German Shepherd puppies frequently bite when they are teething, which is a natural behavior. But we cannot promote them for biting whatever things they get, however, we can try to discipline or train them never to bite everything that they see near them as we cannot tolerate their excessive biting or nipping.
Disciplining your German Shepherd pups will let them bite things in control way and it also allows them to behave in a much more efficient manner. You can start training them by providing alternative toys such as stuffed toys, or rubber toys, like Kongs that will suit their age. Providing them with some treats or rewards always boost their confidence and prevents them from doing ill effects.
There may be wrong assumptions about discipline among most dog owners as disciplining your German Shepherd pups does not mean punishing them all the time but it helps you develop your GSD puppy in a well-behaved manner.
When you teach them to behave well and obey you in the right way, you must be wanting your German Shepherd pups never to bite all the time.
However, it should also be known that you can’t stop their biting behavior altogether but it can be controlled by providing them with good training skills and disciplining them.
You don’t need to worry any longer because this post will explain in detail the simplest method for stopping your German Shepherd puppy from biting.
Here in this post, you will come to know:
- Reasons why German Shepherd pups bite.
- German Shepherd puppy biting phase
- How to discipline your GSD pups correctly and easily.
- What should be avoided while disciplining them?
Let’s examine the issue in-depth and educate our German Shepherd puppies about not biting:
Table of Contents
Why Do German Shepherd Puppies Bite?
GSD pups are too cute even I was excited when I brought my GSD puppy for the first time into my home. I cared for him too much and fell in love with him, but I also got angry when my German Shepherd dog started biting me. I too hope you must be also eager to know why German Shepherd puppies bite.
Generally, German Shepherd puppies bite during the teething phase. German Shepherds’ tendency to bite is also inherited because of their high prey drive and intrinsic herding instinct. German Shepherd puppies also bite while learning social behavior maybe their mother taught earlier.
The biting of German Shepherd puppies is a natural behavior and it can’t be avoided altogether. However, you can follow some tips to avoid such type of biting behavior in your puppy.
Teaching Bite Inhibition
Bite inhibition lets your pups learn and control their biting. With this technique, they can recognize the sensitivity of human skin and thus decrease the force of biting. The pups who do not learn bite inhibition are unaware of this human touch and may bite forcefully.
As socialization enables your German Shepherd pups to engage with people and sense human touch, it is also the best approach to reduce the frequency of their biting.
Your German Shepherd puppy may learn bite inhibition during play with other puppies because puppies also bite each other while playing as they do a lot of fun together like running, chasing, touching, and wrestling.
If you play with your German Shepherd puppy, let him mouth on your hand and continue to play with him until he bites you hard. In such a case you can give him a high-pitched yelp, this will let your pup stop mouthing you. You can also praise your pup for not mouthing or licking yourself. You can also repeat the above process unless they learn properly.
However, biting inhibition should be learned by your German Shepherd pups when you bring them first into your home as they are easy to handle and learn things more efficiently. You can also observe them while playing, if they hold your hands softly then definitely you are on right track.
It will also be better for you to know the biting phase of your German Shepherd puppy which will also help you a lot if you own a new puppy in your house.
German Shepherd Puppy Biting Phase
Teething
Newborn German Shepherd pups love to explore their surroundings with their mouths, thus they begin licking or mouthing people as they get to know them. The biting of German Shepherd puppies generally starts when they come under the stage of teething.
German Shepherd puppies begin to develop their middle-sharp puppy teeth when they are 2 weeks old, and this process takes six to seven weeks. If you bring your puppy in at eight weeks old, their middle-sharp teeth must have grown and are prepared to lick your hand.
However, their teeth may fall when they go to the age period of three to four months as this is the time when their teeth start loosening and at last start falling. You should not worry at this time as it is a natural period, they use to swallow their food when their teeth fall out.
Natural Herding Instinct
If we examine the history of German Shepherds, we will see that they were bred to guard and herd animals. With the skills of their intelligence, loyalty, strength, and bravery German Shepherds are the favorite breed among Americans as they are considered one of the greatest pets for the family.
The natural herding nature of German Shepherds causes them to bite and nip, so if you own one as a pet, you’ve probably already dealt with it. The genes are also responsible for their herding behavior and biting skills which you should be aware of.
Most German Shepherd puppies like to bite ankles during playtime however if they bite or nip in a disciplined manner there is no sign of worry in case of a severe bite you must try to teach them and discipline your German Shepherd puppy.
How To Discipline Your German Shepherd Puppy From Biting? The Easiest way!!!
Discipline makes everyone perfect whether they are pets or human beings. It always becomes easy to discipline the younger pups as they learn new things more efficiently. You must teach your German Shepherd puppies that biting is unacceptable and that they must be disciplined appropriately. But how can you discipline your German Shepherd pups for biting?
German Shepherd pups do need to learn self-control when they bite or nip, and you can teach them this by entertaining them with toys while they bite or nip. The best strategy for teaching them never to bite is to use positive encouragement and reward them with tasty food. However, excessive yelling and punishment should be avoided during the training period.
Communication with your pups should be encouraged. You can start with a soft tone to make your pup understand in a much more friendly way. German Shepherd pups are a very intelligent breed but they need proper training. However, more steps will be easy for you to discipline your German Shepherd pups to prevent aggressive biting.
Here are some of the steps you can follow for disciplining your German Shepherd pups:
Realizing The Moment When Your German Shepherd pups Bite
Every German Shepherd puppy must know the soft bite or mouthing, they must know their owners should not be hurt and the right way to nip. If this happens, you must correct your German Shepherd puppies right away so they can quickly understand their improper behavior.
You can also notice your pup’s behavior after leaving them alone for a little time where there is a possibility they may chew your items that are kept near them and observe the success of disciplining your pups.
This generally occurs when your GSD puppy is not able to understand what are you training them for and the disciplinary situation. Without a question, they are a very clever species, but they also have narrow memory problems, which cause them to forget the lessons they have already learned.
Continuous training allows them to command things more efficiently and they are also able to learn things for a longer period. So it’s important to do more practice over them and keep them learning unless they are habituated.
Use High Pitched Yelp
Your German Shepherd puppy must be nipping or mouthing your hand at the very initial stage of its life and you must be finding it cuter behavior. You can try the “Ouch command” when they bite you with their razor teeth to realize they are hurting their beloved ones and their behavior is unacceptable. Immediately remove your hand from your pet and get away from them, but be careful not to damage them.
Always become friendly with your pet and the training period should be fun so that your pup should understand things more comfortably.
Try Redirecting Their Biting With Chewing Toys
If you observe the biting of your German Shepherd pup then you should quickly redirect them by providing some chew toys or other alternatives. It becomes very important for you while training your GSD pups as keeping toys always provides you with the best option to give when they bite as it let them understand the chewing option.
Always observe the behavior of your German Shepherd puppy as neglecting them for some time will have a greater chance of biting more often so you need to stay ahead of your pup. Try to quickly distract them by giving them some chew toys and seeing the biting behavior of your German Shepherd puppy.
Implement Positive Reinforcement
Always encourage your German Shepherd puppy by providing pleasant conditions or appreciating them when they perform well during the learning period. It allows them to perform better and always does the correct behavior.
Positive reinforcement always motivates your German Shepherd puppy to obey its master so it’s important to appreciate them whenever needed. It can be understood when you distract your pup to chew toys instead of biting and they do as per the command you praise them this type of behavior always makes the bond stronger and your pup starts enjoying the training session.
You can use a lot of verbal praise or reward them with some treats which act as positive reinforcement for them. So you must use positive reinforcement for their correct behavior as it will always boost their mental ability and will define their owner’s company.
Use the Command “Leave It”
Seeing your German Shepherd pups biting you should immediately use the leave command to make them realize their unusual behavior. Immediate “Leave Command” let your pup understand the things they have done wrong. Training your pup with “Leave Command” is highly helpful when you see them damaging your furniture or any useful material as it prevents them from biting instantly.
Apart from it, this very command will also let your pup observe the reality of their behavior and the things they should grab in their mouth or not. You can also understand it by some examples like grabbing some fruit items or food products in their mouth will be a good one but when they take any unusual things in their mouth or take your hand in the process of mouthing forcefully, it’s better to tell them with “Leave it” command.
Use Effective Session
An effective session here is referred to how you are observing your German Shepherd pup and teaching them. This generally means that training your German Shepherd pups always need effective session rather to spend a longer period making them learn things.
German Shepherds are a highly intelligent breed that learns things more efficiently so it’s better to provide the proper training, I mean to say the professional training.
Clicker Training your German Shepherd pups
The most effective way to train your German Shepherd pups never to bite is to provide clicker training as it may be the most effective way to teach them in some dogs instead of verbal conversations.
Timing also plays a very important role in clicker training as you will have to be very careful while observing the correct timing when you click for your pet and when to reinforce them. Reinforcing them with some treats always motivates them to do and learn things in the right manner.
Make sure your German Shepherd puppies learn the clicking sound. The goal is that they will recognize the sound as a sign that they are positively behaving and that it is time to satisfy you.
It is difficult to accept the biting behavior of German Shepherd puppies, therefore it’s crucial to reward them with food when they follow your rules and when they hear the clicking sound of a clicker.
Observe Your GSD Pups Health Issues
Health issues in German Shepherd pups also become crucial in the training period. If you train your German Shepherd puppies according to the above procedures but are still having trouble with their progress, it may be a sign that something is wrong with them physically, especially if you see them chewing with one side of their mouth.
This can happen if they have injured their tooth or may be due to some infections or swollen gums. Though they may be chewing with one side of their mouth but with no pain, it is still their health issue to be considered. Observing any types of health issues you should immediately meet your vets for their treatment as neglecting their health will deficit their training period.
Be Regular In Training Your GSD Pups
The most important thing to consider while training your German Shepherd pups is to be regular as missing one day or more may affect their training. No doubt German Shepherds are quick learners and intelligent dog breeds but if there is no regularity then it also does a negative impact on their period.
If you train your German Shepherd pups regularly you will always find positive results and your pup will also be able to keep the things in their mind more effectively. Try to make a stronger bond and be fair with your pup as they want a lot of love from their owner.
Things To Consider While Discipling Your German Shepherd pups For Not Biting
Training your German Shepherd pups always demands a lot of patience and punishing your GSD pup will never be ideal for you as well as your pup. It always comes off badly in their mind as it may lead to fear, stress, anxiety, or avoidance. So it’s important to know about the thing you should avoid while training your German Shepherd pups while training them never to bite.
Here are some of the things you should consider while training your German Shepherd pups never to bite and will be highly helpful in their training period as well as development.
Avoid Physical Torture
Physical punishment should always be avoided while training your German Shepherd pups. If your pups are not able to learn the thing easily but you should understand every dog has a different personality some grab things quickly while some take little time to understand. So it’s important to understand their feeling.
Physical punishment always provide a negative impact on your GSD pups whether physically or mentally. You should always be patient and provide positive reinforcement to your pups.
Avoid Aggression
Aggression is another factor that must be avoided while training your German Shepherd pups as it also affects their mental ability. If you punish your pup there will be a higher chance of letting them become more aggressive.
Some of the studies also show that at least 43% of canines are either physically tortured or punished to become aggressive while 41 % of them were left growling.
You should not become aggressive as it may be excessive yelling at your pet which may also stress them and may disturb them mentally. Rather you should always provide a positive environment for their better development during the training period.
Avoid Rubbing your pup’s nose in its poop or pee
You should not rub the nose of your German Shepherd pup in its urine or poop as it is also a sign of positive treatment. This might be the reason your pup may become fearful of you and may cause aggression.
Although it is an outdated kind of punishment, you should nonetheless always be polite to your puppies and make an effort to treat them fairly.
Try to be positive with them and make them understand things in a better way to avoid such type of behavior.
Never use crate punishment
Crate punishment for biting is also a punishment that every dog owner should avoid as it may lead them to Crate fear and may ignore going in the crate when needed. You should use their crate for proper training as it is the best way through which they use to understand things in a much more efficient way.
You must know that your German Shepherd pup should not be left alone for a longer period as it may lead to separation anxiety and any type of health problems. To better understand you must follow our trending post on how long can a German Shepherd be left in a crate? as it will provide you with a detailed idea about the relevant topic.
Avoid Rewarding in Guilt Or Bad Behavior
Never reward your young puppy when they disobey or misbehave with you. Rewarding your pups for their guilt always encourages them to do bad behavior. So it’s important to make them realize good or bad behavior.
Encouraging their bad behavior will affect their learning and training period as they will not be able to learn the right things. I know you must be very affectionate to your pup but training them for biting requires a lot of dedication. So you should not be sorry and again never reward them in guilt as it always affects their training and encourages their bad behavior.
Final Thoughts:
The nature of biting in German Shepherds is a common behavior and no dog owner should worry about it as this behavior is easily controlled by providing them proper training and making them realize their bad behavior which is of course “biting”. It becomes highly important for you to discipline your German Shepherd for biting as long as you bring them home and realize about nipping, biting, and chewing are unusual behavior.
The training of German Shepherds for biting becomes vital at the initial stage as they are among the quick grower and become stronger later on. It becomes quite difficult to train them when they are adults, no doubt they will also learn when they become adults but you will face a lot of problems as the adult ones are hard to handle.
You should start their training when you bring them home for the first time as this is the time they need special care and training. You should also socialize with your German Shepherd which also helps them to adjust well to the new environment. Be sure of their comfort and security and grow your bond stronger with your German Shepherd.
Related Questions:
Q1. What Age Does German Shepherd Puppies Stop Biting?
There is no special age period for stopping the biting behavior of your German Shepherd. However, it depends on how you are managing them from the initial stage of their life or when you bring them home for the first time. It also becomes important to train them for biting when they are pups as regular training will let them stop biting.
Q2. At What Age Do German Shepherds Get Aggressive?
When German Shepherd goes to the age period of around 3 to 6 months, they become quite aggressive as this is the period that escalates their hormones and becomes sexually mature. The thing you should do is make your bond stronger with them so they can understand you better and never harm you.