I need help with my male gsd!! Randomly very aggressive, very dangerous!! Help!!!

[MVPxD]

Hello,

I have a 14 and 1/2 month old German Shepherd named Rommel. For the most part he's been a very good dog. Everyone in the house loves him and he gets along with everyone here just fine. He's a bit of a nuisance around the house at the times, such as taking sandals and socks and running around, but he's still a puppy I believe that's normal. What seems to be the problem is when people come over the house or when he is outside. When he is outside of the house for a walk, he seems impervious to other dogs that pass by not even noticing them even when they are barking at him. What I do notice is that the dogs along his spine raise up, but I pull him on to keep walking. I admit, other then the walks around the town and the dogs he sees on those walks he hasn't had much other socialization with other dogs. When he sees people riding bikes quickly past him, he lunges at them and starts barking ferociously. I don't know if its fear or what but it is very dangerous. He's only 14 months old but he is very strong and when he puts energy into it he can drag me a long way. I don't want it to happen when one day he'll get the better of me and go after someone in the streets and get hurt. At home he is about 50% of the time in his crate and when someone outside of our family comes to the house and he is in the crate, he goes nuts. He seems like such a wild and crazy dog even I get scared at times when I see him like that. When he is not in the crate and someone comes in, he rushes to them but as soon as he smells them a bit he chills out. However, a 70lb German shepherd rushing at you can be quite scary for many people. Is there anyway I can avoid this from my pup? How can I train my dog to just be quite? When people arrive at home and he starts barking is there anything I can do to just make him stop, to relax, to stay put...The last thing I want is my visitors thinking I have a monster in my home. What I am most concerned about is the aggressive behavior he portrays at times. I need to have that stopped. Please help me. I love my Rommel to death and I don't want anything to ever happen where I'll have to get rid of him.

Please feel free to make any comments and provide me with any help to my problems.

Your opinion and help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Falcao

P.S. A picture of him is here as an attachment.

[onyx'girl]

He is reactive, probably out of fear as most aggressive behavior is fear based. There are (unfortunately) too many threads with your question and it usually begins at the same age as Rommel. You can go to the top of the page and click the search bar, or look in this forum for tons of threads on Rommels issues/very common.
The LAT game is good to teach him how to look at what he's reacting to and see it is no big deal.
I'd also watch his body language and redirect him BEFORE he has the chance to lunge/bark. Keep things positive and don't correct the behavior as he may see the correction as coming from WHAT he is reacting to.
If you aren't in any training classes I'd start going now(but let the trainer know you are dealing with this) or continue on, don't isolate him.
Check if your area offers a class based on the book Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt There are also exercises in the book to teach go to your place, clicker training and confidence building. I would get a copy to help you get thru this stage.
Also if you are using a prong collar, that can also ramp up a reactive dog, so keep that in mind(I'm all for prongs, but certain dogs are excited by the corrections from the collar) What you feel goes right down the leash to your dog, so anxiety on your end will feed your dog.

[Lakl]

Find a behaviorist/trainer asap! Also research "NILF". I have not dealt with this particularly, but I'm sure there will be others along shortly that can give you some better more specific advice. I wish you the best of luck in getting this under control!

[MaggieRoseLee]

What did your trainer recommend? Is he much better in dog classes?

If your current trainer isn't helping, then I'd go somewhere else. Some of this may just be over excitement and 'rude' behavior that some good TEACHING would fix.

[PaddyD]

Just curious why he spends so much time in his crate at that age? My dog has been out of her crate since she was a young pup. I know, different strokes for different folks. But I wonder if the lack of freedom has not prepared him to deal with some situations. Also, how much exercise does he get A young GSD needs a couple hours a day minimum. At 14 months he is still in his bratty period so you have some more patience and perseverance before he starts to calm down. Has he been neutered? .... not that that would make a huge difference. Could you let him be free longer? And introduce him to new people entering the house so it wouldn't be such a big deal to him. You might find that he is different outside the crate than in.

[MVPxD]

@PaddyD

- We recently moved to a new home and there's some things that are being fixed. My mother also got some new furniture and she is afraid if we take our eye of Rommel for a second he'll ruin it as he previously did at our old home, so she says to avoid it if we can't be with him he'll be in the cage. As you can understand we can't always be with him. Since we did just move in and there' things being done he is no getting the best amount of exercise. But he is walked daily and played with in the yard with balls and whatnot for a while about 3-4 times a week. I know this must increase. He is not neutered. Also, I have suggested what you said, to have him free around the house when others are coming over so that he can smell them and just relax, but my dad says that you never know, out of nowhere he can lunge at someone and hurt them bad. You said he is still in his bratty period, you're saying with time this will change?

@MaggieRoseLee @Lakl @onyx'girl

- He is not with a trainer right now. He was trained previously but only for basic commands. Anything I should look for in a trainer in specific?

[Lakl]

A behaviorist would be the best route simply because they can access your dog's behavior and tell you where to go from there, and help you understand why he is doing the things he does. You might also want to look for a reactive dog class or a trainer that specializes in behavior problems. A lot of trainers that do just obedience are not equipped to handle reactive or aggressive dogs. It seems that you've lost some valuable time with socialization and training and it's going to take some dedication and a lot of work, but if you are consistent, you CAN manage this. Best of luck and keep us posted!

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by Lakl

A behaviorist would be the best route simply because they can access your dog's behavior and tell you where to go from there, and help you understand why he is doing the things he does. You might also want to look for a reactive dog class or a trainer that specializes in behavior problems. A lot of trainers that do just obedience are not equipped to handle reactive or aggressive dogs. It seems that you've lost some valuable time with socialization and training and it's going to take some dedication and a lot of work, but if you are consistent, you CAN manage this. Best of luck and keep us posted!

Hope you are able to follow this advice.
You need to take every opportunity to socialize AND exercise your dog.
It should be 3-4 times a day rather than per week.
The bratty period will end but what kind of dog you have is up to his
genetic temperament and what you have done to make him a good
canine citizen. Nature plus nurture.
Just because he raises his hackles (along his spine) doesn't mean he is going to attack. It can also be a nervous reaction
and they will go down when he calms down. The lunging at bicycles could also be fear but the more exposure to people
and varied circumstance should improve his behavior. Also, barking in his crate does not necessarily mean he is
going to attack anyone. Proceed with caution but my dog barks ferociously when people come to the house or if
they come and she is in her crate. Once she is free she is all wags and licks. Not saying your dog is the same
but it is something to consider.

[MaggieRoseLee]

Way up the exercise, make it a priority.

Find a good trainer used to big exhuberant (sp?) overwhelming dogs.

I'd neuter him.

Exercise Exercise Exercise

Train train train! He needs to LEARN to do the 'right' thing. If left to their own our pups will otherwise 'guess' what to do and they tend to guess WRONG!

You ever try any clicker training and TRICK training???? MENTAL 'exercise' is great. And a big dog that has cute 'tricks' is much less intimidating and liable to be able to get out of the crate!

click this (not just for puppies) --> Intro to Clicker Training (perfect for puppies!)

Read this --> Teaching a trick is the least important part of teaching a trick

Work on this --> Engagement - Key to Training

GOOD LUCK!

[carmspack]

you love your Rommel to death, so lets make the love affair a long one , have him live a long and problem free life.
14 months is not a baby. A human , absolutely. A dog , not. Not totally mature , but high time for some parameters for behaviour . Expectations. Lines to cross.
At this age he should not be a nuissance or run around the house with shoes and socks or display distructive behaviour , go crazy and wild , or rush up to people at the front door . One day !
His inner core won't change , he will be reactive and fearfull. The hackling is involuntary - but it says volumes about what he is experiencing, fear.
Get better management .
Start with exercise on lead only which combines control as part of the outing. Jog , walk briskly. The dog must be at heel , not pulling you like some champion sled dog . He is WITH you , meaning the dog yields to you, not the other way around. Change directions, go slow , go fast, have him sit . Keep throwing things at him to make him think , keep his attention because he won't know what you are going to ask him . Get him to offer behaviour to you .
You have your hands full. He does sound like an out of control , dog with fear aggression -- with lack of leadership which would calm him a bit . Dogs love harmony and structure .

Find a good trainer . ASAP. (keep him away from the front door , he does not need to be part of a greeting party)

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs