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Hi all, this is my first post!
I am a first time puppy owner but I've had an adult GSD before. Our 17 week old pup Amber is doing really well with training, walking on the lead, crate training, a bit of a handful at times but generally on her way to being a brilliant dog.
However, one habit is really bothering me. She's obsessed with chewing my feet! I've read that this is normal GSD herding behaviour but it's ALL THE TIME. If I am not playing with her, she is chewing my feet. I try redirecting with a toy (which I play with her, I don't just drop it in front of her and expect her to find more interesting than my feet) but that doesn't always work and it's not always practical. It'll be when I'm going to the bin to get her dry food, putting on a coat to take her for a walk, getting a glass of water to fill her water bowl, or something like that, so I can't just stop to play with her or I'd get nothing done.
I wear some old leather pumps round the house and wellies when we go for walks so it doesn't really hurt unless she accidentally gets my ankle (which isn't too often especially if I stand still). It's just obstructive.
I have tried putting things on my shoes like Tiger Balm and vinegar but it only puts her off temporarily. She seems to decide it's worth the nasty taste. She doesn't seem to do it anywhere near as much with my husband.
Is this something she'll grow out of? Or is this something I need to put a stop to? If so, how?
Just some background - we got Amber when she was 8 weeks old, and we leave her crated during the day for around 5 hours, with a neighbour coming halfway through that to let her out for a wee and a run round the garden (which is quite large). Sometimes I am the one who leaves her, and sometimes it's my husband. Sometimes I'm the one who comes home to her first, and sometimes it's him. She's going to training classes and when she knows a training is happening she is very obedient. She gets two walks a day plus games in the garden, training sessions, mental games like "find the treat!" in the house, and plenty of different things to chew. What we seem to find hard is getting her to stop doing things she sets her mind to. She has playdates with other family dogs once or twice a week. We did take her to puppy socialisation sessions at our local dog rescue but she is getting a bit big for that. She plays like a typical GSD!
So if she'd stop chewing my feet she'd be an angel. I would love to hear that she will grow out of it and I just need to make sure I wear hardy shoes in the meantime!
I am a first time puppy owner but I've had an adult GSD before. Our 17 week old pup Amber is doing really well with training, walking on the lead, crate training, a bit of a handful at times but generally on her way to being a brilliant dog.
However, one habit is really bothering me. She's obsessed with chewing my feet! I've read that this is normal GSD herding behaviour but it's ALL THE TIME. If I am not playing with her, she is chewing my feet. I try redirecting with a toy (which I play with her, I don't just drop it in front of her and expect her to find more interesting than my feet) but that doesn't always work and it's not always practical. It'll be when I'm going to the bin to get her dry food, putting on a coat to take her for a walk, getting a glass of water to fill her water bowl, or something like that, so I can't just stop to play with her or I'd get nothing done.
I wear some old leather pumps round the house and wellies when we go for walks so it doesn't really hurt unless she accidentally gets my ankle (which isn't too often especially if I stand still). It's just obstructive.
I have tried putting things on my shoes like Tiger Balm and vinegar but it only puts her off temporarily. She seems to decide it's worth the nasty taste. She doesn't seem to do it anywhere near as much with my husband.
Is this something she'll grow out of? Or is this something I need to put a stop to? If so, how?
Just some background - we got Amber when she was 8 weeks old, and we leave her crated during the day for around 5 hours, with a neighbour coming halfway through that to let her out for a wee and a run round the garden (which is quite large). Sometimes I am the one who leaves her, and sometimes it's my husband. Sometimes I'm the one who comes home to her first, and sometimes it's him. She's going to training classes and when she knows a training is happening she is very obedient. She gets two walks a day plus games in the garden, training sessions, mental games like "find the treat!" in the house, and plenty of different things to chew. What we seem to find hard is getting her to stop doing things she sets her mind to. She has playdates with other family dogs once or twice a week. We did take her to puppy socialisation sessions at our local dog rescue but she is getting a bit big for that. She plays like a typical GSD!
So if she'd stop chewing my feet she'd be an angel. I would love to hear that she will grow out of it and I just need to make sure I wear hardy shoes in the meantime!