Observed behaviour about my GSD

[Blake]

Hi guys,

I hope someone can help me evaluate honestly if my GSD has the good traits one should be looking for a good family pet.

He's 5 years old, not neutered, never been used for stud services, and taught him basic obedience.Anyone from the family could feed him, no aggression, as I've imposed myself being the pack leader when he was just a puppy when he was showing semi aggression or what I think was bad behaviour (just shaking him from the scruf of the neck).

QUESTION: Did I do the right thing by my actions, or are there ways to do the discipline without grabbing the scruff of the neck?

He barks a lot, esp. when stray dogs are roaming the streets. In my presence, he will shut up, but barks again when he can't see me. He barks when he just pooed because he hates stepping on it during those times he's caged (we do this when to avoid him humping on my other local female dog when in heat).

QUESTION: Bark terminator seemed to work when I tried it on him, but quite expensive with the batteries only lasting 2 days so I stopped. Should I just have him neutered to eliminate the problem?

He barks a lot, but lacks the bite, this I've proven one time when a tradesman was fixing something in yard and Maxi was caged. He barked so loud and showed total aggression toward the stranger in the yard, struggled so hard to free himself. He managed to break open the door of the cage, ran to the stranger, but never showed aggression, only circled him and surveyed the area, fortunately. I don't think he's capable of biting someone anyway.

QUESTION: Is this normal for an untrained GSD, or a normal GSD should have pounced on the stranger with all the bark and struggles he showed in the cage?

During New Year's eve, we normally celebrate it by lighting various fireworks and blasters that explode with thundering sounds. During these times, Maxi is stressed normally, doesn't bark, but more on moving back and forth with his leash tied up on the door. I know GSDs of great lineage should be barking and showing aggression on the sounds, like telling everybody he's fearless and ready for war.

QUESTION: Does my GSD lacks this great 'fearless' trait most GSDs have, since he doesn't bark but cowers on the sound of fireworks?

I plan to have him neutered someday, but I'm thinking if that's the way to go.

Thanks for all the replies.

[adas]

There are many very experienced owners and trainers here so hopefully they will make some comments. I have very little knowledge, but I will share what I do to make a faithful obedient companion.
I never loose my cool and shake or whack the dog. I only find the good things he/she does and congratulate and reward with praise.
It is easier for me as I am the only person Nimai is bonding to so, he is looking up to me and trying to help and please me. If he does something wrong I ignore it and get him off of the situation that he is causing trouble with and then praise him for listening to me.
I really do no "obedience" training, but always naming a behavior when I see him do it such as sit, move, potty, stop, who is there? etc.
I would not put up with laying or stepping in s#!t either.
Although GSD have different temperments, they are mostly an open, clean slate that they will conform to, to please you and are not automatic aggression machines. Their appearance is deterant enough for 95% of the public. Seems like you have a super ideal dog and hopefully the dog feels the same way about you.

[codmaster]

Sounds to me that your dog might (might!) have a little fear aggression issues with his reactions as you have related. A GSD should not react aggressively to any loud noise without some other clues - interest, yes, willingness to go look at it, yes! but not aggressiveness just with the noise.

"Cowering" in an adult GSD is NEVER a good thing, IMO.

Why would you even want your dog to go bite an innocent person in your back yard? And why wouldn't he listen to you when you recalled him after he got out? (You did recall him, didn't you?) Sounds like a bit more training might help (also with the fear aggressiveness as well).

Good luck!

[Blake]

Thanks Adas, never once did I whack him. A local trainer just gave me the idea to shake him whenever he's showing aggresiveness or not following commands during training.Not sure if that was the right way to go, but it worked for him without resorting to whacking.

One bad behaviour that I can't shake off of him is that he still tries to eat his poo when someone's not looking, perhaps because the smell of dog food still lingers in it, and the non-stop barking as well esp. when he's in-heat?

[Blake]

Originally Posted by codmaster

Sounds to me that your dog might (might!) have a little fear aggression issues with his reactions as you have related. A GSD should not react aggressively to any loud noise without some other clues - interest, yes, willingness to go look at it, yes! but not aggressiveness just with the noise.

"Cowering" in an adult GSD is NEVER a good thing, IMO.

Why would you even want your dog to go bite an innocent person in your back yard? And why wouldn't he listen to you when you recalled him after he got out? (You did recall him, didn't you?) Sounds like a bit more training might help (also with the fear aggressiveness as well).

Good luck!

Hi CodMaster, no, he's not aggresive to a loud noise, that's why I'm quite confuse and wondering why, because I read somewhere that loud noises tend to make a GSD angrier, not cowering or stressed about it. There was actually one suggestion a friend gave me, that to buy a puppy, put some coins in an empty can and throw it in front of the puppy and observe how he/she reacts to it, if he/she runs away, not a good selection, idk.

I also didn't want him to bite the person, it was an accident that the steel door cage swung open with his jumping, I'm sure most GSDs would have pounced on the stranger, if that's the right attitude of a GSD protecting his owner's property. Mine didn't.

[Blake]

Here is an old photo of my GSD...

[doggiedad]

1>>>> i don't think you have to go out of your
way to establish pack leader. pack leader is overrated.
i used the scruff of the neck method by i never shook
my dog. i would hold him and raise my voice.

2>>>> there's many other ways to dicipline.

3>>>> barking a stray dogs. training and socializing
can take care of that. why is your dog in his crate
so long that he poops in it???

4>>>> training and socializing helps with most problems.

5>>>> that circling the person might have be aggression.
don't trust your dog won't bite.

6>>>> you should be glad he didn't pounce.

7>>>> your dog is nervous around fire crackers.
a lot of dogs are. make your dog comfortable when you're
firing fire crackers. don't wait for New Years to fire fire crackers.
work with your dog with . get your use to fire crackers and loud noises.
you're totally wrong about GSD's being from great lines being
fearless and ready for war.

8>>>> training, socializing, association.

9>>>> what's your reason for neutering???

Originally Posted by Blake

1>>>> as I've imposed myself being the pack leader when he was just a puppy when he was showing semi aggression or what I think was bad behaviour (just shaking him from the scruf of the neck).

2>>>> QUESTION: Did I do the right thing by my actions, or are there ways to do the discipline without grabbing the scruff of the neck?

3>>>> He barks a lot, esp. when stray dogs are roaming the streets. In my presence, he will shut up, but barks again when he can't see me. He barks when he just pooed because he hates stepping on it during those times he's caged (we do this when to avoid him humping on my other local female dog when in heat).

4>>>> QUESTION: Bark terminator seemed to work when I tried it on him, but quite expensive with the batteries only lasting 2 days so I stopped. Should I just have him neutered to eliminate the problem?

5>>>> He barks a lot, but lacks the bite, this I've proven one time when a tradesman was fixing something in yard and Maxi was caged. He barked so loud and showed total aggression toward the stranger in the yard, struggled so hard to free himself. He managed to break open the door of the cage, ran to the stranger, but never showed aggression, only circled him and surveyed the area, fortunately. I don't think he's capable of biting someone anyway.

6>>>> QUESTION: Is this normal for an untrained GSD, or a normal GSD should have pounced on the stranger with all the bark and struggles he showed in the cage?

7>>>> During New Year's eve, we normally celebrate it by lighting various fireworks and blasters that explode with thundering sounds. During these times, Maxi is stressed normally, doesn't bark, but more on moving back and forth with his leash tied up on the door.

>>>>>>I know GSDs of great lineage should be barking and showing aggression on the sounds, like telling everybody he's fearless and ready for war.<<<<<

8>>>>> QUESTION: Does my GSD lacks this great 'fearless' trait most GSDs have, since he doesn't bark but cowers on the sound of fireworks?

9>>>> I plan to have him neutered someday, but I'm thinking if that's the way to go.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

3>>>> barking a stray dogs. training and socializing
can take care of that. why is your dog in his crate
so long that he poops in it???

9>>>> what's your reason for neutering???

Thanks for the info.

3) We do this at times when there are visitors in the garden. Most folks are really scared with big dogs, and we dont want him to scare guests.

9) First, I've read that this will decrease his desire for a partner, esp. when we have so many neighbors with female dogs, might fix the barking thing for no reason. He normally does barking all day and night when there's a dog in heat in the vicinity, I'm worried about annoying the people around with the noise.

Secondly, I don't want to breed him, because I'm planning to get a female GSD again.