How do you stop a 10 month old German shepherd puppy from "play biting". I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING!?

Question

she's not an agressive dog, she's never growled or acted mean, it's just that when she decides that she wants to play, she starts grabbing and nipping and litterally wont stop. The fact that she's a large puppy, 72 lbs. only makes her more hard to handle. I've only had her about 1 month, everyone says to just give it time, she'll outgrow it. I don't know if I have enough physical strenth to last much longer. If only there was some "trick" to use to teach her then I could work on the problem, but as I said nothing I have tried so far will make her stop. I've had a couple people joke about it until they actually see what she does. It's like she goes crazy for a few minutes. Other than this problem, she's very good, smart and well mannered. I really love her and don't want to give her up, I just lost my dog of 15 years to old age. Getting Sheena has helped a little to ease that heartbreak, but she's wearing me out...

Answer 1

"Yelp" ,fold your arms and turn your back. Give her NO attention until she settles down. Then praise her for being calm and not biting and redirect her to a chew toy. It takes time to teach bite inhibition. It sounds as if no one took the time until now. You may also want to enroll in an obedience class.Good luck

Answer 2

Hi,

Before I had my two Kerry Blues Winnie and Tigger I used to keep and train German Shepherds.

My long haired German Shepherd Max would play by grabbing people’s arms. Since he weighed about 100lbs this did not go down very well!

With my dog this stopped as soon as I started walking him six miles every day, tired dogs cannot engage in aggressive play.

So try really long walks to tire her out, as she gets older and her bones set you could get her a doggy rucksack and gradually fill it with little sand bags, this should make her even more tired.

You could also try:

Try introducing your dog to people here is how I would do it:

1.Arrange to meet a friend when out walking the dog.
2.When the dog runs up and is about to start nipping and biting distract the dog with a treat like liver or chicken. Since every dog I have ever met is more interested in liver and chicken than they are in people this should be easy bit. If the dog isn’t interested then walk the dog before you feed it so it is really hungry.
3.Make sure whenever your dog meets people that you have the treat in hand ready to give the dog, so in a short while every time the dog sees someone or something it will instinctively look at you expecting the treat.
4.This will create a positive reinforcement that other people equal liver or chicken and also the dog will learn to look at you when other people are around, the will lessen the tendency to play bite other people because the dog is concentrating on you and getting the reward and not on the surroundings.

Try the coin rattle bottle:

1.Arrange to meet a friend when out walking the dog.
2.When the dog reacts to the people shake a bottle half full of loose change vigorously and say no, this must be done at exactly the same time as the dog reacts. Over about a month the dog will come associate the word no with this loud and annoying noise. From then on in when you say no the dog will stop whatever it is doing.

Try the positive stuff first as it will work with a nervous dog as well as a dominant dog, you want a dog that will like people and using negative reinforcement should be used more for a dominant, out of control dog, it will just scare a nervous dog and a scared dog is a dangerous dog.

I hope it works out well for you.

If none of this helps try reading some of the articles

Answer 3

This kind of nipping is called mouthing. At 10 months old it is now a learned way of getting your attention.
Seeing that you have only had her for a month it will take time for her to learn not to do this any more. Persistance in letting her know it is not acceptable will help but also a good trainer may be in your future. Telling her "no bite" and pushing her away and then to just ignor her may help but she is a big puppy. I have also been told to use a gentle leader on dogs that do this inside your home will help you to gently pull her head down to make it harder for her to nip at your hands. sounds like she is getting to excited when she relly gets into this and the thing is to stop her and then calm her down until she stops. If that means removing her from the excitment then do it. She will soon learn that if she wants to be amoung people then she will have to behave. If none of this works then a trainer is needed.
If you have not looked into a good training class then it's time you do so.

Answer 4

hi, ok heres what i do when i have an issue like this. if its just nipping its harder but if open mouth then let your hand stay in the dogs mouth but make a hard fist, and as they bite down i let my thumbnail dig into the roof of the mouth. they let go fairly quickly! another thing is to grab the muzzle hold it shut, get direct eye contact! and say a lound NO!
there is abitter apple spray made in usa that could also deter.
you could also make a special object that she is given as soon as she starts up, like a chewy thick rope knot toy.
if it is a habit that has a place?? that she starts ie at the back door? then change where you greet her, either by entering a small lobby porch first, then going back out., or throwing a ball as soon as you exit the door to distract her.
if this did,nt work i would get a friend to gently but firmly restrain her using a lead, while you come out and very calmly.. soft voice and looong slow pats and praise for being so good!.practice nicer manners. if shestill does it, turn your back and move off,then repeat a few times. so you can approach without the performance.
i wish you years of joy with sheena, and hope i have helped. laurel

Answer 5

She is not play biting, she is dominating you. GSDs can get over excited if you play with them. That why you shouldn't play with them by play fighting. You should always throw toys if you feel the need to play with a dog. Dogs don't actually need to be played with at all. It is only people who think that you should play with dogs.
If you say you have tried everything. Have you tried clicker training?
I think that it could be an answer for you because it involves the dog learning what behaviour brings reward & what doesn't. At the moment your dog gets reward from play biting you. What if it had no reward. You trying to fight her off is her reward & fun to her. You are rewarding her without knowing it. You have to change the way your are with her to make her change. Find out what it is that triggers her off to start biting. Then change YOUR behaviour so it won't start. Don't react at all next time she starts. Walk away & shut the door. Return to her with some tasty treats & throw them on the floor infront of her. When she as eaten them & looks up at you throw her somemore. This diverts her behaviour.

Answer 6

When she does it tell her no in a really stern voice and smack her on the nose. She'll learn that it's not acceptable. Most puppies play like that. It's easy to deal with when it's a small dog but it can be a pain when the dog is that size. We have a pit bull that was the same way. They will eventually out grow of it.

Answer 7

Scold her sharply and bite her back... I know it sounds silly, but you have to discipline her in a way she will understand.
There are several ways to accomplish this, only one of which actually involves biting her with your teeth. Probably the easiest way is to go to the pet store and get a pinch collar. This collar has metal "teeth" that rest against the dog's neck (it's not as vicious as it sounds - these collars will not hurt the dog and are actually less damaging that a standard choke chain). Leave a very short leash attached (one that is just a clip and loop, only 10-12" long, and when she bites at you, scold her and yank at the leash. This will cause the collar to "bite" her back. Once she calms down, praise her profusely. She should learn quickly that her biting is not an acceptable form of play.
By the way... only leave this collar/leash on when the dog can be supervised. You shold NEVER leave any sort of choke chain on a dog when it's not supervised.

Answer 8

This may sound harsh but when she bites you litterally push her off you and slap her on the nose as hard as she bit you and then leave the room and ignore her for a little bit and don`t play with her as often and give her time to get used to the punishment though and ever time you play with her and she dose not bite or be mean give her a treat and reward by saying good girl. She will love it but say before you give her the treat good girl you didnt bite but if she bites while your playing and you slap her she will learn that if she bites she wont get a treat and if she dose not bite she get rewarded (get little traing treats so she wont get fat) But after a month or so just tell her good girl and you wont have to give alot of treats Good Luck!!

Answer 9

Never mind the bitting back, the scolding, the prong collars or anything else. She will not grow out of it. They do not learn like humans do. Your best bet is to go to a Trainer and they will tell you the proper procedure to get the bitting and nipping to stop. I know mine did.

Good Luck

Answer 10

try filling a bottle with stones, play with her as usual and when she goes to bite you shake the bottle and say no!! stop playing with her for a bit (5mins) and then continue playing, keep doing this untill she stops completely, should take about 2-3 days depending on you consistancy