My GSD bitch is now just over 3 months old.

When we play with her jute tug, she's often try to mount either it, or me...and will do the Elvis hip thrusts....whilst she's biting or holding on to it...

This is my first working pup, my other GSDs have always arrived at my home much older, so i'm learning all the time..

Is this behaviour common and what does it signify?

 Quote: Gary Garner

My GSD bitch is now just over 3 months old.

When we play with her jute tug, she's often try to mount either it, or me...and will do the Elvis hip thrusts....whilst she's biting or holding on to it...

This is my first working pup, my other GSDs have always arrived at my home much older, so i'm learning all the time..

Is this behaviour common and what does it signify?

Those sexual advances are more likely signs of dominance.

Welcome to the world of "my puppy is trying to rape me".

Kinda surprised its a female doing that... but my 16 week old male bit my arm the other day, shoved my arm so far back in his mouth as possible, kept pushing, and started to hump my thigh.

I personally believe it's early signs of dominance as Connie said, but I have heard people who believe it is just a puppy reflex action, kinda like "practicing the moves without knowing why".

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Those sexual advances are more likely signs of dominance.

Yeah..that's what I was thinking...

This is a good thing though...isn't it? I'm thinking about the fact that she's got the nerve etc..

Well, most people that look for trainability in a dog look for a dog that is not the most dominant. Dominance will create certain difficulties in the training when the dog decides he wants to do his own thing instead of following direction. Some people enjoy the challenge of training a more difficult dog.

It really depends though, alot of it has to do also, IMO, how you approach training, your own mentality and patience during the training, as well as how you raise the pup. If you see signs of independance too, like trying to play keep away with toys/ball etc, then I would approach the dogs training with that in mind and make sure you never put the dog in a situation where they CAN play keep away.

How you deal with the dominance as a puppy is up to you. Some people like to nip it in the bud young and teach the dog respect. Alot of trainers, especially the Europeans, like to let the dog grow up as dominant as possible till they are 12 months old then break them of it when they are older. People who do that believe that the dog is a tougher harder dog if you let them develop naturally believing they are king of the world. Other people believe that it isn't neccesary and won't hurt the dogs temprement by teaching them authority when they are young.

Either way, she will do the work you bought her to do, but how you approach the training will be different based on how soft/hard/dominant/independant she is.

Good reply Mike...

Gary, my male GSD pup did the same thing with his bedding and the rags I used for tugs. I believe it's the dominance factor, like Mike said.

My neutered Golden Retriever likes to do that with towelsor pillows. I believe it is all about dominance.

I don't have an issue with him trying to dominate an inanimate object ... but when he has done it to my son or I, he has been corrected.

Oh my goodness, you would not believe what went through my mind when I read the title to this thread!

 Quote: betty waldron

Oh my goodness, you would not believe what went through my mind when I read the title to this thread!

Please remember, this is a TRAINING forum! lol

If you look around on youtube, there is a video with a dog that shows this same "sexual" behavior every time he is sent on a bite or fed the sleeve. Yikes!......Poor decoys!!!

Yes, this is a dominance issue.