Do you own and cope with an anti-social Shepherd? - Page 1

You may have seen from a previous Message, that we have recently acquired a 'rehome' bitch (17 months old) - who sadly is anti-social towards other dogs (whether male or female)! She gets along splendid with our younger GSD.

Asking this question purely to find out if everyone has agreeable GSD's or whether other people too experience and cope with a similar problem?

(Hoping it may lessen)!


Regards,
Rodeo

Depending on why she is this way you can change her with time and training. As she is young and get along with your other dog I think you have a good chance.

I have some that I do not let out together but all can will walk on leash with other dogs no problems.

I read somewhere that if they're not kept around dogs during their heat cycles, they'll gain a preference for humans.

I don't have enough experience to know how true that is, though.

Hi Western Rider, Your Message was extremely encouraging - so appreciated thank you.

Reliya, Interesting, never heard about that either.

Thank you to both of you,
Rodeo

What do you mean by antisocial? I have a GSD who was dog reactive when I got her (hackles up, barking at other dogs when on walks), but excellent with my other dog when off lead in our back yard. She has become far better on a leash with training. If this is similar to what you are dealing with, yes, they can definitely improved. What was most helpful was enrolling in dog classes because it gave us the opportunity for controlled interactions with other dogs, rather than the chaos that can occur on walks with off-leash dogs, out of control dogs, etc. Good luck!

Hello Riddlem2,

Thank you, yes, I do mean she is reactive - lunging, hyper, shrieking! But only when nearby. She gets along great with my other dog.

Appreciate your encouraging comments too.

Regards,
Rodeo

There are many reasons why a female German Shepherd will be anti-social with other dogs...and in particular other females...

What is her history...With other dogs...With other people...etc...

When meeting new dogs there will be posturing and so on until they each know what the other is about...

A female that is 17 months old is really just coming into maturity and has to find her place in the pack...Tensions will be high during this time with other females in particular...

When bringing a new dog into my pack/group/kennel...I 1st keep everyone SAFE...they can Smell and See each other but they aren't allowed to be with each other for up to 2 weeks...(Usually doesn't take this long but I say 2 weeks)...

If you have one dog on leash and one not...you can actually cause a fight...

Sooooo...YES...You can change and correct a female's attitude to a certain degree...I'd say with what you've said you have a good chance of doing just that...But if you're not sure of doing something ask someone that has more experience (like here on PDB) before going forward...

~Bob~

Yes, I have lived, and coped with, a very anti-social
GSD bitch. There is lots of good advice in posts so
far; thoughtful training, Club membership, careful &
gradual exposure to situations, considering the
'reasons why ...', etc can all be useful to you.

My dog was both 'stranger' dog, and people, reactive.
I'm sure you can imagine that this sometimes made for
some awkward and embarrassing situations !
She was fine in circumstances she understood: raised
as a Showdog, she'd be calm around both dogs and
people in any situation bearing similarities to a dog-show
atmosphere. But take her out of that "comfort zone" and
watch for the fireworks ! She had been beaten up quite
badly in an unprovoked attack by two terriers when she
was 10 months old; that and the fact that she did not have
the most solid nerves contributed, I think, to her tendency
to yell and fly at other dogs later. But she co-existed very
happily with her kennel-mate / half-sister while living at
her breeder's Kennel. And - the thing I liked about her -
once she accepted a new dog (or person), she became
their friend for life. An example: once she was living with
me (by which time she was about 4), she met - and initially
threatened - a 12 week Rottie pup called Forest. By the
time he'd grown to twice her size, they were the greatest
of playmates.

So it is possible to rehabilitate a dog like this. And worth it !
I wish you all the best of luck with yours. You just have to
remember to a) keep working at it & b) never entirely trust
her.

Many people own and 'cope' with 'anti-social' dogs of many breeds--it's a fallacy that a dog MUST get along with every other dog in the world. Just as with people, there are social butterfly dogs who adore every other dog they see, there are dogs that have a neutral view of other dogs, and there are those who want nothing to do with any other dog, except for those that are fellow members of their household.

That said, that doesn't mean you shouldn't insist on your dog behaving herself when circumstances arise where she has to share space with another dog. That's where training comes in. It's unlikely you'll teach her to enjoy the company of other dogs, but she definitely can learn to ignore them when your paths cross.

I agree with Hexe there are dog's that just can't get along with other dogs and never will. However anti social behavior as you describe it is often seen after a re-home.

The fact that she is fine with your other GSD at home, means this behavior is surely correctable. Start training wright away don't let her settle in this behavior.

There many methods to correct this problem, but i found the Trigger and Threshold method to be the most effective in these cases.

Good Luck.