Dominant male dominates me! - Page 1

I posted a question a couple of weeks ago regarding our male shepherd growling at me and my husband and got some very good info and suggestions.  I took him back to the trainer the next day for aggression training and he's doing pretty good with the trainer.  We picked him up today to bring him home for a few days because our female is ready to breed.  While at the trainers, Hannible greeted my husband and no problem.........when he greeted me, although he seemed happy to see me, he then growled at me.   The trainer pulled him back and made him sit and things were fine after that.

I would raise my voice to him when he wouldn't obey a command and the trainer said that's why he growls at me, says he's mirroring me and is showing dominance over me.  I have vowed not to raise my voice around him ever again but am wondering if the damage has already been done?  I will not sell him because he's a beautiful dog with a great German bloodline and I love him to pieces but I don't trust him anymore.  I don't let on and I don't show fear around him but I'm afraid that he can sense my feelings with that wonderful "sense" that GSD's have.  He's 2 years old and the growling just started a couple of months ago.    

Any help/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

P.S.  Thank you to "natural at aggression" for your PM to my last message, it helped.

 I think you are headed still in the wrong direction. The reason the dog growls at you is NOT because you raise your voice to the dog. Hell, I have a bunch of dogs here and believe me, I raise my voice often when necessary. The difference is that they RESPECT me as their leader. Having a trainer train the dog does nothing to fix the problem of the dog not respecting you. For the trainer not to be involving you right at the start with the training is a real miscue in my opinion.

Would I take someones' money to train their dog? Not without working with the individual. PERIOD. It is the owner who needs the assistance most times.

I strongly suggest you rethink this and consider whether you have chosen a trainer that knows how to train you. It is about training YOU as well as the dog.

Hodie........thanks for your reply, everything I've read from you, I do respect your replies/advice.  I neglected to say that indeed, we have been involved at a couple of sessions.  Due to weather the past 4-5 days though, we haven't been there.   We had a impromptu session again this morning when we went to pick him up and as mentioned before, I do not feel comfortable with him.  How long should this "anti-aggression" training take and how long before I feel comfortable with him? 

IMO if you do not feel comfortable around him you are not going to be able to fool him with outside appearances. I think he will sense it. You said when you picked him up and he greeted first your husband then you, he then growled at you. I don't think you were yelling at him then, were you? Like Hodie said he lacks respect for you for whatever the reason and can probably sense your fear when he growls. Other than being able to show him you are the boss I am not sure how you can stop this behavior, you definately need help. You would think the trainer would have seen you weren't yelling at him when he growled and showed you what to do to correct him. Good luck and be careful....

if you do not change is attitdue, you are going to have issues with him. i would find a trainer to work with both of you on obedience. Just having him at the trainers to work him and 1 or 2 sessions with you. Is not going to change his attitude towards you. I would make sure that I was the only one who feeds him, gives him treats or anthing else he needs. Hodie is right, the trainer needs to help/train you gain the dogs respect. Are there any kids in the house?

The advice added here below my initial post to you is sufficient. You MUST get a handle on this. If you are uncomfortable with the dog, there is a fundamental problem here. You MUST overcome this NOW or it will get worse and it could result in an injury to you. I would again advise finding a competent trainer to work with BOTH of you, ALL THE TIME, not just sometimes. Who gives a damn if the dog responds to the trainer? He must be comfortable with you and you comfortable with him. If not, it is a prescription for serious trouble.

Reading elsewhere....you are considering breeding this dog? I would suggest that this is a serious mistake as well. If you do not know enough to work with the temperament and training issues of this dog, I seriously question why you would consider breeding him. Who knows, he may not even really be suitable for breeding if he acts this way around people he has no respect for.

DITCH THIS TRAINER....IF HODIE HAS TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT...THE TRAINER SHOULD HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED TO YOU...HE CANT CHANGE THE DOG...

ONLY YOU CAN CHANGE THE DOG....AND A DOG THAT GROWLS,,,,IS HEADED IN A WRONG DIRECTION...I HAVE ONE TOO, THAT GROWLED AT ME     WHEN I TRIED TO DISCIPLINE HIM ONE DAY....HARSH CORRECTION....AND HE GROWLED...I PUT HIM IN KENNEL...(OUTDOOR) AND I YELLED AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS..AT HIM.....IF YOU DO THAT AGAIN   I WILL SELL YOU IN A HEARTBEAT AND  THAT MONEY WILL LOOK VERY GOOD IN MY BANK ACCOUNT...THE NEXT DAY I LET HIM OUT AND HE CAME TO MY HAMMOCK AND PUT HIS BIG HEAD WITH THOSE BIG BROWN EYES ON MY STOMACH AND WAGGED HIS TAIL....

I DID NOT BREED THIS DOG,I BOUGHT HIM AND HE IS A KORBELBACH BOY.....AND HE COULD DEVOUR ME IN TWO MINUTES.   I USE A DIFFERENT MODE OF DISCIPLINE WITH HIM AND I DO YELL AT HIM .  HE IS HIGH DRIVE AND CARRIES A DOG BOWL IN HIS MOUTH ,,,,HE WILL CHASE THE WATER HOSE ,, SO I HAVE TO COMMAND HIM IN A DOWN ,,,WHICH HE CANT STAND IT,,SO HE BREAKS HIS COMMAND.....CAREFULLY I YANK HIM , WITH A PRONG COLLAR, ON WHICH , I PUT ON ANY; TIME I LET HIM OUT...AND I TAKE HIM BACK TO KENNEL   , SITZ AND PUT BACK IN KENNEL....

IN OTHER WORDS,,,I DO NOT LET HIM EXHIBIT MANNERS THAT NEED FURTHER CORRECTION.....HE IS LOVEABLE AND WANTS TO DO....BUT HIS DO    IS  NERVE RACKING......SO EITHER HE DOES IT MY WAY   OR HIS   BIG BODY GOES INTO THE KENNEL....DIDNT TAKE HIM LONG TO LEARN      MAMMA SPEAKS   I DO.......HER DO  NOT MINE.....TOOK A WHILE....

AND YES ,   I AM NOT SCARED OF HIM....I RESPECT HIM....HE COULD DESTROY ME IN A FEW MINUTES AND HURT ME BADLY......SO I DONT TREAD WHERE ANGEL DO NOT ABOUND............LOL

I agree with everyone else.  the dog does not respect you.

try being the only one who feeds him and gives him attention.  have your husband back off a little.

Hello. Well for the first I would fire the trainer. The dog has not issues with trainer just you. For a dominate dog the person who the dog has issues with needs to adress the dog personally. Now I have worked manydominate dogs for sport and civil  work and have come to this fact ...The dog knows you are easy target. A pushovr in his eyes. You must let dog know you are owner. You feed walk and take care of the dog in th home and his flat. No one else does this but you. When you play the ball or when you train the tug you are boss. Redirect his dominate attitude towards you with small traing sections. Just dont be scared of him. I have a sch 3 who is very vocal tpowds me when training no bites me but he knows I am boss. Another trainer would get bit if they pressure  him too hard i tghe training. You can always muzzle him if you are scaredto impose the dominance over him. Most time they are just talkers not biiters. I rarely have been really bitten by a dominate dog.just nipped and alot of growling. Just take the time and work with him. Get on the training before he gets too big  or else you ont want to train him for his examinations. Remember make him out tug or ball. Make him platz. You are the leader.  Best Regards.

As others have said.  You need to be the one training the dog and caring for the dog.  This could very easily go down the wrong path for the two of you.  He knows that you are afraid and has pegged you for a target.