Adopted and aggressive

[jrasser]

We recently adopted a 5 year old German Shepherd named Rhino. His previous owner was loving and a good leader, but had to give him up for family reasons.

We already had 2 dogs, a 2-yr old lab (female) and a 4-yr old basset hound (male). Rhino had alot of anxiety issues initially, but once he got settled in his anxiety turned to aggression. He loves to play rough with the female lab. He frequently grabs her neck, but I cannot tell if it is playful or if he would actually hurt her. He does not care for the basse too much. He would bare his teeth and nip him until I became the "leader" and let him know that was unacceptable.

We are also trying to train him on an invisible fence. He learned the concept and is 100% trained on it, except that he would now go through it to get to other dogs. He is on a tie out that will let him get a shock from the fence but not go through it entirely. I am completely uncomfortable leaving him alone without being tied up. He barks aggressively and has his hackles up when other dogs or people walk by.

All of this behavior is totally abnormal for him. He was always very good with other dogs, never acted aggressively and would always be free in the yard etc. when his owner was out with him. We've had him for almost 4 weeks now. Is this separation anxiety? Should I expect to be able to change his aggression toward my dogs and neighber dogs? He is fantastic on walks when we meet other dogs. He will pull the leash but hasn't ever barked or growled. I love him so much and I do not want to let him go, but I don't want his personality to change because of the situation he is in now. We cannot afford extensive training sessions for him.

[teriod]

Ive been trained to deal with a aggressive dog, and you could have possibly put yourself in a dangerous situation. it sounds like this dog doesnt respect you as an appropriate leader, your best bet is to get a trainer that has experience with aggressive dogs to train you how to handle him, and yes this will cost money, gsd can be very dangerous if not dealt with properly, they have alot of strength in their bite like a pit bull. as i would tell anyone with a very aggressive animal, you would want to keep them away from children and especially children with back packs and while the dog is sleeping until successful training, if the dog has a chance of getting loose or people that may come on your property, consideration of increasing your homeowners insurance may be in your future

[WVGSD]

Even if you don't have funds for extensive training, it sounds like you need at least a basic obedience course (8 weeks, one night a week) is in order. Your dog is reacting to all of the changes in his life and it also sounds as though this is his first time on a tie-out. Was he in a fenced yard previously? Having a dog on a tie-out can do a lot to increase the dog's anxiety and, as a result, the appearance of aggressive behavior.

The behavior is not separation anxiety as such. It sounds as though he is reacting to the overwhelming recent changes in his life. Good sound consistent leadership and a training class to help you both bond to one another would be a goood start.

[gagsd]

All of this establishing leadership, electric fencing, and tieing-out sounds like huge negatives to an anxious dog.
He may never get along with the basset.

If I introduce a new dog, I keep them completely separate for a while. 1-4 weeks, depends on the dogs involved. New dog stays in the laundry room and goes out when the others are not out. New dog gets lots of walks with just the humans. New dog gets time at home with just humans. Only when I have a relationship with the new dog, and the new dog knows and trusts me, do I start to introduce the canine members.

Can you get him a set-up where he is away from the others in a lower stress environment? He should not feel pushed and needs room to move away. (example, a 10x10 run where the other dogs can walk right up to it would not be enough.)