Leaderboard

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! German shepherd pups (along with Australian cattle dogs and several other herders) can be quite nippy as puppies. This is very normal. The behavior won't stop overnight, but you can ameliorate things by engaging your puppy in games that he'll find more rewarding to engage in rather than just nipping our ankles and hands. Here is a guide with several games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/ In particular, I like to encourage hand targeting to encourage positive interactions with hands. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ Once you have a solid response to targeting with your family at home, I would suggest having your guests sit down and have them ask for hand targets and then toss a kibble to reward him. After a successful session though, I would suggest keeping him behind a baby gate with something safe to chew (stuffed Kong, Licki-mat, chew toys) as with time, if the visit is long, pups may get bored/tired and this can trigger them to go in nippy mode just to get more attention/interaction. Other tips for nipping that come to mind: -If he comes back after you give him a toy, I suggest evaluating what toys are being used. Trying to redirect using a regular toy that likely your puppy has always access to can be rather boring compared to moving ankles and clothes he can play tug with. So right when you expect him to come towards you to nip, as soon as he is close to you, freeze (become motionless) and offer him a stuffed Kong (Kong toy stuffed with smelly goodies like peanut butter mixed with some kibble and dog cookies stacked to make it hard for her to get the kibble out), rather than just a regular toy. Keep it handy in your pocket or treat bag. This should occupy him for long enough for you to walk away and keep him busy focusing on something else. A Kong Wobbler/ Buster Cube filled with a portion of his daily allowance of kibble can also come handy once he learns how to get the kibble out. - You can also try to engage him with toys that add movement into the game such as a tennis ball tossed in the opposite direction (make it extra fun!) or a flirt pole (stick with a stuffed animal attached one end). The goal is to find a way to make these toys much more interesting, rewarding and fun to interact with than your body. Dogs who love to herd may enjoy chasing large balls used for the sport of Treibball. -Redirect to an interactive game with you. I like to keep kibble always in my treat bag/pocket ready for this. As soon as he approaches you, ask him for a sit and reward by tossing one piece of kibble/treat. He'll likely eat it and come for more if he perceives them as valuable enough. Repeat several times, catching him always before he even has the chance to think of biting. This makes your dog tired, provides an outlet for chasing instincts while you incorporate some fun obedience. Here is how to train sit, which is an incompatible behavior compared with biting (a dog in general cannot sit and bite legs at the same time). Initially, as your dog is learning to sit, you can just toss the treat without asking for a sit as soon as he approaches you. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/sit/ -Alternatively you can redirect to an empty water bottle with no lid filled up. Most dogs cannot resist the crinkling sounds produced by chewing on these. They make an economical. temporary chew toy. Always monitor your dog when chewing if your dog tends to ingest things and consider that excess chewing can make some parts sharp. To make the bottle even more interesting, fill it up with a portion of your puppy's daily ratio of kibble so your puppy will keep busy trying to roll the kibble out. You can read more about this fun game here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/the-bottle-game/ -Make sure you provide outlets for pent-up energy. Games, training, exercise and opportunities for socialization should wear him out and provide outlets for her basic needs. With brain games that allowing him to chase things and get rewards out of them (like kibble out of a bottle or a Kong Wobbler) he should seek these games more and more which can turn ankles pretty boring after a while because he gets more out of these activities when he's bored/frustrated/overstimulated. -Don't forget to train your pup some bite inhibition. This is a very important skill. A good exercise to train this using treats is here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/ The main goal in getting a dog to stop biting ankles/hands is to teach that it's boring playing with them because there are far better forms of play out there that don't involve human body parts. So move less and make your toys move more. Wriggle them, toss them, provide toys that release food. With their strong urge to bite and play satiated with other forms of play, soon, puppies should outgrow the habit of chasing legs just as they outgrow the habit of chasing their tails. You may have to try several of the above options and see what works best. Redirection to a rewarding treat-dispensing toy or game that uses treats should be moderately easy at this age if these activities are made rewarding. Teaching an alternate behavior is also important because dogs cannot misbehave if they are busy targeting our hands or sitting! It may take a bit of time though to teach these alternate behaviors fluently but it is sure worth the time and effort. By providing outlets for his energy and needs for mental stimulation and reinforcing appropriate behaviors, you should eventually start seeing a decrease in the biting behavior. Keep track of it so to measure whether things are getting better with time. Finally, consider that puppies tend to get worse at nipping when they are cranky and in dire need for a nap. If you notice a time where your pup is super nippy, consider enclosing him behind a baby gate or crate with something valuable to chew. Chances are, if you provide a quiet area, he will chew and then happen to fall asleep for a well-needed nap. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more other questions. Best, Adrienne