# Aggressive towards guest that come into my home



## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

Hello I have a German shepard mix named Ace and he’s 15 months old. We have had him sense he was 8 weeks old and we may have not trained him like we should have, He has a fenced in yard and plenty of toy, but he has been showing signs of aggression towards guest that come into my home. I started noticing the aggravation when me and my brother took a trip and when we came back home he started showing signs. I had invited my boyfriend over for the first time to hangout and Ace was on the couch by the door when we had opened the door and my boyfriend had came in right when he did Ace got up and tried to bite him his teeth grazed my boyfriends skin, he started growling and barking so we took Ace to a separate room to calm him down. He had never done it before he was very welcome to only certain people that he had know sense he was little. We had another incident when mine and my brothers friend came over, Ace had been in his cage and we took them over to let ace smell them and he started growling and barking and trying to get out of his cage. I am at a loss of what to do. we were going to try and get him a muzzle but we don’t know if that’s what we need. He barks and anyone that comes in our yard or even the mail man when he come up to the door. my first step would be to train him properly but i don’t even know where to start with it, Ace is a big boy he weighs around 90lb and im very small so it’s hard to handle him sometimes. anything will help me thank you for your time!!!!


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## Bknmaizey (Sep 16, 2019)

If I were you, I would get a professional trainer asap. Strikes me to be a problem that will only escalate and from the way you are describing things, I can’t imagine a less experienced owner can handle on their own even with advice from experienced folks here. I suspect there may have been signs along the way that you missed. Don’t take this the wrong way, just trying to be direct. If it were me, I’d like looking for a professional to at least offer an assessment and come up with a game plan.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Where are you located? If members here know, they may be able to recommend good trainers in your area. There are a LOT of incompetent trainers out there, like the young kids that 'train' at the big name pet stores. Stay away from those!


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

Sunsilver said:


> Where are you located? If members here know, they may be able to recommend good trainers in your area. There are a LOT of incompetent trainers out there, like the young kids that 'train' at the big name pet stores. Stay away from those!


I am located in tulsa oklahoma


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

Bknmaizey said:


> If I were you, I would get a professional trainer asap. Strikes me to be a problem that will only escalate and from the way you are describing things, I can’t imagine a less experienced owner can handle on their own even with advice from experienced folks here. I suspect there may have been signs along the way that you missed. Don’t take this the wrong way, just trying to be direct. If it were me, I’d like looking for a professional to at least offer an assessment and come up with a game plan.


thank you and yes i believe i’ve missed signs all along i’ve been looking at trainers and i haven’t came across any good ones yet


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## banzai555 (Sep 2, 2019)

Maybe it will help you to know that this is what German shepherds are kinda bred for: being loyal to their immediate family, and suspicious of everyone else. Yes, this behavior is something you should learn how to manage (with an experienced trainer) but you'll probably never turn this dog into one who enthusiastically greets guests and runs out to the mailman for pets. 

I struggled with this too when I got my GSD. It really bothered me how aggressive she was to strangers. She has gotten better, with training and time, but she will always bark when people come to the door and it's up to me to manage and closely supervise her interactions with guests, and put her in another room if I have to.


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## banzai555 (Sep 2, 2019)

Also I would say, do NOT force strangers upon your dog. Having him in a crate, and asking a stranger to go and see him, is clearly not something your dog is comfortable with. You've basically trapped your dog in a cage and forced it to interact, and naturally he freaked out and defended his space and/or tried to get that person to go away. 

My immediate advice would be to a) get a trainer and b) put the crate in another room. Let the crate be your dog's safe space, and a safe space for you to put him when guests come over. Try to find a trainer who is experienced with working dogs (GSDs if possible). It's totally worth it.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

"We have had him sense he was 8 weeks old and we may have not trained him like we should have, He has a fenced in yard and plenty of toy "

From this alone, I'm guessing he's terribly under exercised and trained. I don't often jump to this as the first recommendation, but yes, you need to find an experienced GSD trainer.


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

banzai555 said:


> Maybe it will help you to know that this is what German shepherds are kinda bred for: being loyal to their immediate family, and suspicious of everyone else. Yes, this behavior is something you should learn how to manage (with an experienced trainer) but you'll probably never turn this dog into one who enthusiastically greets guests and runs out to the mailman for pets.
> 
> I struggled with this too when I got my GSD. It really bothered me how aggressive she was to strangers. She has gotten better, with training and time, but she will always bark when people come to the door and it's up to me to manage and closely supervise her interactions with guests, and put her in another room if I have to.


yes i understand, i feel like i need to train him to be okay with the guest i bring into my home and that he should be okay with them if i tell him it’s okay.


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

banzai555 said:


> Also I would say, do NOT force strangers upon your dog. Having him in a crate, and asking a stranger to go and see him, is clearly not something your dog is comfortable with. You've basically trapped your dog in a cage and forced it to interact, and naturally he freaked out and defended his space and/or tried to get that person to go away.
> 
> My immediate advice would be to a) get a trainer and b) put the crate in another room. Let the crate be your dog's safe space, and a safe space for you to put him when guests come over. Try to find a trainer who is experienced with working dogs (GSDs if possible). It's totally worth it.


His create is in the dinning room by his food and water in the corner im not sure if that’s the best place for it.


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

WNGD said:


> "We have had him sense he was 8 weeks old and we may have not trained him like we should have, He has a fenced in yard and plenty of toy "
> 
> From this alone, I'm guessing he's terribly under exercised and trained. I don't often jump to this as the first recommendation, but yes, you need to find an experienced GSD trainer.





WNGD said:


> "We have had him sense he was 8 weeks old and we may have not trained him like we should have, He has a fenced in yard and plenty of toy "
> 
> From this alone, I'm guessing he's terribly under exercised and trained. I don't often jump to this as the first recommendation, but yes, you need to find an experienced GSD trainer.





WNGD said:


> "We have had him sense he was 8 weeks old and we may have not trained him like we should have, He has a fenced in yard and plenty of toy "
> 
> From this alone, I'm guessing he's terribly under exercised and trained. I don't often jump to this as the first recommendation, but yes, you need to find an experienced GSD trainer.


He’s goes on walk almost everyday and i go outside and play ball with him as much as i can but he does get bored a lot when i’m at school he’s just at the house not able to really get exercise.


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## Bknmaizey (Sep 16, 2019)

Keep in mind that exercise is not just physical but also mental. GSDs need mental stimulation at a level that exceeds most other breeds, too. I’m not a trainer and stand by what I said about getting a trainer, but… some ideas. 

This is a behavior modification issue, not an obedience issue. That means you will want to make sure the dog gets positive associations with guests. Being crated by itself is only a bandaid to manage the existing behavior by creating space between the dog and what is creating the stress for him. If you’re going to use the crate in this way, then you need to make sure the crate is a very happy place to be in the first place. In addition, when guests come over, make sure you can offer the dog some high value treats or activities. Fill a kong with something he can entertain himself with, or a chew toy he loves, etc. 

Also, if you know you’re going to have guests over, do what you can ahead of time to tire him out. Play fetch, go to the park and run around, take a long walk, do some basic obedience training, etc. as an aside, it worries me that you said he goes on a walk “almost” everyday. Sounds like you’re using play in a yard to exercise him. I guess that’s better than nothing, but leash walking has purposes of its own in terms of developing the relationship between owner and dog (in my non-expert opinion, at least). 

Our puppy isn’t aggressive but she’s hyper aroused by guests so we have a lot on our hands when people come over, including some initial barking when they first arrive. I do everything I can to wear her out in advance, and create fun, positive experiences while guests are around and keep my focus on her to make sure I’ve got her under control using a combination of redirection, positive association building and obedience work. It’s an all-out effort, but like banzai said, to an extent you’re working against some instincts here. Your dog is older than ours, but even at 15 months, he’s still a baby. That means you should be mindful of what you expect from him and there’s still time for him to learn. 

On that note, do you know anything about the dog’s lineage? If you got the dog from a breeder, you may want to reach out and seek advice from them. Any reputable breeder is going to really care and take an interest in the situation because it’s one of their dogs.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Get a trainer and if you can, do some kind of sport training like nosework or even scentwork that you can do at home or in a park. German Shepherds aren’t bred to be overly social or welcoming to guests. They may appear to be that way as puppies but when they go through their teen years around 7-9 months, that changes. It could be his age that caused changes not the fact that you went on a trip. You also need to set limits for him, which a trainer can help you with. Do it right away before it becomes something you can’t control. He should also be in obedience lessons and learn to focus on you over anything or anyone else. This is more complicated than we can teach you here.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

How does he behave on walks?

While you do try to find a trainer, educate your self on the breed. Read threads. Start seeing what type of management and training/work/engagement this will take. Could transform your dog and relationship if you start doing what he needs. 

Absolutely crate him in a quite room and never have guest meet him until your confident. The more he does it the more rewarding it will be and the more the behavior becomes ingrained and harder to work through.

He is a handsome dog. Hope you guys do well working through this.


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

Apex1 said:


> How does he behave on walks?
> 
> While you do try to find a trainer, educate your self on the breed. Read threads. Start seeing what type of management and training/work/engagement this will take. Could transform your dog and relationship if you start doing what he needs.
> 
> ...


on walks he’s okay he pulls a little bit we have a slip leash for him so it’s pretty short, we usually just walk him around our neighborhood because we don’t trust him to take to a dog park, or even a regular park with people


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

Is it likely you will find/hire a trainer? 
It's ok to skip dog parks it's not for every dog. 
You put in the work hiking or park walks are possible eventually. 
He does need a safe space to run at some point. You also can wear a dog out mentally/physically in your own house and yard. 
He does need structure and not let to make his own choices. 
I'm small too and Apex is a big a dog. He knew he could win. He even scared me at times. Once I figured him out my size wasn't an issue. Once I figured him out and we stopped fighting. It was my leadership/relationship. He was my first dog. Taught me alot in 5 years. I put in time and effort. My dogs have a high priority for me. It makes them good dogs.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

Give your dog a Job!


This idea started on another thread but I thought it would be an interesting topic for discussion. Every day we come to this board and without fail there are posts about misbehaving pooches. Often asking for advice as to how to deal with "desctructive" behaviors, aggression, separation...




www.germanshepherds.com


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

Apex1 said:


> Is it likely you will find/hire a trainer?
> It's ok to skip dog parks it's not for every dog.
> You put in the work hiking or park walks are possible eventually.
> He does need a safe space to run at some point. You also can wear a dog out mentally/physically in your own house and yard.
> ...


yes , i do think i am gonna hire a trainer, i don’t think i could do it without one. i just know they are very expensive and finding the right one is important


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

He sounds like socialization is his biggest challenge. Training is great but you really want to expose him to people, crowds, noises, cars- essentially environments with distractions as part of the training, and the appropriate point; otherwise , you can end up with a dog that does tricks in private but wants to guard against the world, all the time. Might hold up on the muzzle until you build more trust with the dog. It can be like hiding your dog from triggers so you don’t have to deal with his behavior, and can make things worse.


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## Lexykrogmann (12 mo ago)

Rionel said:


> He sounds like socialization is his biggest challenge. Training is great but you really want to expose him to people, crowds, noises, cars- essentially environments with distractions as part of the training, and the appropriate point; otherwise , you can end up with a dog that does tricks in private but wants to guard against the world, all the time. Might hold up on the muzzle until you build more trust with the dog. It can be like hiding your dog from triggers so you don’t have to deal with his behavior, and can make things worse.


im just afraid to bring him in public because i don’t want him to bite some.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Lexykrogmann said:


> im just afraid to bring him in public because i don’t want him to bite some.


Yes, the training program should be tailored to his progress. Just learning to work with you along with the trainer will/should help him across the first hurdle, then branch into those exposures as he demonstrates ability to handle more pressure.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I would get a trainer. It sounds like some nerve issues so mangament is in order. German shepherds should not be a Nusance especially in the home. I would expect to either ignore them or if you are friendly with them expect the same from them. Barking at the door is one thing. Barking at all family and friends that enter your house is something else. I had a Germans shepherd trained in police work the dog would just observe everything he was social to my closest family/friends only- he was never a nusance. When someone was at the door he would check out who it was and just go lay down and observe. He was solid as a rock and what I would expect. My shepherds now very social to my closest family and friends they are considered part of their pack by my interactions with them. There is one relative who is uncomfortable around German shepherds it’s the only time I put them away. Most of it just things they watch and learn. If you are nervous they be picking things up. Exercise before your guests arrive, a crate in another room gives the dog opportunity to listen to the interactions and be able to perceive what is going on better as the dog is in a calm frame of mind. Your Guest should ignore your dog completely it would be it easier for your dog to settle. The goal and also to have a spot or place to go so the dog would go to chill out. This dog is not ever going to enjoy friends or family coming to the house but with the right training or managment you can train them how to behave. Make training sessions short successful so new habits are formed. You set the tone of your house. As others said a reputable trainer is in order.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

Jenny720 said:


> Your Guest should ignore your dog completely it would be it easier for your dog to settle. The goal and also to have a spot or place to go so the dog would go to chill out. This dog is not ever going to enjoy friends or family coming to the house but with the right training or managment you can train them how to behave.


Agree with above post! For my dog, above worked... I used to have to gate/crate him when people came over (he was suspicious, growly, would bodyblock people in the hall). But it has worked out well to have people ignore him, instead of constantly trying to call him over or pet him on the head. Anyway now (I train/inform guests about the "ignore" policy) he is fine and can be left loose with people over. He will settle down on his bed and watch. He'll never love visitors, but he no longer gets uptight and scary about it.

( I heard my daughter's friend comment to her the other time, "Your dog is the most unfriendly dog I've ever seen!" Yep, it did take us a while to get used to the way Rumo is so aloof with strangers, but that's apparently the way he wants it...as long as he is left alone by them, all is well. )


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## whitbred (Dec 16, 2021)

Bknmaizey said:


> If I were you, I would get a professional trainer asap. Strikes me to be a problem that will only escalate and from the way you are describing things, I can’t imagine a less experienced owner can handle on their own even with advice from experienced folks here. I suspect there may have been signs along the way that you missed. Don’t take this the wrong way, just trying to be direct. If it were me, I’d like looking for a professional to at least offer an assessment and come up with a game plan.


Sometimes the dog is trying to tell you something about that person; is the reaction to anyone else?


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