Are all GSD's dog aggressive??

[whisperwill]

As I read more and more about the aggression in German Shepherds I am getting really concerned. I have dealt with strong breeds before and have never had an issue of dog aggression (ssa or any other). My biggest concern is that Whisper is a female, and we already had 2 females (12yr old lab and almost 2 yr old schnauzer). I see all these posts about agression, but how many of you have GSD's that AREN"T aggressive? Is this something I am going to HAVE to face. Or will she normally be ok as long as she is socialized and handled correctly?

Just to say I KNOW they aren't ALL dog agressive. Just curious as to how many of yours are compared to not... does that make any sense?

[gsdraven]

No, they aren't all. There are so many factors that can play into having a dog that is dog aggressive: genetics, experience, training etc. Since I foster I take great care to make sure that my dogs don't have negative experiences with other dogs and at the very least are neutral.

Raven is completely neutral to other dogs... she is neither friendly or aggressive, she just plain doesn't care unless they get in her face.

Kaiser is dog friendly but he is also still young. He likes to play with other dogs and is interested in checking them out when we see them. He is also incredibly patient with bad behavior.

[LaRen616]

My GSD is most definitly not dog aggressive. He has alot of doggy friends ranging from small breeds like Min Pins, Pugs and Bulldogs to large breeds like Rottweilers, Dobermans and my mom's GSD/Husky mix. His absolute best friend is a male Doberman and his girlfriend is a female Doberman.

I would be cautious with the 3 females you have in your house, they say female/female aggression is the worst. "Males fight for breeding rights and females fight for breathing rights" fights between females tend to be more severe and they dont forgive and forget. (That's what I have heard, I have not experienced multiple females before). If your females ever do fight, then you want to crate and rotate them so they cant get to each other.

[DJEtzel]

My GSD is not dog aggressive, but will tell another young male dog off. If I left him to it it's possible he would start or end a fight between males around his age, but I keep up on his obedience so that he doesn't have that option.

Usually GSDs that are selectively aggressive are with dogs of similar size, gender, and age. I don't know a lot of GSDs that are completely dog aggressive with everyone.

[Mrs.K]

Nope not all of them are.

Mine with the two new fosters:



Mine with the great dane


With the Dachshund




See, not all are dog aggressive.

[MountainGSDs]

Originally Posted by whisperwill

As I read more and more about the aggression in German Shepherds I am getting really concerned.

Drive and aggression are different. GSDs are not by nature aggressive. If your dog has drive and solid nerves training and socialization will make him a good citizen and easy to travel with.

[Mrs.K]

Originally Posted by MountainGSDs

Drive and aggression are different. GSDs are not by nature aggressive. If your dog has drive and solid nerves training and socialization will make him a good citizen and easy to travel with.

Every dog has natural aggression in them. It's dangerous to say that they are not, by nature, aggressive.

[Backwoodz_ACO]

Any dog, not just GSD's, can be aggressive if they are not properly socialized at a young age. There are different types of aggression and 9 times out of 10 the word "agressive" is taken out of context and misued. Especially with GSD's due to their size and protective instincts. Always remember to socialize your GSD and praise him for good behavior around people and other pets.

I have heard several times from different people that think that if they allow their dog to socialize with lots of different people then their dog would not protect them or their property from danger. I can tell you from experience that this is not true. GSD's are loyal and they will protect their owner and their territory with their life.

[Kayos and Havoc]

Mrs K, humans have aggression in them too but that does not make us aggressive by nature.

I would agree that my dogs are not aggressive by nature, however, they are protective and will act with aggression if threatened.

Kayos is not real happy about other dogs that are out control and acting out in her space. havoc really does not care as much. I would not label that dog aggression at all.

[WVGSD]

Are your three girls spayed or going to be spayed? I have had pretty severe fights between my females and two of my males just posture (raised hackles and grumbles), but no fights. My females are much easier to live with in a pack setting once they have been spayed.

I have seven personal dogs and two foster dogs currently (four males and five females). One male is my GSD and the others are several different breeds. At this time I have one intact female non-GSD that I still show in AKC competition and will breed one more time. She is the worst for fights now and she is usually combined with one or more of the males for company since she is challenged with the girls. Once she is spayed, I expect that she will be able to spend time with all of the other dogs.