my gsd dog was 3 years old when she stoped nipping us, it started when she was
a pup playing , which got worse did not matter what we did sometimes in the house
it was inpossibe to see her face as she never kept still longer enought.

she went to puppy lessons and as she got older went to more training.
when she was on the lead or training she was a angel, but in the house
she was mental. when my oldest boy was born, she was so gentle with
him but us she was crazy, it was just play biting and never hard but
enoying, my dad in the end had enought with her while visiting.
and bit her on the ear, she did yelp, but ill tell you what never bit
us again. im not saying this is right or wrong, i did shout at my dad for biting her
as i dont agree biting anyone or anythink.
i allso remember when my 9 year old was going threw the terrible 2sss
all my god he would bite anythink or anyone when he could not have his own way .
but never bit him on the ear and hes a lovely child now, and so careing.
i do remember the heath vistor saying that i should bite him back, but i never did.
Loulu

When you use violence as a method of behaviour management it demonstrates a) that you have lost control (or, possibley worse, that you are deliberately cruel) and b) that it is perfectly acceptable to use it.  I would never want any of my children to grow up believing that the use of violence was acceptable either to or from their parents!

hope tohme message was not for me. but let me just make it clear, i have never smacked any of my
children or my dogs, or been deliberately cruel to anybody.  the only person who was cruel in
my eyes was my dad who bit the dog, but it did stop her from doing the same to us, maybe
it was awake up call for her that it does hurt. i dont know. and my dad has always belive this.
but i would never do this to anybody, and would not want anyone to do this.
as for my 2 year old at the time he went threw a stage, that he would bite when he
could not get his own way, and i think most 2 year olds have gone threw this.
and grew out of it, and i would never want any of my children to think violence is acceptable
in any form or shape.
loulu

When I wrote 40+ years ago i meant the trainers from then not people over 40+

I was told to give my dog a good hiding for barking not long ago by such a person, he used to train dogs in the 60's on chokers hit dogs that stepped out of line at his training club etc etc

But biting/nipping dogs for nipping was the norm back then & it never cured the problem only made the dog frightened of the owner

If it has to be used as a reminder for the dog so many times it clearly did not work

I've never had puppy biting problems because if they start I walk away & do not react. If the puppy gets no reaction to it's nipping it will quickly stop. If the puppy behaves it is rewarded if it misbehaves it isn't. quite simple & consistancy from the human is naturally the most important factor.

I wonder what the RSPCA would think of your "cure" for puppy biting problems perhaps you should suggest it to them or better still write a book about it

Edited to Add I've had GSDs since 1958 & never had one of these manic ones Perhaps it all the german bloodlines that have made the dogs manic--only thing is ALL my dogs have been from direct german breeding so that can't be it

she is german bloodlines, and she still has her moments off running round mad which is great
since she is old. she is the best dog ever, think it just took her along time to carm down abit
i bought her from a farm and no dont mean a breeding farm, they only breed, gsd.
but she had the freedom of running round as she only kennel them off anight.
but when i moved to my small farm, she was so happy to be able to have the freedom.
off running allday, thats when she finally carm down abit, i mean not jumping like a
kangaroo around the house, as at the time we only had a small house and big garden.
dont no why your being sarcastic for, only putting my veiw across which ive agreed
any way that no living creature should be smacked or bitten. and for the r.s.p.c.a
it probley take them a year to reply to yer if you ask them that. as there no good.
and i consider myself a very nice person and always helping others when i can
to take dogs and cats in when the owners decide they dont wont them anymore for
what ever reason.
Loulu

I was not addressing my remarks to you

I have taken a lot of "stick"in the past on here for preferrng German bred GSD's to the "correct"English type preferred by most people who do not have GSDs or had them years ago on here

I only have one experience of a dog corrected for puppy biting by being nipped back, It was a English type GSD owned by my father(his first one)line bred to Avon Prince & I still have the scars on my legs from where she attacked me from behind. she was a very very bitey puppy & the person I mentioned who hit dogs he trained had corrected her lots of times. It stopped her biting when you were facing her & she attacked from behind catching you off guard. She was PTS aged 4 for attacking me & my brother in one day.. So like I said in my first post correcting in this way means you might live to regret it

Don't worry Moonmaiden, I was not kicking you. Hence the ;)

Best wishes, John

mewmew - there is no need to be so agressive. i'm only having a discussion here. not an argument.  I am not naive - i was merely referring to the fact that children can actually 'talk' and dogs, yes, can whine, bark or whatever - but i was trying to just elaborate (which i probably dont need to do) on our differences with dogs.  It is up to us to learn their language and not inflict our own methods on them as they are not going to understand our ways like they know instinctively THEIR ways.  I do the same with my horses - I have learnt their body language and way of behaving and subseqently never have ahorse that bites, kicks, cribs, bucks, rears or any of the above - these are all behaviours that are learned through humans causing problems forcing their human methods on the dogs.  Humans have a bad way of getting emotional when training animals, and it doesnt work.  You watch any animal parent in nature (or herd/pack) member and they are always firm but fair and NEVER do anything in an emotional state.

I am sure that biting puppies ears works - it is clearly working with some dogs, but since i follow the 'natural' path with animals and dogs do not do this to each other in nature, i could not use it myself.  I do not think that its a case of extreme cruelty however - but i do not think that dogs should fear their owners, they should respect them as leaders. 

Saxon is right - the puppy doesnt understand that she is hurting you when she bites - she is merely using her mouth as an exploratory tool. like we would use our hands.  It would be confusing for the puppy to be chastised for doing what it is instinctual to do IMO.

Just moving the thread back so we can read it ;)

Hi there,
My pup has taken to biting the back and front of my legs. As soon as I pull him off he clamps back on again. Can anyone help (just for the record I will not be biting him back as a solution to the problem)
Thanks

Lol @ andi!! :-)

I'm no expert, I'm a learner too, but with my puppy its slippers that she clamps on to, and have found leaving the room (and closing the door) for a short while (as recommended on this thread by Sally and Jackie H I think) is proving to be very successful so far - mind you its only been 2 days so we shall see, but I started doing it with hand-biting yesterday and today when she began her favourite trick of slipper-clamping, I followed the same method and after 3 goes she gave up and wanted to come and sit by me.....normally she can keep it up for a good 20 minutes!  So might be worth a try.

i think biting a puppy is foolish and was invented in the dark ages when they also use to  rub their noses in their own faeces and urine to toilet train them!!

all puppies go through the nipping stage some will be worse than others and once they lose their baby teeth it normally stops anyway!

Well said Sid!!!!!
A