# 1 Year old aggressive in every way german shepherd. Need help!!!



## shawnshayan9 (Oct 15, 2013)

Hello,

I haven’t been on this forum for quite a while. But here is an update on my gsd, Hunter. I got him when he was 4 weeks old and by the time he reached 6 weeks he developed big fearful aggression he wouldn't let anyone but me to handle him. He was scared of everything. He is about a year and a half now and he some serious issue I have been coping with and really trying my best to fix and I just don't know what to do anymore. Here is a brief description of his issues and situation. 

I currently live at home with my mom dad and sister. My eldest sister has a 6-month and 4 year old baby and come to my house often. Hunter is extremely protective of the house anytime a stranger comes in he goes crazy barking at them and tries to attack them so I always have to put him outside in that case. It takes a long time for him to become social with people and when people he is social with come in the house he gets extremely excited jumps on them and nips there hands. 

Anytime someone besides me comes in my room (where he sleeps and spends a lot of his time) he starts to get a lot of anxiety and whines and then attacks the person. This just happened with my sister. He has also tried to do this with my 5-year-old niece. Luckily I grabbed him because I saw it coming. No one else knows how to handle him and show him leadership besides me so I think that's why he does that. If I am in the streets and someone approaches him or me he snaps instantly and tries to attack them. 

I really don't know what to do at this point. I don't know where or how to keep him at my house. I can’t decide if him sleeping in my room is bad. He does have a crate. He has so many more issues the list can go on forever. I think he was inbred or something. When I realized he had all these issues I tried socializing him like crazy I would take him to busy areas all the time have people meet him but now I have given up and its to risky. I need to be on top of him 24/7 or else he starts going mad. I have work during the day and no one else can really handle him but me. He also developed food aggression. With me he is pretty good about it. But if I put really good human food he guards like crazy or if he is eating his own food and someone comes near him and touches him he growls and shows his teeth and sometimes will try and attack. I have also gone through 3 different trainers one said I just need to give him away the others couldn't really fix the issues.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Its tough, but sometimes there is a point where you have to consider whats in his best interest. Living his whole life in fear of everything, may not be the kindest or best choice.


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## My2shepherds (Jun 10, 2014)

You need a professional to teach you how to work with your dog... but first you need a muzzle to protect others from his aggression. He is not protective he is fearfully aggressive and you do not have ANY control over him what so ever. I am not criticizing you at all just trying to get you to see you are fooling yourself by thinking you have any leadership in his eyes and he is a timebomb that is going to go off. I do not believe getting rid of him is the answer unless you find you are incapable of properly training him even with the help of a professional. I am sure others on here may have some local recommendations for trainers for you and I wish you the best in rehabilitating him to being a mentally stable and safe member of your household. Please for the safety of the kids and adults in your home and to possibly save his life consider muzzling him until some progress can be made with him....


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

He never got a chance to develop mentally as a dog since he was removed from the litter at 4 weeks (what was the reason for that?) and already fear aggressive at 6 weeks. He now is a dangerous dog that I would never trust, no matter how much time, money and effort is spent on rehabbing him. You cannot make up for that early lack of socialization and possibly experienced trauma.
If you decide to keep him, he needs to be kept safe for his sake, so he won't be in a perpetual state of fear, and for the sake of others who come to your house. 
Sad.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

4 weeks is so early, he missed alot of key socializing points in that sense. If he's a risk to other people especially children then he needs to be managed and muzzled. I would find a trainer, someone here I am sure will recommend one, I also agree with Steve, a life of fear and anxiety is not a good life,


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

shawnshayan9 said:


> I have also gone through 3 different trainers *one said I just need to give him away* the others couldn't really fix the issues.


First, that trainer is an idiot. You can not give a dog like this away. It would be kinder to euthanize him.

Second, look for a trainer that knows this breed. Make sure you have the input you need to make a proper decision. Vet? Have you tried medication? Make sure there is nothing medically wrong?

Taking your post at face value, I know that my decision would be.  I'm sorry you are going thru this and that your dog is as well. Living in fear is no way to live.


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## Lark (Jan 27, 2014)

shawnshayan9 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I haven’t been on this forum for quite a while. But here is an update on my gsd, Hunter. I got him when he was 4 weeks old and by the time he reached 6 weeks he developed big fearful aggression he wouldn't let anyone but me to handle him. He was scared of everything. He is about a year and a half now and he some serious issue I have been coping with and really trying my best to fix and I just don't know what to do anymore. Here is a brief description of his issues and situation. I currently live at home with my mom dad and sister. My eldest sister has a 6-month and 4 year old baby and come to my house often. Hunter is extremely protective of the house anytime a stranger comes in he goes crazy barking at them and tries to attack them so I always have to put him outside in that case. It takes a long time for him to become social with people and when people he is social with come in the house he gets extremely excited jumps on them and nips there hands. Anytime someone besides me comes in my room (where he sleeps and spends a lot of his time) *he starts to get a lot of anxiety and whines and then attacks the person. This just happened with my sister. He has also tried to do this with my 5-year-old niece.* Luckily I grabbed him because I saw it coming. No one else knows how to handle him and show him leadership besides me so I think that's why he does that. If I am in the streets and someone approaches him or me he snaps instantly and tries to attack them. I really don't know what to do at this point. I don't know where or how to keep him at my house. I can’t decide if him sleeping in my room is bad. He does have a crate. He has so many more issues the list can go on forever. I think he was inbred or something. When I realized he had all these issues I tried socializing him like crazy I would take him to busy areas all the time have people meet him but now I have given up and its to risky. I need to be on top of him 24/7 or else he starts going mad. I have work during the day and no one else can really handle him but me. He also developed food aggression. With me he is pretty good about it. But if I put really good human food he guards like crazy or if he is eating his own food and someone comes near him and touches him he growls and shows his teeth and sometimes will try and attack. I have also gone through 3 different trainers one said I just need to give him away the others couldn't really fix the issues.


The part from your post in bold above really scares me. I am all for trying to manage a pet with problems, but if the dog is to the point of attacking a child in the home then I would really consider my options. It sounds like a horrible situation for you. I would definitely crate him in a separate room when kids are around, and not allow the kids to go in the room where he is crated.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Woolf is 4 1/2 yr old and very similar to yours in beginnings. He was removed from his litter at 5 wks, went to his next home, by the time we rescued him at 19 wks, he was a feral pup. He has made HUGE improvements in behavior, but will never be a dog that can be trusted. This has been after 4+ yrs, huge amounts of $$ in training fees. Fortunately, I have been in a position to safely manage Woolf without endangering others. If I hadn't been able to safely manage him and insure he still had a good life, he would have been euthanized. That would have been the ONLY responsible alternative.

You do have some options but you need to seriously think about how you will follow thru, consider your finances and if you can seriously keep your dog AND others safe. You will also need to think about your lifestyle and will managing a severely FA dog fit into it and you still have a life. Keep in mind rehoming/giving away your dog is NOT an option. These special dogs already have so many demons, that the insecurities of a new home will only increase the aggression. The more kinder and responsible choice would be to pts.


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## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

Sorry, but if I had a dog that tried to seriously attack a child, I would first thank God that the child was not injured or killed, then I would have the dog euthanized. Period.


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## dmom (Jul 2, 2009)

Sounds like this is just an accident waiting to happen. I agree with Maxitmill I would PTS a dog that tried to go after anyone especially a child. The tension in the house and around the dog must be awful.


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## shawnshayan9 (Oct 15, 2013)

Twyla said:


> Woolf is 4 1/2 yr old and very similar to yours in beginnings. He was removed from his litter at 5 wks, went to his next home, by the time we rescued him at 19 wks, he was a feral pup. He has made HUGE improvements in behavior, but will never be a dog that can be trusted. This has been after 4+ yrs, huge amounts of $$ in training fees. Fortunately, I have been in a position to safely manage Woolf without endangering others. If I hadn't been able to safely manage him and insure he still had a good life, he would have been euthanized. That would have been the ONLY responsible alternative.
> 
> You do have some options but you need to seriously think about how you will follow thru, consider your finances and if you can seriously keep your dog AND others safe. You will also need to think about your lifestyle and will managing a severely FA dog fit into it and you still have a life. Keep in mind rehoming/giving away your dog is NOT an option. These special dogs already have so many demons, that the insecurities of a new home will only increase the aggression. The more kinder and responsible choice would be to pts.


Hey what is your routine in caring for woolf? What do you do when people come to the house that he isn't familiar with how is he kept all day? DO you know why My dog hunter gets so much anxiety when people come in my room even if its someone he really likes and gets super excited to see. I could never even think of pts i would die i love him so much. One of my trainers said that he would take him but he would sleep out side and be in the back yard alone most the time. I would feel bad if he was living like that. Also When he meets a dog and gets use to the dog after 30 minutes of socializing he becomes very playful with the dog and knows how to play. But when dogs comes to my house he snaps at them always. Do you think getting another dog could help. My trainers client has a german shepherd who is more dominate then mine and anytime hunter misbehaves he barks and corrects him and he is really good for him i feel like he has actually been to my house it was the only dog that hunter didn't stand up to.


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## shawnshayan9 (Oct 15, 2013)

Thank you for all your replies. When he was about 3 months one of my trainers put him on prozach but i slowly took him off it within 2 months i didn't see much of a difference. But now i am thinking maybe i should put him back on. Do you guys recommend any medications? thanks


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I am all about letting pups stay in the litter until they are 7, or 8 weeks old or even longer, but this dog has more going on than being removed from the litter too soon. Sorry. Some pups are singletons, and don't really have a litter. Some are orphaned. Some have all the other pups in the litter die. Lots of people do get dogs who are younger than they ought to be when they go home, and while they have trouble, it is not to the level of this dog.

One thing you can be quite sure about, and that is that a breeder who lets pups go at 4 weeks is not the cream of the crop. Chances are they don't know diddly about what dogs should be bred, genetics, blood lines, etc. And, they do not know how to properly care for the pups once they are whelped, and when they reach the socialization stage. 

It's double whammy, the OP has a dog that is flawed. I don't think keeping this dog in the litter for another 4 weeks would have solved its problems. But the dog's potential may have been lessened by this lack for interaction between dam and littermates. Evenso, those things can be overcome. 

Can we take a good pup at four weeks, place it in the hands of someone with no experience or understanding, and get the dog we have here? Because then there may be a chance of managing the dog so he and everyone is safe while working on the core issues -- lack of leadership, discipline, training, trust/bond, confidence as well as issues with resource guarding. This will not be solved over the internet, and it won't be solved over night. It will take time, money, and a lot of work (if it is even possible). 

Otherwise, the puppy is a genetic mess, and a danger. It is no comfortable state that he is in. Maybe there is relief to be found in medicine. And, maybe the right thing to do is to put him out of his pain. 

I'm sorry. I know it isn't easy, and you wouldn't be posting if you didn't care about this dog. If you are set on keeping the dog, and the baby and child do not live with you, I suggest you find a section of the basement or garage where you can crate or kennel your dog while they are there. Lock the door to that area. When you take the dog out for exercise, use a muzzle. Find a behaviorist/good trainer. Manage everything. Manage the dog so he never gets an opportunity to bite anyone. When it is more than the immediate family, he goes to his place and the door to that area is locked. If you can lock your bedroom door, that might be ok. But you have to ensure that people are safe from him. 

When working with your behaviorist/trainer, (I guess you need to find one willing to work with the dog) you then try to figure out with them, what things you do that make your dog more nervous, and what things you can do to give him some confidence. Tightening the lead will make the dog more nervous. Maybe putting distance between you and whatever is coming your way will work better than tightening the lead. Hard to say, this is why you need a someone well-versed in the breed to work with you. 

At the end of the day, with all that you do, the dog still may never be trustworthy and fearfull. If the dog has genetic weak nerves, then it is limited what strides you can make. 

One thing you can try is to keep a daily log of your dog for 2-3 months, nd then read it through and see if she has made progress, or if nothign is really getting any better. Some dogs do settle down with age, maybe with meds, possibly with good exercise and training, 

If after a set number of months, adhering to a new schedule for training, he seems to be doing better, then give him more time. If he seems no better, then I would think that would be the time for a decision none of us want to make. 

If the baby and young child live there, I think you have to keep the children safe. Locking your bedroom door will not be adequate. So sorry.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

shawnshayan9 said:


> Thank you for all your replies. When he was about 3 months one of my trainers put him on prozach but i slowly took him off it within 2 months i didn't see much of a difference. But now i am thinking maybe i should put him back on. Do you guys recommend any medications? thanks



No. I would not use Prozac in a dog with these issues. While it may help with anxiety, it is also well known to lower inhibitions. So it can increase the displays if outright aggression. I am actually shocked that a veterinarian prescribed it in a puppy. Not good practice. 

You are in a very tough position. The people in your house are not safe and the dog is a huge accident waiting to happen. You are not home 24/7. There are babies coming into your home that the dog had already shown propensity to attack. 

If the dog was of stable mind I would recommend interrupting the behavior well before he turned aggressive. You say he shows signs of anxiety when people come in your room. I would be interrupting and redirecting right away. Never giving him a chance to react. The dog would always be on leash and muzzled when people are near. 

I know you love this dog. It obvious in your post. But your home is a bad environment for him. He is constantly stressed and acting out aggressively. Sometimes we need to act in the best interests of our dogs and not ourselves. 

And no, you can't handle one dog, do not get another.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

shawnshayan9 said:


> Hey what is your routine in caring for woolf? What do you do when people come to the house that he isn't familiar with
> 
> When we have visitors that Woolf isn't familiar with, he is put away in his crate. Once I have determined that the guests can follow directions AND Woolf is calm; I usually bring him out on leash and muzzled.
> 
> ...


This isn't what you want to hear but your circumstances and situation is exactly the one where I would have had Woolf pts. As much as I love the troublemaker, my first responsibility is to the child and preventing a bite.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Well I'm torn! I'm pretty reluctant to give up on a dog! But giving "how to fix your dog advise is irresponsible" if it's given to someone who's life style makes it difficult or impossible to keep "civilians" out of the danger zone!!

I've dealt with a dog who had...people issue, but those "people" did not include my spouse or kids! 

Responsible people (or fools) that want to keep a dog like this alive are willing to do whatever it takes to keep a dog like this from harming...anyone! But if your circumstances are such that you "cannot" guarantee that someone who has easy access to your home has access to this dog...then the best advice has already been give! 

For the record this dog seems to be a prime example of why "early socialization" can be "problematic" most dogs can handle "clumsily" attempts at "early socialization some dogs can't! Most likely you were busy cramming people into this dogs face right in the middle of the "fear period!" 

So if you want to keep this dog your life style is going to need to change based on this dogs needs! With some of us that' not a problem but sometimes it is.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

For a last chance, I would consult with a veterinary behaviorist who is able to do a full health check and rule out physical issues before coming up with a behavioral treatment to try. It is a huge risk, but I would say it is the last step you can take. A serious behaviorist will be able to really analyze him in person, give you a treatment protocol, and guide you through that treatment to see if there is anything more that can be done.

If you decide to try more work, you need to institute an immense amount of management. This dog should never be out (even in the house) without a muzzle and it must always be confined when anyone besides your immediate family is over or you are gone. Even then, know you are taking a huge risk and it only takes one slip up for this dog to cause serious, even fatal damage especially in the case of the children.

Honestly, with your lifestyle and the fact that there are children that he has shown he is more than willing to attack, I would PTS. I know it is extremely difficult to make that decision. I have had to make it before. My last was fear aggressive and had epileptic episodes that set him off on top of his mental instability. Honestly, we may have been able to get the epilepsy under control in normal circumstances, but with the fear aggression on top of it and both conditions feeding into each other....I gave it my best shot and followed an intensive protocol with a behaviorist for months before the dog nearly hospitalized me and I had to make the decision that he was simply too dangerous. Sometimes there is only so much we can do and euthanization, while painful for us, is a better release to our dog than anything we could do for them in this life.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Shadow is a genetic mess, and she was very young when I brought her home. She has horrible nerves and displays completely over the top fear responses, aggressive and other wise. She is now 4 years old and finally calming down. She has never been mean in the house, but she does get so upset that she doesn't know what to do.
I agree with everyone else. You need to do some serious soul searching. Can you _realistically_ protect this dog from himself? And can you do it for _the next 10-12 years_? You need to understand that his world is a scary place, and frightened animals behave erratically. I want you to also consider the stress he feels. Imagine going through life terrified of everything. In your room with you is where he feels safe and at ease, and you are allowing people to invade that. That's not fair. 
I can tell you that I have been where you are, these decisions require brutal honesty with yourself. If you try and lie to yourself the results could well be tragic and life altering.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Agree with Pax and here is an easy, not as expensive way to do that, that has helped lost cause dogs on here before:

Consultations with some of the best behaviorists in the world:
PETFAX Behavioral Consultation : Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine - you and Tuft's
About Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic : Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine - basic about
VETFAX Behavioral Consulation : Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine - you, your vet and Tuft's

And they may say, you know, it's not workable, but you will have peace of mind.


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