# HELP! My 9 mo old GSD bit someone



## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

Early this morning (it was still dark out), I was walking my 9 month old GSD, Apollo (on prong collar and 6 ft leather leash), and my Rat Terrier. There was a man and woman walking towards us down the sidewalk on their way to the train. Before they reached us, I moved over to the grass and told Apollo to sit. When the people got right next to us, Apollo suddenly broke command, lunged at the man, and grabbed his arm. I immediately corrected him (not as strongly as I should have but my hubby is out of town which means I was walking by myself and I had two leashes and a full poopy bag in my hands). Once I got him back in a sit, he let out a bark and growl toward the man. Fortunately, it is winter so the man had a thick coat on and Apollo did not break skin. Needless to say, the man was not happy…

A little history on Apollo: We got him from a breeder in Poland at the age of 5 ½ months. He was a kennel dog but was somewhat socialized with strangers and other dogs. As soon as he arrived, we began socializing him like crazy (farmers markets, bars/restaurants with outdoor seating, pet stores, outdoor concerts, etc.). He started obedience training at 6 months through our local GSD club and is still going to class every week. We also take him to a dog park 4-5 times per week. He is great with kids, neutral to friendly with strangers, sits quietly in the hallway when someone comes to the door, occasionally growls at some dogs while on leash, plays great with dogs off leash.

We have had issues with morning commuters on walks, but it seems to have always been excited, not aggressive. About a month or two ago, I was exchanging greetings with a woman walking in the morning, and he bounced up in the air and grabbed her arm. She did not freak out and just stood there, and the second he let go he was wagging his tail and acting friendly but excited. Most of the time he just gets excited when someone walks by, occasionally he will bounce up in the air, sometimes lunging toward them. This is the reason I make him sit whenever someone is about to walk by us. 
I am very freaked out by this behavior and don’t want to have an out of control dog who bites morning commuters! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Harley0312 (Oct 17, 2011)

im not sure about your problem but just wanted to say hi and im from rolling meadows with a 9 month old as well


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

Can you walk him in a different direction where there isn't so many people? I don't think this would improve his behaviour.. You have to be confident that you are in charge on the walks. Don't get stressed or uneasy, you need to take full control of the pup. It's great that you have him on a prong, I don't know where you set your prong on your pup but I put mine higher up on Vida so she feels it more (no I'm not trying to hurt her.. she just seems more aware of it when it's up towards her chin more) Also, if you're telling him to 'sit' you need to accompany that with a 'stay' and keep re-enforcing the stay ' good stay..' then when you want to release him, say 'yes' or have a release word so he isn't confused. 

Since he has already lunged at somebody, and if he did more damage in the future he could be put down I wouldn't take my chances. Personally I'd muzzle Vida if I didn't feel 100% that she wouldn't bite somebody like that. Socialize, socialize socialize.. and for the 6ft. leash I'd get a 4 and wouldn't give much slack. If I think a dog is going to try and come near Vida when I walk her or the other way around, I literally walk her holding her collar. It doesn't bother her or choke her, just keeps her close to me for that little bit of reassurance. Good luck!


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## Stella's Mom (Mar 8, 2011)

Kaity said:


> Can you walk him in a different direction where there isn't so many people? I don't think this would improve his behaviour.. You have to be confident that you are in charge on the walks. Don't get stressed or uneasy, you need to take full control of the pup. It's great that you have him on a prong, I don't know where you set your prong on your pup but I put mine higher up on Vida so she feels it more (no I'm not trying to hurt her.. she just seems more aware of it when it's up towards her chin more) Also, if you're telling him to 'sit' you need to accompany that with a 'stay' and keep re-enforcing the stay ' good stay..' then when you want to release him, say 'yes' or have a release word so he isn't confused.
> 
> Since he has already lunged at somebody, and if he did more damage in the future he could be put down I wouldn't take my chances. Personally I'd muzzle Vida if I didn't feel 100% that she wouldn't bite somebody like that. Socialize, socialize socialize.. and for the 6ft. leash I'd get a 4 and wouldn't give much slack. If I think a dog is going to try and come near Vida when I walk her or the other way around, I literally walk her holding her collar. It doesn't bother her or choke her, just keeps her close to me for that little bit of reassurance. Good luck!


A muzzle sounds like a good place to start, along with a shorter leash, and maybe a tab hooked to the prong collar too.


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

I hate to just look at prevention, but prevention is #1 in my eyes, second comes correction.


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## gsd320 (Nov 13, 2011)

If his problem is over-excitement & not aggression, try getting him to carry a ball in his mouth on walks (not a tennis ball). ORBEES are great balls for carrying on walks with excited puppies & dogs. Instead of grabbing arms they'll squeeze the ORBEE to relieve over excitement. Don't bring him to dog parks--dogs mouth & play rough with each other; bad behavior that can transfer while interacting with humans.


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies.

While short term, I have no problem resorting to a muzzle and keeping him on a very short leash just to prevent him from being able to bite, my primary concern is changing his behavior altogether. While in the past it has seemed like excited behavior, today there was a bark and growl, which it totally unacceptable. We take our dogs everywhere and I don’t want a dog that is untrustworthy around strangers.


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## Harley0312 (Oct 17, 2011)

IDR said:


> Thanks for all the replies.
> 
> While short term, I have no problem resorting to a muzzle and keeping him on a very short leash just to prevent him from being able to bite, my primary concern is changing his behavior altogether. While in the past it has seemed like excited behavior, today there was a bark and growl, which it totally unacceptable. We take our dogs everywhere and I don’t want a dog that is untrustworthy around strangers.



IF you dont mind a little bit of a drive, kelly at TOPS in grayslake does great work and is a breeder as well. Where do you currently take him, cause I need a place close to home for general training and space during the winter.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Honestly I would work one on one with a good trainer on this and set up scenarios for meeting strangers. I would have some concern with a prong unless your timing is impeccible as it can escalate things.


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## gsd320 (Nov 13, 2011)

IDR said:


> Thanks for all the replies.
> 
> While short term, I have no problem resorting to a muzzle and keeping him on a very short leash just to prevent him from being able to bite, my primary concern is changing his behavior altogether. While in the past it has seemed like excited behavior, today there was a bark and growl, which it totally unacceptable. We take our dogs everywhere and I don’t want a dog that is untrustworthy around strangers.


When you keep a dog on a very short leash by your side & don't allow him to explore & do what dogs love to do, you'll just be capping his excitement (like shaking a can of soda).

If you start correcting him & acting nervous & up-tight when you see strangers, he's going to sense your nervousness & become nervous & apprehensive himself.

Get a long line & let him enjoy his walk. Practice calling him back to you & other obedience during the walk (give him treats & praise when he reaches you & treats for sitting). Start at a time when there aren't many people at the park & and make sure you're at far enough away from any strangers. Let him stop & investigate. HAVE FUN!


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

Harley0312 said:


> IF you dont mind a little bit of a drive, kelly at TOPS in grayslake does great work and is a breeder as well. Where do you currently take him, cause I need a place close to home for general training and space during the winter.


We go to the Lincolnwood Training Club in Glenview. They have indoor classes starting in January.


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

gsd320 said:


> When you keep a dog on a very short leash by your side & don't allow him to explore & do what dogs love to do, you'll just be capping his excitement (like shaking a can of soda).
> 
> If you start correcting him & acting nervous & up-tight when you see strangers, he's going to sense your nervousness & become nervous & apprehensive himself.
> 
> Get a long line & let him enjoy his walk. Practice calling him back to you & other obedience during the walk (give him treats & praise when he reaches you & treats for sitting). Start at a time when there aren't many people at the park & and make sure you're at far enough away from any strangers. Let him stop & investigate. HAVE FUN!


GSD320 - He gets to explore and sniff for part of the walk, and the other part is spent heeling and other obedience work. I have never been nervous seing strangers, which is why I just made him sit instead of having a death grip on his leash/collar. He does fine with strangers in all other situations except the morning walk through our neighborhood.

We try to have fun and enjoy our walks, but he made it very difficult this morning!


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

jocoyn said:


> Honestly I would work one on one with a good trainer on this and set up scenarios for meeting strangers. I would have some concern with a prong unless your timing is impeccible as it can escalate things.


I spoke to the trainer about his excited reaction during morning walks and her suggestion was to correct him toward the person approaching, not away from them. The only time we have this issue is durirng morning walks in our neighborhood (and I don't know of any trainers who want to come walk the dog with me at 6:00 am). He is a perfect angel in all other situations. For example, we took him to the tree lighting ceremony a couple of weeks ago, and he stayed in a down for 20 minutes with tons people walking all around him and even stepping over him.

It is very hard to deal with this particular issue as it is very hard to replicate the circumstances in which he reacts this way.


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## gsd320 (Nov 13, 2011)

IDR said:


> I spoke to the trainer about his excited reaction during morning walks and her suggestion was to correct him toward the person approaching, not away from them. The only time we have this issue is durirng morning walks in our neighborhood (and I don't know of any trainers who want to come walk the dog with me at 6:00 am). He is a perfect angel in all other situations. For example, we took him to the tree lighting ceremony a couple of weeks ago, and he stayed in a down for 20 minutes with tons people walking all around him and even stepping over him.
> 
> It is very hard to deal with this particular issue as it is very hard to replicate the circumstances in which he reacts this way.


GREAT! Correct the dog while the person is approaching! He'll really get to LOVE the sight of a stranger approaching. Wonder if he'll cringe & run or get aggressive???? 9-months-old on a 20 min down stay with ppl stepping over him? You're asking for trouble.


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## Harley0312 (Oct 17, 2011)

IDR said:


> We go to the Lincolnwood Training Club in Glenview. They have indoor classes starting in January.


thats right by my work, ill have to look into it


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

gsd320 said:


> GREAT! Correct the dog while the person is approaching! He'll really get to LOVE the sight of a stranger approaching. Wonder if he'll cringe & run or get aggressive???? 9-months-old on a 20 min down stay with ppl stepping over him? You're asking for trouble.


I didn't love the idea of correcting him while people approach, which is why I have been making him sit instead.

I'm not sure what the issue is with having a 9 month old in a prolonged down while in a crowd?


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

IDR said:


> I spoke to the trainer about his excited reaction during morning walks and her suggestion was to correct him toward the person approaching, not away from them. The only time we have this issue is durirng morning walks in our neighborhood (and I don't know of any trainers who want to come walk the dog with me at 6:00 am). He is a perfect angel in all other situations. For example, we took him to the tree lighting ceremony a couple of weeks ago, and he stayed in a down for 20 minutes with tons people walking all around him and even stepping over him.
> 
> It is very hard to deal with this particular issue as it is very hard to replicate the circumstances in which he reacts this way.


Perhaps she meant do the correction when he started showing over interest in the person? Does your dog know a "leave it" or a "watch me" command where you could redirect him?


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

Havoc is a year old and has recently become very suspicious of men while on his afternoon walk. I think that it's because it's dusk and his vision isn't that good at that time. If I see a sketchy man, I'll try to avoid him but I do take Havs over to the library and practice exposures there where I'm less likely to encounter a crackhead or packs of teenagers up to shenanigans.

I do think it's funny when pot smoking teens get nervous at the sight of a police dog. Some seem to think that he'll automatically attack if he smells weed. No Willie Nelson concerts for the Havonator.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I think with a dog like this, you have to expect the unexpected

You have to be pro active and be ready to and/or react BEFORE he does.

What I would do, Yes I would have put him in a sit or down/STAY off to the side to let people pass, but I would also enforce a good LEAVE IT BEFORE the people passed.

"Leave it" for my dogs mean, STOP , ignore. And sorry, but if mine lunged at anyone like that, she would be getting a GOOD correction. 

It sounds like this dog has reacted this way more than once, but it doesn't sound like you have been prepared for any of the reactions..It's time to step it up and give a little tough love...NOT acceptable behavior..


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

gsd320 said:


> When you keep a dog on a very short leash by your side & don't allow him to explore & do what dogs love to do, you'll just be capping his excitement (like shaking a can of soda).
> 
> If you start correcting him & acting nervous & up-tight when you see strangers, he's going to sense your nervousness & become nervous & apprehensive himself.
> 
> Get a long line & let him enjoy his walk. Practice calling him back to you & other obedience during the walk (give him treats & praise when he reaches you & treats for sitting). Start at a time when there aren't many people at the park & and make sure you're at far enough away from any strangers. Let him stop & investigate. HAVE FUN!


And what do you recommend the OP does when this dog bites a third person while out on a long line exploring, but only this time it was a child and she's bleeding all over the place?

I understand where you're coming from with the positive approach, but the OP has a very unpredictable dog who's already put his mouth on other people for no reason. Giving that dog even more freedom is probably not the best advice for the rest of the world.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

JakodaCD OA said:


> I think with a dog like this, you have to expect the unexpected
> 
> You have to be pro active and be ready to and/or react BEFORE he does.
> 
> What I would do, Yes I would have put him in a sit or down/STAY off to the side to let people pass, but I would also enforce a good LEAVE IT BEFORE the people passed.


I have a dog that seems totally fine while passing a person on the sidewalk. Then when we are in the passing position, she makes her move and goes for the person's arm. 

I have to be ready on the lead, because I never know which person she's going to go for. She doesn't bite hard, at least I've trained that out of her, but that drive is still there and part of her.


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## gsd320 (Nov 13, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> And what do you recommend the OP does when this dog bites a third person while out on a long line exploring, but only this time it was a child and she's bleeding all over the place?
> 
> I understand where you're coming from with the positive approach, but the OP has a very unpredictable dog who's already put his mouth on other people for no reason. Giving that dog even more freedom is probably not the best advice for the rest of the world.


Lucy Dog, of course OP would use some discretion. She wouldn't start out at a crowded park with ppl & kids running around. Besides, OP added later in thread that now her pup seems to display aggression whereas she thought it was just excitement in her original post.

If OP has the puppy at a Christmas tree lighting on a long down with ppl stepping over him then what's the problem with the pup on a long line practicing recalls and obedience?

Puppy doesn't sound overly aggressive, but aggression could become a problem if he is corrected whenever there's a stranger approaching. You don't want puppy to AVOID strangers, you want him to be friendly or neutral not fearful or aggressive. If puppy was initially excited to see strangers (dogs us their mouths) he needs to be taught a command to greet strangers (and it's not sitting still without interaction with the person). Until that command is trained, his owner should make it impossible for him to grab strangers (leash). When a stranger approaches puppy's owner should get his attention & play with him until the strangers has passed instead of correcting him.

OP should take dogs out seperately until problem is solved.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Why not join a SchH club and put his arm-biting to good use?  That way he learns when it's okay to bite and when it's not.

I'm only half kidding. I don't even know what I would do if my dog just lunged forward and bit someone out of the blue like that. Even if it was play-type mouthing, it's aggressive behavior. Dogs don't even do that to strange dogs unless they want a fight. With as much socializing and training as he's had, and his good behavior otherwise, he should know better than that. Is he resource guarding you and the other dog? Does he think he's being protective? Is it possible he's been spoiled or coddled too much and is simply acting like a spoiled teenage brat? I'm not trying to be mean or accusatory by saying that, it's just that I can't imagine a reason for a well-bred, socialized pup, in obedience training, to just haul off and bite someone who is neither a threat nor a playmate.

Having said that, some dogs learn that it's fun to get a reaction out of people. I once knew a Doberman who would sneak up behind people very quietly, get very close, and then bark his head off, of course scaring the person to death. His owner was a punk rocker and thought it was funny at the time. Clearly the dog thought it was entertaining as well. He never bit anyone, just thought it was fun to scare people. In that case, I can definitely say the dog was spoiled as he was allowed to do pretty much as he pleased. The punk rockers didn't care if their dogs were well-behaved.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

I would look for a trainer who is experienced with this and who uses training methods that you are comfortable with. If you have a bad feeling about giving corrections when people approach (and honestly that sounds completely insane to me) then you shouldn't be doing it.

A professional behaviorist can watch your dog's body language and get a better idea of what exactly is going on. Even if you have to drive far and pay a lot to meet with them, even one or two consultations would help you know what is going on and develop a training/prevention plan.


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

JakodaCD – I certainly don’t shy away from giving my dog a firm correction when it is warranted. In this case, I had my hands full and was totally unprepared for him lunging, as the “sit” off to the side method seemed to be working just fine, especially if I also was giving him the “watch me” command.
GSD320 - The dog does great at park full of people and dogs running around! He just seems to have an issue with commuters trying to catch the train to their office downtown. And I agree that I want him to be neutral or friendly toward stranger, regardless of the setting. That is my big debate correcting him if he focuses on people approaching or teaching him how to ignore them. And the other dog is typically walked by the hubby, except he is out of town.

Freestep - I also wondered if he was being protective or "guarding" me, as hubby left on a business trip yesterday and he typically is on these walks with us.; At the same time, I was not nervous or scared when these people approached, and it is not the dogs call to make as to who is a threat and who is not. Apollo is certainly spoiled, but not in the way I believe you are referring to. He has rules and boundaries, isn't allowed to enter/exit a gate or door until he is given the OK command, doesn't get what he wants just because he gives us the puppy eyes, and is not in control. I think part of it may be teenage rebellion mixed with hormones (not yet neutered).


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## IllinoisGSD (Sep 21, 2011)

I'd work with a professional trainer to get the behavior under control.


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

spidermilk said:


> I would look for a trainer who is experienced with this and who uses training methods that you are comfortable with. If you have a bad feeling about giving corrections when people approach (and honestly that sounds completely insane to me) then you shouldn't be doing it.
> 
> I don't have an issue with correction, just not 100% sure that correcting him when strangers approach is the best method. Prior to living with us, he had never been around kids. Our approach to socilaizing him with children was to go down to the ice cream shop, hand out lots of treats, and ask the kids to play with him and give him treats. He now loves kids as he associates them with treats and sticky ice cream faces to lick. Same with people in uniform. Took him down to the police station/fire dept. and handed out treats. Had half the force playing with him.
> 
> This is a lot harder to do when strangers are rushing to get to work in the morining.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

IDR said:


> I think part of it may be teenage rebellion mixed with hormones (not yet neutered).


Yes, and teenage testing of boundaries.

What didn't occur to me before is the fact that people are probably rushing around on their way to work, possibly late, and likely walking fast which may be triggering his prey drive.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

it sounds like the OP needs professional help with her dog. a professional can set up situations and teach you how to handle things. whats good about set up situations is that it gives the owner confidence in how to handle things. where the dog has already bitten its becoming a learned behavior, so i would really work on avoiding situations where he practices this. i would get the dog evaluated so you know what type of issues your dealing with, then go from there. it could be the OP tensing up on the leash putting the dog on guard. sometimes we are not aware of the cues we are passing to our dog. another reason to get some good professional help someone that will access how the dog is handled in situations. and not all trainers are equal, i would find someone that deals with GSD'S, maybe a local SchH club, or private group. these rinky dink BYB's that hang a shingle out called dog training haven't got a clue............they might slide by with milder dogs but aren't good at dealing with specific behaviors or stronger willed dogs...


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I agree with professional help


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

I would work with him without your other dog present for a while. At home work on "watch me" and "leave it", progressing to other locations with more interesting and challenging distractions. Keep your distance from people but allow him to see them moving about. Frequently put him in a sit or a down, always asking for attention simultaneously. If/when he gets distracted and looks away, it's "leave it" and "watch" to get his attention back on you. If you can't get him to watch or leave it, use your body to walk into him head on (knees to nose), blocking his view of what he is focused on and causing him to back up. Trust me, he'll look up at you then. As soon as he does, praise and give another sit and watch command. It may be necessary to "body block" him several times until he understands that his attention is to be on YOU, not on the other people. Eventually he will build a solid attention response and you can then begin moving closer to moving people. As he progresses to where you think he is ready, begin bringing your other dog back into the walk. Pay attention to how excited the little dog becomes; it is very easy for Apollo to pick up on that and follow suit. Good Luck!


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

EchoGSD said:


> I would work with him without your other dog present for a while. At home work on "watch me" and "leave it", progressing to other locations with more interesting and challenging distractions. Keep your distance from people but allow him to see them moving about. Frequently put him in a sit or a down, always asking for attention simultaneously. If/when he gets distracted and looks away, it's "leave it" and "watch" to get his attention back on you. If you can't get him to watch or leave it, use your body to walk into him head on (knees to nose), blocking his view of what he is focused on and causing him to back up. Trust me, he'll look up at you then. As soon as he does, praise and give another sit and watch command. It may be necessary to "body block" him several times until he understands that his attention is to be on YOU, not on the other people. Eventually he will build a solid attention response and you can then begin moving closer to moving people. As he progresses to where you think he is ready, begin bringing your other dog back into the walk. Pay attention to how excited the little dog becomes; it is very easy for Apollo to pick up on that and follow suit. Good Luck!


We will discuss with the trainer in class tomorrow. He trains at our local GSD club, so the trainers are all GSD owners and experienced at dealing with GSD issues. I will work with him more on watch me and leave it, although at home I can put a steak in front of him and tell him to leave it, and he won't touch it. I just think I need to get him to start doing that on walks *before* he focuses on the other person, because once he gets excited, he will not focus on me. I have tried the body block before, and it seems to (kind of) work, although he attempts to look around me at the other person. Fortunately, the little dog is perfect and calm and could care less if strangers (or a bulldozer) pass next to him, he pays them no attention.


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## IDR (Sep 21, 2011)

One more question. He is not yet neutered. We were planning on having him neutered at around 12 months, but given his recent behavior, we are considering having him neutered at the end of this month instead. Pros/ Cons on moving up the neutering? Does anyone think it would help with his issues?


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

IDR said:


> One more question. He is not yet neutered. We were planning on having him neutered at around 12 months, but given his recent behavior, we are considering having him neutered at the end of this month instead. Pros/ Cons on moving up the neutering? Does anyone think it would help with his issues?


You will get a lot of different answers on this as a lot of people here are anti-neuter, but from personal experience, I can tell you that every dog I have ever worked with has been MUCH easier to handle and manage once neutered. It is not a magic bullet, but it can help tremendously with training, as it seems some males are more testosterone-driven than others, and some just cannot keep a clear head when they have hormones clogging up their brains. I say that in this situation, it will not hurt a bit. He's old enough that any growth issues related to neuter should be minimal.


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## longhairshepmom (Apr 7, 2003)

I would not just make him "sit" while people approach. By now you are expecting the bad behavior and your body prepares for what is about to happen. Our body language speaks VOLUMES to animals, no matter what you actually say. You dread the persons approaching and you dread your dog lunging. So you make him "sit" and both of you tense up and you expect him to lunge and he will because he knows you expect it, whether you actually like it or not. 
You need to break that habit. BREATHE while people come, keep walking with purpose, your shoulders straight, your whole being needs to stay "big, calm and in charge". Envision him staying focused on you and ignoring the people walking by. 
By sitting him down and waiting for the people to come towards you guys its like you prepare him for the lunge. He sits, you both tense up and get ready...like "ready, set, GO"
Do not let him focus on the people, as soon as he does, get him out of it. A short jerk on the leash, a tap against his side with your foot (not kick obviously), anything to make him break the focus from the people to YOU. Make him look at you. Don't just sit him down. Walk him briskly towards the people, right before they reach you, turn around sharply and walk in the other direction, turn sharply again, make him sit, stand back up, keep his mind BUSY and on YOU. Praise when his focus is 100% on you. Treat. Never let him slow down, sit and focus on the people, waiting for them to reach him. You have to constantly keep his mind engaged on you during these encounters, and it means to keep him moving and doing things for you the entire time. Not wishy washy either, but briskly and purposefully. Again, breathe, and be in charge. Do not envision the bad things happening, because when you do, they will.


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Lucy Dog said:


> I understand where you're coming from with the positive approach, but the OP has a very unpredictable dog who's already put his mouth on other people for no reason.


 It doesn't seem like this dog is unpredictable at all - both scenarios were extremely similar. And I'm sure the dog has reasons. From the post and having dealt with a similar issue in a dog, I'd guess that this is a guard-y thing and something about the people's behavior on their way to work makes him suspicious. GSDs as a breed are supposed to be protective and I'd say, that trait is very often what gets them into trouble. People like the idea of a protective dog and would be very proud of the dog for biting a "bad guy" trying to break into the house. But when the dog goes through the front window and bites the mailman, suddenly the person has an "unpredictable, aggressive dog" (oh and of course "what if it was a child?!" must be thrown in there). To the dog, there isn't really a difference between the trespassers, the difference is in our eyes. Dogs with strong natural protective instincts need to be properly managed and properly trained. Without proper management and training, they are left to decide to act on their own and they will rarely make a decision the people involved will like. 

In this case, I would train the dog to a Gentle Leader. I'm not wild about GLs for pulling dogs but they are very well suited for this sort of behavior. GLs tend to have a bit of a subduing effect on the dog and gives the owner an excellent way to keep control of the dog's head, which will prevent lunging and as such, biting. I'd suggest avoiding walking the dog during times or places this behavior is likely to be triggered until he's fully acclimated to the GL and you've taken him in all different situations which don't trigger this behavior while wearing it. Right now, it's important you walk him only by himself. Once he's at a point where he's ready to be walked when the behavior is triggered, you'll do short sessions only and keep a good buffer so that no one is too close to him. I'd suggest using his morning meal if possible to have a quick, upbeat training session while the people walk to work. It's very important that he's not close enough for his over-excitement/guard-y behavior to be triggered during this. The idea here is to re-frame his view of the people involved here - they aren't anything to notice or worry about. At the end of your session, run away from the people with him, which helps to relieve stress and ensure he's oriented on you. Work up to a duration, maybe 3 minutes the first session or two, 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 12 minutes, etc. Once he is able to work for at least 15 minutes without paying attention to the people, move closer and start over. Then move to a different location and start over with short, far away sessions gradually moving closer. Be sure to watch for signs that he's too close before he gets to the point of you not being able to get his attention. These signs may include him repeatedly breaking focus with you to check what going on around him or stress signals such as panting, lip licking, sniffing, inattentiveness. At a point, you'll start walking him, first in the same direction the people are walking for short periods, than longer periods rewarding him for appropriate behavior. When he is relaxed with that, quickly walk him against the flow of the people. Very gradually work up to him being comfortable each direction and also stopping and sitting while people walk past. Keep him on the GL for the entire process and keep him on a short leash, rewarding appropriate behavior. 

This will not be a short process but each time you change the scenario, you'll see it getting easier and easier for him to focus on you. Starting at a distance removes pressure from him to have to decide what to do about these people. Starting walking with the flow of people means he doesn't have the pressure of people walking towards him, where he must make a choice as to how to react. Sitting while people approach puts the most pressure on him, so that is why it is the very last thing you'll work on. You want to condition him to see that these people aren't potential threats or potential friends, they're just neutral people in the background. Don't allow these people to try to interact with him either - no saying hi, no giving him treats. 

I am not saying correction will never be appropriate with this dog for this behavior. However, I feel it is best to do as much training and conditioning as you can first. Let him know what is expected first. It is hard to correct the dog without having the dog start to go after someone. You don't want to correct for people approaching and you sure don't want to set up a scenario where the dog is lunging at passer-bys just so you can correct him. And practice makes perfect - the more times he lunges and grabs people passing by, the more he's likely to repeat the behavior in the future. 

Video about conditioning to the GL:

Desensitization To The Gentle Leader Head Collar - YouTube



IDR said:


> One more question. He is not yet neutered. We were planning on having him neutered at around 12 months, but given his recent behavior, we are considering having him neutered at the end of this month instead. Pros/ Cons on moving up the neutering? Does anyone think it would help with his issues?


 I very much doubt his issues have anything to do with hormones. I'd probably try training, management, etc before opting to do an earlier neuter. Some of the most aggressive dogs I've known were neutered, often at a young age (under 12 months).


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

I would think with a dog like this, you want to look for less corrections and more management + redirection in a trainer's philosophy. 

I think of corrections as a result of bratty behavior by the dog. This dog obviously has some temperament issues that go beyond that. Corrections might also have the opposite effect. If I was corrected every time a person approaches without knowing what exactly I'm being corrected from I might start associating people with corrections... that will only escalate the issue (or not, you just dont know). 

Instead, you can manage the situation by keeping him away from people outside of a controlled environment and muzzling him (for now) while you work through the issues with a good trainer. this way, each encounter with a person is in a controlled environment with a willing participant (the trainer) who knows what to do in case the dog lunges at him, you are ready to stop any lunging / biting because you are being hyper-vigilant (we just cant be so attentive all day every day but we can for a few hours a week during training session) and he quickly learns what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. Redirection can work well here.

My one line summary: correcting a nervous / fear-aggressive dog can backfire badly if your communication is flawed.

Also, as far as neutering is concerned - won't make a difference. this is a training / management / temperament issue (don't know because I don't know the whole story), not a hormonal issue.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

I agree with Freestep regarding neutering him now. I favor keeping males intact, or neutering after 2 yrs, unless there's a compelling reason to do it earlier. His behavior is, IMO, a very compelling reason. It won't automatically fix anything. It might not even help, but it won't hurt & could make him easier to manage, easier to mentally 'reach' & connect with.

When in public, consider muzzling him unless you are absolutely certain he's completely under your control. IF this had been a child it could have been much worse. A child's skin wounds & tears easily. Their faces are often at the 'perfect' level for biting. They almost automatically invoke sympathy & outrage when injured by dogs, especially large dogs. They're also often unpredictable themselves & can rush a dog before a parent or dog owner can stop them. IF that happens, the law is often strongly on the side of the child, especially with larger dogs.


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