shep pup becoming aggressive? - Page 1

Maybe someone could help me out here...My german shepherd puppy just turned 5 months old. She lives with me and my boyfriend and was fine until about a month ago. We were at the dog park and this lady walked past to get her dog, and my pup jumped up and nipped her hand.she was okay, but it took me off guard, because she had never shown aggressivness before. when my boyfriend was alone with her, him and even his cousin would play with her in the yard & she was fine and really liked them just as well as she did me. In the past few weeks, whenever im around my boyfriend, she wont come near him and growls, but alone with him she was fine? Yesterday night, he let her out to use the bathroom. He was trying to get her back into the house ( which really doesnt enjoy and runs because she LOVES being outside ) so he was calling her name with no avail so he went to pick her up ( like he usually does ) and out of nowhere grabbed onto his wrist and arm and wouldnt let go, needless to say she hurt his hand and arm.We've taken her to obedience school and in public almost every single day to socialize her .I have owned many dogs, from chihuahuas to border collies to pitbulls, and they've never suddenly did a 360 like this, so im not sure what to do? I LOVE my dog, she is extrememly loving and loyal, but im so worried.shes UTD on all her shots and just got back from the vet at the beginning of Feb and everything was in great condition! PLEASE and advice or personal experiences would be so helpful!

For a start, keep away from Dog Parks, It teaches your dog nothing but bad habits, secondly the dog is not obed to you or your boyfriend,
 So when she goes out to clean herself put her on a long line so when you call her you can bring her back in to you, and only call her once
At the moment the Pup is thinking it is the boss of you and your boyfriend, you have to change that right away otherwise you will have trouble as she gets older
Firm strong corrections verbally, keep her on a line at all times she is out, no exceptions until she learns that she is not the boss
Feed her from your hand, not from her bowl make her realise she depends on you for everything and that you are in charge not her, then you will most likely see a change
Steve

I agree stay away from dog parks, instead find a nice open space away from traffic and the crowds. 
At five months its time for real obedience and leash training, controlled socializing, and corrections concerning biting.
A German Shepherd is different from any of the other dogs you have owned so you have new things to learn.
First rule, you are the boss.
Your going to have to take the time to learn how to train your dog, its as much work as raising a kid.
Or get a different kind of dog.

All good advice. A big stress on learning specifically about the GSD breed.

I agree that you pup has grown to think that she is the boss. It is often difficult to start seeing some of the things she does through the eyes of a human and seeing that she thinks and understands things differently. You and your boyfriend are on the bottom of the hierarchy.

She thinks she owns you, and your boyfriend is also beneath her in your "pack". If she agresses against him, she may be looking at him as a rival in her ownership of you. If you think this is cute for a puppy to do, it will not be so cute when she gets bigger and can seriously hurt someone.

You need to make her understand ASAP that she is not the Alpha female. You don't need to be punitive or punish her to do this as this will only feed a more aggressive posture. You cannot act in a way that she gets her way through aggression as this will only reinforce it. But if you do anything at all, keep the mindset that you do everything because you love her and want the best for her.

The biggest obstacle is starting to do things for her that may not feel good at the moment to you. But it comes down to making the decision: Do I want to make myself feel good or do I want to have a dog that will not be a liability to me?

If you do not have a crate, get one. You can scout the classifieds or go to a discount store. Buy one that is big enough for her to stand up and turn around but not so big that she has enough room to relieve herself in.

She probably won't like it so it is important not to use it as a punishment. It will eventually become her hang-out where she goes to nap and have her quiet time. Make it comfortable. Put it in a quiet area of the house that does not get a lot of foot traffic. Before you put her in there, put some food in there and give her some space to check it out.

If she has a fovorite toy, or you give her treats, they must be earned by good behavior. Don't leave them all over the house or allow her total access to them. 

When you start to crate her, set up a schedule to take her out for short periods to toilet her and feed her. When you take her out, put her on a leash, and not a very long one. She needs to learn that she must earn everything she gets from you by good behavior. In the beginning you will have to be more disciplined.

I find that the biggest obstacle to overcome is our own misunderstanding of what a dog really needs. You need to develop a new mindset because you love her. If you find yourself getting frustrated or angry, give yourself a break and get back to it once you cool down. In the beginning you will need to do a lot of work to make up for the first months of letting her run all over you but just be patient and consistent.

I am sure you will be getting a lot of good advice as you progress so it is good that you care enough about your dog to realize you need to make some changes. And do yourself a favor. Sign up for a puppy obedience class. It is a good place to start and well worth the money.

Did any of this start after a recent vaccination? You mention a 360....I think you meant 180, but anyway, if it was THAT sudden, it's possible it's not so much behavioral as health-related. If not, then she thinks she owns you.

Dog Park = diseases

Especially if your dog had not had some of the "non-core" vaccines. Some diseases associated with the "non-core" vaccines, say lepto, can well be present in dog parks.

as far as the "hard core" shots go, she has only had parvo, bordetella, rabies, and CDV. and yes, i meant 180 degree turn, wasnt even thinking, typing gets ahead of my brain.

I have had alot of people (on blogs, etc) inform me that it was because she thought she was the alpha dog, but she knows i am the boss, just like all our other dogs, especially our pits...they have to know who is in control very early, agreed.

We do control exercises ( example. holding her in my arms like a baby until she is calm and can stay in a relaxed submissive position for atleast 5 minutes or more) and her recalls are perfect with me, during any situation. she is an extremely smart and loyal dog.

My boyfriend works nights, so he hardly ever comes in contact with her, the only time really being when he puts her up at night before he goes to work. This is why i am confused, it was just out of nowhere, shes always loved him, and he makes sure the dogs know hes boss (: he has raised german shepherds and pits for 15 years, all of which drop at a single command from him.
 
we have been going to a professional trainer since she was 10 weeks, and she does fine there? your right about dog parks, i was just trying to socialize her with other dogs, besides all the ones we have at home, but there probably worse than better.

What is your professional trainer teaching the dog now?

I had this problem a couple of years ago with my male and got very good advice from the people here.  The best advice I got was the N.I.L.I.F. rule.  Nothing In Life Is Free.  Check it out and use it.

I"m a five foot tall little broad and my male is a 92 lb big boy who started growling at me at about a year old.  The 2nd time he did this, I jumped on top of him & started yelling at him that I was the alpha bitch in the house & he was the dog.   I knew that if I couldn't control him I would have to sell him 'cuz he would be a liability.  He went to "boot camp" the next day.

The first thing I learned was that yelling at him, getting aggressive, only raised his aggressiveness.  That treating him like one of my kids perpetuated his dominance. 

I do not raise my voice anymore, he gets commands only once & if he doesn't respond properly, he gets a prompt "no" along with a jerk on the leash.  He is not allowed to eat unless I allow him to & he never eats before we do.  He's not allowed on the couch unless invited to get cuddled.  He is now a very obedient pet that I feel comfortable enough to allow my grandkids around.

I could go on and on about things I didn't know about how different a German Shepherd is compared to the other breeds we've had but it's already been said here....they are a very unique breed and need to be handled properly or you will have problems when she gets older.  Your GSD is very different from a pit and you & your boyfriend need to realize that. 

Good luck & please check out NILIF.

my trainers ( i just got done with a month of puppy school, because regular obedience is for 5 months and older) was teaching the basics of course...learning sits and downs, and letting other people handle the puppy. Also lots of holding the dog on its back until the dog was calm and acting submissively. Worked on handling all different parts of pup (ears, mouth, paws, hind legs, etc) and proper socialization with the other pups in the class. My next class starts Monday, which will be more in depth for older pups and dogs...

i was told that gsd's are very voice sensitive, and not to raise your voice, which i have been trying not to do except, well, when she bit someone. ( which i might should not have done either, it all happened so fast & scared me )

the dog definately gets fed after we do, and she has to "leave it" until i tell her she can eat. she is a great dog, extremely smart, which is why i am so concerned, because i do not want something to happen to her because of a situation that can be prevented... and i am realizing they are VERY different from pits...even the most aggressive, vicious of pits ive had, have straigtened up quicker than this! Maybe it was because she was so abused in the past, but i love her, and appreciate any advice anyone has for me to make her a better pup!