This is new behavior. When we are on walks and someone passes us, my GSD has literally lunged at strangers passing by, even if they don't approach or even make eye contact with us. Twice now he has ripped these random stranger's jackets. I apologized up and down, and offered to give money to these people to replace their jackets, but luckily they were both dog owners and were understanding.
He doesn't show this type of aggression with strangers that come to our house. He doesn't show this type of aggression to strangers walking around at the dog park. It has only been on leasehd walks. I socialized him very much as a pup and took him on many walks, especially on high traffic walking paths. I think that it may stem from an incident this past summer, when he got attacked by a Golden while we were on a walk (he was about 10 mos. old when this happened). For a couple months after that incident, I did all that I could to keep him socialized with new people and other dogs, so that he wouldn't develop a fear. He also didn't show any new fears for a couple months after that incident. Slowly, the fear/aggression has gotten worse. First it started with the occasional stranger that would come up to us on walks and ask to pet the dog. He would back up behind me and get scared and then bark. So I figured, no more letting strangers approach him until we get that taken care of. Now, anytime someone is walking towards us while we are on a walk, I try to hold him on a very tight leash and get him to sit while someone passes by, but he is a very strong boy and manages to still lunge.
I am very worried right now. I don't want to stop taking him on walks, because that will make him even less socialized with the outside world, but at the same time, I can't have this liability on my hands while we go for a walk. I have a mesh muzzle that we recently got for him, I used that once on a walk, but no strangers came by, so I'm not sure if that will work. He may not be able to bite with that thing on, but he may still lunge at people.
Please help!
He doesn't show this type of aggression with strangers that come to our house. He doesn't show this type of aggression to strangers walking around at the dog park. It has only been on leasehd walks. I socialized him very much as a pup and took him on many walks, especially on high traffic walking paths. I think that it may stem from an incident this past summer, when he got attacked by a Golden while we were on a walk (he was about 10 mos. old when this happened). For a couple months after that incident, I did all that I could to keep him socialized with new people and other dogs, so that he wouldn't develop a fear. He also didn't show any new fears for a couple months after that incident. Slowly, the fear/aggression has gotten worse. First it started with the occasional stranger that would come up to us on walks and ask to pet the dog. He would back up behind me and get scared and then bark. So I figured, no more letting strangers approach him until we get that taken care of. Now, anytime someone is walking towards us while we are on a walk, I try to hold him on a very tight leash and get him to sit while someone passes by, but he is a very strong boy and manages to still lunge.
I am very worried right now. I don't want to stop taking him on walks, because that will make him even less socialized with the outside world, but at the same time, I can't have this liability on my hands while we go for a walk. I have a mesh muzzle that we recently got for him, I used that once on a walk, but no strangers came by, so I'm not sure if that will work. He may not be able to bite with that thing on, but he may still lunge at people.
Please help!