My 4 year old GSD has become aggressive

[Urška]

I don't really know who to turn to with this problem, but I have to start somewhere, right? I guess it's best to write down the whole story.. So we got Tar when I pretty young but I kind of took care of him and became his owner immediately. I started working with him - obedience, we went to dog school and I started to teach him tricks. I was young and I didn't know how to at first but I spent a lot of time with him and found out how intelligent he really is. He was this perfect dog to work with, now he knows about 300 tricks, if not more. And he really enjoyed it too. He always had a lot of energy and all of the working and tricks, it really was the best for him. People were always impressed with us and you could see his (and my) joy when being together, doing things, learning tricks you know... He was this perfect dog, and I was blessed to have him. There really isn't any words to describe the bond we shared. He became dominant to our two family dogs, at the age of 1 and at the age of 2 he kind of had himself for the alpha, he didn't let them to close to him on a walk - he had to be the first one and when sniffing too. But it really wasn't a problem, we just kept them on leashes. Otherwise he was still this awesome dog, I worked with him, we even passed some kind of dog-obedience exam. Oh and with other dogs he was not dominant at all.
But really, the real problem started at like, age of three. At first he wouldn't let me groom his back, he growled like two times, and I thought he was just afraid of it so I didn't pay much attention to it. After that, my dad helped me at grooming him and Tar, he didn't growl anymore but he got tense every time when grooming. Luckily, his hair almost don't shed, I mean he needs grooming like once a year. I still worked with him, teached him tricks and stuff. Then, last year in summer, a vet came to vaccinate our dogs. There weren't any problems with the other two dogs, but when vet wanted to go vaccinate him from the back, he growled at him. I started to think that maybe he's injured somehow, but watching him rolling on the grass, jumping and running after balls and frisbees, still full of energy, I was sure it was his fear of 'back-touching' again. We continued with tricks and he respected me, he obeyed, he always came when called, he sat next to his bow before I gave him food, and little things like that from - nothing in life is free program. And then one day I kinda touched his front leg gently and suddenly he growled and before I could move he kind of jumped at me and scratched my leg while doing so, and growled at me some more (while keeping eye contact). I was so surprised I started crying a bit. I told him to lie down and he wasn't allowed to move for some minutes. After this accident he kinda started to growl at me regulary. We were both tense with each other, but continued with tricks and he still seemed to like doing them but then there were moments where he would just got very tense and started to walk towards me, growling. Then next second I would say lie down and he obeyed! And just like nothing happened, we continued until it happened again days or weeks later. And he still seemed to respect me, sat before getting his dinner and stuff.. Then once he was in his kennel and I tried to 'get him on a leash' (sorry I don't know how to properly say that;$) and it took me some time and i guess he became irritated and jumped at me growling and barking, but I luckily closed the door of the kennel fast enough. That irritated him even more, he barked at me a few times and then stopped. After that I become afraid of him, and I have to tell I was never ever afraid of an animal before. But it got to my senses, because when he growled he GROWLED!! It was loud and it looked badly. So I was so afraid to do tricks with him, tried I few times but then gave up, I was just waiting for him to growl at me again. Not just that, I wasn't even able to walk him. But then eventually I started to walk him again (before that, my dad had done it), throw him balls and stuff like that, but never started doing tricks with him again. Otherwise he still obeyed, he came if I called him on a walk, sat before he got food, sat before i 'got gim on a leash' etc. Everything was allright for like two, three months. Then, two weeks ago was trying to 'get him on a leash' and it took med some time and he again, started to growl and barked a bit. I closed the door of his kennel and went somewhere else to come down. I couldn't belive it happened again. But I kinda decided I'm not gonna become so afraid of him like I used to be for some time, so I went back, and got him on a leash without growling or anything and everything was all-right for a week, but on friday (last week) in the evening my dad and I went on a walk with our three dogs, and he already took of with other two dogs and I was going to follow him with Tar after I get him on a leash. So I did it but it took me some time and Tar was nervous because he wanted to go already and not stay behind the other two dogs and just when i managed to get him on a leash he kinda gently grabbed my arm (probably showing he's irritated?) and then went in to grab his ball which he always takes with him and I was like "hey, what was that??", and I don't really remeber if I grabbed his collar again, all I remeber is him, jumping and grabbing my arm, not gently now. He held it for like a few seconds, not gently this time and then he let it to (I guess) and i managed to get out of the kennel. Luckily I wore gloves and there wasn't any blood, just a mark of one tooth and well, the pain because he bit me hard. After that my dad got him on a leash, and he was acting like nothing happened, he even started licking my arm, the one he just bit. Anyway, now I'm not able to get him on a leash, and parent do not even let me. I go to walk though, but my dad handles him, and Tar, he kinda ignores me, idk..
Now that's about it.

I have no idea how he, my perfect dog I so enjoyed doign stuff with, turned to a dog, who bites me for a little thing like that? I mean yeah, he grow up, he's obviously dominant but he just doesn't fit the typicial dominant dog profile, at least for me. I mean he obeys, he has no problem with bothing in life is free program, he can wait, he still sits before getting food and everything he behaves normal most of the type, he perfectly excepts all of the visitors and stuff like that.. And there are these little things like when doing tricks with him, he seems happy and excited, he gets lots of treats and praises and then suddenly he's walking towards you like you just hit him or sth - but we don't do tricks with him right now anyway, the problem is 'the leashing thing', how does he get so irritated when it take a few seconds longer to get him on a leash, that he's willing to bite you? I'm not even sure that he's able to control it...

Wow, that was looong! Now, couldy anyone help with some advices? Does anyone have a clue what's going on in this dog's head? Is it really just a weird type of a dominance or could it be sth more? I read that the aggression can be connected with hormones somehow... Because it really doesn't seem like a typicial dominance behaviour to me. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

[msvette2u]

He can intimidate you and he knows it.
This dog is making way too many decisions on his own, including when and how he wants to be handled.
I'm not sure what is available to you in the way of trainers, but you'd do best to get one on board.
If he's not neutered (and neutering can be done in your country) you might consider it. It won't "cure" him but it sure cannot hurt at all, and may indeed help some.

[Sapakus]

how about trying this: Give him a command to sit and stay when you are about to leash him. If he acts up, you leave for 5 minutes. try that again. Hopefully he will learn that if he acts up, he wont get to go out.

[trudy]

I know sometimes mine barks when in the kennel just to say hey mom hurry up, or don't forget me, they are NOT aggressive just annoying, and I do NOT let them out then, so wondering if some of the barking is that. Try having your dad put the leash on, then shut the gate of the kennel, with the leash through the gate, and then you can correct him from outside.. Have your dad take responsibility for a while til he stops.

As well I think you may want a check up to see if he is feeling pain or discomfort somewhere. He might have a problem that is there yet he tries to hide it some, and a vet may have to xray to see if the hips/elbows/back are OK.. Don't give up, yet take extra precautions so you don't get hurt, see if the vet can get to the bottom, or try some trainers..Good luck

[Twyla]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

He can intimidate you and he knows it.
This dog is making way too many decisions on his own, including when and how he wants to be handled.
I'm not sure what is available to you in the way of trainers, but you'd do best to get one on board.
If he's not neutered (and neutering can be done in your country) you might consider it. It won't "cure" him but it sure cannot hurt at all, and may indeed help some.

Completely agree. This is a dog who has decided he is alpha, the main boss and he isn't afraid to show it. A trainer should be brought in ASAP and the dog left for your Dad to handle until you are able to get your fear under control (easier said then done). Your dog can tell you are afraid, therefore it puts him in a higher state where he thinks he has to be in charge and take care of things.

I would also suggest a vet visit to check on his back and see if something is going on there since it appears he has this 'back thing' going on as you said.

[MaggieRoseLee]

Could you do us a huge favor and go up into the black strip along the top, click on User CP and put your GENERAL location in so it shows up with each post (like where my Poconos thing is under my Avatar picture).

Really make sure your vet does a good workup to make sure the touching thing isn't medical.

To me, this is NOT something that we can fix on this forum without seeing you and your relationship with this dog. Is he neutered? That would have helped, especially when he was a year old and starting to have issues with the other family dogs, but even now getting rid of some of the hormones will help.

Throwing out the 'he's Alpha' without seeing you and your dog is an easy diagnosis and I'm betting there is more going on. Have you purchased and read The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell? Or watched the DVD 'Calming Signals' by Turid Rugaas? Both would really help you SEE what's going on and it's not just a 'training' issue. It's behavioral and that's the stuff we 'stupid humans' tend to fail with when working with our dogs. Being HUMANS we see issues in a human context rather than a 'dog' context.

You Tube

You Tube

Hey, this is a GSD..

You Tube

You Tube

" target="_blank">

">" /> ">

I'm not sure how much 'fun' you are in this relationship. Though I know you were more concerned with the aggression. Have you generally got a good training relationship with the 'engagement' that's necessary? Tugging WITH RULES?

Engagement - Key to Training <----click that

The fact you are now afraid of your dog, and I understand that, isn't going to help at all. I agree that you need to find someone to help, someone who knows GSD's and will work you BOTH thru this situation.

Have you looked into herding? Or tracking? BOTH of these will help wear your dog out in a POSITIVE way. Exercise would only help your dog too.