Train dog to stoop biting and getting too excited

8 years ago

I have a smart beautiful German shepherd. He is working hard on our farm protecting the chickens.

I want to train hi to stop giving love bites. He is big and not so gentle. And I want him to stop getting so excited that he knocks everything down, and bumps, or scratches everybody.

He gives love bites on my hand, sometimes to 5 year old where he can get her. At that point I tell him "don't touch" and he stops, but if I were to approach him again in 10 minutes that would happen again. He learns very well but he does not seem to learn that.

He also gets too excited, he is very strong, and honesty because of all the bumpss, scratches and frustration, I started to avoid the poor dog. We put him on a very very long leash, I mean he and chickens have a acre of space to himself so he runs. At night he is with us in the house.

Couple of times a day or if I am working outside I want to let him go so he can be with me, but it is a dreadful chore. As soon as I approach him to take him off his leash, he gives me a strong bite, he would not sit still and make it hard for me to take him off this leash and as soon as he is free, his impulse is to jump on me playfully. This is when I yell loud 'no' and he runs like crazy for 5 minutes. And that would repeat every 10 minutes if I were to put him on and off leash again.

When he is in the house, and I opened the front door, he runs to the door knocking everybody down, and he gets too excited running up and down the stairs and making cyclers. Ou house is small, there is no room, so somebody always gets hurt.

I am sure I can train him, but I need the technique. I have only seen on the internet how to teach puppy not to give love bites, but this is a different case. This dog only does it once he sees you, and then he stops.

Thank you so much!

Featured Answer

socks

8 years ago

You would both benefit greatly from attending a dog training class. Your dog might be a puppy but would definitely be old enough to train. Sounds like you might be in a rural area, but do try to find a class or an independent trainer who will work with you both. That's better than just sending the dog to a trainer. A trainer will train you and train the dog. Even if you have to drive a bit, it will be so worth it. He wants to be a good dog but needs to be shown how.

Like most of us, you probably weren't looking forward to such an expense, but an out-of-control dog the size of a shepherd is a true liability. Assuming he's young, if he's better behaved you will have many pleasant years ahead with a good dog.

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Comments (6)

annztoo
8 years ago
How old is the dog? Also, is he tied to the 'leash' every day, all day? If so, training him will be difficult. You need to have the dog with you thru the day in order to bond with, and train, him

To protect the chickens, I suggest better fencing, not a German Shepherd. Is he always tied while guarding the chickens? Doesn't that limit his abilities to actually protect the chickens since a predator could still catch a chicken if the dog isn't able to chase the predator?

Honestly, I think he's too much for you to handle right now and would suggest you contact a German Shepherd rescue so he can be trained and rehomed. If you feel you need a working dog on the farm, then look at (older) dogs bred to do specific jobs.
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User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I’ve had German Shepards, they are great dogs, but they do require a strong handler and consistency in their training. I suspect that Annztoo’s thought that he may not be a good match for you is spot on. It sounds like with the situation you describe, rural with farm animals, an australian shepard or a cattle dog would be perfect. They’re extremely smart, family oriented and they are natural herders. They are also protective but smaller in size so it makes them easier to handle.
Anna Cunningham
Original Author
8 years ago
Well, we love this dog, and I am not going to give him up without a fight.

I am going to consider a trainer now. Thanks everybody so much!!!
socks
8 years ago
No, you shouldn't give up on your dog. I feel he can be a nice dog for you, but he knows no boundaries. As I said before, you and the dog both will make great progress if you are the trainer. In other words, don't just turn him over to a trainer. Ask the trainer to train you to train him. Believe me, it will be a terrific experience for both of you. Good luck, and thanks for coming back.
User
8 years ago
I can understand that, really I can. A good trainor may help, and I do agree with Socks in that he needs boundries, but only a strong handler will be able to keep him in check. Strong handling and consistency with the boundries you set for him.