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Hi Steven, Welcome to the forums, You are on the right path with the bite inhibition games and training the other cues. They seem to be working in not getting your puppy to nip you too often. However, when it comes to children, we are exposing a very young puppy to a level of distraction that he is not ready for. Here's the thing: puppy biting is totally normal behavior in puppies. All puppies go through the "landshark phase." Pups who don't go through is are either sick, have been traumatized or have endured some unusual deficit disorder. Puppies use their mouths to play because they don't have dexterous fingers and hands as we do. If we watch puppies interact, we will see how they are constantly nipping each other in play. Puppies find legs, floppy ears and tails irresistible to play with because they move and provide interactive fun. Movement triggers predatory drive and therefore a puppy moving away and running will be readily chased. A moving tail will be nipped. The forward moving legs will be quite an attraction too with funny episodes of a pup trying to walk while the other pup is latched on to a leg with a crocodile hold. Deprived from a littermate to focus on, it is natural for puppies to therefore want to play with the humans in their family in the same way they play among each other. Biting when playing with owners/family members is therefore a very normal activity most commonly seen in puppies and dogs under the age of 1. If you just bought home a puppy, it's therefore very typical (and expected!) that he will try to interact with you or others by mouthing and nipping. With no more puppies to play with, once introduced to their new homes, puppies will therefore be seeking out play with the humans they share their homes with. It's not unusual for children to be the preferred nipping targets of puppies and young dogs. Moving erratically, running and screaming or talking in high-pitched voices, children act a lot like dogs and their body movements are perceived as an irresistible invitation to play. I am glad to hear that your German shepherd puppy is not breaking the skin which means he is able of inhibiting his bite, but with needle sharp teeth, unfortunately teeth scratches and marks aren't unusual. In such cases, when there are young children in the home, it is best to not expose the puppy to them when they are actively playing or doing anything that overstimulates the puppy. Puppies get over threshold in these cases and it's difficult for them to listen. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ It would be helpful therefore to use management strategies that prevent putting your GSD puppy in the position of being overstimulated and wanting to constantly bite. The goal of management is to prevent dogs from rehearsing problematic behaviors while we work on teaching them more appropriate behaviors. This could mean, using a baby gate so that puppy and children have their own play areas, keeping your puppy tethered or on leash with an adult when he is in the same yard or room with the children, or keeping him in his play pen, crate or behind a pet fence etc. Management also entails not putting the puppy into situations that are too over stimulating or overwhelming which may prompt excessive nipping behaviors. Children should not pet the puppy if this causes the puppy to turn nippy. In the meanwhile, when children are away, the puppy can be taught various easy behaviors to engage in. At 10 weeks your puppy is very young, but we can do some basic sits, hand targets and downs. I also find training a response to the smacking sound helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ to redirect as needed. With a short attention span, training sessions in pups of this age should be very brief no more than 5 minutes, better 2-3 minutes several times a day making the sessions fun and upbeat. When around children, the children should act as calm as possible and the puppy should be encouraged to engage in alternate behaviors that do not involve nipping. Bottle games https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/the-bottle-game/ treasure hunts https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-treasure-hunt/ and tossing balls tossed across the room can help provide outlets for play. Kibble toss games work great too as the pup has fun chasing a portion of his daily meal rather than eating it all in one setting. Puppies who are teething should be provided with suitable age-appropriate chew toys. I like to use a frozen wash rag for teething puppies as outlined here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/chewing/ The problem with the pup not being responsive to leave it, drop it or other cues in presence of the children is likely because the puppy is very, very young to learn these cues at a fluent level. Just consider that an average dog obedience class lasts 6 to 8 weeks, and with these classes, they aren't even taught at a fluent level because not around the many distractions of the real world (joggers running, cars, bicycles). A puppy of this age will therefore need lots of fun sessions initially with no children around and then gradually practicing with the children at a distance, initially acting calmly, then gradually adding distractions etc. For instance, you can train your pup to respond to the smacking sound initially in a quiet room with no children, https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ and then progress gradually to respond to it when watching the children play in the yard from a window, https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ and then can progress with the pup on leash watching the children play in the yard from the deck at a distance, and then practicing on a long line (long leash like 10-15 feet). The desire to play at this age is very strong and children entice puppies to chase and play in the only way they know. Children can participate in training when the puppy is in a calmer state (preferable while leashed to an adult so he can be removed if starts to nip) by sitting down on the couch (on the floor is too overstimulating for pups) and one by one calmly asking for behaviors such as hand targeting, sits and downs. If the puppy struggles, it's sign that he's too over threshold to learn and needs more gradual, less overwhelming settings. So to recap, the fastest option right now is to use management when the puppy cannot be trained, and then dedicating every day time to training and focusing on brain games, initially away from the children, and then systematically creating low-level exposures over time, gradually progressing at the puppy's pace. Something that can further help management-wise if the biting is directed at children feet and legs primarily, is having the children wear thick jeans and tall Wellington boots which can allow them to "turn into a tree" and therefore stand still without feeling the sharp teeth. I know how frustrating this can be! When I was 6, my dad came home with a special gift: a black Lab puppy. I was ecstatic and the happiest child ever. Until when the pup started biting my legs and my mom grew concerned about me running around and squealing in pain with a mix between a crocodile and landshark firmly attached to my leg. She finally, out of desperation, decided to give the puppy away although I still missed the pup and cried. Fast forward a few weeks and my cousin gets a puppy too for her kids. The poodle puppy was biting and scratch their kids arms and legs up to the point of them crying. She also gave away the puppy assuming the pup was coming from bad breeders. With my mom and my cousin talking things over, we assumed that some pups must be just nuts and not family friendly. Until later on, as I grew up and moved out and decided to get my first dogs. I finally understood that biting is a normal part of puppyhood, --of course, no longer being a child made it easier. I sort of regret now though not haven had the amazing experience of growing up with a dog. You can read many threads here about biting puppies in families with children by searching the forums. Fortunately, most pups outgrow this phase when given gentle guidance. Any physical corrections (like tapping on the nose, alpha rolls, etc) tend to exacerbate the problem, often lead to more problems down the road. Puppy classes under the guidance of a good positive reinforcement trainer can help provide the puppy safe play opportunities with other pups (which can help drain some energy) while also working on hands-on obedience training and children are often welcomed to participate. I hope this helps, keep me posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others.