GSD with a "nose-nudge" habit?! - Page 1

 Hi All,

My WL GSD bitch (DOB 7th Jan 2010) has formed a habit of "nose-nudging". It's not just me she does this to. It's my other bitch (Lurcher, same DOB) also.

If she wants something, feels ignored, is hungry, thirsty, wants to play etc she nose-nudges whoever happens to be in the way - whether myself, or my Lurcher.

This isn't a problem other than it can be painful if she catches my ribs or face. Her nose is made of concrete (or that's how it seems).

She does have paperwork but I wasn't able to get a hold of it. She's orignially from DDR lines. She's very headstrong and needs to be mentally stimulated almost 24/7 . I can only do so much with her physicaly because she suffers from severe HD.

Does anyone else have a GSD who does this? My 2 male GSDs (English lines as opposed to German) don't do anything like this.

this morning I obviously didn't wake up in time and I was nose-nudged int he eye. There's no bruising but it feels like a black eye.

It's not a problem. I'm just curious as to whether it's something she's dveloped herself or if it's commonplace amongst WL GSDs. She's the first of these dogs I've had. I grew up with GSDs but mainly black and tan show and pet lines.

Laura xx

Never had a shepherd that does it, but have 2 cattle dogs that are masters of the art!

My male (a working line, with no pedigree) would do this when I first got him. He'd nudge me from behind as I was walking through the house. A friend who bred corgis (another herding breed) said this was herding behaviour, and I needed to stop it, as whatever the dog is herding is, in his mind, an inferior species!

He'd also do it when I was sitting in a chair, and he wanted attention. He'd nudge my hand to get petted. My female (American/German cross) also does the hand or arm nudge when she wants atttention. However, with both dogs, the nudge was always gentle enough that it didn't hurt.

I got a nudger.....but i thought it was normal..LOL...her way of communicating with you...the only part i dont like is a wet nudge in a palm of a hand when you are not expecting it...

LOL! The gal in my sig was a crotch-nudger. We tried very hard to break her of it, but were never successful. I think it was because my husband didn't mind when she did it to him, so she'd only get reprimanded when she did it to strangers.   I tried to fix it, but training the husband was pretty much impossible!  (She also might have been trying to tell HIM something too...he had bladder cancer, and by the time the doctors diagnosed it, it was TOO LATE    )

If the arm or hand nudge fails to get attention, my male sticks his whole head through the crook of my elbow, and tries to drag me out of my chair..."Come on, get off that damn computer, and give me some attention!"

What gets me is if I'm trying to sneak a power nap on the couch... and the next thing I know I get the wet nudge to the face. Startles the crap out of me! LOL He seems to do it as if saying, "Just checking to see if you're okay."

My girl ( show x WL)is a terrible nose nudger. she does it for many things, usually to get me to play with her, to refill her waterbowl, to get her dinner to tell me when she wants to go out. Thankfully she doesn't do it too hard. She also has a habit of when she wants to play she can just plonk her two front paws on me and nudge whatever toy in her mouth at the time directly into my face so i can't ignore her. It's not a habit that bothers me unless I really dont want to play at that point. i usually perfer to play on my terms. I find it quite sweet. My partner's GSD she goes and sits next to him then leads him to what she wants ( well he is blind  ) If i don't comply or respond to the nose nudge straight away my girl will either sit and stare at me or trot back and forth to whatever it is she wants.

I agree.. this is herding behavior.  I do not believe the dog looks at us as "inferior" but it is a communication and usually has to do with the dog attempting to get us to do something, similar to the dog wanting sheep to go and do something. 

I have had a few that do it. Some hard, others more gentle. I prefer it to a paw and the scratchmarks those leave anyway.

Someone at the club I trained with had a bitch that nudged the decoys in the crotch between barks, it was by no means a love tap. They were sure to wear their cups after that.

my male nudges me whenever he wants something....me, ball,tug whatever....never saw it as a problem....as he never saw the collar around his neck a problem when I pulled it....meant I want something:-) Interesting thought on herding instinct......