German Shepherd won't defend himself

[AxelsMomma]

Hello all. Our boy, Axel, is a 2 year old GSD who is a lover through and through. We have tried very hard to raise him with constant love and praise; and he has always had a very calm and very loving demeanor. The only time he has ever barked is when he is inside the house; anytime he is outside or on a walk he will simply stroll on by other dogs even if they are going ballistic. He stays by our side and constantly wants to cuddle (at 100 lbs.), watches over our 3 month old son like it's his own, even grooms and lays down with our 6 year old cat Bob. He greets everyone like they are a long lost buddy, even if they are absolutely terrified of him. He is everything we could ever want in a best friend.

A few weeks ago when my husband was walking him another large dog ran up to him out of nowhere and started to attack Axel. Not in a playful way- the dog was snarling, biting, and very aggressive to Axel. The instance was very brief as the owner came running over apologizing and pulled his dog away, but the part that has me concerned was how Axel reacted. He simply sat on the ground cowering and "took it"...he did not so much as bark or try to get away.

Then again yesterday we had our in laws at our house for dinner. They have a border collie-husky mix that attacked Axel for getting close to Axel's own toy! My husband and father in law had to pry him off of Axel. Again, Axel cowered and sat on the floor waiting for it to be over. Afterwards he was back to his gentle loving self.

I'm not asking for him to snap and start attacking, but I am concerned that he is going to get hurt. I am worried we have done something wrong along the way. Any suggestions?

[doggiedad]

don't worry about him not fighting back. you protect
him from fights and other dangers.

[Jax08]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

don't worry about him not fighting back. you protect
him from fights and other dangers.

Exactly! I had a dog that didn't defend herself the first couple times. And then she sent a dog to the ER for stitches. Be proactive so he doesn't develop fear aggression. It's not fun once you hit that stage.

[Mac's Mom]

I understand your concern. I do. I'm not a trainer or expert by any means so all I can offer is my opinion. And honestly,I agree with DoggieDad. You must be careful not to put Axel in a position where he needs to physically defend himself. I do think Axel is expecting you to protect him. I really am interested to see what others say...

[Freestep]

It is not up to him to defend himself--YOU should be protecting him from harm. He sounds like a wonderful pet, a lover, not a fighter. You've raised him exactly right--please don't even think about doing anything to teach him how to "defend himself". Just keep him safe and out of trouble.

[Mac's Mom]

One other comment...I know we cannot control every situation and unfortunately we have to deal with people that do not control their own dogs. If on walks, your neighbor's dog is loose then find an alternate path to walk. And if your in-laws cannot control their dog then keep him away from yours. Ya know what I'm saying?

[Mac's Mom]

Originally Posted by Freestep

It is not up to him to defend himself--YOU should be protecting him from harm. He sounds like a wonderful pet, a lover, not a fighter. You've raised him exactly right--please don't even think about doing anything to teach him how to "defend himself". Just keep him safe and out of trouble.

couldn't agree more

[Castlemaid]

That's his personality, so not much you can do about that. It will be your job to defend and protect him. He sounds like he gives you guys so much love, that is the least you can do. And as others have said, enough bad experiences of him being attacked by other dogs, next time when approached by another dog, even a neutral one, he may decide to bite and attack first since he is afraid of being attacked.

You haven't done anything wrong with him, you did everything right. You as the pack leaders are expected to defend him, he shouldn't have to feel that he needs to defend himself. Many people actually train their dogs to sit behind them if a dog approaches, so that they can deal with the strange dogs, as it is their job anyways.

Your dog sounds like an angel dog, don't hold his more submissive personality against him. In every litter of puppies, some will be more dominant and confident and scrappy, and some will be softer in temperament and more submissive. That is the temperament they are born with, not something that is trained or socialized into them.

Set him up for a lot of neutral and positive experiences with other dogs to help him build his confidence. Doing obedience classes or fun activities like agility will help him learn that he can just focus on you and ignore other dogs, and everything will be okay.

[MountainGSDs]

Sounds like you have a great dog and he looks to you with confidence and trust. Now live up to that and ensure he isn't harmed.

My dogs have been attacked once by a bully breed and I put him in a sit stay which he held while I dispatched the attacker.

[Heidij]

Keep in mind that his non reaction is him defending himself. He is de escalating the situation by not reacting. He is saying, I'm all set with you, you are not playing nice. Consider it a blessing that your dog chooses to step down and not up. A reaction would cause he other dog to escalate and before you know it your 100lb shepherd is taking pieces out of a 50 lb collie...