How do I stop my 3 month G Shepherd from nipping especially around my kids?

Question

I,m fairly new to thie dog training thing, I did have a dog many years ago, but it didn't really get trained correctly. Now I don't want to be heavy handed, but my dog 'Jazz' is not really responding to being scolded, and therefore I'm worried that one day it might take it's play biting a bit to far with my children (youngest 4)

Answer 1

Make sure that when you and your children play with your dog that you have a toy. Alot of times when a person plays with puppies they tend to do it by hands and that causes the puppy to think it can bite or "nip" the hands and so forth. Make sure your puppy knows that the only thing his mouth sould "nip" is his toys. Also make sure that no one does rough play at this age. This age the dog soaks in the most information. Also when he "nips" Say NO firm!

Answer 2

A spray bottle is a good idea, but please only put cold water in it and the minute your pup goes to play bite spray him in the face and at the same time say NO in a very firm voice, under no circumstances must you hit him! the water won't hurt him but it will give him a shock, Don't be tempted to use a bottle with stones in unless you get professional advice first, because if not used correctly and to excess it will make your pup very nervous, Don't let anyone in your family play rough with the pup, he won't know that he is not allowed to bite when not playing, of course I will state the obvious here, never leave your children alone with the puppy at any time, and please make absolutely certain that the pup gets plenty of uninterrupted sleep, he mustn't be poked and prodded while resting! It sounds like you have a male GSD, as you are new to dog owning/training AND the fact that you have young children I am wondering why you didn't get a b1tch, they are not so dominant, believe me a male GSD will know that you are not very confident re, his training, he will take full advantage of it, to make this easier I strongly advise that you get him castrated as soon as he is 6 months old or you could have all manner of problems to sort out. Take your puppy to obedience classes and socialise him well, the obedience must be on-going, every single day, even if you are tired, you must continue with at least 5-10 minutes each day at the moment gradually increasing as he grows, not too much exercise, I have 3 GSD's one of which is 10 months old and she still only has 30 mins twice a day + about 30 training in 15 minute sessions, she won't be going for any long treks for at least another 5 months.
Keep on top of the training and you will have a very faithful and loyal Friend for many years!
Good Luck.

Answer 3

puppies nip its how they play the puppy has to be told no firmly when you recognize the behavior right away its like having an extra child the other thing is to never leave either of them unsupervised i have a three month old pit bull female when i play with her she nips and i will tell you those teeth are waaayy sharp i snap her on the nose or on the head and tell her hey stop or something firm so she will stop the nipping and realize my fingers are not snacks. dogs need discipline just like the 4 year old and be consist and the other thing is to at feeding time so the dog does not become food aggressive is the constantly touch the puppy while it eats and put your hand in the bowl because if it becomes aggressive with and adult you can imagine the result with a child. if you have the discovery channel in you viewing area check out the TV show the dog whisperer with Oscar Millian its really interesting it shows you how the dog to human thing works remember your the boss the dog is not human but it needs the same training as the kids good luck

Answer 4

you mustn't smack her. She will just hate you and wonder what on earth your doing.Telling her is gobeldegook to her. thrurj ejek sjwke did you understand that? It said 'stop it! don't bite!!' They don't instictively know it is wrong to bite - you must show her right from wrong.
You must shove your hand in her mouth and growl at her NO! in a deep growly voice. When she stops immediately, give her a treat. Training is about biulding a loving trusting bond with your dog - none love that more than GSDs' believe me! and you have to treat the good behaviour and ignoring the bad. Keep doing that. She should stop and be reluctant to mouth you. Now when she tries it on with the kids you must be there all the time (otherwise its' your fault, not hers!) and do the same. have a toy handy to distract her with, shove that in her mouth so she knows that is hers, and thats what she is allowed to chew on, not the kids! That's half your battle, not showing her right from wrong, that's easy, but you MUST NOT leave her with the children. Not until around 3 years when she is beginning to be more sensible, and even then not entirely on her own.
Training classes won't go amiss, but you only get out what you put in at home. You must be the boss, the leader and you should take her out to socialise and meet and greet new dogs and poeple of all kinds now, before she gets much older. What she learns now she takes with her for the rest of her life, so always speak happily to her (to give her confidence) and if she does bad then ignore and turn you r back -she'll realised shes done it wrong and upset you - that is punishment enough for her. email if you like, I have been there. They are great dogs, but need input 24/7, just as much as any child

Answer 5

I am an animal behaviourist and i strongly recommend that you go to dog training classes. this will help you and your dog gain an overall respect for each other which will lead to easier training. Also, if you choose the training group well they will be able to help you with problems such as nipping. there are many methods that are more successful than scolding so don't worry, there is hope.
I wish you well and hope you and your dog have many happy days with your family.

Answer 6

Get the dog into obedience training with a good dog trainer that has experience dealing with your situation. The average run-of-the-mill Petsmart or other generic dog obedience will not address the problem you have with your dog.
Do remember the dog is only 3 months old and nipping is part of puppy play, but I can understand your concerns now so invest the time and money to train Jazz to be the best GSD it can be!

Answer 7

we stopped our shepard from nipping by using a spray bottle with pickle juice in it. Everytime he nipped we'd say "no biting" in a firm voice and spray the juice just under his nose so he'd lick it. He stopped nipping after a few sprays and all is fine. Its harmless and not cruel to the animal.

Answer 8

I have a 5 mth old GSD puppy & it is a hard habit to break! If it's any comfort, mine has just about learnt. When he does it to you (not the children) put your thumb on his tongue until he starts trying to push your thumb out. At the same time say "No" very firmly. If he starts getting over excited, remove him from your/the children's company until he's calmed down. They really don't like being seperated from their family & hopefully the penny will drop. Make sure he has plenty of hard bones/toys to chew because he'll be starting to teeth soon & his teeth & gums will really irritate him.
Also take him to a good training class, it will help socialise him. Make sure it's a class that uses kind methods (reward training & plenty of treats) GSDs don't respond well to physical punishment or being shouted at, but they really do want to learn.
Good Luck.

Answer 9

get an old newspaper,roll it up and smack it on the ground near him,it wont hurt him but the noise will frighten him.he will soon learn bad behaviour means the newspaper,eventually you wont have to smack the paper onthe ground,as soon as he sees you going for the paper he will run for cover!.on the same note when he does something right dont forget to reward him with a treat,this could be any thing from a biscuit to a walk,hope .also dogs in the wild live in packs.your dog needs to know that you are the one in charge you are the top dog.otherwise your dog will do just as he wants because in his mind hes the boss.

Answer 10

that is a very dangerous habit. Ask around and see if there are any dog training classes near you. The local council should help. You must get that problem sorted out soon or the dog may become a threat to your children.