# Question on biting and playing



## Scott LaRoe (Jan 13, 2011)

We have a young GSD puppy 9 weeks old

When she is playing and wanting to play bite or chew. we try and revert her to a tug, burlap bag, or rag

She will bite and tug for a bit, when I let go of it to give her the ''prize'' she drop it right away and go after my arms or hands...

I again will move her attention to a tug she will tug and play then same thing when i let go she will drop it and come right in for the arms and hands

I the other side of the coin if I keep ahold of the tug to long she will move in to the arms or hands

I am raising her to do Schutzhund and dont want to completely stop her

any help would be great


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Scott LaRoe said:


> We have a young GSD puppy 9 weeks old
> 
> When she is playing and wanting to play bite or chew. we try and revert her to a tug, burlap bag, or rag
> 
> ...


this topic comes up about every month, the "search" function is your friend, I am sure there are pages and pages on this topic here..


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

At 9 weeks this is a kid exploring and testing. I would crate them of a few minutes when redirection isn't getting their attention. Like kids playing with tools, the short attention span is a human killa!!!


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## Terry Berns (Jun 17, 2010)

All play stops when skin is touched.
No scolding or punishing needed. Stop in play should be enough of a correction. This way the pup won't become afraid of the hand or the tug.


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## Oluwatobi Odunuga (Apr 7, 2010)

I've seen this same behavior with many puppies so at what age do you start rag work? Also seen some puppies that will bite the rag fairly well but not with the tug.


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## Oluwatobi Odunuga (Apr 7, 2010)

I've seen this same behavior with many puppies so at what age do you start rag work? Also seen some puppies that will bite the rag fairly well but not with the tug.


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## Dominic D'Ambrosio (Jan 24, 2011)

Howard Gaines III said:


> At 9 weeks this is a kid exploring and testing. I would crate them of a few minutes when redirection isn't getting their attention. Like kids playing with tools, the short attention span is a human killa!!!


I really doubt the dog knows why it's being crated. They are not kids and they think much differently than children. Sorry but this is a insipid way of dealing with this.


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## Dominic D'Ambrosio (Jan 24, 2011)

Put a string on the tug and make it come back alive before the dog gEts a chance to drop it.


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3PVdWXtPLc&feature=player_profilepage#t=55s

Let the puppy bite and redirect maybe you will get as lucky as Mr Evers. The pup in the video is 10 weeks old. He was a nasty little bugger that bit me every time I went near it. I hear he his quite the dog now at a year old.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Dominic D'Ambrosio said:


> I really doubt the dog knows why it's being crated. They are not kids and they think much differently than children. Sorry but this is a insipid way of dealing with this.


 Looks like YOU missed the point...


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

My Dutchie at that age was far more interested in biting people then some lame toy, you didn't even have to drop the toy. She practically had a look that said "I'm not stupid that's not your arm". It took some patience but she's much better now at sticking to the toy (what ever it is). Didn't take that long (she's about 12wks now) What helped was distancing the prey object from the person (put it on a line) and having the person be rather still compared to the toy, also lead the toy away from you and the dog. Little bugger will still on occasion get the back of my leg if I'm walking away, but will switch over to a toy if you show her one. Before, the second you started moving, you stood no chance, she had to be pried off. I guess that's the advantage of having a winter puppy, no shorts!


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