A question for the masses??? - Page 1

Hi all,
       I am the owner of a 2.5 yr old male czeck line german shepherd. The dog has been excellent in all regards since I got him as a pup. He is very willing to please and a quick learner.  His obedience and manners have been beyond what I ever expected.  Recently he has begun to mark in the house in front of my wife when I am away. She corrects him when she catches him with a strong "NO" and cleans up with a scent free cleaning agent. The dog has never done this in front of me.  Yesterday I was walking in the door after work and I here my wife correcting him for marking again near the woodstove. I turn around the corner and he is growling at her with his back hair all risen up. I immediately walk in at which point he runs up to me and starts nudging me to pet him with his ears back as if I should tell him what to do next.  I give him a firm "No" and resist his nudging to pet him.  I order him outside and ask my wife what happened.  She tells me it is the first time he has ever done this to her.  I have never seen the dog act like this towards anyone before. This morning after I leave for work  my wife tries to let him out of his crate he stays put and doesnt even try to bolt out like he normally does in the morning. My question for the masses is what is she or we doing wrong and how do we nip this in the bud so to speak???  Is this a dominance issue that the dog is going thru at this age and if so what can or should be done?? FYI, this dog has been a very submissive soft dog up until this episode. Thank you in advance for any help you may offer.

Her correction of him was seen coming from a less dominate individual in his eyes. She needs to be more involved if not the primary person in training him. I would suggest that she makes him work for everything, sitting at the door before going out, have her feed him making him sit before meals. Only when she is more involved will he respect her. You need to get involved immediately when he challenges her, but he may see her as the source of conflict with you and he will deal with her more strongly when you are not around. Many women are strong enough to handle a serious working line male but if she is not up to the work I would separate them when you are not around. If you choose this last path be on your toes or things can go very wrong if you are not paying attention. Seek a trainer familiar with working lines.

Markobytes,
                 Thank you for your input. My wife has been very involved with the training of this dog since the beginning and actually has been doing more with the dog than I have as of recently because of my work schedule. We have both always made the dog sit/stay/wait for food/entering house/vehicle to assert rank in the household.  The dog has always been very protective of her and watchers her every move which I had seen as being a good thing, although It also says to me though that the dog thinks he is her caretaker/higher rank. I welcome any and all advice. Thanks again.

She should not be cleaning it up in front of him. Her training with him should be rewarding with treats for obeying her commands in order to have a positive relationship. Good luck, you may be the one who ends up in the dog house!

Rob Juanez, I've heard it said on here, that a growl is always a threat. So, I can't see the justification for you seeing the dog as "caretaker".  Which could mean you are mistaking what you are calling protective, on the dog's part. Just a thought. I would be concerned. Markobytes gave a good post. 

Rob where are you located?
Maybe somone on the board can direct you to a good trainer.
This needs to be fixed now, before your wife gets hurt.

He is possessing her because he perceives her as weak, that is a double edged sword,  he will be overly protective of her causing more problems around strangers that come too close to her. How much does she baby him? She needs to project a confident image in voice and body posture around him without being confrontational.

Beetree, thank you. Up until this incident the dog has been very protective of her and had always taken her corrections.

Sitasmom, I am in upstate NY.

rob,
before I would give advice I have questions.

Is this the first time the dog has urinated in the house?
If not what is your standard response or correction for this situation?
What types of corrections do you use for various situations?

Marking, being let out of a crate, I take it this is a house dog?
Or do you also have outside accommodations?

Details are important, what was the dog growling at?
Not asking why, I am asking for details about the incident, who was doing what and where.

Was this a first growl or have there been other times?

Do you or your wife ever feel fearful of the dog in a situation, now or in the past, please be honest.

And how does the dog handle corrections in general, does he except them and obey, or is he resistant to them, hard headed or stubborn?

How much obedience training have you done and by what methods?

I will say your dog has reached a stage of maturity in his life and you need to rethink many things about his care and behavior, and perhaps your own as well.

Moons.

I would disagree about your wife giving treats to the dog. If there is an issue brewing pertaining to respect, treats from your wife will only reaffirm the dog's perception of his superiority...in other words, he is taking food away from a lesser individual, reinforcing his feeling of superiority. Bribery need not be in this equation....a professional trainer who knows working line GSDs is definitely good advice. Do not go to petsmart or petco for help, and no Cesar Milan fixes.