Sorry you don't want to hear this, but dog parks are a bad idea for any dog, but most especially not for a GSD as they tend to not want to interact with dogs outside their home pack. You simply don't know the temperament of dogs that are there. You have a young female that is starting to mature & she is asserting herself. Stop going to dog parks before this escalates in to something really bad & it can. You should only have intros with dogs you know well & know their owner & on neutral territory, not in their yard or yours. I prefer to do walks with a dog that you may want to introduce to allow them to get to know each other & you can control the situation or though a fence as that also allows you to have control over the process.

Don't use an e-collar in this situation. They can amp up the drive, instead of take it out & she may think the simulation is coming from the other dog & retaliate. You don't want that.
Some great info here & I agree with Leerburg's take on only using a dog park to proof your obedience from outside the fence. Lots of good info on the site to learn about engagement training with your dog. Working engagement is far more productive than going to a dog park & it will really build the bond with your dog.

Leerburg On Demand | The Problem with Dog Parks

This question and answer with Ed Frawley outlines why we do not recommend dog parks. Dog parks are growing in popularity every day but they are a bad idea for many dogs. This email is from a customer who owns a dog that is showing aggression at dog parks. In this video Ed will give several...

leerburg.com

Dog Parks: Why They Are A Bad Idea

Dog parks can be dangerous but they can serve a purpose. We use dog parks as distractions in order to proof our obedience exercises but never allow our dog to get in harm's way. It would seem obvious that a dog park is a place for people who don't have a lot of personal space to take their dog...

leerburg.com

 

2nd the no dog park. We used to go when our guy was little. He was a sweetheart, but many other dogs not so much. We stopped going for a while after him being pinned down a few times. We did go back now and then, but he seemed to pick something up everytime we went. About 2 months ago I went back (animal services was patrolling our usual areas), I just wanted somewhere to throw rhe ball for him

He was not a fan! He doesn't want anyone near his ball or frisbee, if a dog ran towards me, he lost his mind!

On leash he's fine meeting other dogs, throught the fence hes fine, but I find off leash he now wants nothing to do with other dogs, if they leave him alone, he leaves them alone. He just wants his time with me. He's almost 2 now

 

Dog parks are bad for several reasons... This is the case where I live, it may differ where you live.

1) They are dog disease cess pools
2) A random lottery you put your dog into hoping that someone elses reactive untrained dog doesn't show up
3) Counting on the hope that a bad owner who has no control over their dog doesn't show up while you are there
4) Dog walkers bringing 6, sometimes 8 dogs whom they have virtually no control over running around while they don't pay attention and spend all of their time talking to the other dog walkers who are ignoring their " pack".

GSDs, don't usually love dog parks even if they behave well in them. If you never went again, your dog wouldn't care at all. This problem will likely get worse, not better.

 

She has had three incidents in two days of being aggressive over a ball or a stick to the point of attack on the other dog. How can I stop this behavior? I’m thinking of using the e-collar but I’d rather find another strategy. Help! (And please don’t tell me not to go to the dog park!)

First, every ecollar out there has a warning to not use it for aggression. You take a really good chance on your dog thinking it came from another dog and escalating the situation. So this would be an incredibly poor life choice.

Second, your dog is hitting maturity. Things are going to change. She's no longer a puppy.

And last, GSDs are notoriously bad at dog parks for exactly the issue you are having.

So I'll say it. I'll tell you. Your dog has attacked another dog 3 times in 2 days. Stop going to the dog park and find another outlet for her.

 

As others have said, this behavior will only get worse if you keep doing what you are doing. Keep her away from dog parks and be her playmate. She doesn't need to play or interact with other dogs.

Do a search on this site for dog parks. You will be hard pressed to find any positive comments about taking a GSD there to run with other dogs.

 

Your first and only most significant mistake was taking your dog to a dog park. So yea, I'm saying don't go to a dog park. Not sorry about that one.
Another thing I'm going to tell you that you don't want to hear, strapping an e-collar on and zapping a reactive resource guarding dog sounds like a fabulous idea.

And, just an FYI, asking for help, but prefacing your request with you want to continue doing something that is part if not the most significant factor for the problem you're having is just plain silly. You want a solution that involves continuing to do what you want to do. You're in the wrong place.

 

You'll be hard pressed to find many on here who will say anything but skip the dog park. Your story is the same for almost everybody here with a dog just about the age of yours. MOST GSD are not dog park dogs even though it can start off well. It's hard for sopme people to give up as they only remember how much fun the younger dog had and thnk they're being socialized and getting exercise.

Your dog now associates the dog park with competiton for assets and fighting for them. Don't go back. You ever tried to break up a real dog fight?

 

You may need this if you insist on continuing to do what you have.

How to Break Up a Dog Fight Without Getting Hurt

Breaking up a dog fight can go bad in a heartbeat. This is serious business. So know your limitations and don't get into the middle of something you can't physically deal with.

leerburg.com

Dog Bite and Dog Attack Photos

WARNING: Graphic photos of dog bites. Below are several emails sent to us concerning dog bites. These bites aren't just from family pets. Sometimes they're from dogs who have careless owners that allow them to roam the neighborhood.

leerburg.com

 

It's completely normal and expected for your dog to not submissively give up toys to strange dogs. If you are fortunate to have a couple of friends with dogs that are compatible with yours they may enjoy chasing and stealing toys from each other.My three do some days, but other days they don't want to share. It's not something I would try to force. It would lead to resentment, conflict, and fighting.

 

Reply to All
This is a reply to all the responses I got from my question. First, thank you. (Although I don’t appreciate the negative things said about me.) I’ve had dogs all my life but never a purebred until now. And in my life, dog parks didn’t exist until recently. I’ve been reading, going to trainers, watching videos and I’m learning a lot. I came to this forum for a better understanding of the GSD breed. And some of your answers have given that. I will not try the e-collar for this. I will avoid the dog park and work on another alternative to allow my dog to run free and get exercise.

Ashi adores long walks in the woods (and so do I). And as a Shepherd she always stays close enough to see me. She never runs off. I wish I had time to do this more often. Dog parks seemed like a good solution for people who are unable to get their dogs out to run each day. But I can see why this is a problem now, especially for German Shepherds. Again, thank you for your replies.

 

Ashi adores long walks in the woods (and so do I). And as a Shepherd she always stays close enough to see me. She never runs off.

I love hikes & walks in the woods too. Make sure she has a really good recall. This is a place I would have her wear an e-collar, in case you need the tap on the shoulder so to speak to call her back to you if there is a heavy distraction, which you will encounter in natural areas with critters & such. This is really when I use an e-collar for insurance when off leash.

 

Agree with Kayman on the e-collar use.

I would add for anyone reading who has never used an e-collar before, that the Dog must be properly conditioned to the e-collar though. Far too many dog owners think it is ready to strap on out of the box and start pressing buttons without teaching the dog what the stim means.

 

And just so people aware , e-collars can be tone only.( I used to think they were shock only. ) That's how we used and trained for Becca. As soon as she heard it, she headed back. We trained her to it before taking her camping. She listened to our whistle but we wanted a back up away from home.

 

Just to add to the dog park debate. I took Zac my older dog to the dog park almost every day for 2 years without issue. and when Toby came along I started taking him as well.

Zac is a soft dog, really soft who's always looking to play, backed down with dominant dogs and never once fought. Toby different dog entirely, loved playing but if a dog even snapped over a ball etc he would give back.

What I'm trying to say is I know my dogs BUT I don't know most of the other dogs OR their owners so don't put Toby up "to fail" if another dog sets him off.

I loved the dog park with Zac, hated it with Toby.

Now I've found an large field and the two of them have a ball and I relax.

 

Thank you! You are very kind. I’d love to show you some pictures.

 

No better place than a hike in the woods with your dog(s).
It's where we're all meant to be

 

 

No better place than a hike in the woods with your dog(s).
It's where we're all meant to be
[/QUOTE]
I agree. Humans are animals. We are part of nature and we belong there.

 

@LisaLynn I love how open you were to modifying your activity to what your dog needs. <3

 

Life is a learning experience 😁

 

I love her expression when she was caught tearing up a package. I’m surprised your dog park allows toys. Mine does not unless you are the only one there with a dog. If someone else shows up, the toys are put away. I sent three of my dogs to doggie daycare which is like a smaller supervised dog park. One of them liked it. Every one of them stuck to the person in the room like Velcro and ignored the other dogs. I have two dogs to dog parks, my very first one and my current one. The first one snapped at another dog and we were asked to leave. My current one was OK at first, but then barked too much at other dogs so we left and did not return. It was impossible to control his barking in that kind of situation and I didn’t want it to escalate.

 

Hi. Looks like you have a black Shepherd, too. Everyone always comments on that and how pretty.
Here in Montana things are less regulated than some other places. The minimal rules are more self-regulated by the dog owners. And when a dog gets out of hand the owner usually leaves. That’s what I did.
I’ve seen aggressive dog behavior in the park, but my dog has never been involved until the other day- the incidents I described in my original post. Your comments (and those of others here) confirm that it’s better for my dog to stay away from dog parks.

 

 

All I can do is echo what others have said against dog parks and that ecollars shouldn't be used for aggression. My current GSD has a very soft temperament, and the cage-free daycare I take him to makes all new member dogs go through a 4-hour evaluation before they're allowed to join. They don't accept aggressive or reactive dogs, and they have multiple trainers interacting with the dogs so that they don't get out of control. This rarely happens at a dog park--the people are usually not in control to stop situations from escalating. I've never taken any of my GSDs to a dog park because if they are attacked even once by an aggressive dog, it can change their behavior forever. One trainer told me that for each bad experience the dog has (such as being attacked), the owner would have to counteract it with 100 positive experiences. So my philosophy is, why not just avoid it? All of my previous large dogs except my current one were attacked multiple times by off-leash, vicious dogs that would single out my dogs because of their size. (This happened in New York City and in small towns while I walked my dog on a leash.) The result was that none of my previous dogs remained dog-friendly after puppyhood. So with my current dog, I am being overprotective.