Originally posted by matt schmidt:
my pup seems to have grown out of the biting. Must be from all that choking... Heck, you must watch the Dog Whisperer...

Michael,

What kind (breed) of pups do you have? Are they working line GSDs, or another breed?

Actually my current pups are just labs but before them were rotts. And I am bitting my tongue at this minute becuase as of today I have a huge gash on my thumb from the bite of a 15 week old pup who has become aggressive over his bone. I think my rotts were better temperd than thes damn labs. And I dont really have a clue on how to correct a 15 week old pup. I grapped his scruff but he kept trying to eat me. I hate labs I am going back to raising a rott pup, at least they seem to have some sense. By the way its hard to believe what a 15 week old pup can do with bite to the thumb. I cant imagine what a 5 month old GSD could do if he had aggression.

The reason why I asked was because I do think that these working shepherds are genetically mouthy. My pup keeps getting better each day, and it is hard to believe because for the first 2 months I thought it would never end - it was a constant nuisance. I talked to various people (Ed included) about working pups and most of them assured me that it is something they grow out of.

I found that hard to believe and I actually initially mistook his behavior for aggression. I later learned that it is rare for a pup to show dominance and aggression before 6-9 months, and that this behavior was simply very high prey drive that needed to be channeled.

Why are you so quick to give up on your pups? They are only 15 weeks.

My last dog was a shep/rott/husky mix who was not aggressive at all, but 1 time I brought him a steak bone after going out for steak. He became really nasty over this bone so I took it away and never gave him one again. He never exhibited food aggression again. I could take food, treats, chews, pig ears away from him and he was fine, but this one time he got weird with a steak bone.

Thanks, that is the same way this guy is I can take anything hes got but his bone. I havent gave them anymore and they are great.