My female's behavior is changing, should I be worried? - Page 2

"Firstly All Dogs should have a Muzzle on when seeing a Vet and i mean every dog..."

I've never needed to muzzle any dog to take it to the vet.

Some vets are just afraid of GSD's, the vet I USED TO USE....got bit in the nose when he was younger and still has a deformed nose because of it...so maybe she is afraid of the dog, just get another vet and yes these dogs do sense peoples emotions and fears...I have trusted my dogs instincts more than once on the people I should trust...they are usually right...
Steph

There is some truth to her hating the the VET.  You should get a new vet asap so you change her enviroment.
But most GSD's are protective of the pack/family. Thats on you to socailize her to all new people,kids and new places

KEY WORD is you  MOVED and did not introduced her to the new home correctly..So she is feeling unsettled and her hurding instint to protect the family has come in to play. You really have to work on her and show her the ropes again on what she can and can not do.I'd be carefull around kids, and I never let my GSD's around my kids when they are outside playing   and rough housing with other kids, unless i can supervise my GSD's when it happens. Hell this weekend i had 8 kids at the house and NO accidents happen do to me being anal about the dogs and what they can do.

And Yes your dog can sense when your scared, happy or nervous. Its they way you present your self as not being confident or being the PACK LEADER. If you don;t then they will take the roll and then they think they are in charge.



Its a easy fix but alot of time is going to be required of you to go back to the basics and let her know not all humans are bad.GDS's have a great nature of when to be protective and not..


Good Luck

I always hold my dogs at the vet and most of them are absolutely fine. There can be surprises though. Take this for example:

About 2 years ago I had a male to the vet for his health certificate. We did not sell him as a puppy but waited until he was a bit older trying to decide if he was going to be K9 material or not. I came across a home that would be perfect for him and decided that was where he would be happiest. Anyways, while at the vet with me holding "Mookie" they were getting ready to take his temp. Lifted his tail and WHAM he bit me in the right forearm. You want to talk about genetic full mouth bite. There was no blood as he didn't break skin, BUT the muscle swelled up to twice it's normal sice and I had a perfect mouth print in bruising for a month. You could see every single molar. Mookie was 6 months old and I had raised him from a puppy. I never saw it coming. Did it hurt like hell? Absolutely! Did I continue holding him, um yeah. Was I a little bit proud, hehe of course. Do I muzzle his sister at the vet? YES.  After the bite Mookie was absolutely fine. He gave everyone kisses and wanted butt scratches. He wasn't holding a grudge or pissed off.

You never know what may trigger a reaction like this, and even when you think you know your dog they may react. Safety first. I'd rather take the bite then the vet.

Melissa

K Grossman
No, you may not have needed to muzzle your dog for the Vet to look at it but that means you have no thought for there welfare, as far as i am concerned every dog should be muzzled it is no big deal doing it and then there can never be a problem with a Vet being bit by the Dog you may think you know but situations change for a Dog if it is in pain, I know one friend of mine had a Loverable dog friendly as any, one day he took the dog to his vet with an ear infection The Vet looking down his ears and probing to clear some muck the Dog yelped and snapped in pain noting else he caught the cheek of the Vet and he had to be stiched up on his Face No' as you say your dogs never needs a Muzzle until it happens then of course wise Guys can be a little wiser if there ego allows it  lets hope you do not get Bit with a bill from the Vet if your dog does change its mind and bite one day, To finish off i do not think mine would bite but i see no reason to take the risk of them doing so
Steve1

Most of my dogs are very good with the vet. Ranger has tolerated the vet passing a catheter into his bladder, and Star was as good as gold when the vet had to express her impacted anal glands.

But if the vet has to do something around their faces? Muzzle time, unless it's something really minor, like a quick routine check of the ears. The worst seems to be the Bordotella vaccine. I think I'd want to bite, too, if someone were squirting something up MY nose! 

i always muzzle my dogs in my eyes better safe then sorry if one of them bit the vet 99% of the time the vet will go all out to get the dog put down even if he/she was scared and just snapped

clint

I have only muzzled one dog when seeing a vet got rid of him shortly, he was on the verge of vicious. Since then none have been muzzled (unless injured and in great pain, and even a poodle needs muzzling in that situation).

I do not muzzle even hard K9's. If my dogs cannot tolerate my vet I have a real problem. What will it do in close quarters around people????  I have changed vets though due to the vet having a phobia of large dogs, I didn't want my dog picking up on that.

Tuff

Exactly Sunsilver if a Vet has to look at a Dogs ears or head then it should be muzzled
Personally i cannot see what anyone with an oz of sense has anything against it
If any of you Guys was poking about in my ears if i had an earache then it would hurt a lot and if you continued to poke around i would not so much bite you but take your head off your shoulders and without warning, that is the same as a Dog if you hurt it it will retaliate and if the Vets face is close he will not get out of the way in time if the Dog snaps but why take the chance of it happening, there is nothing clever in not doing it correctly no matter how well you think you know your dogs
Steve1

 PMd you JLB82