Agression - Page 1

Hi,

Iam new to the forum and have a problem with my gsd, some advice would be appreciated.

My male gsd has just turned two years, around two to three months ago two local druggies tried to break in my house and he bit one of them.
He doesnt bark too much and they got a real shock when he did his "duty"
He is usually a big softy, but ever since that day he has gone over protective when i take him for walks etc. So much so iam quite wary in public with him.
At home he is still the big softy as before and with people that he knows.
He can probulary sense me being anxious, i was wondering if anybody had any advice to give me to help.

It is at the stage were i think a muzzle of some kind in public is needed for my piece of mind.


Thanks

Don`t resort to a muzzle.    Your dog sounds like the bite to the culprits shocked him as much as them and yourself - and to muzzle him when he is feeling anxious will make him worse.    You will of course have him on leash, so there should be no reason for him to be able to get a bite to some-one.

Where do you live, you sound like you need assistance to balance the situation for you both.   We would like to help you but you may not be in the UK.    It is an easy problem to address if your dog was a nice balanced personality in the beginning, but don`t trial and error the solution like muzzling.   Address the problem with some-one who CAN resonve it, not complicate it.

Mo.

I agree and, likely you are right, he senses your tension.

Good boy, by the way, for doing his job!!!!

As for the muzzle, that does not solve the entire issue.  I think you need to work on the dog looking to you for permission to act instead of thinking he needs to or is allowed to agress on his own.  You must avoid the tendency to pat him when he is agitated or focusing on a potential target (person waling down the street).  Don't pat him and say its ok.  That will reinforce the aggression.  It sounds like you have a really good and stable boy who might be a softie but I bet more like a solid nerved stable dog and that is why you never saw any signs before.  

Try to reinforce that he can count on you to make decisions by asking him to wait for you before passing through the door, getting on any furniture, walking ahead and patrolling for danger on your walks.  Correct him, fairly, but so he knows it if he agresses (that includes focusing..you know that look in his eye).  Use the smallest effective correction (anything from evil eye from you, finger waive to sharp collar correction with a platz...depends on your dog).  Be consistent. But the corrections won't work until and unless he feels you will take the lead and he can/should look to you for guidance.  That involves a whole lifestyle and way of being with him.

A good trainer can help a lot..BUT there are idiots out there that will try to dominate and manhandle your dog to put him into submission....RUN AWAY FAST from these kinds of people.  You have a good dog, you just need to work with him because right now he thinks he HAS to protect you and he needs to make the decisions about when.      

Very sound advice - there are so many "experts" out there that will ruin your dog, who after all, reacted the way we would all want our dog to react under those circumstances, but the dog now needs balancing in the way described above - please let us know how you get on, and if you tell us all where you are situated, possibly well recommended people will help you sensibly.    Mo.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Penny i am from the uk and live in the northwest in the wigan/leigh area.
I must admit that i think i do need help with him, ive grown up mainly with gsd`s but this is the first time ive had a male dog.
We also have a older bitch and she is excellent in every way.

He can be hard work at times on the lease mainly because hes is quite big and strong with a very out going nature, also has the memory span of a goldfish at times when out. i put this down to his age.

One thing that is guarranteed to grab his attention is a ball, could any technique with a ball help at all?.
Also i can tell when he is anxious he tends to just stop and stare at whatever has grabbed his attention, i usually just tell him no with a sharp tug on the lead.

Thanks

Lots of training with ball and or tug.  Ivan Balabanov has a great video of training with a tug and since he was a world champiobn in obedience, he knows what he is doing.  The video is called Obedience without Conflict..

BUT the issue you are having is not one of him needing to know commands it is an issue with him listening to YOU and him not looking to you for guidance before acting on his instincts.   I PMd you a link to more detailed things you should be doing every day. 

Since Penny is there in the UK, perhaps she can suggest trainers.  Also loujolly on here is in the UK and has trained her dog from scratch to the WUSV.  Perhaps she might suggest a trainer near you if you PM or email her.    

Thanks hunger, much appreciated.

I also think your right about having his attention, he is a good dog, and i am the one that needs help to help him tbh.




thanks

Hey, you are a GOOD owner for admitting it.  We all could use help in some areas of our dog training. We never stop learning. 

it is probably genetic. also since he has tasted a real bite makes him worse. he likes it. you have a dog with great potential. all you need is to work on his on and off switch.  good luck with him. he is a true protector.

He made quite a mess of one of them, ive never trained him for anything like that but he did go for the hand/arm.
I guess they just picked the wrong house :o

The other thing is the police made a note of it incase of anything in the future which is also another concern i have.