So Your puppy is biting you, and will not stop!

The main problem we are seeing right now is an abundant number of German Shepherds that are being taken to the pound for aggression issues. The #1 reason for this is they have not been taught early on that humans are the Boss or Alpha over the pup.

If you have ever watched a dam or elder dog with a litter of pups, you have seen they are rather firm in their correction with the offending puppy. They growl, (saying no) then they grab the puppy by his muzzle and stare him right in the eyes! If that does not work then they will shake his head to get his attention, and if that does not work they will put the pup on to his back, letting him know in exact actions that they are the boss over the pup.

As soon as this is done, all is forgiven. There is no anger, or non-forgiveness afterwards. And when puppies play together, if one of them gets too rough, the other pups will let him know with a rather sharp correction and growling.

So, you too should copy what the mother dog and his siblings do to teach their puppies and brothers and sisters respect for authority. Dogs or puppies are not humans! They do not think like humans or even come close to it. They think in terms of who is the boss, and the boss runs the show. Sounds like you have a strong willed puppy, and one that needs to be put in his place. I am not one to want to be harsh with little guys, but if your what your doing is not working then you need to up the correction! I once had gotten a pup, that was of working lines, turned out to be my best dog ever. But there was a time where he challenged me on a nightly basis. When we went to bed he would jump on the bed and start biting, and hard too. So I would tell him no, and gently put him on the floor, then he would come at me harder, and harder. No matter what I did, he would just come at back at me that more determined to win this little game. I tried toys, to distract him, rawhide chewies you name it I tried it. Then I talked to my trainer at the time and he told me I had to win the battle in order to win the war with my pup. If I could not handle him at 16 weeks old then I would be in dire trouble when he turned year. He said I had to do what ever was in my power to get across to the pup, what I wanted or did not want. So I became more determined I was going to win out. He was just a pup, not the leader of this household and I was going to win. So at night time when he came with his teeth baring at me, I would literally shove him off the bed and forcible hold him down to the floor while telling him NO, BED! I would look him right in the eye, and shake his muzzle with my hand to get his attention. After about three days I got his attention that I was the boss and not him. That what I said goes, not the other way around. Sometimes you get a harder pup, that really needs to know who wears the pants in the house and it is not him! Now days I would of had a crate next to my bed and just would of put him in that crate. But he was such a hard puppy we would of had a battle about something to set the rule of who was boss and it was not him. Here is some more information I have written up for my lesson's here at my training center. Good luck if you need more help please feel free to ask.

If your puppy is biting you, you grab him around the muzzle, and look him straight into his eyes, and say a very firm "NO BITE!". If the pup does not listen to you at this point, then you must up the correction. You will then shake his head somewhat to get his attention. That says "HEY I MEAN BUSINESS AND YOU MUST LISTEN TO ME!" in a way he will understand. Immediately, you then give him something to chew on while saying "Good no bite." and tons of praise.

Some pups are easier to train and stop this behavior than others. The harder pup, the firmer you may have to be with them. I know he is a baby but that baby will soon be 70 pounds or more, and if you can not control him now, what the heck will you do in the future?

If a pup in a pack does not listen to his elders, they will knock him down to the ground or onto his back to get his attention. Now, I honestly don't think you will have to do this, but remember, you have to get his attention! A correction is not punishment, but a way of getting his attention so he will stop doing what you don't want him to do, and to do what you want him to do, (not to chew on you or your kids).

He is biting on you, and you don't want that, so you tell him in a very firm voice from deep within your chest, (this is like a growl only with words,) that he is not to do this, "NO BITE!" Then by looking him in his eyes you are letting him know that you're the boss and he'd better listen to you. Then, if this does not work, the shaking of his head is telling him "I really mean business fellow!". As soon as he stops the biting, (I mean milliseconds as soon as he stops), you tell him in a very good tone, "Good no bite", "Good no bite" and give him his toy or chewy to chew on and, of course, tons of praise. But be careful. Too much praise can get him back into biting you.

Sometimes, a pup will chew on you due to teething. A wet hand towel that is put in the freezer makes a really good teething ring.

One thing to remember is that if your correction is not working, then your pup is harder than you thought, he is stubborn and you have to UP the correction on your pup. In other words, if what you're doing to correct your pup is not getting through to him that as HIS Alpha leader you mean business when you say NO BITE, then you have to firm up your commands. You have to believe you're the boss and your words or actions are TO BE LISTENED TO! You may have to increase the physical correction as I already discussed. Remember, you are not out to hurt or punish him, just get his attention and make him listen to you.

Your pup, by ignoring your command, is telling you he is doing what he believes his behavior should be, not you who should be telling your pup how he should act. If not properly raised, a German Shepherd will take over the household and dictate to you how he should behave. It's like your teenagers telling you how to run your household. This is a NOT behavior that you will be wanting from your pup. You must get and keep his respect by being firm with him and not letting him run the show. You do this by directing his behavior to what you want from him.

A really good book for beginners to read that will explain how dogs think is THE ART OF RAISING A PUPPY : by the MONKS OF NEW SKETE. I highly recommend it to all newcomers.

German Shepherds are a different kind of dog from most others. They are highly intelligent, powerful, loyal, protective, and loving, but they can be dominant dog. These are not Labs or Golden Retrievers, they are German Shepherds. If not properly raised or handled they are just like a loaded gun waiting to go off, so make sure you get a trainer to teach you how to handle your pup. They can be wonderful companions, but need a firm hand and sure knowledge of their place in the pack.

We are seeing so many German Shepherds in rescues right now, due to the owners being too soft of them as pups, then when the pup turned into an unruly teenager, they get rid of them. They go either to a new home, a dog rescue, or to a shelter and are destroyed. Please, please make sure you're teaching your pup the proper respect for humans and people in your family.