shep pup becoming aggressive? - Page 2

Great advice..and yes the gsd pedigree data base is the best place to come for behavioral and training advice

Lots of very smart people don't like dog parks, but if you are going to compete in AKC OB your dog must get along with other strange dogs and must learn to focus on you with distractions all around -- and dog parks really must be part of your proofing training.  Dog clubs/classes just familiarize your dog with those dogs and that is not proof enough.  Of course, if your dog doesn't come when called, a dog park is the opposite of what you need -- the whole idea is to prove you have control under that sort of distraction.  I recommend dog parks once a month with a plan to get your dog to do something new under distraction each month.

Further, if you have a family of dogs at home, great, but if she is the only dog in the home it is cruel to keep her away from other dogs.  You don't need to go to a dog park for dog friends, but she has to have some dog friends somewhere.

None of that is central to your dog issues, however.  I agree with much of the above.  Your dog is not yet clear of her relationship with you and your bf as you have not even taught her to come when called! 

First thing is the do 10-15 minutes of obedience (playfully but firmly) every day -- with you and your bf.

Some gsd's, by the way, are never going to really like strange people walking very close by.  Her drive to grab the sleeve of the passerby is not altogether a bad thing.

i am sorry i must i have not made my self clear. my dog has an instant recall, almost every single time ( she never leaves me side so i really dont worry about it too much anyways ) but when she does, i have no problem gettting her back at the first call of her name. her recall is exactly where it needs to be.

my boyfriend doesnt want anything to do with the dog, he works nights and thats the last thing hes worried about.

THE PROBLEM: why is the dog suddenly aggressive with him, when she is fine with him a week ago? it makes no sense, the same for his cousin ( who every dog seems to bond to in an amazing way )...

i also dont recall saying that she was separated from the other dogs...we have 2 fenced in acres and ALL the dogs (except for the ones only there for guarding purposes who arent to be trusted off their personal areas ) are in the fence together.

She doesnt like the dog park, because there are lots of bigger dogs that just run her over, but when there are dogs her size, she has a blast...it has helped with obedience classes alot, especially when there are two dogs, one on each side, and she cant see the one by her blind eye.

i had a female that tested me till she was 10 months, and she did start around 4 months.
and thats what she is doing to your boyfriend.
you need to be firm with her and never let her win, that is the only way she is going to see him as boss.
he needs to step up and be a boss too, she does not see him as boss.
if she does not try it with you , then she does  see you as her boss.
it the testing stage to see where she fits in, the pack.
just work with her, socialize her , be firm with her. and you will have a great dog.
she should be  much better, by the time she is  a year.

My 10 month old female has started to test me by nipping at my hands when I grab her collar. So far I have been firm with her and made her do what I wanted but she's 80 plus lbs already and it isn't easy. I need a stonger correction or the nips will turn to biting and then I'll have a real problem.

My pup bacame extremely and unpredictable and it took our vet 2 yrs to discover she had a food allergy. 

Before you try any changes of routine, or implement any behaviour modification I would investigate the food allergy route further.  You have to be very strict with her diet for aboyu 3 wks.  Put her on an exclusion diet (Purina HA is the best).  During these 3 wks do not let her have ANY treats at all, only the Purina HA food should pass her lips.  Remove all raw hide chews & try to ensure she does not eat any bird or animal droppings of any description (keep her on a lead - which you should be doing any way for a while as she has shown aggression).  Do not encourage her to pick up sticks, or eat grass (common allergens) and do not give her pro-biotics (milk derived).

A dog with a food allergy will not necessarily have diarrhoea or skin problems (our had neither), but commonly show unprovoked or sudden aggression.  It turns out that our dog is allergic to practically everything, including sticks & grass.  She can't even lick her Labrador pal on the muzzel!  We have to keep her onlead in the park & even in our garden as neighbouring cats leave their droppings in the borders & she finds it before we do, so gets very ill.

It sounds a harsh life, but she is very happy in herself.  Most importantly we did not have to have her PTS as we once thought, because her aggression towards us was so bad.  She is very sweet & loving now.

The three weeks on a total exclusion diet seems extreme, but it is worth it & should be considered initially in any case of unprovoked or extreme aggression.

Good luck!

Thank you all so much for the advice...around two days ago, my boyfriend, dog, and I went to the lake and she was fine! She played and swam with him for hours and when we arrived back home in the fence, she curled up beside him and fell asleep...I was in shock, and ever since then, things have been the same! She greets him like normal and waits for him at the gate when he goes to work tonight, so she can get some attention from him. I am not quite sure what it was, but I am so happy that things have changed back for the better! Everyone's advice was much appreciated ( esp. thank you to the reply concerning food allergies, this is a great thing to know!)