2 y/o GSD aggressive

rawrrx3 · 12-06-2011, 10:15 PM

Hello!
I have a 2 year old male GSD, he's always been a good dog and never got aggressive before. He would bark at people who came to the front door but had never attacked anyone and as soon as he sniffed people he would just go lay down. Over the past 2-3 months I noticed he was barking a lot more when people would walk by our fence (we live close to a school so a lot of kids used to walk by and egg him on, I don't know why kids think its cool or funny to egg on a grown dog, especially as big as he is.) I was at school one day and when I got home my mom told me that he bit our neighbor. Apparently my neighbor had leaned over into our yard to pet another one of our dogs and my dog ran down and bit him near the elbow. The skin didn't break but he did put a hole through the guys jacket and bruise him. My neighbor said as soon as he yelled my dog backed down and his ears went flat back and he put his head down. He's always done that when he does something wrong and knows that he shouldn't of done it. I've never hit my dog before and neither has anyone in my household. My boyfriend had him up at his college and said he was bringing stuff into his house and a guy with a hoodie on was walking through their parking lot, his hood was up. He then told me that our dog took off out the door and started barking at this kid then bit his sweatshirt but, luckily, didn't bite him. My boyfriend yelled at him while he was running but he didn't listen, which I thought was weird because he has always been such an obedient dog. My parents are stuck on this "once a dog bites it will always bite people" kick which I think is bull.
Basically I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem and what they did for it? This semester has been very tough with longer classes so I haven't been able to dedicate as much time to him (he's spent most the semester with my boyfriend, but we've always done that) but normally when I'm home we go on daily walks, this semester it's been hard to get out three times a week. What I'm thinking now is it might be stress for him? But I'm not sure if that's correct.
Thanks =]

mebully21 · 12-06-2011, 10:18 PM

is he still intact? he is maturing now, and if you dont get control of him he will be euthanized due to no fault of his own. i would also get a trainer involved to work on whatever is going on with your dog , and neuter him

rawrrx3 · 12-06-2011, 10:25 PM

I got him neutered when he was 14 months, my boyfriend recently met a trainer up at his school who offered to help with him. We've always done his training ourselves (sit/stay/fetch etc) and it worked wonderfully, but now he's starting to act up.

YumaSheps · 12-10-2011, 01:59 PM

You should put a muzzle on him and walk him so he can socialize with people and other dogs. I would like to say that all dogs are trainable and can be corrected. Some dogs have high drives that want them to protect their pack. Once the dogs shows aggression, you have to correct it immediately. Trainers train many different ways, and what has worked for me it physical correction, once verbal correction does not work. I had a 4 year old shepherd with severe agression issues and it took me a few days to get close to them. Once the shepherd knew I was not a threat and I was the alpha, he respected everything I told him. After just a few tugs on the collar, verbal commands was all he needed to adjust his aggression. Now when he is with his family and other people walk by, he just needs a firm command and he will be the loving shepherd that kids want to play with. Some shepherds are just very cautious and all dogs can bite at any given time.

Training that you have done is alittle different than correction training and I would consult a trained professional to control his aggression before it gets more severe.

Emoore · 12-10-2011, 02:04 PM

The kids walk by the fence and tease the dog every day, getting him more and more upset and building his anger towards people on the other side of the fence. Your moron neighbor decided to stick his hand over the fence into the territory of a grown male German Shepherd.

This was predictable from 100 miles away, how did anyone NOT see this coming? Your dog needs to either be brought into the house so the kids can't tease him, or your fence needs to be made more secure so morons can't stick their hands over or through it.

If you poke a tiger in his cage, then you stick your hand in the cage, you're going to get bitten.

PaddyD · 12-10-2011, 02:16 PM

What SHE ^^^ said.
Your dog isn't so much aggressive as responding to his environment. His environment became hostile thanks to the kids and now he is protecting himself against perceived aggression. You have to protect him and train him back to being the easy-going confident dog he was.

arnebchgrl · 12-28-2011, 12:42 AM

Put a sign up that says "Dog: Stay Away" or something to that effect. Those kids were kind of asking for it..

shannonrae · 12-28-2011, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YumaSheps

You should put a muzzle on him and walk him so he can socialize with people and other dogs.

In a dog that is reacting out of fear, could this potentially make the problem worse?

I mean, the dog is on a leash it cannot "flight". A muzzle is on its face it cannot "fight". I think most dogs would be aware that he/she is in a very vulnerable situation.

Can this create some kind of turmoil in a fearful/ractive dogs overstimulated brain?

katieliz · 12-28-2011, 01:10 AM

another case of an owner who doesn't protect their dog by controlling the environment. and it will be the dog who pays. and even tho i see it here over and over and over again, it never fails to amaze me.

lrodptl · 12-28-2011, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnebchgrl

Put a sign up that says "Dog: Stay Away" or something to that effect. Those kids were kind of asking for it..

Careful of signs that admit knowledge of dangerousness.

12-06-2011, 10:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
rawrrx3 New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 2	2 y/o GSD aggressive Hello! I have a 2 year old male GSD, he's always been a good dog and never got aggressive before. He would bark at people who came to the front door but had never attacked anyone and as soon as he sniffed people he would just go lay down. Over the past 2-3 months I noticed he was barking a lot more when people would walk by our fence (we live close to a school so a lot of kids used to walk by and egg him on, I don't know why kids think its cool or funny to egg on a grown dog, especially as big as he is.) I was at school one day and when I got home my mom told me that he bit our neighbor. Apparently my neighbor had leaned over into our yard to pet another one of our dogs and my dog ran down and bit him near the elbow. The skin didn't break but he did put a hole through the guys jacket and bruise him. My neighbor said as soon as he yelled my dog backed down and his ears went flat back and he put his head down. He's always done that when he does something wrong and knows that he shouldn't of done it. I've never hit my dog before and neither has anyone in my household. My boyfriend had him up at his college and said he was bringing stuff into his house and a guy with a hoodie on was walking through their parking lot, his hood was up. He then told me that our dog took off out the door and started barking at this kid then bit his sweatshirt but, luckily, didn't bite him. My boyfriend yelled at him while he was running but he didn't listen, which I thought was weird because he has always been such an obedient dog. My parents are stuck on this "once a dog bites it will always bite people" kick which I think is bull. Basically I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem and what they did for it? This semester has been very tough with longer classes so I haven't been able to dedicate as much time to him (he's spent most the semester with my boyfriend, but we've always done that) but normally when I'm home we go on daily walks, this semester it's been hard to get out three times a week. What I'm thinking now is it might be stress for him? But I'm not sure if that's correct. Thanks =]

12-06-2011, 10:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
mebully21 Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 160	is he still intact? he is maturing now, and if you dont get control of him he will be euthanized due to no fault of his own. i would also get a trainer involved to work on whatever is going on with your dog , and neuter him __________________ Maryellen CGC Evaluator Rufus CGC,ATTS,TherapyDog http://wallacethepitbull.blip.tv/file/147911/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYdlh8_p8xQ

12-10-2011, 02:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Emoore Crowned Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North DFW, TX Posts: 9,209	The kids walk by the fence and tease the dog every day, getting him more and more upset and building his anger towards people on the other side of the fence. Your moron neighbor decided to stick his hand over the fence into the territory of a grown male German Shepherd. This was predictable from 100 miles away, how did anyone NOT see this coming? Your dog needs to either be brought into the house so the kids can't tease him, or your fence needs to be made more secure so morons can't stick their hands over or through it. If you poke a tiger in his cage, then you stick your hand in the cage, you're going to get bitten. __________________ Rocky vom Backyard- 10 years young Kopper vom Felssclucht Bach - 17 months At the Bridge: Cash van der Animal Shelter 2006-2010

12-28-2011, 01:10 AM	#9 (permalink)
katieliz Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: york township, mi Posts: 6,321	another case of an owner who doesn't protect their dog by controlling the environment. and it will be the dog who pays. and even tho i see it here over and over and over again, it never fails to amaze me. __________________ mom to seraphina blue & the cashman miss jeni-take-a-ride, rescued 7/07 shangri la's great white caesar, rescued 4/09 hearthside's cinderfella (RIP 4/20/09) shep von bellefontaine (RIP 6/9/10) voodoo lily (dsh) & cricket (african grey)

12-06-2011, 10:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
rawrrx3 New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 2	I got him neutered when he was 14 months, my boyfriend recently met a trainer up at his school who offered to help with him. We've always done his training ourselves (sit/stay/fetch etc) and it worked wonderfully, but now he's starting to act up.

12-10-2011, 01:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
YumaSheps New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 10	You should put a muzzle on him and walk him so he can socialize with people and other dogs. I would like to say that all dogs are trainable and can be corrected. Some dogs have high drives that want them to protect their pack. Once the dogs shows aggression, you have to correct it immediately. Trainers train many different ways, and what has worked for me it physical correction, once verbal correction does not work. I had a 4 year old shepherd with severe agression issues and it took me a few days to get close to them. Once the shepherd knew I was not a threat and I was the alpha, he respected everything I told him. After just a few tugs on the collar, verbal commands was all he needed to adjust his aggression. Now when he is with his family and other people walk by, he just needs a firm command and he will be the loving shepherd that kids want to play with. Some shepherds are just very cautious and all dogs can bite at any given time. Training that you have done is alittle different than correction training and I would consult a trained professional to control his aggression before it gets more severe.

12-10-2011, 02:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
PaddyD Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: MassaCHEWsetts Posts: 5,222	What SHE ^^^ said. Your dog isn't so much aggressive as responding to his environment. His environment became hostile thanks to the kids and now he is protecting himself against perceived aggression. You have to protect him and train him back to being the easy-going confident dog he was.

12-28-2011, 12:42 AM	#7 (permalink)
arnebchgrl New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 10	Put a sign up that says "Dog: Stay Away" or something to that effect. Those kids were kind of asking for it..

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