Big dog with big fears

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by Fire_eye

Paddy,
As I stated before, he is, and always will be well loved and I do accept him for that. He is a great family dog and it is great that we never have to worry about him around other dogs, or kids that may poke or prod him while in public. He is very well behaved and follows commands great. That is unless another dog shows dominance or pesters him.

Again, the fear and "flee" need by him is what hurts me. I just wish I knew where it came from and how to help with it.

I live in Sonoma County, CA.

No offense intended. Just trying to put it into perspective.
It looks like there is a general agreement that his problem is most likely genetic but only you know your dog's background and environment. There is also a general agreement that you should find ways, either formal or informal, to get him into more social and confidence-building situations.
Do you have his pedigree? People knowledgeable it that area (not me) might see something there that points to genetics. But I think at this point all you can do is work with him and be there for him when aggressive dogs are bothering him. FWIW, my dog has the same problem, maybe not to that degree ... but she does her best to avoid aggressive dogs. Sometimes I wish she would meet their aggression with a good a$$ kicking but she wouldn't bite anyone or anything to save her life. Don't know why, that's just the way she is.

[JakodaCD OA]

I agree with the other posters, and would like to add,,DON"T put him in situations that scare the heck out of him. Your doing him no favors nor building confidence by allowing other dogs to charge him.

You should take control of the situation and either divert the charging / pain in the butt other dog, or keep him out of situations where this could happen.

We are the protectors of our animals, so it's up to us to control situations the best we can.

I guess if I had the choice, I'd rather have my dog be afraid of a charging dog vs grabbing him and killing him.

I also carry pepper spray because I've had a few instances of this happen, and while mine will ignore mostly everything, a dog charging up in her face is not one of them.

[debbiebrown]

i don't think most dogs take to kindly to strange dogs charging them..........its rude behavior and a threat...........

do what you have to do to keep this from happening..........positive controlled encounters are fine if you can progress to that point, if not, as Diane said do the best you can to control these situations. and definitely keep a can of pepper spray or deterant spray with you..............

and i agree, i would rather have a dog come run behind me or retreat then aggress and grab to kill!!!

[Good_Karma]

I'm sorry that you feel embarrassed by your dog, and feel like he is being a sissy. I have a very big strong male GSD who is also terrified of other dogs, and has always been that way, although I'm sure his being charged by off leash aggressive dogs has not helped the situation. I always try my very best to avoid putting him in these situations, and I do everything within my power to protect him from any dog who comes up to him (I have used pepper spray very effectively in this). I don't see it as a character flaw in my dog. Yes I would love it if he were more gregarious and eager to make other doggy friends, but he is who he is, and I cannot change it although I can learn to manage his behavior and do my best to make every encounter with another dog below his reactivity threshold, and maybe even turn it into a positive experience.

I have just started reading Jean Donaldson's book Fight: a Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression. I know your dog is not aggressive, but I think the book might still contain some useful information for you.

[robk]

I have had dogs like this and it is aggravating to deal with their fear issues. I agree with the others that it is genetic. You did not cause this. What you have to do is try to keep your dog out of scary situations. Do not coddle the dog when he acts scared, but be the hero and keep other dogs away from him. Learn from this and if you ever buy another German Shepherd pick one from stable bloodlines. You will see a night and day difference that genetics make.

[mrudderman24]

I don't agree with Paddy that this can't be fixed. Locate a GOOD behaviorist and you will be fine. The reason why he is like that does not matter now. They see things like this all the time. Asking advice on behavior is kind of tough on here, since no one can see it.

[debbiebrown]

also keep in mind that even though your dog retreats and does not come forward to a threat, that could change real quick if scarey situations keep happening with other dogs................it could end up that he decides to get the threat before it gets him, i have seen this happen more than not with insecure dogs.........