For most of my adult life, I’ve had cats and dogs. The dogs have been both Labradors and Goldens. I thought it was time for a change, so a German Shepherd Dog adopted my extended family and me. Notice how I say she adopted us.

As a dutiful dog owner, I’ve read books like “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by the Monks of Newskeet and watched Ceasar Milan religiously. I wanted to be sure that if anything ever happened where my dogs needed adoption, they would be highly desirable for their obedience and temperament. I loved them enough to want to ensure that they always had a home.

Puppies are often a challenge to raise. The biting and chewing can drive a person mad, but the payoff is great if you stick with it. The monks of Newskeet’s trick of sticking your finger down the pup’s throat if it bites your hand worked like a charm for all my dogs. All but one. Sot! My GSD – German Shepherd Dog. Willful and milk spoiled from a two-pup litter.  

Why does a small litter matter? Because they learn that biting hurts when they fight for a spot at mom’s dinner table. Usually, there are a few more pups than there are nipples. When they fight to drink, they bite one another. They learn bite inhibition from one another because it hurts! Sot never understood that. Food was always available, and life was about having it her way early on, and that’s why she didn’t make the police force or the military cut! She wasn’t food driven, which is an excellent training tool. So that’s how we fell under Sot’s spell. She had great appeal because she was “Play driven.” 

Sticking my figure down Sot’s throat was scary. Her teeth were sharper than any other puppy I had ever had, and she became more motivated to teach me a lesson because I was trying to train her not to bite. I still remember the boys in the family screaming and laughing in the living room when Sot was nine weeks old. “Ahhhhh, why is she biting so much?” I still joke that we had four phases in her development.  

1. Her finger removal phase
2. Her arm removal phase 
3. Her larynx removal phase 
4. Our compliance with her will phase; now, she does not bite because we comply with her wishes. I can now kiss and snuggle with her without fear of losing my nose.

She still is rather snobby at times. Get’s up and walks away when people try to show her love and affection, and she knows how to drama-cry when she wants a scratch or a rub down, and you fall for her all over again. But what a fantastic friend she’s become. I would get another GSD in a heartbeat. I have lots of respect for her.