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My German Shepherd is starting to nip at people?
I have a 15 month old male German Shepherd that has been well socialized, but all of the sudden is starting to nip at people. It has happened twice and only with strangers in my yard. They reached down to pet him and he nipped at them. He didn't make contact, but more like a warning. Why all of sudden the change in behavior?
@maddy d; he is pure bred, but he's definitely not inbred. The dam and sire come from totally separate lines. Thanks for the answer.
@ You need me; I just got through doing obedience with him when this happened. That includes mental and physical stimulation. I do this daily with him.
@ You need me; a German Shepherd should be well socialized. In other words when properly introduced, people should be able to pet them. If not there is a problem that has nothing to do with them being a GSD. Thanks for the answer!
@ You need me; well I consider them strangers bc he never met them before and GSD's tend to not warm up to ppl immediately after being introduced. But this doesn't warrant a bite. The thing that I think may have been the issue is that he wasn't through sniffing her hand when she tried to pet him.
6 réponses
- You Need Me!Lv 7il y a 9 ansRéponse favorite
1st, he's a German Shepherd- a Guard Dog. Is it fenced or do strangers just walk up and pet him? People are sticking their hands in HIS yard and his face, uninvited. If they keep sticking their hands in his face, he's going to figure out the nipping isn't working, so he'll decide to kick it up a notch and bite them.
2nd, he may be a little bit more high strung than usual if he's not being excersised properly, and that doesn't mean just leaving him out all day long to walk/run by himself. Shepherds are highly intelligent and highly motivated. They need challenges and lots and lots of excercise with a person. If not, they get cranky.
3rd, don't let strangers pet your dog, they're bred to be leary of strangers. If its fenced, get a sign that lets dumb people know not to stick their hands into a strange German Shepherd's yard.
Source(s) : You said they were strangers. You did not say you introduced them and then he nipped them. You're right. There is a difference. So which is it? That's probably what it was. He wasn't ready yet and she may have moved too fast too. Also, you sound knowledgable enough to know this, but I don't let new people pet my Shepherd on top of her head. A strange, fast hand coming over their head means trouble to them. Ask people to not move until after he's thoroughly done sniffing them, then to slowly extend their hand under his chin. It's much less aggresive to them. At that point, you'll see how comfortable he is with them. Then take it from there. - ?Lv 6il y a 9 ans
Because you are having this problem inside of your yard, try introducing him to strangers OUTSIDE of his territory. When he then knows these people are friends, he will allow them into his and your "pack den". German Shepherds are born protectors and guard dogs, keep this in mind.
Source(s) : ASPCA volunteer, animal advocate - il y a 9 ans
If he is a purebred, it is very likely that he is inbred. Be very careful because GSDs have a strong bite. Make sure he is not around timid people without supervision. He may be protective over "his" territory also. Make sure he understands that strangers are good people, and also make sure he understands that you are the boss-not him. Do this by not letting him jump or pull you on a leash. Thanks! Hope this helped!
- Gerry RoushLv 5il y a 9 ans
they are stooped over the dog, the dog may reject this as a display of dominance
they should invite the dog to them
- Anonymeil y a 9 ans
Call the dog whisperer
