Not logged inChampdogs Information Exchange
Forum Breeders Help Search Board Index Active Topics Login

Find your perfect puppy at Champdogs
The UK's leading pedigree dog breeder website for over 25 years

Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / 7months old gsd play biting ????
- By white lilly [gb] Date 17.10.09 12:22 UTC
weve got a 7months old shep hes a very loving boy ,plays with our other sheps great but can get alittle full on ,now i know this age is full on to say the leasest lol.....BUT he is biting us when he gets excited!! we try and tel him NO and try and do other things with him but he just wants to bit us :( ....plz any help here ...now weve only had him aweek the family that had him couldnt cope and now i know why :( ,if we carnt do this i will get a trainer to come in our home and work with him but i want to try and do this THE RIGHT WAY .....and stop him he is a big lad and is hurting me never mind our kids ,they dont want him here :( everthing eles about him is wonderful ...thanks !!!
- By Goldmali Date 17.10.09 12:32 UTC
It's quite easy -everything stops when he bites. Any toys are put away, any interaction with him stops altogether. (I.e. you go in to a different room even.) I.e. all the fun stops. Only by not using his teeth does he get to interact with you. Even by being told no you're rewarding him, because what he wants is a reaction. If everything stops, the reason for biting stops as well.
- By white lilly [gb] Date 17.10.09 12:43 UTC
thaks marianne, thats what im tring but the kids cry and shout ,now hes not creat trained but do u think i should but him in 1 when he starts as the kids carnt move out his way when he starts?? ,there not babys but my youngst is 10 and i need to get control of this asap!! x
- By furriefriends Date 17.10.09 14:46 UTC
hi white lilly not an expert on this asyou know but I would think putting him in a crate when he starts this will seem like a punishment and he wont like the crate.
Can you restrict his areas around the house say in one roome so that you choose when and how you interact with him. If he is good he gets more nice thinks if not you move away to another room that way you can also restrict when your children interact with him and it canbe overseen more easily. Gosh you must have your hands full is this another baby , how mau sheps have you now ? 
- By Brainless [gb] Date 17.10.09 14:57 UTC
7 months is very much still a baby, albeit a big baby.

He hasn't learnt any self control, and didn't get the training he needs.

As you have found any shouting or running about gets him hyped up so things need to be kept very calm.

The rule for the dogs and kids when they were young was that their interactions were always calm. 

The dog needs to be distracted into alternative behaviours, and these should e calming ones.  When my son was a toddler the Elikhound pup would only get attention if she lay down, so teaching down is important for such a big dog.  At the same time the children must be encouraged to speak quietly and slowly in the dogs presence, you should keep him on a house lead so you can enforce the desired behaviour.

I had an OTT teenager back at 8 1/2 months, she was very mouthy and any telling off resulted in her trying harder to turn it into a game.

I ended up using a water spray bottle to interrupt her charges at me, jet spray in the face would stop her long enough to get a calm command out.  Not to be used by kids whose timing might be off, and also may turn it into a game or teasing.
- By ANNM172 [gb] Date 17.10.09 15:25 UTC
Hi White Lilly I had GSDs before I had Papillons and all my babies went through a mouthing stage. I used to just swap my hand for a ragger toy and give a tug with that praisng when they put the teeth on the toy. I also said ouch when teeth touched skin. It usually happened when they were full of pent up energy so a long walk before that stage used to do the trick too by limiting the energy left over.
I agree that giving a huge negative response is just attention which is fab when you want to play.

Good Luck
- By mastifflover Date 17.10.09 22:00 UTC
You've allready had great advice so I'll only add some support.
My Mastiff turned into a complete monster at 7 months old, his play biting, which up untill them was not too bad but his confidance was growing and then his play-biting & rough-housing really got bad. He actually knocked me to the floor one day and was having great fun jumpng all over me, biting my arms (hard enough to leave pinch marks) and biting my hair, that was the day I thought I had made a terrible mistake getting him :(
However, he did, with our help, learn self control and we in turn learnt how to best control him and difuse the situation. My boys (now 10 & 11 yrs old) were frightened of him when he was 7 months old, but that soon passed and they are brill at controlling him when he occasionally gets OTT now, allthough 2 years old he is far from mature yet so still has the odd outburst of excitement but it's not a patch on what it used to be as he has had so much practice at bite-force inhibition!!

Keep the goal in mind (a calm, controlable dog) and it will make it an easier journey to reach, you will get there. :)
- By white lilly [gb] Date 18.10.09 09:45 UTC
thanku every1 ,weve got to start at basics with him ,he dont come when shouted now he is being a sod ,hes being soooo bouncy and biting im a little frightend of him at the mo and thats not good ,the only word i can use for him is headstrong ,its going to take me alittle time to get use to him ,but hes not going to beat me i do know that lol ...this is going to be a long road with strom but it will be worth it i know that xx
- By ANNM172 [gb] Date 19.10.09 15:25 UTC
White lilly- Can you start his recall quietly at home- Maybe put the other dogs in the garden for a while and just have him in one room with you.
Try using food or a toy (whichever one he loves best and just call him really hapilly. If he doesn't come don't go after him waggle the toy or treat moving backwards like a game and loads of praise, tugging with toy/ or treat when he comes.

He may have been told to "come here" when he has been naughty before and so have a negative association or only ever been called to be put back on the lead- meaning the fun ends when those words are said.

He needs to know that "come" is great and means yummies or tugs.

I used to recall my shepherds ten plus times on each walk calling them in for a quick touch/treat and then sending them off again.

I would wait until he is 100% coming back looking keen at home before trying outside.

He sounds full of energy and fun.

It's not great that you say you are a bit frightened of him- he will sense that.
How is his down stay? Maybe you can practice that so you feel you are teaching him whilst he is in a calmer position and you can gain confidence.
Gsd's are a bright breed and usually keen to please

Hope you sort things out
- By white lilly [gb] Date 19.10.09 15:55 UTC
hi mate :) ....well he dont know his down stay yet :( ...hes had no training at all only sit and paw !! :( ....we have started calling him with treats he will come and jump i get him to sit and then treat him ...but then he jumps stright back up and my god he can jump!!! if we tell him no he jumps and bits more ...we are taking him to training class on sunday ,the trainer is well known and very good with sheps and also does alot of training with the police .....so keep ya fingers crossed for me hun xx
- By ANNM172 [gb] Date 19.10.09 17:13 UTC
Will do.
Have you tried turning your back on him when he jumps?
Saying No still gives him attention and the interaction he is looking for.
I used to turn my back silently when my mine jumped (You still get your back jumped on but facial gestures and voice stop)
With any luck after a few minutes he will sit confused to see what's wrong and you are off with another "good sit" and in all likliehood the process will start again. Being bright dogs it won't take him long to realise the sit gets the treat (You could also click the sit)
- By white lilly [gb] Date 19.10.09 17:41 UTC Edited 19.10.09 17:44 UTC
ive had a good few hours with him :) hubby and daughter out ,the lads playing football ....ive had him following me around with a small tin of treats and when i turn around he stops i say sit and he does :) ...only once did he jump up "ya"....he is a very bright so when we have trained him and he old enough i think ,we will look into doing something with him for him to work ,i know he will do well !!! hes still a baby i know that but at this age mine are doing so well with there training (dogs ive had from 7weeks :) ...
thanks for that x
- By white lilly [gb] Date 03.11.09 18:03 UTC
UP DATE .....storm is doing so well with him training ,hes slowly stopping the bitting ,he realy enjoys the training classes and is walking at heel with no lead on him with all the other dogs there (at class) ...hes recall is great !!!! the trainer is so happy with how fast hes picking everything up ,we are very happy with him :) xx
- By BarkingMad16 [gb] Date 03.11.09 18:56 UTC
Have you thought of clicker training - this would be good for all the family to get involved in once everyone understands the concept of the clicker and the golden rules.  I would make him work for everything an put a real value on things. If you think clicker would work for you (it works for most dogs!) I would recommend any Karen Pryor book to get you started, its amazing what you can teach with a clicker.  Good luck with your new shep, I have two and they are a joy (when they are trained!) LOL.
- By white lilly [gb] Date 03.11.09 22:20 UTC
i went with my sister to a class there clicker was trained ,but i didnt think about it till you reminded me :) i will get hubby to get the book ...thanks x
Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / 7months old gsd play biting ????

Powered by mwForum 2.29.6 © 1999-2015 Markus Wichitill

About Us - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy