# Ex-guard dog



## Exzhal (May 27, 2013)

I made a post around four months ago now on here about recall training for my then-new rescue GSD, a four (almost five) year old female. Since then made a lot of progress and she's spot on now with recall and in general really well behaved.

I found out a month after she came to me that she was used as a guard dog for 2 years of her life and it does show sometimes - usually she's been able to identify when someone walking towards us on the street at night looks a bit dodgy, she'll go alert and sometimes bark but never anything more, though I do tell her "No" when she does it to break her habit.

I have a feeling this is part of my problem, though. On the local park there's always a lot of other dogs and she mostly keeps herself to herself with an occasional little run around or a quick sniff of a dog she's never met before, about a two months ago we ran into a guy with two GSD's and I let her run up for a sniff when we were a few feet away and they started fighting.

Since then her and the same dog just don't like eachother one bit. I keep her on the lead when I see him on the park and he does the same - fine, no problems. I was on the park a few weeks later and a dog jumped on her back which she doesn't like and she gave the dog a quick bite rather than a warning bark, I put her back on the lead and said sorry to the owner but he didn't really mind much as she didn't hurt him. Shortly after I let her off again (at his request, his dog was keeping to himself) and they were fine.

I've met that same dog a few times since with NO problems but today I was again on the same park and as soon as this dog comes on she sees the dog running towards her and the group of 5-6 dogs we were with and she attacks him pretty aggressively. Embarrassed I put her back on the lead, apologised and left the park.

Obviously I'm not going to let her off again for a while because I need to sort this out before another dog or her gets seriously hurt. I've made an appointment with a behaviorist for three weeks away (earliest appointment they had) but for now does anyone have any ideas on what I can myself?

Apart from these couple incidents she's the softest dog you can imagine and very obedient, even when she was "attacking" this dog when I said stop she stopped, unfortunately I just didn't realise she was running at him to fight until it was too late.

Sorry for going on about everything so much!


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

From your post, it seems to me that her only problem is with certain other dogs. The difficulty is to determine which other dogs if you want to let her to continue to play with other dogs. For myself, I just would stop her from the playing with other dogs - to me she can be happy without it and the stress and risk of injury not only to the dogs but to people trying to break up a fight just isn't worth it. So, I guess that is what it would do.


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## Exzhal (May 27, 2013)

I thought so too with the first GSD she had a fight with because they both seemed to hate eachother on sight, but the one today she'd be OK with before the first incident a while ago and after it up until today where she just seemed to instantly not want that dog being around, the reason I mentioned that she's an ex-guard dog is I think maybe it's driven by a need to protect? Possibly saw the other dog as a threat and didn't want him running towards her "group"?

I don't know haha just thinking of every angle but you're right she's more than happy playing alone and I'm gonna be walking her on a different field now that rarely has other dogs on


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

Not sure what to tell you. My both are very dog friendly but do react if another dog growls and half attacks. I had a wonderful GSD Dizan who was very people friendly but very dog aggressive. The best he ever got was taking him to dog classes constantly with a wonderful teacher but she only did outside training and when the weather got bad and I got short of finances, he reverted. I kept him on a leash until he died at 14 unless I knew to take him where other dogs were not around.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Exzhal said:


> ... the reason I mentioned that she's an ex-guard dog is I think maybe it's driven by a need to protect? Possibly saw the other dog as a threat and didn't want him running towards her "group"?...


If the other dog was attacking you or charging you, then yes, it would be her guard dog training. But since that didn't happen, it has nothing to do with her previous training. I think it is her nature - she is one of those dogs who just isn't sociable with other dogs. She is quick to take offense which is why I am surmising one day she was fine with the other dog who was probably behaving very well or she could have been in a good mood and more tolerant, then the next, when the other dog was more assertive (subtle signs that are easy to miss) than she wasn't or she just wasn't in the mood to play.


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

Stop taking her to offleash dog parks, she is telling you she isn't comfortable there and you are ignoring her signals


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## Exzhal (May 27, 2013)

Mary Beth said:


> If the other dog was attacking you or charging you, then yes, it would be her guard dog training. But since that didn't happen, it has nothing to do with her previous training. I think it is her nature - she is one of those dogs who just isn't sociable with other dogs. She is quick to take offense which is why I am surmising one day she was fine with the other dog who was probably behaving very well or she could have been in a good mood and more tolerant, then the next, when the other dog was more assertive (subtle signs that are easy to miss) than she wasn't or she just wasn't in the mood to play.


Well the dog was running at top speed towards her "group" (obviously he came to play, not to fight) we were with and she already had a dislike of the dog, that's the only reason I thought that, maybe she saw him as a threat? Of course I could be completely wrong and maybe she was as you said not in a good mood but before he entered the park she was happily lying next to a puppy and a westie that were sniffing her all over lol



mebully21 said:


> Stop taking her to offleash dog parks, she is telling you she isn't comfortable there and you are ignoring her signals


Like I said, since this incident I haven't been letting her off on the park where other dogs are. Before this the two occasions with problems with other dogs have been provoked by 1. the first dog doesn't like dogs approaching him (the owner told me after when I was talking, my Sasha was approaching for a sniff like usual) and 2. the second dog jumping on her back which she's never liked but usually gives off a "warning" bark when smaller dogs do it but this dog was her own size (first time a dog of her own size trying it)

I'm not ignoring anything and I've come here for advice, that's all.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Exzhal said:


> Well the dog was running at top speed towards her "group" (obviously he came to play, not to fight) we were with and she already had a dislike of the dog, that's the only reason I thought that, maybe she saw him as a threat? Of course I could be completely wrong and maybe she was as you said not in a good mood but before he entered the park she was happily lying next to a puppy and a westie that were sniffing her all over lol
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your dog does not need the unpredictable play offered at dog parks. I hate them and believe they are a high risk place to take dogs.


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## Exzhal (May 27, 2013)

Saphire said:


> Your dog does not need the unpredictable play offered at dog parks. I hate them and believe they are a high risk place to take dogs.


Yeah, I've realised now, she's just as happy playing alone with me and a tennis ball and that's what we've been kept to since this happened 

I guess I can never know what her problem is with other dogs with her being a rescue but I really don't mind taking her to the other park at all


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## Exzhal (May 27, 2013)

Just want to add this is my first dog. I've worked with dogs for a couple of years at an animal shelter and at a german shepherd rescue but there's been a lot to learn that I couldn't have picked up just from working with dogs a few hours a week, sorry if I seem like I don't know what I'm doing lol


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

Her problem with other dogs is pretty simple- she doesnt like rude dogs- most older dogs dont like rude bratty dogs, just like humans, most humans dont like rude humans.. Since she doesnt like dogs that jump on her try to find same style dogs that play like her andthose should be the dogs she likes. My male hates rude bratty dogs and will snap and go after rude dogs, my female doesnt like rude dogs either she walks away though.

Start out finding owners who think like you, take dogs and humans in leash walks all over so you all can have the dogs get used to each other,this way the dogs can get to know each other before they play


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## Exzhal (May 27, 2013)

Makes sense, thanks. I have a friend with a similar age Malamute who Sasha gets along with really well so she'll still get some dog interaction from her. They usually just sit together on the grass. They both have really similar personalities actually, the Malamute doesn't get on with most dogs but her and Sasha seem like the best of friends

I was also thinking about going on some long walks with a track line up in the hills not far from home


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

a lot of gsds are like this she wont always like every dog there is always going to be that dog or dogs that gets on her nerves, the dog park is like a bar for dogs and bar fights will break out


my bitch is the same way she got along great with a dobie and a newfie that not many other dogs liked the dobie who was snappy and high strung but she clung to my dog but she did not get along with the group of gsds


my dog really does not like being humped by strange dogs if a dog makes the mistake of humping her there will be huge trouble and she will go after them also, unless its just a good friend of hers or a pup being a goof another big thing some females dont like being mounted but can you blame them? ??


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