6 Mo Pup Bit me!

[Thorny]

I think you can train a GSD to do just about anything. But you have to ask yourself why you chose this breed to begin with. I chose it for it's protective nature and so I do not want to overly inhibit the natural desire to protect the pack. For instance, when my pup hears the kids running around and screaming upstairs, he's alert and eventually he's going to investigate. He does not know if they are playing or if there is an intruder which they are running from. I like that he's on it and paying attention.

On the other hand perhaps the OP here is looking for a gentle companion, in which case it might be wise to de-sensitize the pup to the roughhousing.


As for the comment about who he likes better: He might like both parties the same, but ultimately he thought his sweet little mama was the bigger threat to the well being of the pack. Good on ya young lady.

[Sawwahbear]

Originally Posted by Sawwahbear

I don't agree with a lot of the feedback here, My dad was very roughhousey with us kids and would play fight all the time, we would be running at him trying to pin him down that sort of thing, it was really fun, his dog would sometimes bark at us or run around but she new better then to bite, and we were very little at this point. she has never bit me or my family ever, and we were roughhousey all the time! the only time she bit someone was my uncle when he came over drunk and picked a fight with my dad.

my dad would even rough house with her sometimes, she would do that thing were she swings her mouth around while its open, and makes a noise kinna like the grudge, but she would never nip or anything, it was pretty cute!

then again, his dog wasnt a German Shepherd, I still feel like it depends on the individual dog, but it may be harder with a German Shepherd..

[Muneraven]

It would help your dog a lot if you used a tone of voice when you play with the dog and used that same tone of voice when you two are roughhousing. Tone of voice matters a lot to dogs, especially in a situation where reading body language is confusing.

[Anthony8858]

A while back, I went through a similar first time experience with my dog. I thought it was cute when she came to my rescue. My family was roughing it up on the floor, and my dog came running in from another room. She began pulling my wife and kids off me. It wasn't aggressive, but looking back now, it was a mistake. Lots of things could've gone wrong.

These dogs react to excitement. It's very easy for me to "ramp up" my dog.

My advice to you, would be to understand and respect what your dog is thinking. It's a natural response. Whether or not you can train a GSD to go against its natural instinct is another topic.

Don't set him up to "protect you" from other family members. You own a GSD, and with it comes some sacrifice. Wrestling in front of him, may be one of them.

If you need to wrestle with your boyfriend, put the dog outside. IMO, even a crate in the house, would raise his frustration level, because he'll still hear you, and want to get out.

[BoomerSooner]

Originally Posted by Thorny

I think you can train a GSD to do just about anything. But you have to ask yourself why you chose this breed to begin with. I chose it for it's protective nature and so I do not want to overly inhibit the natural desire to protect the pack. For instance, when my pup hears the kids running around and screaming upstairs, he's alert and eventually he's going to investigate. He does not know if they are playing or if there is an intruder which they are running from. I like that he's on it and paying attention.

On the other hand perhaps the OP here is looking for a gentle companion, in which case it might be wise to de-sensitize the pup to the roughhousing.


As for the comment about who he likes better: He might like both parties the same, but ultimately he thought his sweet little mama was the bigger threat to the well being of the pack. Good on ya young lady.

This response was incredibly gentle and helpful! I was worried Eva prefered Daddy to me even though we both play with her and love on her. Fact was Mama was winning the fight

I sincerely appreciate your time in drafting this response! Very helpful.

[Lilie]

Originally Posted by Sawwahbear

I don't agree with a lot of the feedback here, My dad was very roughhousey with us kids and would play fight all the time, we would be running at him trying to pin him down that sort of thing, it was really fun, his dog would sometimes bark at us or run around but she new better then to bite,

It would all depend on the dog's ability to handle the stress of 'rough housing'.

Hubby and I rough house. Hondo (GSD) totally ignores us. We bore him to death. Our Mini Doxie will bark ..and bark...and bark...and circle us, tail wagging and butt in the air. Our Lacy will grab a toy and attempt to punch us with it until one of us breaks our focus on the other and play with him. He is the youngest of the dogs mentioned. Our rough housing stresses him more than the others. Therefore, we tend to NOT rough house around him until he matures more. I don't want to stress him out and send him mixed signals.