Please be gentle everyone on what may have been a huge mistake on my part, but I'm really in need of some advice. You can skip this background info if you want, I just thought Id give it. I've posted in the past about some issues with Klaus (7.5 mo), notably a couple times when he would jump up and bite on me when he was apparently frustrated on walks (note that the behavior wasn't really aggressive, more mouthy/pushy). We got some great advice, and using that, NILIF, and ditching the positive only trainer for some more serious group obedience classes, we've made some real progress. Klaus' training has been going well, he's become more confident, and much more respectful of boundaries.
His dog reactiveness is pretty much gone, though he still gets a bit afraid if approached by multiple dogs at once, so that's something we avoid. He's even made some dog friends and actually really likes playing with other dogs one on one. He is still nervous sometimes, though less so, especially when walking on streets at night with just me without my husband.
He also has some guarding issues - e.g. if my husband and I sit someplace he will often bark at dogs, and even sometimes humans that try to approach. We've been working on it, and so far it has only ever been aggressive sounding barking never real lunging or snapping, and I felt that was also improving. I did have to stop taking him to work, because sometimes when coworkers would knock on my door or enter suddenly, he would bark aggressively (though he was tethered to me so there was no real danger). It was a bummer because I like having him there with me, but I understand not every dog is built for every situation and that's not good for him or the workplace. We also live in an apartment building, and since he was about 5 m/o, he has barked when he hears people in the hallways. All of our neighbors have dogs so they're understanding, but it wakes us up sometimes and I'm sure they don't think it's ideal. We actually bought a bark collar for this for bust traffic times but haven't used it yet.
So here's the problem: tonight at about midnight, Klaus was snoring on the floor next to our bed when people started walking through the stairwell. He started barking, we told him quiet after a couple barks and then he went into that loud kind of baying aggressive sounding barking. I got out of bed half asleep in the dark and went to him to put him in his crate. I was annoyed and saying "Klaus no" as I walked toward him, and as I got to him (I don't think I touched him but can't remember, it would've been his flank gently if I did) he turned around and started snarling at me. He's a vocal dog, so I'm used to barks and sighs and groans, and even expressive growls, but this was like a movie sound effect vicious snarling that I've never heard from him. Something in the primal part of my brain told me to back the **** up, and as I did, he advanced towards me still snarling. I said to him "Klaus it's me," thinking he may be confused/startled, and my husband jumped up turned on the light and went to him saying "Klaus no" and Klaus turned and snarled and advanced at him too. I've mentioned in the past that my husband is like crack to this dog, he's absolutely obsessed with him, so I was floored. He grabbed him by the collar anyways and pulled him over to his crate and put him inside. Within minutes Klaus was back to snoring.
I was absolutely shocked and so upset as was my husband. In general Klaus loves people, and if he was ever to be truly aggressive to a person, I would expect it to be fear based, and I take precautions for that, but he showed no signs of being afraid when this happened. It was as if he was a completely different dog. I understand his issues outside our home, and I try to always be a step ahead of them. But inside our home and with just my husband and I, he's our goofy, playful, cuddly, sometimes super annoying as all puppies are, boy. To act aggressively towards us, especially my husband, is the last thing I would expect.
I will note that he didn't bite us, and he easily could have, but this was in no way acceptable behavior. I will also note that the only time I saw something similar was early one morning a month or so again when he woke up barking at someone in the hallway, and I reached for his collar to take him to his crate and he let out a short growl at me. It was definitely not of the same caliber, and at that point I stopped grabbing his collar as much as possible, and never in negative situations as I realized that was stupid of me. Also, we were away for 10 days, and got him back from the pet sitter on Sunday, who was a trained behavioralist and has a GSD, so not an inexperienced guy (just in case that has any bearing on people's opinions).
I'm sorry for the novel, I'm just so upset right now, can't sleep, and feel like this might be some incurable character flaw in our dog. At the same time I feel it's my fault, and I'm making excuses that it was dark, he had been sleeping soundly right before, maybe he was confused, I shouldn't have approached him like that, maybe the newer training is too aggressive (in the vein of the Koehler method, though toned down a bit, and he is not a soft dog) and he feels he needs to defend himself? I love him so much and we've been trying to do everything we can to help him with his issues. My husband rightly says that this kind of thing cannot happen towards us especially - his interactions with the outside world we can limit and control if we must, but this we can't so much.
I thought we were responsible by getting him from someone who really loved his GSD and looked for a healthy titled dog to breed her with, which is about the best breeder situation you'll find here for the most part. I recently found out though that his father, who competed in schutzhund, bit a woman shortly before he died (from a snake bite). I didn't get any details but now that's adding to my anxiety that this may be genetic.
Please any help, advice, anything is appreciated. I feel like I've failed as a dog owner and I'm pretty distraught, so please be a little gentle.
His dog reactiveness is pretty much gone, though he still gets a bit afraid if approached by multiple dogs at once, so that's something we avoid. He's even made some dog friends and actually really likes playing with other dogs one on one. He is still nervous sometimes, though less so, especially when walking on streets at night with just me without my husband.
He also has some guarding issues - e.g. if my husband and I sit someplace he will often bark at dogs, and even sometimes humans that try to approach. We've been working on it, and so far it has only ever been aggressive sounding barking never real lunging or snapping, and I felt that was also improving. I did have to stop taking him to work, because sometimes when coworkers would knock on my door or enter suddenly, he would bark aggressively (though he was tethered to me so there was no real danger). It was a bummer because I like having him there with me, but I understand not every dog is built for every situation and that's not good for him or the workplace. We also live in an apartment building, and since he was about 5 m/o, he has barked when he hears people in the hallways. All of our neighbors have dogs so they're understanding, but it wakes us up sometimes and I'm sure they don't think it's ideal. We actually bought a bark collar for this for bust traffic times but haven't used it yet.
So here's the problem: tonight at about midnight, Klaus was snoring on the floor next to our bed when people started walking through the stairwell. He started barking, we told him quiet after a couple barks and then he went into that loud kind of baying aggressive sounding barking. I got out of bed half asleep in the dark and went to him to put him in his crate. I was annoyed and saying "Klaus no" as I walked toward him, and as I got to him (I don't think I touched him but can't remember, it would've been his flank gently if I did) he turned around and started snarling at me. He's a vocal dog, so I'm used to barks and sighs and groans, and even expressive growls, but this was like a movie sound effect vicious snarling that I've never heard from him. Something in the primal part of my brain told me to back the **** up, and as I did, he advanced towards me still snarling. I said to him "Klaus it's me," thinking he may be confused/startled, and my husband jumped up turned on the light and went to him saying "Klaus no" and Klaus turned and snarled and advanced at him too. I've mentioned in the past that my husband is like crack to this dog, he's absolutely obsessed with him, so I was floored. He grabbed him by the collar anyways and pulled him over to his crate and put him inside. Within minutes Klaus was back to snoring.
I was absolutely shocked and so upset as was my husband. In general Klaus loves people, and if he was ever to be truly aggressive to a person, I would expect it to be fear based, and I take precautions for that, but he showed no signs of being afraid when this happened. It was as if he was a completely different dog. I understand his issues outside our home, and I try to always be a step ahead of them. But inside our home and with just my husband and I, he's our goofy, playful, cuddly, sometimes super annoying as all puppies are, boy. To act aggressively towards us, especially my husband, is the last thing I would expect.
I will note that he didn't bite us, and he easily could have, but this was in no way acceptable behavior. I will also note that the only time I saw something similar was early one morning a month or so again when he woke up barking at someone in the hallway, and I reached for his collar to take him to his crate and he let out a short growl at me. It was definitely not of the same caliber, and at that point I stopped grabbing his collar as much as possible, and never in negative situations as I realized that was stupid of me. Also, we were away for 10 days, and got him back from the pet sitter on Sunday, who was a trained behavioralist and has a GSD, so not an inexperienced guy (just in case that has any bearing on people's opinions).
I'm sorry for the novel, I'm just so upset right now, can't sleep, and feel like this might be some incurable character flaw in our dog. At the same time I feel it's my fault, and I'm making excuses that it was dark, he had been sleeping soundly right before, maybe he was confused, I shouldn't have approached him like that, maybe the newer training is too aggressive (in the vein of the Koehler method, though toned down a bit, and he is not a soft dog) and he feels he needs to defend himself? I love him so much and we've been trying to do everything we can to help him with his issues. My husband rightly says that this kind of thing cannot happen towards us especially - his interactions with the outside world we can limit and control if we must, but this we can't so much.
I thought we were responsible by getting him from someone who really loved his GSD and looked for a healthy titled dog to breed her with, which is about the best breeder situation you'll find here for the most part. I recently found out though that his father, who competed in schutzhund, bit a woman shortly before he died (from a snake bite). I didn't get any details but now that's adding to my anxiety that this may be genetic.
Please any help, advice, anything is appreciated. I feel like I've failed as a dog owner and I'm pretty distraught, so please be a little gentle.