I am wondering if this is a common behavior (trained or otherwise) or if I am the only one who has a GSD who MUST have something in her mouth to greet people!

When Saber was a baby, she had those super sharp shredder teeth. Our arms looked like we were all suicidal. People were asking questions! "Are you okay? What are those cuts across your wrists??" Anyway, she was quite mouthy so I immediately trained her the command "get a toy" by shoving a stuffed animal in her mouth when she approached anyone. Very soon, she didn't need the command and would get a toy on her own to come and play with us. No more shredded arms!

So now she is a year old. And it is so funny, if she is excited/ramped up to greet someone or to play, she first goes running around to grab the first toy she can find. Sometimes she can't find a toy of hers fast enough so she just grabs whatever is closest. It is hilarious to be greeted by an exuberant German Shepherd with a Barbie in her mouth! Once she grabbed a kitchen towel, another time my daughter's sweater from the couch, another time a sofa pillow, and once she came dragging her dog bed in her mouth! Last week she greeted us with a paper towel. And yesterday we happened to be outside when my son came home, and she looked around frantically before running to him with a giant leaf in her mouth!

She is so cute!

p.s... if your dog does this, do NOT purchase a 3 foot long bully cane unless you want to lose an eye or otherwise end up getting whacked repeatedly.

My first dog Max used to do the same thing. He'd go and grab a toy when I came home from work.

Aodhán also did this and would greet me with the toy and be "talking" around it.

Caleb doesn't do this when I get home, but if I call him to me he looks for and grabs a toy before coming over.

All of my dogs have been taught to do this or have caught on that's it is a good idea. Rafi puts things in his mouth to calm himself down and he gets so excited when his human friends come over that he has to grab a toy to calm himself down. Without a toy he is a nutball.

He also circles around the person while talking with the toy (usually a ball) in his mouth.

Ruth, Saber circles the person too! Must be a herding thing?

Nadia does it too. However the toy does not calm her down. She can circle faster than any dog I have ever met. Her tail wags at warp speed and her body is not far behind.

Yes, definitely herding. Herding and pacifier.

Mac can't do anything except eat without a ball in his mouth!!!

Tara does this too! Usually she grabs a shoe unless a toy is closer.

I saw an amazing border collie once, a herding dog, who had taught himself to hold something in his mouth so he could avoid the temptation to bite at the sheep. He would grab whatever was available - a stick, a clump of grass, whatever. I even saw him grab a mouthful of dirt when nothing else was available. He was a great herding dog, earned lots of titles, and his handler told me he had figured out the "substitute mouthful" on his own.

All of my shepherds and my Aussie, too, carried toys everywhere. They usually greeted with a toy mostly in hopes that the person would throw it for them .. *L*

Melanie and the girls

That is actually a great behavior. I am teaching Havoc to do this we might be able to do agility without me being perforated and disqualified.

Yes, when Rafi gets fired up he is very grabby and crazy. When I first adopted him he would grab his leash and try to drag me down the street. He would also maul me when I got home. He was also really nuts with other dogs and would either grab them and try to drag them around or nip at them when chasing. He would also do this with people, especially little running people. That's why I taught him to put a toy in his mouth when he gets excited. He does it on his own now or I just have to tell him to put something in his mouth and he will grab a toy to calm himself down.

Now he runs around after the dog or person and jumps up and down and shakes his toy at their butt. That goes over much better with everyone.

Yup, Kopper does that. Cash did too. I'm constantly getting my kneecaps taken out by nylabones.

My dogs do it too. Very seldom do I have a pic without something in Karlo's mouth even in rest he has a toy within reach.
Onyx has to have a ball, so she won't herd/nip Kacie. She knows she needs one when they all go outside and is frantic to find one real quick. Kacie grabs one too,but it isn't because of 'need' she just wants to fit in with the others, I think.
Karlo will push his toys into us for a fetch game. Walking into the house with 3 GSD's ready to go is much easier if they do have a toy in their mouth.

I really love what you did to cure the problem!

my previous dog did this with a tennis ball. it was great in that at the time my son was about 10 and we always had agroup of boys running around.

I never knew so many herding dogs did this! My kids have never seen anything like it and they think it is hilarious. My past 2 GSDs (who probably had all the herding instinct bred out of them) never did anything like this. I can just imagine us all getting together and out dogs racing around us in circles with toys in their mouths, lol.

My old shepherd/lab mix Tyler did that. She would also put her ball in her food dish so that she could keep an eye on it while she ate!

Mine don't do it but I love the concept!!!