GSD (or any dog) behavior question

[jaminmd]

Just wondering if anyone knows the reason for this:

I have a 17 month old GSD. We walk several miles every morning. About every two minutes, he bumps my hand with his nose. If DH & I are together, we each get a nose bump on the hand. The pup is always sandwiched between us - he must have his routine.

I think it's adorable but just curious why he does it & if he's trying to herd us humans along.

 

[jjarman]

My first response is it was not a shepharding thing but then I remembered our half lab/half blue heeler's behavior. She does something very similar. Besides nipping the other dogs on the heels when the run around the yard, she bumps us with her nose all the time. I love GSD and we nearly adopted a foundling. He turned up at our house a month or so ago, about 6 months old, sweet as could be but sooooo skinny. A son of a friend was just about to buy a GSD puppy and he took "Baby". They emailed us pictures of him and "Con" is absolutely beautiful now and a wonerful pet to this family with 5 kids.

 

[WDWBarb]

Maybe your dog is the canine version of Monk? I have a GSD and she has some very strange behaviors that I've never experienced with any other dog. They are certainly unique!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Knowing how completely OCD they can be, I'd bet it's just his way of "making sure you're there" and that "all is ok". Mine is like that as well.

 

[jaminmd]

Maybe your dog is the canine version of Monk? I have a GSD and she has some very strange behaviors that I've never experienced with any other dog. They are certainly unique!

He certainly is unique & I have to say he is the very best dog I've ever had. Sometimes I think he's a human in disguise.

Knowing how completely OCD they can be, I'd bet it's just his way of "making sure you're there" and that "all is ok". Mine is like that as well.

That's what DH & I were thinking, that's he's just making sure we're still there. As if he can't see two large humans flanking him, lol. He is totally OCD, too. If one of us moves into a different position, he'll try to move us back to where we belong or whimper until we do it. He's got to have his routine.

I decided to workout indoors this morning so DH is walking him without me. I'm sure he's still getting the every two minute hand bump.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Knowing how completely OCD they can be, I'd bet it's just his way of "making sure you're there" and that "all is ok". Mine is like that as well.

So totally true!

My GSD even goes as far as to press her body into the side of my legs when she's ready to turn.

The kids don't stand a chance playing with her. With my ds she runs circles around him like a horse wanting him to chase her. She lets him get so close so he doesn't feel bad then she's off.

With the girls she does the circle thing but she presses against them and guides them while remaining just out of their reach.

She is an amazing soccer and lacrosse goalie too....even though someone else is playing that position.

 

[horseshowmom]

So totally true!

My GSD even goes as far as to press her body into the side of my legs when she's ready to turn.

The kids don't stand a chance playing with her. With my ds she runs circles around him like a horse wanting him to chase her. She lets him get so close so he doesn't feel bad then she's off.

With the girls she does the circle thing but she presses against them and guides them while remaining just out of their reach.

She is an amazing soccer and lacrosse goalie too....even though someone else is playing that position.

Hey, the best one should get the position, right?

 

[jaminmd]

So totally true!

My GSD even goes as far as to press her body into the side of my legs when she's ready to turn.

The kids don't stand a chance playing with her. With my ds she runs circles around him like a horse wanting him to chase her. She lets him get so close so he doesn't feel bad then she's off.

With the girls she does the circle thing but she presses against them and guides them while remaining just out of their reach.

She is an amazing soccer and lacrosse goalie too....even though someone else is playing that position.

Mine does the same thing & he's the size of a horse, too. He loves when I chase him in circles & just when I think I have him, he's off...

 

[Robinrs]

Thanks for making me go to google to find out that a GSD is a German shepherd!!

 

[MerMom60_94]

Thanks for making me go to google to find out that a GSD is a German shepherd!!

Thank YOU Robin for looking it up for me! I was just making guesses, but I was wondering the same thing.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Thanks for making me go to google to find out that a GSD is a German shepherd!!

Thank YOU Robin for looking it up for me! I was just making guesses, but I was wondering the same thing.

Now that you know you are expected to get ya self one.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

We have a GSD and DH and I are always saying what a quirky dog he is. I read some of these posts to DH and we had some chuckles.

Ours bumps our hands with his nose if he wants us to do something for him, like give a tummy rub. He's pretty good at leading us around and letting us know what he wants.

We need to spell words a lot, although he's caught on to many of them. If I even say "Where's...?" he runs to the door, because he thinks the next word is "daddy".

He is the whiniest dog! We were saying last night...even when he's HAPPY, he's whining. He and DH hang out in their "man cave" sometimes...the garage. If DH goes into our room and gets a cigar, our GSD is off, running down the hall, coming back to make sure DH is following him, and whining, all the way to the garage. I know he's just excited, but it SOUNDS like he's in distress.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Maybe your dog is the canine version of Monk? I have a GSD and she has some very strange behaviors that I've never experienced with any other dog. They are certainly unique!

GSD's are the canine version of Monk! I Love that! How true!

 

[doxdogy]

We had a dachshund that had her little quirky behaviors. She did not like having her routine disturbed in any way at all. If we rearrange the furniture she was unhappy. When SHE was ready to go to bed, she would sit in front of my chair and stare at me. If that didn't work, she would run down the hall and the run back into the living room and stare at me. Thankfully I went to bed at the same time every night.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

We need to spell words a lot, although he's caught on to many of them.

Our dog is trained in english and german. I tried to just use the german for commands, but she knows OUT in both languages!


He is the whiniest dog! We were saying last night...even when he's HAPPY, he's whining. I know he's just excited, but it SOUNDS like he's in distress.

I love it when my dog talks. OMG, it is so funny. Lately its been very cold her and Zoe just loves it. She likes to sit outside on the front steps and watch the neighborhood making sure all is good. Last night she was having a fit because she wanted to go outside. The back yard has a 6 ft fence but she doesn't like it there. All the action is in the front where she can see the cars go by. She was "yelling" at us last night trying her best to be put out front.....rotten spoiled .

Sorry if that sounds quirky, but anyone that has never had a GSD--they will not be ignored.

 

[kerstfan1]

i have a beagle and me and my mom went away for a weekend with him and i never thought a dog could be homesick be he was only eaten about 400 gr of food in 4 days and little to drink he was so happy to be back yesterday

 

[Hercules10]

My big girl is a Shiloh Shepherd and her quirk is crotch sniffing when you least expect it. She never does it upon greeting someone. She'll just lay in wait and when they're not expectng it.......

I call her my ninja crotch inspecter.

 

[Tosie]

We have a GSD and DH and I are always saying what a quirky dog he is. I read some of these posts to DH and we had some chuckles.

Ours bumps our hands with his nose if he wants us to do something for him, like give a tummy rub. He's pretty good at leading us around and letting us know what he wants.

We need to spell words a lot, although he's caught on to many of them. If I even say "Where's...?" he runs to the door, because he thinks the next word is "daddy".

He is the whiniest dog! We were saying last night...even when he's HAPPY, he's whining. He and DH hang out in their "man cave" sometimes...the garage. If DH goes into our room and gets a cigar, our GSD is off, running down the hall, coming back to make sure DH is following him, and whining, all the way to the garage. I know he's just excited, but it SOUNDS like he's in distress.

Our GSD is like that too - she is so vocal!!

 

[jaminmd]

My big girl is a Shiloh Shepherd and her quirk is crotch sniffing when you least expect it. She never does it upon greeting someone. She'll just lay in wait and when they're not expectng it.......

I call her my ninja crotch inspecter.

Ours does that to DD often by surprise.