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December 12, 2019

Do you have any recommendations on what I could do to teach my puppy what her name is?

Full Question:

Hello,

I just got my first German Shepherd puppy on 12/4 she is 9 weeks old. I've had Akitas and Belgian Shepherds in the past and haven't had many issues teaching them their names. With this puppy, I am having ZERO luck. Do you have any recommendations on what I could do to teach her what her name is?

Also, she is incredibly mouthy. And when she bites it isn't a very nice one either she is very vicious with it. I have plenty of toys and I take her outside but she just likes to bite her hands and arms when playing. I don't want to start scolding her now I'd rather try and teach her "this isn't what I want" so I have been giving her toys every time she starts to bite. Am I on the right track with that?

Thank you for your time and help.

Cindy's Answer:

Try saying her name and IMMEDIATELY giving her a tiny bit of cheese or some extra special treat, do it over and over. I believe in the Raising Your Puppy video you purchased there is info about the "name game".

The video/online course you got also covered the biting, you are doing the right thing by redirecting her with a toy. This is a very normal part of puppy development and I either use food or toys to refocus their attention on something besides biting! My German Shepherd puppy is now just 7 months and I remember all too well the stage from 8 to about 14 weeks, lots and lots of redirecting his mouth away from me. :) Also, be aware of when it happens most, you may have to change the games you are playing right now while she learns what you expect.

User Response:

Perfect! Thank you so much! :)

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