What is your view on this reaction? - Page 2

i like all the expert people here

We got 'ol Nelson at 18 months and he bit the vet on his first visit The vet, a bit stupidly I think as he was a big man, reached right over Nelson's body from the front so he could check his plums & Nelson nipped his traling arm. No growling or barking just a 'gentle' warning nip that didn't draw blood.

Ooer, we thought and the vet muzzled him & continued on. We had noticed he was much more friendly with the ladies so we changed the vet for a lady and for the first visit we muzzled him. However this did seem to stress him a little & probably us that then of course stresses him more.

So for subsequent visits I used to go into the room without paying any attention to the hound and just chilled out with the vet for a couple of minutes. Talking about what may be wrong and what needs to be done and all the time pretty much ignoring him. By the time the vet did then start to examine him he was also chilled out and we started not having to bother with the muzzle. At the end of every visit we also made a point of the vet telling him to sit and getting a biscuit reward.

We also started to take him into the vets for no other reason than to just sit in the waiting area, have a drink of water & go onto the weighing machine. And now he's quite untorubled about going and on the last visit he was good enough to allow his teeth, plums & penis to be examined although how much of the latter was down to enjoyment I wouldn't like to say...

AandA

I think when dogs are first introduced to a Vets office there needs to be a game plan. First the handler needs to be in control and giving off the right energy. Second I think anybody approaching or touching the dog should take time to offer a treat and introduce themselves to the dog not just walk in the room and run through everything quickly and on to the next dog.
As mentioned above socializing when young is key to having a pet you can trust in any situation.

When I read this all I could think about was "Trouble is a brewing" . Whether the dog liked the vet or not, the behavior was out of line. You didnt mention in your making the dog sit whether corrections were made to the dog for what he did to the vet. It would seem to be that if no correction was made, then it was reinforced that what he did was a good thing which in turn will end up being a bad thing down the road. And the people who were petting him, were they sitting down. If so then they were no threat.

So he didnt like the vet. Ok . He could have shown his dislike another way such as a growl, the hair standing up etc. I hear all the time from vets and friends who are in this field that shepherds are one of the worse biters and their temperment is poor. For that reason I make sure that my dogs are ok with the vet and staff. I dont think that the bloodline of the dog should make any difference when it comes to doing what needs to be done. Ive had other breeds of dogs with very strong lines. When I took them out and they were in public they were obedient. They may not have been friendly or wanted a strange hand on them, but outwardly showing aggression in a situation like this wasnt and isnt tolerated.

Consider this a checkpoint for how things are going. I would recommend more socialization. Go to Walmart or other shopping malls where there are alot of people.  And although Im not a big fan of dog parks, it can be good distraction.  Even if the dog is in training for aggression work or sport, remember that this could be a sign that more is to come. Nip in the bud now before its too late and he actually bites someone.

Some are saying that their dogs don't react aggressively at the vets and I am interested to know if it's due to good management or good luck???. Some GSD's are rather placid and calm where others overly sharp and defence driven and their temperaments are not all the same.

The people with dogs that behave well at the vets, would they be aggressive given the chance or have been aggressive that training has corrected???

Bhaugh his bloodlines will have certain traits different from others.....which is true I should still gain full control no matter what they are.    Here is the dilema though.  I did correct him......but I have been told by certain breeder/trainers who are familiar with these lines and have been breeding and training them for years that you don't always correct, because correcting can create more aggression with these lines, and I think someone had said that it can correct the signs they are showing you.....example would be to say the dog bites next time without giving a warning since the barking was corrected.  Better to redirect instead.  Our wal mart will not allow dogs inside.  I'll be taking him to Tractor Supply on Saturday and a few other places since we haven't been out in a while.  The places I'll go to I've taken my other dogs numerous times.  Anubis was strongly socialized as a pup until 6 months and after that it wasn't as often. 
 

 

AandA  that sounds like what I did with my Huskies.  I went with them for absolutely nothing at times, just to go weigh them, get a treat and leave sometimes.  Others we would get work done, and I would just talk for a while.

i like that more expert people here keep coming

Clifford what are you talking about?

GSDguy08, my boy is exactly the same, heavily socialised as a puppy and began to show aggressive traits at 6 months old reacting to strangers and other dogs. Same thing at the vets at 14 months old lunged and tried to bite him as he walked into the examination room and the vet refused to see him. We muzzled him and saw a female vet who chatted for a while and fed the dog treats and managed to give him his vaccination but he reacted to having his toenails look at and temperature taken.

The only thing that worked with stranger aggression was choking him out the moment he went to bark and lunge lifting his front legs off the ground until the lack of air took his attention of the person. Initially when releasing him back onto the ground, he would go again where a second choke out was administered and he would submit. Fortunately, he has no handler aggression and will take a hard correction.

I did the shopping centre walks which helped massively, the moment he rubber necked looking at someone, I would leash pop him hard with a 'ahhggg" and keep walking briskly towards people and he responed well after time. He's nearly 3 years old now, behaves in public, but I have to watch him and don't allow strangers to pat him. I still muzzle him at the vets,  he is ok but he doesn't like it.

 "Clifford what are you talking about?"

Now now.  We mustn't question Clifford.  He's a world renowned expert in dog behavior.  Please show the proper respect here.