How do I keep my GSD from biting?

[jaminmd]

OK, I didn't have to add pictures but he's too cute not to share! He is 13 weeks old & he has many toys of different textures. He still keeps mouthing me though and it hurts! He's got sharp little choppers.

I know several of you advised me never to let him get used to human flesh in his mouth but my hands still get it. He'll bite (mouthing because he's teething) & then release but it still hurts. I close my hand around his snout & tell him "no bite" in a firm voice but he doesn't always get it. Sometimes after I do that, he licks my hand, so I think he might be getting it. Advice?

 

[JerseyJanice]

Why do I look at puppy pictures? I must be insane!

When my lab mix was a puppy, he teethed constantly. What we did, on the advice of a trainer, was say no, pull away from him, and give him an object that he was allowed to chew, like a rubber bone or cow's ear. Our trainer told us to teach him from the get-go that mouthing people is a no-no. It's not easy, though. Puppies really want to bite and chew. You have to be consistent and keep an alternative in reach all the time.

 

[jaminmd]

Why do I look at puppy pictures? I must be insane!

When my lab mix was a puppy, he teethed constantly. What we did, on the advice of a trainer, was say no, pull away from him, and give him an object that he was allowed to chew, like a rubber bone or cow's ear. Our trainer told us to teach him from the get-go that mouthing people is a no-no. It's not easy, though. Puppies really want to bite and chew. You have to be consistent and keep an alternative in reach all the time.

It's not your fault - I snuck them in without warning!

I forgot to mention that I do offer him a toy right after I correct him. I stick it in his mouth instead of my hand. Maybe I just need for him to get out of this phase?

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Maybe I just need for him to get out of this phase?

Would you expect a toddler to get out of teething without chewing on anything she/he can get his/her hands on?

It hurts and its painful for all involved. Just keep doing what you're doing. Your GSD is a baby after all - babies aren't very smart, in any species!

 

[nephthys43]

I did something different. Everytime zara bit or mouthed me, I stuck my fingers down her throat. Just enough to be uncomfortable. That way she associated human hands in her mouth with something unpleasant. I had tried the replacing with a toy thing and it just wasn't working. She was done mouthing me within a week or so. It's gross, but it worked.

 

[SaraJayne]

No advice on the mouthing. I'm just impressed he sat still long enough for you to take his picture.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

OMG, he's adorable! We got our GSD when he was 11 weeks old, and he's almost 9 now. The day we brought him home, we got a great picture of him when his tushy touched down for like 2 seconds.

I don't remember what we did about the teething/biting issue. Probably along the lines of what JJ said. Seems like an eternity ago!

Good luck with him! He's precious!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's not your fault - I snuck them in without warning!

I forgot to mention that I do offer him a toy right after I correct him. I stick it in his mouth instead of my hand. Maybe I just need for him to get out of this phase?

This is correct, just keep doing it. It takes a [good long] while for them to "get it". He'll be teething in a few weeks and it will get worse. He'll be in pain and chewing helps so make sure he has lots of things to chew on. (This will save your furniture, also.)

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

This won't be the popular way, but I take their upper lip and pull it down over their canine tooth, so they bite their own lip, while telling them "easy". They learn quickly by biting their own lip that biting hurts. It only takes them once or twice and they learn not to mouth me. I also use the word "easy" when teaching them to take food or treats from my hand, so they learn to be gentle.

Adorable puppy, BTW.

 

[Stitchfans]

So cute, Be patient. Sooner or later he will grow out of it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

They learn quickly by biting their own lip that biting hurts.

They already know biting hurts. They learned this from their littermates and were corrected by their mother when their bites caused pain to her. This is why it's important to keep the litter with their mother (whenever possible) until about 8 weeks of age.

Not saying your method is wrong. But it may be a moot point (to the dog). What he needs to learn now is how to re-channel it to something else, ie something he IS allowed to bite or chew, ie his toys or a bone.

 

[Tosie]

I know this won't help but our GSD did the same thing to dh. She eventually just grew out of it, despite our many, many attempts to break her of it. She will still grab his hand to pull him to do something, but not very often.

 

[natenapril]

I did something different. Everytime zara bit or mouthed me, I stuck my fingers down her throat. Just enough to be uncomfortable. That way she associated human hands in her mouth with something unpleasant. I had tried the replacing with a toy thing and it just wasn't working. She was done mouthing me within a week or so. It's gross, but it worked.

This is what my Dh has us do with both dogs we raised and it worked. Very gross. But it worked. We just did it a few months ago when we adopted our second Golden who was in the middle of his chew stage

 

[hereyago]

Oh the joys of puppyhood. As another poster mentioned, they nip sometimes when they would play with their litter mates. You are now his pack. My GSD is 9 months old and huge!!!!!! ANyhoo, if he played nipped, DD and I would yelp and he would let go.

As for teething, can't stress enough the toys like Kong or I take a washcloth-for his use only- and I put water on it and freeze it. Also, he likes ice. He has learned to sit and lie down if he wants ice.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was thinking about this pulling the lip over the tooth thing for much of the day. Had to respond again...

Let's think this through. So a dog learning from that experience would involve the following: dog feels pain and says to self, "gee, that hurts". Then further says to self, "well, if it hurts me like that, it will surely hurt my owner, and since I love my owner so much I'd never want to hurt her, so I better not bite anymore". And all this at 12 weeks of age!

Teething dogs bite because it feels good on their mouths and at their young age, they play with their mouths. No amount of pinching a lip is going to change that. It takes a while to grow out of it and in the meantime, you teach the dog what's appropriate to chew, and always correct dog teeth on human skin by disallowing and saying No.

And further, telling a dog "Easy" while causing pain to them does not make sense to me. We use "Easy" or "Settle" when we want the dog to relax, and provide a relaxing environment when we give either of those commands.

 

[gonemousin']

I was thinking about this pulling the lip over the tooth thing for much of the day. Had to respond again...

Let's think this through. So a dog learning from that experience would involve the following: dog feels pain and says to self, "gee, that hurts". Then further says to self, "well, if it hurts me like that, it will surely hurt my owner, and since I love my owner so much I'd never want to hurt her, so I better not bite anymore". And all this at 12 weeks of age!

Teething dogs bite because it feels good on their mouths and at their young age, they play with their mouths. No amount of pinching a lip is going to change that. It takes a while to grow out of it and in the meantime, you teach the dog what's appropriate to chew, and always correct dog teeth on human skin by disallowing and saying No.

And further, telling a dog "Easy" while causing pain to them does not make sense to me. We use "Easy" or "Settle" when we want the dog to relax, and provide a relaxing environment when we give either of those commands.

Actually, the lip over the canine technique is quite common. Our trainer, who was a gentle discipline based trainer (Gentle Leader, positive behavior reinforcement, etc) recommended this technique and it worked beautifully. Our vet also recommends this technique. Not to disagree with your interpretation of this technique, but the way our trainer explained its purpose made total sense to us, and probably our dog since he reacted easily to it. She explained that the momma dog nips her puppies to correct their poor behavior. The human needs to establish dominance with a puppy and the best way of doing that is to act like you're the momma dog. Obviously, a human can't bite to correct a dog in the same way a momma dog can, thus our trainer explained this technique simulates that momma dog correction. It may sound odd or ineffective to you, but it worked very well for our dog when he was a puppy. He's a happy, healthy, sweet 8 year old dog now and has never bitten again. YMMV

 

[Pea-n-Me]

momma dog nips her puppies to correct their poor behavior. The human needs to establish dominance with a puppy and the best way of doing that is to act like you're the momma dog. Obviously, a human can't bite to correct a dog in the same way a momma dog can

Well this, of course, I completely agree with and have practiced it myself on 4 puppies - though not by pulling their lips down. But hey, if it works for you, then by all means, use it.

 

[arminnie]

Tabasco sauce has always worked wonders for me. Really they only taste it once or twice - after that the odor keeps them away.

I used to keep a bottle in my nightstand (sounds weird) - after awhile I only needed to get the bottle out. Didn't take long until he stopped wanted to chew on me.

 

[RNMOM]

It will probably take a lot of reinforcing till he gets the idea. Right now he is probably just trying to relieve the teething urge.

I used the same method you described in your initial post and it eventually worked. Be very calm and speak quietly to him. I also used the "gentle, gently" command when I give treats and he finally figured out that he needed to be very calm and allow me to give the treat to him rather than take it. I still have to tell him each time though as he is a tough nut.

I also used the "ouch" after the "no bite" and now if I say ouch when playing with him he immediately stops and looks at me. I think he finally gets that his huge white teeth are sharp and hurt me if he is too rough. I know he understands but if you are having a 'roll on your back with your legs kicking in the air and your mouth is open and you are messing up mom and dad's bed...' it is easy to forget that mouth can be hurtful.