Help! My sweet GSD has flipped!

[Goliaths_mom]

We rescued a Shepherd mix when he was 4 months old. We've always socialized him, we worked with him on training, he has really become an amazing dog. However, I found out I was pregnant in December and subsequently, was very sick for about 3 months. We haven't been taking him to the park as often, however we've still been taking him and working with his training.

Since he's turned a year old it's been like a light switch went on and he does not play well with other dogs at the park. Today, he went after a dog much smaller than him (don't understand why the small dog was in the large dog area) and also a dog attempted to dominate him and he seemed fine, but as soon as the owner pulled her dog off, he went nuts. (The dog was quite a bit larger than he was and he managed to pin it to the ground in 2 seconds and was being very aggressive) He's left puncture wounds on another dog, and it happened in a matter of seconds. I don't want to stop socializing him, but I don't know what to do. Can someone help?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

[mebully21]

he is maturing and doesnt like rude strange dogs.. stop bringing him to the dog park period.. he doesnt need to go there anymore. take him for leash walks when you take the baby in the stroller .....

keep the regular training up. your dog is normal - most dogs dont like rude dogs and some big dogs see little dogs as prey due to the small size..

[Goliaths_mom]

Really?! I've never heard of that before. I thought we did something wrong.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

[mebully21]

some dogs especially males wont tolerate rude snotty dogs .. some dogs just grow up to not like other dogs, whether big or small, some dogs only like calm dogs.. some dogs like all dogs.. it just depends on the dog itself... i have one dog who loves all dogs, and one dog who when he turned 6 years old decided he didnt like rude snotty inyourface dogs.... he also doesnt like small dogs that run like squirrels lol...he will gladly throw down and fight if given the chance

dog parks have rude snotty dogs there who have owners who dont pay attention to their dogs... if you tried humping me i would slap the **** out of you for being rude.... some dogs dont like being humped, its a rude behavior that 99% of the time results in a dog fight (unless its my 2 who hump out of excitement when playing and they take turns humping each other)

now that you found out your male doesnt like other dogs in his face or small furry ones its time to just leash walk him, keep working on obedience skills , and schedule play dates with dogs he KNOWS and LIKE to play with..

also, he didnt just flip a switch, the signs were there probably for the past few months but no one noticed them. dogs dont just flip a switch, the signs are always there, its just figuring out what the signs are lol

[Goliaths_mom]

It makes sense. One of the owners there today pointed out some things about the way he carries himself and his tail that I've always just thought was beautiful. Thank you so much! :-)


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

[Moshamoon]

I do agree with most of the posts responding to your thread. My young female gsd needs alot of work. We socialized her etc., but what came of it was she loves, and is submissive, to all the dogs she met as a pup. Any new dog is a target, and she lunges and barks (until one of them is brave enough to come up to her and she becomes submissive). I take Mika to the dog park, and because she loves the ball, that is what we do. Throw the ball, and she doesn't care about the other dogs.

Don't limit yourself. Try everything! I was advised to take my girl into town and sit for 1/2 hour and let her see everyone/every thing/read a book. Just realize, it isn't our dogs, it's us that have the problem. We need to tap into how DOGs work, and not humanize their behavior. That's a lot tougher for us. I guess "relax" is the first step.

Just a note (work in progress because I am still not confident): When I take the tension off the leash in a stressfull situation, Mika stops pulling most of the time. If I hold tight and let her take the leash...I am toast.

[Goliaths_mom]

Leash walking really isn't a big deal, he's beautiful on the leash because I worked him every day on it. But it's hard to relax at the park when I'm afraid he's gonna go from friendly play to vicious killer in a split second. I have a Golden who absolutely loves everyone and every dog, so we can just take him to the park and leash walk, and play with the ball with the GSD at home for the safety of the other dogs.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

[Moshamoon]

I was so scared to take Mika to the dog park. I thought she would really start a pack fight. I was wrong. She was scared, not aggressive. You know your dog better than anyone, and I'm not trying to convince you to do what I do.

My only advice, and I am no expert, is that being calm is key!!! If you freak out...guess what...your dog is going to respond in a manner to protect you and himself. If you start there, I bet you will get to know your dog better, and able to deal with new situations.

I keep my girl on a dropped 15' lead (light cotton) at the dog park so I can calmly control her if need be. Yah...the others there are critical.."you don't let her loose?...why don't you let her off leash?" I do this because she does not have total recall. Today I let her go, and she was great. The more time I spend trying new challenges, the better things get. Man, it is scarey and draining...but worth it.

Good luck to you. Would love to hear your ideas for the leash walk. Mika is getting better, but she still pulls. Any advice is SO welcome.

[trudy]

Congrats on your pregnancy and your teenage German Shepherd boy. Amp up the training or shortly after the baby arrives he will be looking for a new home. He can NOT show aggression nor dominance now EVER!!! Train the crap out of him, go to classes, maybe try agility or tracking or herding, something that puts his brain to work. I promise you will be glad to get strict control for that time when you are tired and dealing with a new born...He is showing his macho dominance at the dog park, he is the problem, not the other dogs, he thinks he is grown that is why he waited til the bigger dog was held by the owner..
Good luck

[Goliaths_mom]

Leash walking is all about consistency. I don't give him an inch. I use a choke collar with a 3' lead and keep it up tight around his ears for easy control. And every time he gets just a few inches ahead of me, I stop and say heel...start going again until he does it again. Someone also advised keeping a treat in your lead hand right in front of their face to where they can lick it, but not take it totally. Either way...consistency is key and don't let them drag you all over town. I only use a leash with my Golden because its the law. Lol.

I will try the 15' lead and maybe try going to the park with alot of people and sitting for awhile. (Away from people) Goliath went after a dog that he has always played with and we have no idea why...and ended up leaving 2 puncture wounds. So that's why I'm so nervous.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App