My 5 yr old male aggresive towards my dad (not a repeat)

[L-Bear]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to figure out why my 5 yr old male is being aggressive towards my dad, whom he just met a few days ago since I drove to my parent's for the holidays. By the way, I already went through another post from a fella talking about his dog being aggressive towards the elderly father and all that (what a trip that whole thread was...). So in light of that, I will be as specific as possible about the incidences:

I got here last Friday night with my boy, it was his first time coming to my parent's home since I've had him. I had never seen ANY kind of aggression coming from him towards ANYONE, except maybe my other male dog but it was only after the other dog had tried to hump him or whatnot, so that's justified I suppose. So the night I got here and the next day everything seemed fine, everyone seemed to be getting along just fine, both parents, my sister, and my dog. I'm a 29 yr old male btw. Saturday night I went out with friends and I felt comfortable leaving my boy home with my folks since he had been behaving so well (he always does). I knew and I told my folks he would get a little anxious after I left since he's so attached to me (he's the definition of a velcro dog, lol), but that after a while he would relax and just lay there and he would be fine. Later that night I get a call from my dad telling me I need to come home because he's getting aggressive and their getting afraid of him. Apparently what happened was that my sister was in my room petting him when my dad tried to walk in the room and he started growling and barking at him, even assuming an attack stance. Prior to that, my dad says that when he came back from the store earlier, the dog started barking at him as soon as he removed his jacket. So I came home and he went back to being just fine.

I do remember earlier that day my dad petting my dog and making some sort of "growling" sounding noise while he was petting/holding his head, all innocently of course, my dad didn't really know any better. My dog obviously did not like that and started growling back. And you know how intimidating it can be when a 90+ lb GSD can be when he does that. So I don't know if it all started right there. Also, that night my dad tried to pour some water from a jug on his bowl and got aggressive as well.

So the next day (Sunday) I told everyone to use a sweet tone of voice towards him and to lay off the petting so not to overwhelm him. I encouraged my dad to give him treats as well. The whole day went by without incident. I event went out that night and he behaved well with both my parents at home.

On Monday and Tuesday, he's been getting really jumpy with my dad and growls and barks at him every time I'm, say, in the kitchen, and my dad walks in. So by now my dad is pretty scared of the dog (which I feel is making matters worse, I've tried to tell him to relax) and tells me to hold him when he's around, which I do. Even though I don't think he would do anything other than growl or bark at him, I'm taking every precaution as if that could happen. By the way, he is a Schutzhund III, not trained by me, he had the title when I got him.

I have never seen him react like that towards anyone. At first I thought it was because my dad was the only other male in the house but he doesn't do that to other males when they are around, like my sister's boyfriend. Granted I'm only gonna be here another couple weeks, I hate it that my dad is having a such a bad time with this, and I am too. I have factored in everything from him being in a strange place and all but it just seems odd that he is acting like that towards my dad only. Any thoughts or advice?

I'm sure some questions may come up from you, I will answer them as quickly as possible. Thanks in advance!

[Stevenzachsmom]

Is your dog crate trained and did you take your crate to your parents' house? I think your dog is overwhelmed with all the attention, in a new environment and should be given some space. He could have been in his crate, while you went out with your friends.

Your father holding the dogs head, petting him and growling was a very bad move. Does your father have any experience with dogs? Why would he do that? How long have you owned the dog? Had he met your family previously? I think slower introductions were needed and some education on how people should act around dogs.

Definitely crate the dog, when you are not there. Your father should be comfortable in his own house. I'm not sure how best to fix this, but I'm sure you'll get some great advice.

[Jack's Dad]

It's hard to say what your dogs issue is with your dad.

The thing is though that we are around our dogs all the time. I certainly don't fear my dogs but other people do.
You said yourself 90# plus can be very intimidating.
Your parents should be comfortable in their own home. Remember if they had wanted a GSD they would have one themselves.
Your dog was your choice and responsibility.
I would do what stevenzachsmom suggested and then when you get home get him evaluated by a trainer and see what steps you need to take with him.

[L-Bear]

Originally Posted by Stevenzachsmom

Is your dog crate trained and did you take your crate to your parents' house? I think your dog is overwhelmed with all the attention, in a new environment and should be given some space. He could have been in his crate, while you went out with your friends.

Your father holding the dogs head, petting him and growling was a very bad move. Does your father have any experience with dogs? Why would he do that? How long have you owned the dog? Had he met your family previously? I think slower introductions were needed and some education on how people should act around dogs.

Definitely crate the dog, when you are not there. Your father should be comfortable in his own house. I'm not sure how best to fix this, but I'm sure you'll get some great advice.

He is crate trained. However, I just brought one of those soft crates that can fold down since his other travel crate would not fit in the car. I did think about that but I figured he would probably break out of the soft crate if he gets too anxious. I might still try that out and see what happens. I agree when you say he is overwhelmed and I'm making sure he gets his space.

And I asked myself the same question about why my dad did that, he really did not mean any harm, he's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He doesn't have any experience with dogs and I should have warned him against doing that.

I have only owned my dog for about 4 months now but it honestly has been as if I've had him since he was a little puppy. We have bonded incredibly from the beginning, like I said he doesn't like to leave my side ever. He had never met my family before. And yes, I should have introduced them slowly and in a way that he would not get too overwhelmed.

I think if I go out again and I have to leave my dog I might do one of two things: a) leave him in the soft crate (not crazy about this idea) or b) leave him in the back yard only for a few hours while I'm gone. Weather is actually really nice where I'm at.

Thanks for the advice!

Originally Posted by Jack's Dad

It's hard to say what your dogs issue is with your dad.

The thing is though that we are around our dogs all the time. I certainly don't fear my dogs but other people do.
You said yourself 90# plus can be very intimidating.
Your parents should be comfortable in their own home. Remember if they had wanted a GSD they would have one themselves.
Your dog was your choice and responsibility.
I would do what stevenzachsmom suggested and then when you get home get him evaluated by a trainer and see what steps you need to take with him.

I agree Jack's dad, thanks for the input.

[Stevenzachsmom]

Would he be OK in a room with the door shut? Or - is there a room that could be closed off with a baby gate? Perhaps, in the future, you could try a reintroduction. At this point, I think management would be the best option. Since both your Dad and dog are anxious, I wouldn't expect much progress. I think Jack's Dad is right about having a trainer evaluate your dog. I wouldn't want to make guesses that might point you in the wrong direction.

I think everyone should ignore your dog. No eye contact. No petting. Let him acclimate to this new environment. At least that will keep everyone safe.

Hopefully people with additional advice will pipe up.

Good luck!
Jan

[L-Bear]

Jan,

I agree with you 100%. Since I only have about 2 weeks left here I don't see how we can make any significant progress either. I could leave him in my room with the door shut when I leave, and that should not be a problem. In the mean time, I have him on a leash inside when my dad is around, just in case, don't want to have any accidents.

Thanks for everyone's input!

[RebelGSD]

I would second leaving him in a shut room so that you family is safe. When you are around they should totally ignore your dog except giving him something that he adores when he approaches them in a friendly way. Hen should always be under control on a leash and you can even consider a soft muzzle. Your father could toss him toys but not take them away from him at first.

[codmaster]

Do not blame your dad! What he did should not bother any dog - not a good idea but should not have caused a problem.

I would not under any circumstances leave dog with other people in the house if not in a crate - WAY too risky esp. with a dog acustomed to biting people (albeit on a sleeve) but picture the authorities IF he unfortunately actually bit your dad or someone else!

"Attack Dog bites family!"

Go buy a metal crate - worth it for the safety factor IMO!

[codmaster]

If you use a room, does the door have a lock?

If not, what do they do if the door opens and the dog pops out?

[katieliz]

please, under NO circumstances should you leave him outside in yard alone in a strange place. i can see many scenarios about what could happen, none of them good. ideally you'd go out and buy a large hard crate or forgo your social activities, since this situation was not what you expected it to be. if that's not an option, crate him in the soft crate, with a cover over top and sides, in a room by himself. and make your social trips out brief.

codmaster, they're adults. they will understand if they're asked to not open the door i think.

ps...is this the dog who was recently sick?