Help: Aggression. - Page 10

Trailrider, is that your dog in your avatar?  What's his breeding please?

  Thanks for the update.

Do you know about the vet school in Saskatoon?  They may be able to do more thorough and accurate tests.  Also you can call John Werle in Saskatoon at 306-955-0789, he's the CKC SK Director; he may be able to put you in touch with the rottie breeder I mentioned, or some experienced trainers, who are at least within driving distance.

Have you contacted the breeder to ask if they've seen this problem in any of their other dogs?  Could you post your dog's pedigree?

I hate to be the temperature police here LOL but:

>--- Sounds like they are treated equal to you which is a no no. That is bad news in the making. You need to be >above them. And i never heard of it being to cold for a GSD to play outside for more then 10min. I think it's >you that can't take the cold which is fine but i very highly doubt it's the dogs.

Crzy, I see you're from New Jersey; have you ever been to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan?  I lived in Saskatoon, about 80 miles south of PA, and I've been outside when it was -50 degrees Celsius, that's -58 degrees Fahrenheit.  Before factoring in the wind chill.  And there IS wind chill, it's the prairies.  My dog didn't like staying outside any longer than necessary, either.  The breeder had even suggested booties for him (yes, for a GSD!)  LOL  but that wasn't necessary.  We would go xcountry skiing along the river as long at -25 degrees Celsius (-13 degrees Fahrenheit) but there really is such a thing as too cold.

Nope, you guys are still being schooled.  Now the dog is "wonderful".  I predict this poster will come back soon with another edge of your seat struggle, What a bunch of easy fish,  What a good joke for the New Year. 

I'm with you on this one sunic.I think it's a hoax.Some one messen with people because they could.Although it is an interesting topic..This behavior in dogs does happen and it was good post,.In case some one does have to deal with it sometime in life.If it was my dog and he was found to be medically sound ,I would whoop his butt.

I can't believe the castration question never came up... Being dominant from 6 months old and intact certainly puts more of a twist on it.  Is your female intact as well?  This certainly could be a source of his protection AND dominance over her. 

I dont know how much/often he is kennelled either.  I was always told not to use the kennel as a form of punishment.  My girl cant stand to be in the house, though she is for a good part of the day.  If my living situation were different (we live on a horse farm), I'm afraid she would go crazy with only walks/yard time. 

Sounds like this guy needed alot of structure and discipline from the start and thinks he is the leader of your pack, being that he is not only hogging all the toys, dominating the other dogs, but now also dominating you. 

I hope you are able to get a handle on things... sounds like you are starting to!  Good luck!

missbeeb I pm'd you...

You don't have to cut his nuts off is a b/s that the dog will be less agressive :) And people that keep sugesting: "stop listening to your vet, he gets paid every time you cut his nuts off not just by you but by the state as well"...

I have been reading The German Shepherd Dog by Diane Morgan, and I found the following information regarding aggression. I quoted some pertinent lines below:
“Dogs become stressed when they are hurt of afraid, or when they feel their dominance, possessions, food, or territory is being threatened.”
“(this) kind of aggression occurs against “soft” owners who have simply failed to make their dogs understand who is in control.”
“Obedience does not get at the root of the problem, and for some dogs actually increases stress.”
“Many aggressive dogs do beautifully in obedience-they sit, lie down, heel and fetch on command. Then, when they get home, they still show aggression when their owners attempt to remove them from the couch.”
“… no biting or aggressive behavior should be tolerated or ignored. If you make excuses for your dog, the situation will only get worse.”
“Striking a dog will only add fear to the complex factors that induced the bite, and this will increase the odds that he will bite again. You should get him to a professional trainer or veterinary behaviorist specializing in aggressive behavior.”
“Certain kinds of aggressive behavior respond well to drug therapy. Clinicians use antidepressants, sedatives and tranquilizers, hormonal therapy, and anti-anxiety drugs to work with aggressive dogs.”
“Herbs like St. John’s Wort, valerian, and hops have a soothing effect on dogs, and certain flower essences (snapdragon, for instance) may be useful in conjunction with training.”
“Dietary changes, such as switching to a low-protein dog food with no additives, are helpful in some cases.”
“Lots of exercise is important.”
Hope you find some of the above information useful. I also hope that you find a way to treat the dog without having to putting him to sleep.
 

Some have suggested that you contact Cesar Millan, unfortunately is unavailable. I checked his website and found the following:

1. Can Cesar come to my house to help my dog?
Unfortunately, Cesar is not available at this time for consultations. The Dog Psychology Center consultation waiting list is closed until further notice. Also, Cesar is unavailable to do consultations over the phone or the Internet at this time. Cesar receives hundreds of emails a day from fans around the country looking for advice.  It is a full-time job just letting people know that Cesar is unfortunately unavailable!

Cesar's website is recommending contacting The International Association of Canine Professionals. Their website is www.dogpro.org/