So our GSD pup is about 13 weeks old now and very well behaved, but we’ve got a lingering problem with her and our youngest son. Whenever they are in the same room together, or out in the back yard, or wherever, she will try to play with him but she tries to play with him as though he is one of her littermates. If he runs by her she’ll try to run alongside him, but she’ll grab onto his clothes with her teeth as they run. She’ll also try to stand up and put her paws on his shoulders and wrestle with him. It really seems as though she is only playing rather than trying to hurt him, but she’s going to be bigger than him in no time, and could potentially really hurt him.
The problem though is that he eggs her on, and will run by her trying to get her to chase him, but then of course she’ll get a nip in and he’ll whine about it. We’ve instructed him to yell “NO” at her when she does it, but he won’t do it. When he does she stops, but of course he’ll turn around and instigate it again a little while later.
Typically when this happens they are across the yard, or in the next room so that I have to chase them down while it’s happening to stop her.
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to put a stop to this? I’ve even thought briefly about getting a shock collar with a remote. I always make sure that I can watch them when they are together, but it’s always when they are out of reach.
Anyone have any ideas? I feel like it’s his fault as much as hers, but that’s no consolation if he gets hurt. She doesn’t do this with my 4 year old daughter (she doesn’t try to roughhouse with the dog, and the dog doesn’t play that way with her that way), and she’s pretty well behaved around adult, though she’s still a little “mouthy”.