10 Week GSD

Question
QUESTION: I have a 10 week old GSD her parents were imported from Czech republic both of witch were working dogs. my puppy is very smart she has already mastered potty training she knows how to sit she knows out but only dose it if i have something for here we are currently working on lay and stay. on the way outside she must sit and wait for me to put on my shoes and take them off at the door on the way back in and also follow me to the kitchen to take off jacket. my problem is that she can not seem to learn not to bite it is getting bad she bit my chin the other nite. i have tried redirection, bitter apple, taping her on the nose and under the chin,also walking away for a min and putting her in her crate. i take her on a 5-10 walk every day not including having her chase me in the yard when we play or when she goes out to potty i have her follow me around my property which is a little more than a half acre. i feel she gets plenty of exercise and she lives by the NILIF saying so what do i do to stop this before someone else or my self get hurt badly

ANSWER: This puppy is FAR TOO YOUNG for NILIF.  Furthermore, it's almost impossible for a ten week old female to be fully and reliably housetrained as she is only just beginning to be able to control her urination.  You are working her far too hard and for far too long.  Taping her on the nose (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!) is not humane; putting her into the crate for a "time out" does not translate into any sort of training as the dog does not connect her behavior with your reaction.  Allowing her to "chase" you in the yard is encouraging her prey drive.  Over exercising a dog of this breed at such a young age can also injure her orthopedically.  You need some serious guidance on how to live with this puppy (and this breed).  The "biting" behavior you are seeing is the result of stress and anxiety plus the added deficit of her having been removed from her dam and littermates far too young.  When she exhibits over excitement and mouths you, yelp as another puppy would do; at her age, she's genetically programmed to respond to this sound.  She is exhibiting no bite inhibition and this can be taught very easily right now.  Here are some books you should read to learn about this breed and puppy behavior in general:
"Understanding the German Shepherd Dog", John Cree
"Before and After Getting Your Puppy", Ian Dunbar, DVM
"How Dogs Learn", Jon S. Bailey, Ph.D.
"The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate Approach to Dog Training", Paul Owens

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your time although you seem kind of disgusted with the way i handle my puppy. this is the first german shepherd i have ever had i am relying on trainers and fellow German shepherd owners for advice.I didn't know she was to young for NILIF the breeder recommended the program. I have tried to yelp when she bites me she just bites harder i have to take myself from her mouth or she will keep biting. encouraging her prey drive is good correct?

Answer
Ok, it's the first German Shepherd you've ever had; and I apologize if I seem disgusted, that's certainly not my intention.  But let me tell you that this particular puppy, from this particular breed, is quite a handful for someone who is "naive" in terms of dog handling and training.  A dog from a "working line" is a dog bred from stock (male and female and their lineage) that has excelled in defense work, guard work and its concomitant competition (Schutzhund).  I'd like you to take a look at this link for a full understanding of what this sort of 'working' dog means:
http://www.germanshepherddog.com/

For many years (up to the present), some extremely barbaric "training" was used to produce the sort of trained behaviors required in working dogs of this sort.  It has now (thankfully) begun to change (and about time).  The first caveat is "do no harm".  "How Dogs Learn" is a good start for you (I recommended it above) as is Dr. Ian Dunbar's book (also recommended).  You will understand what is being LEARNED by your puppy, since some of what you're doing is quite mixed and appears to be provoking the puppy's defensive mechanisms (and may be creating fear which is a problem in the GSD.)  Following the advice of other GSD owners may not be such a good idea (given the first sentence in this paragraph) and you have to be quite careful about the advice from trainers.  Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer.  In this case of this puppy, you have what appears to be a strong, determined dog that has no bite inhibition at all, the direct result of having been removed from dam and litter mates too soon.  I wonder what sort of "breeder" sells a puppy at too young an age and, even worse, allows a puppy from a strong working background to go into a home with someone who has never owned a GSD before!

NILIF is a behavior modification protocol that reduces psychological rank in a dog that is exhibiting rank opportunism, pronounced fear behavior (such as separation anxiety) or high stress and is part of the protocol to eliminate active aggression.  The neonate dog (young puppy) requires affiliation and confidence building while, at the same time, needs a secure emotional structure.  This means early training (in very short sessions, no more than three to five minutes at a time), kind and consistent handling (NEVER inflict anything on a puppy that will produce fear, ESPECIALLY a puppy with no bite inhibition and from a breed that has a fear related genetic problem), and signs of lower rank by virtue of the owner's signals of same (making dog "sit" before feeding, not allowing puppy to have run of the house, keeping puppy out of the bedroom, teaching puppy to respect the human "space" by keeping it off furniture, heavily socializing puppy to everyone and everything for at least thirty minutes A DAY every day while observing puppy's reactions and immediately intervening if there is a pronounced fear response, etc.)  This ten week old baby is at the end of a developmental fear phase and in this breed this phase needs to be heavily respected.

THROW OUT your choker collar (if you're using one) RIGHT NOW.  STOP provoking this puppy's prey drive by allowing her to chase you.  YOU CAN'T WIN this "race" and this teaches the puppy she is FASTER.  Further, it is highly rewarding if she CATCHES YOU in a very hyperexcited state which most likely (because of her breeding) involves heavy mouthing.  The "defense dog" has a far different prey drive structure than does the "herd guarding" dog.  The puppy from a background of herding/herd guarding has a truncated prey response: eye (see it), stalk (prepare to chase), chase (pursue), control (herd).  The defense dog: eye, stalk, chase, grab/kill/control.  Your puppy's ancestry has produced a dog with a very high propensity for grab/kill/control.  You cannot do ANYTHING to provoke the development of that drive because you have no idea where to go with it (you don't have the experience.)  You must do EVERYTHING to reduce it.  Something you're doing is provoking this puppy to pursue you with her teeth if the yelp isn't working; your puppy needs to develop bite inhibition.  My advice to you is: you are not adequately experienced to manage this puppy by yourself.  You need to find an experienced POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT trainer who has worked with "tough" breeds, understands their psychology, and can help you correct the problems you are seeing and help you create of this very fine puppy the adult dog you always wanted.  FIND ONE TODAY.  If you are unable to, consult a certified applied animal behaviorist; it's more expensive but worth every dime.  Here's an organization that supposedly checks education and professional credentials in its members and has members in the US and internationally:
http://www.iaabc.org/