Biting and chewing
Biting and chewing may be annoying to us sometimes – but they are perfectly natural activities for your puppy. A puppy that bites does so instinctively and has probably learnt to do so from his siblings – over time, your puppy will outgrow this behavior. However, there are some steps you can take now.
Biting is most common with young puppies – although most young puppies do not bite often, and if they do, something has caused them to bite. Ideally, a puppy should be trained not to bite before he is four months old. Normally, a puppy learns not to bite from his mother or other puppies – if he is an “only dog” he learns from his owner.
Many people think puppies are just playing when they bite, but in fact puppies can bite for several reasons. They may be teething – puppies teeth for about a month, usually at four months old - or trying to strengthen their fairly new jaws and teeth. A puppy that bites may be exploring, or trying to compensate for an unbalanced diet - or he may just be bored.
If your puppy is biting due to teething, the good news is that he will outgrow this. You can also buy toys designed specifically for teething dogs that help soothe the discomfort. A puppy may also be biting because he doesn’t get to bite enough while eating - in this case your puppy will appreciate a nice bone.
Chewing is also a common problem with puppies - be prepared to deal with your puppy chewing as soon as you bring him home and have plenty of chew toys in your home and ensure they are accessible. Some trainers recommend having up to 20 different chew toys available and rotating them periodically, to add an element of surprise and to keep your puppy interested.
As with biting you shouldn’t punish your puppy for chewing. Instead, you should gently remove the object and substitute something he can chew on – such as a chew toy. Be sure to praise your pup for using the chew toy.
German shepherds are well known for being easy to train and communicate with. However the breed is particularly prone to what is sometimes called “fear biting” which is sometimes genetic. Fear biting also sometimes results from having been ill-treated or from inadequate socialization of a puppy.
A fear biting dog also often suffers from low self esteem, is often nervous or apprehensive and can frequently cower when introduced to strangers. You may need to get a professional to help train your dog to overcome fear biting, but there are some steps you can take.
You need to gradually expose a fear biting dog to the things that he’s afraid of. It’s rather like the process of socialization all over again. Another technique you can try is to have a friend walk away from your dog with a dog treat and hold it out in the palm of their hand. The dog should be allowed to walk up and take the treat, and you should gradually progress to eye contact, verbal praise and stroking the dog.