German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[wgonfan]

Hey there, I just got my fisrt GW he is only 8 wks old & bites harder than any dog I have ever owned. I was wondering if this is common with GWP. also should I stop the playful bitting all together or just teach him to be easy. Since I'm wanting to hunt him , i need to soften his grip up any how. Any suggestions.

Tom
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Tom - Texarkana, Tx.

Cargo - male GWP

[dualgwp]

Stop the biting, playful or not. Those puppy teeth hurt and it's bad manners.
When he bites, grab his little muzzle and don't let go.. don't say anything, just hold on and let him yell, squirm and fight. It's best if you can just grab his upper jaw...

Once he gets that "oh geez" look in his eyes, let go and talk nice to him..... but he will probably do it again.... just keep at it till he gets the idea that it's not much fun to do that! Once it's his idea to stop..... he'll stop. When you see him rethinking the biting, you know he has the idea! Everyone in the family has to learn how to do this...

[cheerio]

I totally agree. A puppy should not be mouthy. An uncorrected mouthy puppy always gets worse. This is not something that dissapears on its own. Yes, it is common in young GWP.
I would ad: once puppy grabs you or your cloth while playing, the game is over. After you correct him, leave the room and ignore him for 10 minutes.
Avoid playing with puppy using your hands or feet. Use a toy. Allow him to grab the toy.
Tug of War is NOT a good game for a mouthy puppy. You can always keep this game for a later stage of his life, after he totally stops the grabbing.
Avoid squeeker toys. They tend to excite mouthy pups. A good alternative is talking toys. Wallmart usually comes up with one each year and they last forever. (For your own sanity however, may I suggest you do not buy the stuffed cell phone who keeps ringing for ever, especially at 4 am and that virtually seems undestructable )

[wgonfan]

he's getting better. I've been using the "grab his snout" technic when I'm with-in range. If he is chewing on something or someone I don't want him to chew on I've used the "off" command, when he stops bitting I click my clicker & give him a treat. After two days he is showing great progress, thanks for your help.
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Tom - Texarkana, Tx.

Cargo - male GWP