HI,
I have been reading over this site for quite awhile now found lots of helpful information and just received the puppy video (8wks to 8mth) was worth every penny. I actually have just finished trying the bitter apple for my 17wk old GSD and by god I think he likes it!!! He is 17wks and is mouthing/biting/chewing on just about every part of my body. I have never had a shepherd before had labs all my life even helped with 2 litters for my brother. I am not a professional by any means but have been around dogs all my life with some knowledge. Before we bought Garin, our GSD,
I tried to educated myself more about basic training, etc.. read everything I could get my hands on. Now I am really wondering if he is just a hard pup I know it is rare but I have tried everything I mean everything I read the article here also and was wondering about the prong collar is there a certain age to start??? I can scruff him up pretty good he will yelp but turns around barking and biting and jumping at me. He does not seem aggressive at all his tail is wagging and I know he wants to play his prey drive is through the roof. I am trying the ball on a string he gets bored, tried walking, chewy toys, igoring him, a firm no, bitter apple nothing is helping.
The thing is also he doesn't do it to my husband as much or my 3 small children (just normal puppy behavior with them) And I didn't think a dominance issue would show this quickly??/
Anyone have any ideas?????I would greatly be in debt to anyone who does lol....

Maybe you should send him to me VBG

Sue

Sounds like a great dog, lots of prey drive. I am no professional at all, only had one GSD he was like you describe. A dog like that needs to work. Look into competition obediance, tracking, agility as well. A dog with lots of smarts and drive like a GSD can be a joy to train and have. Enroll in puppy kindergarten and then move on to Advanced training. Look into buying books about training for tracking and maybe Search and Rescue. I would LOVE to have a dog like that. Still looking right now, good quality GSDs run $1500 and UP. Get started now and excercise him lots, tons of throwing the ball and remember have him run on grass or dirt not hard pavement which can injure or even permanetly damage his legs. Only walk on pavement. Look into some high quality dog foods or better yet the Bones and raw food diet. GSDs and basicly all dogs do better on high quality foods. Most store bought foods as I learned today are mostly carbohydrates and sugar, which dogs were not meant to live on, and that is why they eat more of it and thus causing you to buy more. Good luck.

Kristin, sounds like a good dog.. Hard dogs usually take a harder correction hense the name hard. Try rolling the pup to its back ,at least for the kids, it's important to establish the pack order while he's young enough for the kids to stand over him soon he wiil be bigger than them. Also try a rag on a string instead of a ball I find that the ball is usually to large for the pup to get a bite that he can be satisfied with. Also you may not be moving the pray fast enough to activate his prey drive. good luck!

Sorry, but gotta disagree with Chris on rolling the puppy on its back. That's an outdated (not to mention erroneous) concept for establishing dominance. I'm all in favor of a clear pack order, but pinning a puppy doesn't do that for you. And this doesn't even sound like any kind of a dominance issue....merely a puppy in the midst of teething and naturally wanting to mouth and chew on everything and one in sight. Perfectly normal. Chew toys, kongs stuffed with frozen cheese or peanut butter, KENNELS, and lots of active play. There are no quick and easy solutions.

Thanks for all the input everyone. I did not know the rolling on the back was "out of date" anyway I already did try to do that gave up on that he would submit lick my face then go right back at me. I can't even walk across the floor he looks like a schutzhund already lol... he even bit me in the butt!!!!! I also tried the popping of the leash with the buckle collar doesn't phase him, well for like a second, then chomping on me again. He is a great dog though I just have to stick it out I guess. After watching the video he sits, down very well and comes like he never did before the video only took one day!! My hubby just thinks he is obsessed with me... I will try the rag on a string though, he did have a rag he loved but didn't think to put it on a string. And as far as moving fast enough your right but he is quick, lol....
thanks again.