shiba is 16 weeks old now and her front paws are lethal weapons, she would be brill in kick boxing..
She appears to be so clumsy with her paws esp when she comes for a cuddle she wacks you in the face or scratches down your legs or arms.
She jumped up on the bed for her usual wake up cuddle and kiss but wacked me in my left eye and it bloomin hurt.
it seems as though she has no control of her front paws as they are huge. she goes to her bowl for a drink or to eat and i know her front paws will end up in it.
even if she goes out for a pooh when shes finnished she scratches the ground as though shes covering it up. this facinates me why do dogs do this?
of course often her front patsies land in it. ggrrrrrrrrrr
she is a german shepherd for those who may not already know.
is this quite usual for a shepherd pup or any dog for that matter to appear to be so clumsy? and to scratch the ground after toileting, it seems so pointless as they dont actually achieve anything.
thanks sam

Yep, in my experience its all perfectly normal.  I've got a 2yr old boxer dog and he regularly catches us with one of them paws as he comes up for a cuddle.  I've almost had a broken nose (it bled and hurt lots anyway!!), My OH has had a couple of blackeyes and a split lip, and I'm always sporting a bruise or two on my legs from where he catches me!!

As for the sratching outside, yep he does that too - we have to lay a towel out in the kitchen whenever he comes in and have taught him to give each of his paws in turn to be wiped clean -we generally get lots of kisses while we're bent over doing this!!

At the moment I have the clumsiest pup I have ever had, he falls over every thing and is totally without a care in the world. All the other dogs I have owned walk round another dog laying on the floor, not this one he walks straight over and this morning stopped half way up Saxon to have a scratch. He sits on their heads and bumps into them and us the whole time, not sure if it is lack of co-ordination or a total disregard for his kennel mates and us.

LOL at pup scratching half way up Saxon! :D

Our youngest is a clumsy clod too!  I'm constantly covered in bruises from paw batting; the latest one on my arm was actually made up of smaller bruises, from each of the pads, in the shape of a paw

Lesley

sounds just like my Macy, she walks all over my other two and us!! As soon as she deciedes thats were she is going to sit she does, regardless of who or what she is sitting on. she is the only dog i know that has ever sat on my mum (she's not a doggy person).
Karen.

Britney has a hibit of comeing up behind when you are stood at the sink and jumping up and putting he paws on your my shoulders just about knocking me into the sink, she now weighs more than I do and sends me fliying. This is the new part of her training now but she still has not got over it

My gsd will be a year old next month, I also grew up with them as my mum always had gsd's. I find they are totally clumsy until at least 2.  If i am crouching down to get something, there she is knocking me over, when we're out in the fields I stand completely still if she's running towrds me cause if i dare move i know she'll bang straight into my knees and i'll be catapulted. But the funniest times for me is when my poor hubby who suffers from a foot condition (where his feet get blistery and sore from time to time )  My gsd without fail keeps treading on his feet, I have to stifle my laughter as he goes off screaming ouch and unmentionable words, I hold my giggles as I say to him, " oh are you ok, she's still a puppy, where are your slippers dear ?" and he goes off looking in agony limping. Feel a bit wicked but cant help laughing. Yes I do think gsd's are the loveliest clumsiest dogs.
mags.