We have a 9 week old GSD. She is doing really well with her crate training (especially since getting some advice from another post). She is fairly easily distracted to toys from hands, arms and clothes. But when we go outside in the backyard to play, she is so focused on eating grass, mulch or things on the deck by the mouthfuls. (Oddly, this isn't the case when going "outside") It's like she has this I'm free kind of feeling and doesn't know how to contain herself. She can be redirected with toys...a little.

We've only had her several days, so there hasn't been time to teach anything yet like "out" or "yuck" - maybe we should start! But it feels like she is testing me on this. She is always on a leash when we are outside. I feel like I am constantly saying "yuck" and pulling her away. She likes to pull back, whimper that she can't get it and go slightly crazy until I bring out a rope toy. For a moment she will be fine and then she is back to whining and jumping back to the spot of grass or the piece of mulch she was fixated on.

Today I grabbed her loosely from one of my plants she was going after to face her in a new direction. She wiggled out of my hands and went back with a vengeance. I dangled a toy. She engaged it for a moment and then quickly headed back to my plant. I picked her up and said no and gave her a rope toy. She whimpered and wiggled and when put down, started to head back to the plant. I picked her up and put her in her crate.

It felt like it was a power struggle. Is this pack structure related? Or is this just puppy behavior I'm handling wrong? Or should I just ignore the obsession with grass, mulch and sticks?

Hi Lisa,
Puppies explore with their mouths, and will chew just about anything.

This is not a dominance thing...

It helps to keep a lightweight long line on your pup, then you can teach your 'yuck' command, and calmly redirect to another area. If you have hold of the line you can prevent her from returning to the same spot.

When you redirect to a toy, you need to give the toy a lot of movement; this will engage your pup's attention and if you keep moving the toy around, she should stay focused on playing with you for a bit.
Don't expect your pup to play by herself with a toy for very long periods of time.