# Literally AT MY WIT'S END! BITING PUPPY!



## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

No matter what I try, 14 week old Nietzche is driving me insane. I take her out on lead...and no matter what I have tried (everything posted here) her biting has NOT decreased. 

Tonight while walking her she bit me through my jeans SO hard that I have four puncture marks in the back of my calf. My arms and hands look like I've been through a food processor. 

Is there a time that one must resort to negative reinforcement to stop this behavior? I am TRULY at my wit's end with this puppy!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Please find patience.
They do grow out of it, I promise. But it won't be any time soon, it will be around 6 months when she stops this.
Nothing I did with Hans worked, except time. He lunged, he bit, he got my chest, my behind...my arms looked as if I had escaped prison over razor wire :crazy:
To pet him, I would literally take advantage of the 5 seconds I had when he was waking up from a nap. Then, he would start to gator, and he was relentless.
When he stopped, I wrote this post.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/puppy-behavior/185213-all-you-who-have-had-landshark.html


I think that is part of the pride of owning a GSD. Most of us are land shark survivors.


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

Good news you! You only have about 2 more months of the land shark phase :wild: bring toys out on walks -keep redirecting. After teething it gets better.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Wait... I just looked at your first post... She's a _Narnia_ puppy? :rofl:

In this pic she looks exactly like Hans!  Can you post her pedigree?


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Right now, it seems as if we will never "get there." 4 to 6 weeks seems like an eternity. I play with her, use a flirt pole, chew toys, she always has her deer antler, we tug, play with towels, etc...and then I walk her and she literally bit me so hard she brought me to my knees in the middle of the road. 

Sorry to vent, I've just had it for now. She can sit in her crate all by herself and yip her brains out for the rest of tonight...I have some nasty wounds of my own to attend to. I've even resorted to holding her mouth shut when she bites and tell her NO BITE, then I let go, which works for about ten seconds. Then she's at it again. It's the "sneak attacks" that are the worst...walking along, and then...WHAM.


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## Reflected (Feb 17, 2013)

Ahaha I understand this. My pup used to bite so much! Now he's a lot better and honestly. Nothing helped. If she sees you as an alpha then she thinks she's playing, I found high pitched yelps and stuff did not help at all. I had to enforce the fact that I was alpha and that I didn't like to be bit by marking negatively with a uh-uh him whenever he bit and then getting in his face, pushing my body into his and getting him to back down. At first he would growl cause he didn't like it but whatever he got over it. 
When he did it to my younger sister, she's really meek and pathetic, I told her to do what I do but it didn't work, I had to keep his leash in my pocket at all times whenever they were around each other and if he started to nip then I put his leash on, pulled it to the floor and stepped on it as close to his body as I could, without hurting him of course, and at first I had to wear shoes because he would go after my feet for keeping him down but I would mark that and eventually he stopped both nipping at my feet and sister.
I don't know if these are negative reinforcements but it worked for me.


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Yes, she is a Narnia puppy!! 

Parents were separately imported to California from Narnia Kennels...she is the last pup of the last litter they'll ever have. 

Why laughing? Sure, I can post her pedigree, from her grandparents on up. Let me scan them both and upload them? It'll take me a few minutes...

Gotta ask, why laughing?!?! 



Sunflowers said:


> Wait... I just looked at your first post... She's a _Narnia_ puppy? :rofl:
> 
> In this pic she looks exactly like Hans!  Can you post her pedigree?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Look in my signature.

Narnia breeds high drive dogs for sport. 

I just found it funny, actually, delightful, that another member here is her wits' and with the land sharking from a Narnia puppy. 
Believe me, I know what you are going through.


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

NietzschesMomma said:


> Right now, it seems as if we will never "get there." 4 to 6 weeks seems like an eternity. I play with her, use a flirt pole, chew toys, she always has her deer antler, we tug, play with towels, etc...and then I walk her and she literally bit me so hard she brought me to my knees in the middle of the road.
> 
> Sorry to vent, I've just had it for now. She can sit in her crate all by herself and yip her brains out for the rest of tonight...I have some nasty wounds of my own to attend to. I've even resorted to holding her mouth shut when she bites and tell her NO BITE, then I let go, which works for about ten seconds. Then she's at it again. It's the "sneak attacks" that are the worst...walking along, and then...WHAM.


Sometimes they just get in the right spot! Crating when you need a break is perfectly fine. Keep with the redirecting! One day you'll be able to pet your pup without her going after your hand and you'll have your best friend and once the scars fade you will forget about this stage and then puppy fever will strike again! :crazy:


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

This is Daddy Klondyke's Pedigree (above) 
And this is Momma Yukahn's Pedigree (below)


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

That IS funny, with all of the people on this forum, what are the chances? 

Well then yes, you know EXACTLY what I am going through here. Nietzsche is not my first GSD, she is my second. But whoa...is she FULL OF IT! Mom and Dad are both very laid back...but are AWESOME at tracking...etc. Both very intelligent dogs! GORGEOUS confirmation...true, beautiful working dogs with incredible top lines, etc. as you already know...  Her lines are mostly Czech. And WHOA, they DO look a lot alike, how old was Hans when that pic was taken? 



Sunflowers said:


> Look in my signature.
> 
> Narnia breeds high drive dogs for sport.
> 
> ...


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Mrs.P said:


> Sometimes they just get in the right spot! Crating when you need a break is perfectly fine. Keep with the redirecting! One day you'll be able to pet your pup without her going after your hand and you'll have your best friend and once the scars fade you will forget about this stage and then puppy fever will strike again! :crazy:



I am 47, and I do believe this will be my LAST puppy! I think about doing this again in 10 to 15 years and I think...NOPE, I will adopt an adult GSD in need of a forever home. She got me so hard that I finally just stopped bleeding. My German WL boy was never, ever this nippy...not even close!!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Well, here is to you having the fortitude to get through the next couple of months.

Hang in there. 
In case you missed it, here is my Narnia dog's first year. Notice the resemblance?
YouTube


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

She is acting in a similar way...first we get past the bite, then it's my shoes, etc. I have pinned her to the ground...not hurt her but she HATES it and behaves for a bit, and then does it all over again like nothing ever happened! I think she likes the reaction she gets, good or otherwise. I can't ignore it...(well, I could technically...but what good does that do?) 
Much more of this I'll need a blood transfusion! 




Reflected said:


> Ahaha I understand this. My pup used to bite so much! Now he's a lot better and honestly. Nothing helped. If she sees you as an alpha then she thinks she's playing, I found high pitched yelps and stuff did not help at all. I had to enforce the fact that I was alpha and that I didn't like to be bit by marking negatively with a uh-uh him whenever he bit and then getting in his face, pushing my body into his and getting him to back down. At first he would growl cause he didn't like it but whatever he got over it.
> When he did it to my younger sister, she's really meek and pathetic, I told her to do what I do but it didn't work, I had to keep his leash in my pocket at all times whenever they were around each other and if he started to nip then I put his leash on, pulled it to the floor and stepped on it as close to his body as I could, without hurting him of course, and at first I had to wear shoes because he would go after my feet for keeping him down but I would mark that and eventually he stopped both nipping at my feet and sister.
> I don't know if these are negative reinforcements but it worked for me.


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Well, here is to you having the fortitude to get through the next couple of months.
> 
> Hang in there.
> In case you missed it, here is my Narnia dog's first year. Notice the resemblance?
> YouTube


Whoa, that's incredible..!!! More similarities than differences-they could *TRULY* be litter mates! 

What a GORGEOUS boy he is!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

So glad to see you here. 
And thank you... Quite a gorgeous little bundle of teeth you have, too!


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## Reflected (Feb 17, 2013)

NietzschesMomma said:


> She is acting in a similar way...first we get past the bite, then it's my shoes, etc. I have pinned her to the ground...not hurt her but she HATES it and behaves for a bit, and then does it all over again like nothing ever happened! I think she likes the reaction she gets, good or otherwise. I can't ignore it...(well, I could technically...but what good does that do?)
> Much more of this I'll need a blood transfusion!


Those puppy teeth will get you! 

Are you pinning her like putting your hand around her neck and pushing her to the floor? 

I would try the negative mark and just get in her face. Dogs instinctively do not like things in their face and will do whatever they can to get away (this is also a great way to teach personal space!) 

Forcing her to the ground physically vs with a leash is a lot different. If you do it physically they may think you're playing, where as doing it with the leash, they know its a reprimand. It's a kind of time out.


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> So glad to see you here.
> And thank you... Quite a gorgeous little bundle of teeth you have, too!


Thank you! We've stopped calling her the land shark, she is now the "furry piranha." :wild:

It helps knowing you (and Hans) survived this...right now I'm just tired and sore...these pups are beautifully bred, I guess there's a price (sanity and skin) that must be paid for having such awesome dogs. Nietzche's nose is already in high gear, I think she will be an excellent tracker. I want to do some SchH with her just for discipline... With her pedigree (same with Hans) they've certainly got the bloodlines (not to mention the energy) for it! 

I'm looking to see if these two have any bloodlines in common...sort of hard to follow what I have here...lots of searching!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Yeah.
Then she will get bitten in the face.
Believe me, all that works is repeated redirection ( although they will bypass the toy and go for your skin! )and time!



Reflected said:


> Those puppy teeth will get you!
> 
> Are you pinning her like putting your hand around her neck and pushing her to the floor?
> 
> ...


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

I have been using the leash...and she hates it, hates it, HATES it, but obviously not enough to stop doing this. She is SO sneaky in how she goes about this...I have gotten in her face...she looks at me like "what, me? I didn't do anything!" Go back to whatever we were doing, and she starts in all over again. When she almost bit me...we stopped that. She has learned to sit with NO problem, took her about 3 minutes to figure that out; now we're having fun barking at cars if one comes down my road. Never a dull moment. Too full of herself to stay...sit, she's good, stay? Ugh. I have tried standing on the leash so that she's stuck, her head not far from the ground, telling her NO BITE. NO BITE, NO BITE. I am not afraid to be firm with her...she knows darned well when I am not happy...but whoa...those teeth...are brutal----to say the least. 



Reflected said:


> Those puppy teeth will get you!
> 
> Are you pinning her like putting your hand around her neck and pushing her to the floor?
> 
> ...


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Well, here is her sire's pedigree.
CANADA Narnia's ice Cora

You will notice this guy shows up. Hans has him in his lines, too, as do a few Czech dogs on here.
From what I hear, he was quite the hard dog.
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/dog.html?id=437282


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

NietzschesMomma said:


> I have been using the leash...and she hates it, hates it, HATES it, but obviously not enough to stop doing this. She is SO sneaky in how she goes about this...I have gotten in her face...she looks at me like "what, me? I didn't do anything!" Go back to whatever we were doing, and she starts in all over again. When she almost bit me...we stopped that. She has learned to sit with NO problem, took her about 3 minutes to figure that out; now we're having fun barking at cars if one comes down my road. Never a dull moment. Too full of herself to stay...sit, she's good, stay? Ugh. I have tried standing on the leash so that she's stuck, her head not far from the ground, telling her NO BITE. NO BITE, NO BITE. I am not afraid to be firm with her...she knows darned well when I am not happy...but whoa...those teeth...are brutal----to say the least.


If I may... She is being a puppy.
The only thing that will accomplish is make her more tenacious.
Forcing yourself to relax will help a lot. Scheduled nap times, where she is crated in a quiet room, will also help. I noticed Hans got extremely bitey if he was overtired.
Get yourself two identical fuzzy toys, and have her play fetch with those. Throw one, and when she brings it back, throw the other. There is a periwinkle dragon toy that is quite indestructible that is great for that.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Sherpa-Baby-Dragon-Periwinkle-Guard/dp/B001FNZG96[/ame]


Get her an expen, I'd you don't have one already, and get the Bobalot toy. She will push it with her nose to get treats. Lots of things to do for the puppy.
Think fun instead of corrections at her age.
And she is too exuberant, not full of herself, for stay.
Stay comes later.
Instead, work on "come." Make coming to you the best thing ever.
We are still working on stay, and Hans is over a year old.


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Well, here is her sire's pedigree.
> CANADA Narnia's ice Cora
> 
> 
> ...


Wow, there it all is in black and white and with photos! Thank you! 
Hard as in hard to control, or as in resilient? 

All just gorgeous!


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## Reflected (Feb 17, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Yeah.
> Then she will get bitten in the face.
> Believe me, all that works is repeated redirection ( although they will bypass the toy and go for your skin! )and time!


I'm not saying push her face into the dogs face... You just walk up to the dog and they instinctively back away,



NietzschesMomma said:


> I have been using the leash...and she hates it, hates it, HATES it, but obviously not enough to stop doing this. She is SO sneaky in how she goes about this...I have gotten in her face...she looks at me like "what, me? I didn't do anything!" Go back to whatever we were doing, and she starts in all over again. When she almost bit me...we stopped that. She has learned to sit with NO problem, took her about 3 minutes to figure that out; now we're having fun barking at cars if one comes down my road. Never a dull moment. Too full of herself to stay...sit, she's good, stay? Ugh. I have tried standing on the leash so that she's stuck, her head not far from the ground, telling her NO BITE. NO BITE, NO BITE. I am not afraid to be firm with her...she knows darned well when I am not happy...but whoa...those teeth...are brutal----to say the least.


Then the only thing I can say if wear long sleeve shirts, layer up because you seem to have an arrogant puppy. 
You could also crate her, if she's crate trained, for a minute if she starts biting. If you don't want to associate crating with time outs then put her in the bathroom with the lights off, she might whine and complain but you just ignore it and leave her there for a few minutes. Take her out if she's not whining.


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> If I may... She is being a puppy.
> The only thing that will accomplish is make her more tenacious.
> Forcing yourself to relax will help a lot. Scheduled nap times, where she is crated in a quiet room, will also help. I noticed Hans got extremely bitey if he was overtired.
> Get yourself two identical fuzzy toys, and have her play fetch with those. Throw one, and when she brings it back, throw the other. There is a periwinkle dragon toy that is quite indestructible that is great for that.
> ...


I will take all of the advice I can get at this point, I DO want her to have FUN, that's a lot of what being a puppy is supposed to be about!! I foster a lot of dogs (I am a vet tech (25 years) I also direct an animal rescue organization) and I gotta say, this is the nippiest puppy I have EVER come across...and I do mean EVER-for me to be at my wit's end says a LOT. 

Heading over to Amazon right this minute! Any other ideas/advice you have, believe me, I am all ears!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Here you go.
Better than I can explain it.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/165081-what-hard-dog.html


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

NietzschesMomma said:


> I will take all of the advice I can get at this point, I DO want her to have FUN, that's a lot of what being a puppy is supposed to be about!! I foster a lot of dogs (I am a vet tech (25 years) I also direct an animal rescue organization) and I gotta say, this is the nippiest puppy I have EVER come across...and I do mean EVER-for me to be at my wit's end says a LOT.
> 
> Heading over to Amazon right this minute! Any other ideas/advice you have, believe me, I am all ears!


Hehehe... You had more experience and were better prepared than I was.
My experience consisted of 2Pekingese, 2 Cairn Terriers and one Springer Spaniel.

I will PM you tomorrow.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Reflected said:


> I'm not saying push her face into the dogs face... You just walk up to the dog and they instinctively back away,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sigh. 
There is no such a thing as an arrogant puppy. High drive, not arrogant. 
And if you crated her the minute she would start biting, she would be created all the time.:wild:

You did say you are new to dogs, yes?


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Here you go.
> Better than I can explain it.
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/165081-what-hard-dog.html



That's sort of what I thought.

It may be early..but...Nietzsche may very well have inherited some of that...(and I consider that a good thing) Time will tell! 

And as far as being better prepared?? ...I do not think anything...not even having another GSD before this girl...could have prepared me for THIS. Ha!!!!!!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Don't worry. It will stop. Right now just build a bond with her and keep everything positive. Don't lose it with the gatoring-- it's part of who she is. 
And I'll tell you what --you will appreciate being able to cuddle and pet her even more when she's older and calms down enough to let you do it.


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## Valerae (Jun 13, 2011)

We struggled so much when we adopted our stray muttpuppy. He was six months old and had been found on the streets of rural Kentucky with one of his littermates. What happened to them before that, we have no idea. No clue as to when he was separated from his mother or the rest of his litter. One thing we did learn quickly was that no one (i.e. his mother or littermates) had taught him bite inhibition. And he was already months past the critical time for training. Not only did he bite, but he lunged, attacked and had zero impulse control. 

He generally has a sweet temperament, but the biting issue was out of control. We tried everything. Those basic ideas of yelping or turning your back on the dog were totally useless. Our trainer for our GSD (positive/clicker) was of the mindset that if a puppy hasn't mastered bite inhibition by 6 months, it was a lost cause. That was really frustrating.

Through the advice of friends we found a different trainer who uses the Volhard methods of training. While we didn't work specifically on bite inhibition, we started working on impulse control (the long 30 minute 'down', etc.) and he started getting whipped into shape rather quickly. He's really intelligent and I think he just needed focus and training. 

We still deal with some impulse control issues. He does get a little bitey when he plays, but we can redirect him now (he's about a year and a half old now too so he's starting to chill a bit anyway). We can't get him under control around loud autos or motorcycles, but we're working on it. At least I'm not crying my eyes out in frustration over the biting issue any more. You have a beautifully bred dog - I'm sure that this phase will pass really quickly with the right training and it sounds like you're definitely on the right path. Deep breaths!


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

Wow, this brings back some not pleasant memories. Ruki was SUCH a biter. I did everything people suggested, and he still bit. My arms and legs were so covered in bruises people thought I was abused and literally tried to refer me to a women's crisis center. I only have my own experience, but suddenly around 9 months old it was like a lightbulb went off in his head. He is still mouthy, but with a soft mouth. I know there are mixed views about allowing mouthing, but I was ok with it once he seemed to understand not to actually bite us.

All I can say is hang in there. I really believed Ruki would NEVER learn no matter what I did, and now it is radically better. Good luck.


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## lostangl (Jul 15, 2002)

When my Gabriele was that age, I swear that I had a parana instead of a puppy! My breeder didn't want me discouraging her because she is supposed to be a shutzhund dog, but I didn't know if I was going to make it thru that stage! She is now a year old and couldn't ask for a better dog. Hang in there, it does get better.


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## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

I got two of my puppies from Europe. Neither of those puppies bit me in play, or at anytime. When I got the second puppy I asked the breeder how she trained all the puppies not to bite. She said if they bit, she gently held their nose and said "no bite, kiss". Both of those puppies were great kissers. My American born puppy was a nightmare of biting and bleeding scars on my arm. Too bad I got that one first.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

FlyAway said:


> I got two of my puppies from Europe. Neither of those puppies bit me in play, or at anytime. When I got the second puppy I asked the breeder how she trained all the puppies not to bite. She said if they bit, she gently held their nose and said "no bite, kiss". Both of those puppies were great kissers. My American born puppy was a nightmare of biting and bleeding scars on my arm. Too bad I got that one first.


That worked for those dogs. 

Honestly, I think it's a combination of dog and handler. 
Maybe Hans would've behaved differently with another owner. I don't know.

All I can say is I tried every single thing I found on the Internet and nothing worked except time.


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## NietzschesMomma (Jan 20, 2013)

FlyAway said:


> I got two of my puppies from Europe. Neither of those puppies bit me in play, or at anytime. When I got the second puppy I asked the breeder how she trained all the puppies not to bite. She said if they bit, she gently held their nose and said "no bite, kiss". Both of those puppies were great kissers. My American born puppy was a nightmare of biting and bleeding scars on my arm. Too bad I got that one first.


Nietzsche is of Czech WL, as is Sunflower's dog Hans...from the same kennel in fact. I truly do not think it has anything to do with what country they're bred in...it's got to be in the bloodlines. A couple of other peoplkle have said that Czech/Hungarian lines are much more nippy as pups. Might be some truth to that, I don't know. My last GSD was German WL, and was not a nippy puppy at all. Sure, he chewed on things, but never one me, and not like this. 

This is a VERY active, VERY smart, VERY sneaky pup (thinks outside the box) who is at present, a piranha on four legs. Spent a lot of time with her this afternoon, redirecting her to her toy every time I could catch her jumping up like a ping-pong ball, to bite at my clothes...she tore my jacket only six times today. Her new thing is to walk along on leash, and then WHAM, no warning, she jumps and bites so fast I can't even figure out which side of me she's after until she's done it. And whoa, can she jump! She's getting near the tops of the sleeves of my jacket, and I'm 5.4" tall. 

The only thing saving us both right now is that she does love affection, and accepts it readily most of the time...when she goes potty for example, and I tell her what a good dog she is, she just soaks up the love like she'll never get any again. 

Trying to redirect her-while walking is far from easy! Calgon, take me away (and bring lots of band-aids!) :wild:


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Would a harness instead of a flat collar help?

Here is my tried and true method (this has worked for at least 10 puppies/dogs): teach her to carry a toy everywhere. When you redirect and she grabs the toy, praise like crazy. If she's smart you can actually put a "Get your toy!" command on it so you don't have to physically redirect. If you are super consistent she will very quickly catch on and start carrying her toy and redirecting onto her toy.


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## Shep's Mum (Mar 31, 2013)

I understand that over time her biting will pass but how did you guys teach her to not bite hard or bite your clothes? I am forced to wear the same clothes when im with her (she id 12 weeks) so she doesnt put holes in all my clothes.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

> she tore my jacket only six times today. Her new thing is to walk along on leash, and then WHAM, no warning, she jumps and bites so fast


Never get upset with a puppy. It's job is to push the boundaries. And never let it take advantage of you. 

It's time for you to dominate the pup and show you are not a play toy.

Other wise it'll be hard for the dog to respect you in the long term.


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## Jrnabors (Sep 7, 2012)

Yep, today's GSD's will drive you to your wit's end. Ours is 10 months, has been through puppy class and one Canine Good Citizen Class. Bites, pulls, etc. Every day the whole family wonders why we paid so much money for what has honestly been the worst dog we've ever had.


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

All I can say is HANG IN THERE. It will end and you will have a great dog.
Then you can join the rest of us who went through it and are glad
we didn't give up.


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## asherkain (Jan 13, 2013)

My opinion on a biting puppy seems to get me in trouble on this forum, but I just don't agree with the idea that a GSD will bite and there is nothing you can do about it. 

IMO, bitting is not alright. The puppies mother would not let the dog bite her so hard she bleeds. The puppy would be negatively corrected by its mother, so I don't understand why people think they should just wait it out while their puppy bites them to the point of bleeding. I'm definitely not judging anyone and I commend anyone with such patience and perseverance, but I don't think that we should act like there is absolutely no other option. 

I have a high drive puppy, and yes, if I let her she would bite me all day long. The thing is, I'm not alright with that. It's not because I'm cruel and don't love her. It's not because I'm misinformed and lack training knowledge.

I started with with positive reinforcement, but after exhausting all positive methods I consulted multiple trainers with great reputations in the GSD community. After talking with them I decided that I would try giving her a pinch in the mouth, until she let out a little yelp, when she bit me. I'm happy to report this worked quick, she doesn't bite me, or anyone. She bites her toys. 

I went this route because I acknowledge my GSD puppy is extremely smart and she can handle a little bit of negative reinforcement mixed in with her 98.9% positive training. She doesn't hate me, she doesn't fear me. She isn't afraid to practice bite work. She let's me put my hands in her mouth when we practice grooming. She is smart enough to understand that just because I don't allow her to bite my hand doesn't mean her world will end and she should stop being confident. If I put my hands in her mouth then she needs to behave and deal with it, but if she wants to put her mouth on my hands, then she will be corrected. 

The amazing thing is it only took this smart puppy a few corrections before she decided this isn't a good idea. With this type of negative correction it's not necessary, or meant to be a continuous action. Of course, this method isn't for everyone, or every puppy. I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything. I'm not suggesting that anyone try negative methods first. I just wanted to put what I did out there and let you know it can work. I'm alright if you judge me. I love this forum and just want to offer a different perspective.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

asherkain said:


> My opinion on a biting puppy seems to get me in trouble on this forum, but I just don't agree with the idea that a GSD will bite and there is nothing you can do about it.
> 
> IMO, bitting is not alright. The puppies mother would not let the dog bite her so hard she bleeds. The puppy would be negatively corrected by its mother, so I don't understand why people think they should just wait it out while their puppy bites them to the point of bleeding. I'm definitely not judging anyone and I commend anyone with such patience and perseverance, but I don't think that we should act like there is absolutely no other option.
> 
> ...


Very happy to hear that something worked for you.


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## crocodiles mum (Nov 18, 2014)

I have a 9.5 week old gsd pup. She can be very lovely, but also a nasty little crocodile. She nips all the time. We use the no bite word, and if she continues, she gets put in her crate. Sometimes when I go to correct her (pull her off the kids socks or my own) she will snarl, growl and snap atme. Any suugestions


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