Why is my 6 month old German Shepherd Puppy STILL biting me?

Question

My 6 month old German Shepherd puppy still bites me. Nothing works, standing still, re-directing to a toy, saying ouch, ignoring him. He just keeps coming at me unless I put him in his crate to settle down. He bites often and he bites hard. I thought he would be over this biting phase by now. Any tips are appreciated!

Answer 1

Go to any pet supplies store and get a bottle of Bitter Apple. Put it on your hands and forearms, it tastes like the inside of a banana skin. When he mouths you it'll taste bad. This is the first part of the process. You also say 'no' and make him back off you.

Answer 2

Bad training.

Answer 3

Because you allow it to continue without correcting it immediately each time it occurs, training is your responsibility, not the dogs, once trained it doesn't stop there, it must be enforced as needed for the dogs entire life. Putting him in a crate doesn't teach him anything. Poor behavior is not a phase, nor will he get over it without proper correction/training, it will only get worse.



Seek professional help for yourself on how to train a dog properly, before he injures someone/something you're sued, dog is removed at your expense, and euthanized.

Answer 4

Because it lacks basic training..... Try training it instead of caging it....

Answer 5

Unfortunately, biting typically continues through adolescence, and often slows down around the year mark with training. I assume by your question that he is biting out of excitement, not fear or anything else. If he bites even when he is not in "happy play," mode, that requires a different approach entirely and I strongly recommend considering a professional trainer's help.



If it is part of his play though, there are a few things you can try. First, how well does he know basic commands like sit or lay down? Will he follow them 100% of the time if you are in training mode? Will he follow them if you are in a more exciting place like a pet store or a park? Will he follow them if he is playing and overwhelmed? Work on those behaviors and work on "proofing" them (making sure he does them all the time, no matter what). You can use play as part of your reward system, a "sit" leads to a game of tug or the ball getting thrown. Work on them every day. Then, when he is biting, you can give him a command like sit and stay. He can't bite you if he is sitting.



Second, I recommend you train him to redirect himself to a toy. This has a few steps, but is related to the advice above. First, train him to pick up a toy and hold it. There are tutorials online for how to teach this if you aren't sure. Proof the command, make sure he will do it anywhere. Once he can pick up a toy at any point, start asking for it when he gets frantic and bite-y. He goes to bite, you tell him to get a toy. The toy is in his mouth, so he can't bite you. You can continue playing as reward. If you are consistent about telling him to get a toy every time he starts to look like he is going to bite, he will eventually associate the cue of "feel like biting" with the behavior "pick up a toy" and will do it himself, without you having to tell him.



It's kind of the same as teaching a small child how to manage their emotions, except that you can't sit down and explain to him why he should redirect himself. Instead, you just have to tell him to until he understands.



Best of luck!

Answer 6

keep a metal pot/pan and a metal lid or utensil nearby. whenever he starts nipping, bang them together to make a loud noise. he will quit trying pretty soon.

Answer 7

You haven't taught him not to bite. Potty training & stop puppy biting are the two first things a puppy is taught. Look up, 'Stop puppy biting'. Train the pup in Basic Obedience. You can do that yourself. Instruction on how to train basic obedience it online in LOTS of places. You can buy books on dog training or you can join an obedience class & learn with other people & their dogs. I like the classes. Every one & their dogs at the beginning are all over the place, leashes trip handlers & they stumble over the dogs cause the dogs don't know quite yet where they are supposed to be. A lot of fun & in 8 weeks your dog would be trained in Basic Obedience & you have 100% control of your dog.



It is all just a matter of training, a must.

Answer 8

Tap on the snout and a growl.

No doubt a few people will give some soft stupid answer about 'love'. When you see a mother dog look after her puppy, what does she do?

A dog has to learn how to behave and be corrected properly.

Answer 9

Because he's a herding dog and you have not trained him properly.



Hire a trainer since you have already allowed your dog to learn bad habits.