GSD Aggression With Puppy - Page 2

Mrs. Circuited,

Your husband needs to take control of his dog now!  The both of you need to plan this out carefully, but I think you can fix this fairly quickly by addressing it firmly.  You need to have your puppy where you can scoop him up in a heartbeat and give him yummy treats.  Your husband needs to have a leash on his dog and be on his toes.  Allow the older dog to show aggression towards the pup...BUT...your husband must act swiftly before it escalates.  He needs to take his dog down hard and fast and hold him in an Alpha roll over position until he completely relaxes.  You in the meantime need to hold your puppy above the downed dog and stroke the pup to make sure it isn't fearful.  Do this several times in a row, calmly, quietly but very fast & forcefully.  Your husband's dog needs to learn that he is not the Alpha, your husband is, you next then the pup.  Relegate bad boy to the bottom of the pack and reinforce it a necessary.  I would never leave them alone together but if you are able to accomplish this task, it should help.   It should also help your husband's dog to listen to him at the Schutzhund Club too.  

Good luck!
Deb 

I agree with most here...

Don't let the big dog hurt the pup...That's not good for the younger one, and can lead to aggression issues in the future.

First and foremost, I'd keep them separated.  Never, ever let them be alone together, as there is a chance that the pup can be hurt or killed, or mentally be injured by the bigger dog's misplaced aggression.  Although puppies can be a little too much for some dogs, there is no excuse for out and out meanness toward the puppy.

The older dog should be given more exercise, perhaps.  If he is tired when he is in the house, perhaps he will be more laid back.  Also, there is absolutely nothing funny about the big dog going after the little one, and any aggression should be corrected immediately, before it escalates into more.  As soon as he gives the slightest hint of aggression, corral it immediately.

When I first brought my little blind rescue home, our seven month old border mix decided to take an aggressive tack with her.  I put both dogs on leash, and showed the older dog that while I wouldn't tolerate the little one ragging on her too much, neither would I tolerate aggression from her towards the pup.  I corrected it immediately each time she growled, or stiffened, long before it got to the biting stage, or lunging, or any of that.   It took only a few hours of work before they settled down.   Of course, she is much smaller than the four year old male that you have, but the principles are the same.

You must have absolute control of the larger dog, and he must see that you have absolute control of the pup, as well.  But if the dog does not listen to you, and not well to your husband, either, then keep them separated until he does.  Perhaps a bit more obedience first?

Whatever you do, don't give the bigger dog a chance to create a complex in the younger one.

Crys

DebiSue has given you the best advice be very careful when its done not to get bit in the face and after you do that a few times use a choke collar or prong whatever it takes and a leash to give quick checks if he does anything that looks aggressive you need to be firm and get this fixed for everyones sake you cant have a living situation were they are separated all the time

This is what I did when I introduced my very, very dog-aggressive (by that I mean I don't think he'll ever be friends with any strange dog) male to a new pup.

I crated the pup and had him around the area so he can smell the pup, but if he tries to approach the crate I shoo him off and don't allow him. It's my puppy and it's my rules. I didn't let the pup out in front of him for the next month or so.

When the pup was old enough, I let him out of the crate with my big male around, so by this time it was no longer a 'strange' pup, but I still didn't allow him to sniff or approach us. He had to keep his distance...again, so he knows it's *my* pup! I played with the pup, then put him away, and gave my male a treat. After a while my male learned the pup was a member of the pack and not just a strange animal that happened to suddenly pop out from the living room floor (I think this is the biggest mistake most people make).

Later, I allowed the male to sniff the pup, but I watched very carefully for signs of dominance, and would tell him off if I saw *too* much interest.

End result was that my very, very dog-aggressive male was lying on his side and letting the puppy chew on his ears and was actually extra careful when he stepped around him. They are both adults now, both extreme dogs in aggression during protection work and both quite dominant animals (the big male moer than the other though), and have never been in a serious fight with each other even though they're allowed together all the time.

Note that this only worked because by the time I introduced the pup, I already had the older dog's complete respect and obedience. This won't work if the dog still has issues in training. Iron those out first if you want to introduce a new pup, even if it's 'technically' your husband's dog.