammed his dog a couple of times.


Well personally I would like it if he were to slam you a couple of times to see how you like it.....


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

boomer11. Are you still around? I have not seen any replies from you.

Try not to take offense to the advice given. Really it's the best for both of you. But don't take offense or feel it's an imposible feat training this dog. It's not rocket science, but does require a helping hand from a qualified trainer. It will make you and your dogs life so much better. Just get the help for both of yours sake please.

Everyone here loves GSD's like they were thier own kids. They care a great deal about you and your dog or they would not be going at length providing you with detailed advice on what to do. 

Hey there are alot of people that have taken miss steps with thier dogs. It shows you at least care enough for this dog that you're here asking for help. So open up the line of communications so we can help you resolve the problems. 

So, don't be mad, be glad cause you have a dog that alot of people wish they could have. He is a great looking shepherd too. It'd be a shame he whither away untrained. 

Lets start here, 

Tell us your background, nothing personal just in general. What do you know about the breed. Why did you want a shepherd? Where did you get him? What does he do when he's not dining on your arm and killing rabbits? By the way, blood has nothing to do with why he killed the rabbit. He is acting on prey drive instinct, nothing to do with tasting blood. Do you think thats why he has continued to bite you? Because he has tasted your blood? I can assure you, the blood in this case, yours, has nothing to do with it. He's either playing or trying to tell you something. So give us a shout back and fill us in with some info/history about you and your dog.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

boomer11 said:


> also is there any way to just delete this thread? my bro might be mad if he finds out i slammed his dog a couple of times.


No. It can't be deleted. I hope your brother is very big and a lot scary than his dog. You have it coming.


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## wdkiser (May 7, 2013)

I think Boomer11 is pulling everyone's leg a little bit.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

wdkiser said:


> I think Boomer11 is pulling everyone's leg a little bit.


Lol that's what I thought


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

This guy is a troll, best ignored.. or if it was me, I'd ban him. Look at all the time he has wasted of people trying to help.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

well we can just ignore him from here and hope his brother gets out the hospital soon and can take care of his puppy.

ANd no Boomer we do not delete threads that a person started for no reason.


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## Linda1270 (Sep 7, 2012)

I'm wondering if boomer11's sister or brother is posting under his/her name without the real boomer11's knowledge. If not, then like wdkiser said, maybe we're all getting our leg pulled.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I think this should be treated as a person truly needing advice. This username isn't a "new" member so I would take the post at face value. After all, shouldn't this be about the puppy?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

It sounds like a pretty tough puppy with strong prey drive, bored out of its mind, chewing stuff, and when the person comes, the pup is using the person as an awesome play toy. 

Definitely the physical interaction (slamming him) is only making the puppy play harder and stronger. 

Now, I do not know what your brother's expectations are for this puppy. If he intends to use the dog for protection, shutzhund, he may not want you to train the puppy aversely not to bite. That doesn't mean you need to allow this puppy to chew on you. I think you should talk to your brother about the puppy's biting, and ask him what he wants for you to do. Playing tug, redirecting to a toy, removing your bitable parts and ignoring the puppy for a period of time, correcting with an ipe! or NO BITE!, teaching him the GENTLE command with treats, and teaching to be gentle with your fingers, arms, etc., exercising the puppy and playing with it to tire it out -- lots of ways without physically correcting the puppy. But the dog is your brother's dog, you should visit him and explain what is happening with the dog and ask suggestions from him. First. 

The pup looks like a nice puppy, and is normal. I am not over concerned about the rabbits, except that he can get tape-worm, from eating rabbits, so it is probably a good idea to worm him, and prevent it. It isn't hard to prevent a dog from getting to a rabbit, keep the dog in a fenced area or on a long line. 

The problem with his being allowed to catch and eat rabbits, is that his already high prey drive is being rewarded with fresh meat -- a pretty significant reward. So teaching the dog to walk nicely on lead or off, and he sees a rabbit, his brain and experience is likely to over-ride the guy who is telling him to heel or stay or come. 

I would not correct my dog for killing a rabbit. I probably would not have let my own dog eat the rabbit. If I did, I would take the rabbit from the dog, and skin it, and clean it first, maybe even freeze it for a few days, and then give it to the dog. I just wouldn't want to reward the prey drive. 

But someone else's dog? No way. I would be so concerned about the safety of someone else's dog that it would not have access to a rabbit, unless the rabbit came into a securely fenced area. And at that point, because everyone is different about whether or not their dog should eat raw, I would probably not let the dog eat the thing.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

im just going to feed the dog and then go hide in my room until my brother is well enough to walk again. i've told him i cant control the dog but he just told me to exercise it more. my parents told me to just hit the dog a couple of times and it'll listen but that clearly didnt work so i used his account to come here to ask for advice. i was just worried that i myself somehow turned his pup into a vicious dog. based on the replies i guess this is normal for a german shepherd pup. this thread has gotten pretty nasty so im done. thanks for those who actually tried to help. for everyone else, not everyone is a dog expert and most dogs i've met DO NOT try to hunt everything in sight!


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Your brother was right to tell you to up the exercise. Your parents were wrong, and I guess you figured that out too, lol. The thing is, usually when someone says to exercise the dog, the first thing that comes to mind is a leashed walk. Maybe for some dogs that's enough, but not for many. What are you doing with this puppy to wear it out? BTW, there's no need to run and hide from this thread just because some of the replies aren't helping you, lol. Some of us do care about your brother's puppy.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

boomer11 said:


> im just going to feed the dog and then go hide in my room until my brother is well enough to walk again. i've told him i cant control the dog but he just told me to exercise it more. my parents told me to just hit the dog a couple of times and it'll listen but that clearly didnt work so i used his account to come here to ask for advice. i was just worried that i myself somehow turned his pup into a vicious dog. based on the replies i guess this is normal for a german shepherd pup. this thread has gotten pretty nasty so im done. thanks for those who actually tried to help. for everyone else, not everyone is a dog expert and most dogs i've met DO NOT try to hunt everything in sight!


Please don't hide! Stick around and learn something. You may want to create your own username and give a good explanation so people don't misunderstand the situation.

There are many threads on biting and redirecting. Use the search function here to see what you can find. If you can't find anything to help, then ask for more specific answers.


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

face palm and moving on. there is no profit to be had from this thread.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Boomer11 it might have helped from the beginning if you had stated that you were not experienced with this breed as a puppy and you were taking care of your brothers dog. Since the title of your post was "*MY'* 5 month old pup scares me" I assumed, as I'm guessing most here did, that it was your dog. My advise would have been different if I had known it was "*not*" your puppy. I would not have suggested you re-home the pup had I known it was not yours to do so and that the situation is temporary. If you took that as unkind advise *I do apologize*. Please know that I believe sometimes good people get in over their with pets. Not all breeds are right for all people. Some people should never have a pet of any kind. I'm not judging just saying it happens. 
That said: you have been given some very good advise as to how to handle the situation while you are charged to care for your brothers beloved puppy. I have nothing to add to that advise. Just to say good luck, have patience and hope your brother is well soon so he can take his puppy off your hands.


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## Thorny (Nov 4, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> also is there any way to just delete this thread? my bro might be mad if he finds out i slammed his dog a couple of times.


Boomers Bro, 
Don't sweat what's been done. You didn't hurt the dog, pups like yours are plenty tough. You should see a herd of them playing together at the park. The slams they give each other can be pretty rough and they just get up and keep on playing.

There are ways to establish yourself as pack leader but no one in this site was ever comfortable telling me it was okay, it took my dogs breeder to help me learn. 

Not responding to the bites is the best solution to your problem , but if the problem is too far past that, investing a few hours in some one on one training with a pro might be the best present you can give to yourself and your bro while he's out of the picture.

Good luck, it'll get better.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

selzer said:


> It sounds like a pretty tough puppy with strong prey drive, bored out of its mind, chewing stuff, and when the person comes, the pup is using the person as an awesome play toy.
> 
> Definitely the physical interaction (slamming him) is only making the puppy play harder and stronger.
> 
> ...


, Yep :hug:, you make me laugh though about the way you word things lol, I understand though


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## lovemytb (Aug 26, 2013)

Never EVER hit your dog for anything especially GSD that has a natural drive and protection instinct. I don't know where you got the idea of slamming your dog on the ground but its a very bad idea and you are getting exactly what you are asking. You have to say "no" very loudly that you might even scare him. You need to redirect his attention to a toy that he likes and play with him but never ever hit him. It is normal for a puppy of any breed to bite while he is growing and teething. My puppy still bites every now and again but much less than he did in the beginning. I simply scream loud with a stern voice "NO" and he stops. I have to keep doing this until he no longer bites me. Now every time I say NO in a stern voice he stops biting. I do the same thing when he is trying to grab my cat playfully. I have a toy that I can play tug of war with him and when he wants to bite me I grab that toy and play with him. I let him bite the toy and make him tug on it and after awhile he gets tired so I give him the toy and he literally goes onto something else. Also NEVER EVER be afraid of your dog!!! Dogs know when you are afraid of him and you MUST establish yourself as a pack leader. Somewhere during his development you have made him think that he is the pack leader and that has to change in order for anything to change with your dog. You must work on commands with him, work with him outside, exercise him, and insert yourself as a leader of his pack. Until than the dog will walk all over you. My suggestion is to get a good trainer to come to your house and work with you on these issues. Do it ASAP or you will miss the most important time of a puppy that can still change. I would hate to see this beautiful dog end up in a shelter because you didn't seek professional help. I will say this to anyone; its not the dogs fault its ALWAYS the owners fault.


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