# Is dog aggression common in GSDs?



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I've noticed quite a few German Shepherds who do not like other dogs, or don't do well around strange dogs. Bianca has issues with leash reactivity with other dogs. I am just wondering how common this is? Is this something that is seen often in the breed? 

If so are breeders aware of this and is there any attempt to avoid this in their breeding? 
If you are buying a puppy, how do you know if they will be prone to these sort of issues due to genetics? Do breeders disclose this info to potential buyers? I know socialization is important but I know people who have done tons of socialization with their dogs only to have them develop issues with other dogs as adults anyway so there must be a genetic component.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Dog aggression is very common across all breeds and is partly genetics and mostly early socialization and training.


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## JudynRich (Apr 16, 2010)

At work we have a dog rating book for families when they get ready to choose a family pet, dogs are rated in need for exercise, grooming, good w/ kids. agression w/ other dogs. GSD have good ratings for kids, poor ratings for getting along w/ strange dogs...one word-training!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Dog aggression can be more severe in some breeds but I believe the way they are raised also contributes to their aggression. If you want your GSD to be friendly with other dogs you have to socialize them at a young age and keep up with it throughout their lives.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

My dogs are dog-aloof. They have dogs that they're friendly with, but they just don't care about strange dogs. GSDs are not, in general, good dogs for dog parks.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

Mac is 5 months old and wants to play with every dog he see's. Most of the dogs in our neighborhood are adults but smaller than Mac (50 lbs). The older dogs will play with him for a few minutes but end up running away.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Emoore said:


> My dogs are dog-aloof. They have dogs that they're friendly with, but they just don't care about strange dogs. GSDs are not, in general, good dogs for dog parks.


My GSD absolutely loves the dog park. I see a couple of other GSD's there too, they all seem to enjoy it.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Emoore said:


> My dogs are dog-aloof. They have dogs that they're friendly with, but they just don't care about strange dogs. GSDs are not, in general, good dogs for dog parks.


When we look at general characteristics among breeds, we can make some generalizations, i.e. pit bulls will fight with other dogs BUT we cannot then generalize this general breed characteristic to ALL individuals of thet breed! Anytime someone does that, they are wrong! For example, could we find a pit bull who is friendly with all dogs that they meet/ YES!


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Emoore said:


> My dogs are dog-aloof. They have dogs that they're friendly with, but they just don't care about strange dogs. GSDs are not, in general, good dogs for dog parks.


Agree. :thumbup:

I think that GSDs (and sort of herding breeds in general) are more geared towards people than other dogs. 

As a general rule all the hounds I've known seem to function well with other dogs...which I wondered if it was a function of the hunting pack.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I think there's a big difference between a dog that is really reactive and wants to charge other dogs and a dog that would rather be left alone. Outright aggression or being overly reactive is not OK, IMO.

I have three dogs and I am VERY relaxed about how my dogs live together and play together. They play together great, even my intact male (who is the most aloof around other dogs). I've never had a dog fight or had to break up and incident among my dogs. But my GSDs are not dog park material. They just don't get any enjoyment out of being thrust into the chaos of two dozen strange dogs running wild. My mutt LOVES the dog park and my DH takes him there. The GSDs would rather do something with me, or do something with each other. I think their pack drive is very strong, so they prefer to be with their human first and foremost, and then with the other members of _their_ dog pack second. Just because a dog is a "pack animal" does not mean the dog should be accepting of all strange dogs and their behavior at any given time.

I like my GSDs this way, wouldn't have it any other way. I have no desire to own dogs that want to be best friends with every dog and person. My dogs know their place and they know who their people are and their "dog" family members are and stick by them (literally and figuratively). My dogs are under my control at all times. Nikon is the least accepting of strange dogs (Coke loves 'em all, Kenya has a few playmates we meet with privately) and yet I already have him off leash in his beginner agility class. He pays no attention to other dogs as long as they aren't hassling him in his face and if they are, I will intervene before my dog does because *I* find that very rude.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Emoore said:


> My dogs are dog-aloof. They have dogs that they're friendly with, but they just don't care about strange dogs. GSDs are not, in general, good dogs for dog parks.


I am not talking about dogs who ignore other dogs or don't enjoy the dog park. I am talking about dogs who cannot be trusted near strange dogs, or who growl/bark when they see other dogs on walks, or will bite another dog if they get close enough.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

To me that is not acceptable, assuming the other dogs are not inviting it and are under control. However I think a lot of younger GSDs behave this way because they are slow to mature, fear stages and all that, and I do think there are some people who think it's OK (or even funny or good because the dog is "protective") and some people who just go WAY overboard trying to flood the dog around other dogs. To me neither of those approaches are acceptable. The dogs need a chance to grow up and be given opportunities to gain confidence and trust in their owners. I noticed that the more I focused on just bonding with my dog and having fun with him, the less reactive he got around other dogs. We never really made a point of taking walks by other dogs or flooding him with dog socialization. By the time he was a year old, the reactions to strange dogs were gone and now he just doesn't care because he knows he's there to work with me and that the other dogs are not a threat. I think a sound dog needs a chance to mature but outgrows this stuff, but poor training and a lack of understanding on the part of the owner will not help. A really unsound, aggressive dog probably just has poor temperament and nerves and will need management even with a great owner/trainer.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

JKlatsky said:


> .....
> As a general rule all the hounds I've known seem to function well with other dogs...which I wondered if it was a function of the hunting pack.


OTOH, I once knew a hound owned by my aunt who would get along with most other dogs but woulf fight to the death if he could with an Airdale also owned by my aunt. So some of the individuals would fight with other dogs.


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

2 of my 3 do not like strange dogs. One could care less. The other two however, if we're walking near controlled dogs, they don't care too much, they're aware, but not aggressive. IF the dogs are barking like crazy,charging fences etc, they want a piece of the action.

or if the strange dogs just come running up to sniff, they don't like that. I don't like it either. But with the dogs I take the time to introduce, which is mainly me showing them that I accept them, they are fine after that for the most part. once they've had a chance to meet and play, they're fine with that other dog forever it seems.

They're great with each other. I don't think it's a fault to not like strange dogs.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

I think a lot is "us" (handlers).
I placed a 6 month old with a couple last year. He was dog reactice (bark and act stupid) but I never made an issue of it. Showed him in puppy classes, took him to the park, and all was well. We just practiced lots of happy recalls and treats when other dogs were around, and I never made him approach another dog or allowed another dog to approach him.
Within a month at his new home, he was awful---ferociously trying to kill anything within sight.

So many times I see people say "Oh, they just need to be exposed to other dogs" or "socialize them more" when in fact with SOME dogs that is the exact wrong thing to do.

It does seem to be a common issue, and commonly mishandled as well.
Personally, I do not expect my dogs to be nice to a strange dog. They should be behaved, but I just would never expect them to accept physical contact with a strange dog.
Would I take it into consideration if breeding? Yes.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Chicagocanine said:


> I am not talking about dogs who ignore other dogs or don't enjoy the dog park. I am talking about dogs who cannot be trusted near strange dogs, or who growl/bark when they see other dogs on walks, or will bite another dog if they get close enough.


This, IMO, is genetic and is based on fear and a weakness in nerves. I think it can be covered up with good training, but that does not change the underlying genetics of the dog. Should these dogs be bred? No. Very rarely it is due to poorly or stupidly done socialization. Also rarely dog aggression can be due to extreme dominance, but these dogs don't show the described behavior. I have owned a dog like this. You would have never known she was dog aggressive unless I had turned her loose with a dog outside her pack.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I think some is from genetics, and some is training. But I have to wonder how much dog reaction is due to the pack mentality. GSD seems to be very pack oriented. An outside dog isn't welcomed within the pack. 

Therefore, how much do you think could be driven by the extreme loyalty a GSD has to it's pack?


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

My dogs do not like strange dogs. However given the chance to meet that 'stranger' they do pretty well so far. Mind you, I adopted each at 16 months old so was not with them during that time when socialization is so important, so now I am finding them new friends.


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## aviator0218 (Apr 23, 2010)

My gsd loves other dogs as long as they are with their people.If a stray comes around or another dog without their owner (or a coyote) she becomes really defensive.I think she is protecting her den.She will also protect my neigbors chihuahua from dogs she knows.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

My 5 month old GSD barks like crazy when he sees another dog to play with, and I have him on the leash. The reason he does it is because I have a prong collar on him, and he won't pull me to get at them so he barks. I am working with him to stop that, but he's still a baby. He's a 60 lb baby, so sometimes he scares other people with his barking.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Wolfiesmom said:


> The reason he does it is because I have a prong collar on him, and he won't pull me to get at them so he barks.


 And you are successfully developing dog reactivity by using the prong on your pup in these situations.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Leash reactivity doesn't necessarily mean they can't be trusted with strange dogs or don't do well at dog parks. Both of my dogs will bark at other dogs on leash walks. Halo is easily managed and I can prevent most reactions, but if I just walked along and did nothing when we saw other dogs she'd definitely be barking at most of them. Keefer is worse, and it's harder to prevent him from reacting even when I'm prepared, but ironically, he's the more social of the two when he's off leash and he's also usually fine if he gets the chance to meet the other dog when he's on leash. 

They don't really play with other dogs at the park, but that's not why we're there, we go because it's legal to have them off leash and it's a big enough area to chuck balls for them to chase, and for them to swim - our yard is tiny. Keefer will often greet dogs as we pass, he likes to sniff privates and lick muzzles. Halo is pretty neutral, if there's a dog between her and her toy, she treats them like they're a piece of furniture or a tree or something, just an obstacle to go around to get what she wants. 

One week I took each of them on a 3-1/2 mile leash walk at a lake and BOTH of them had close encounters with off leash dogs in their face. And NEITHER of them barked, they both were friendly and just sniffed the other dog.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

Yukon, one of my WGSDs, was 30" at the shoulder and he got along with all dogs EXCEPT if he saw one taller than him (usually Danes) and then he would start acting aggresive. A very sound correction along with a fast, heeling pattern with a lot of sudden turns got his attentionn focused back on me and stopped the outward aggressive mode, but you could tell by looking at him, his eyes, he wanted to nail the big dog.


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## klgraf (May 2, 2010)

Our 8 mo old female GSD (shelter dog - adopted @ 5 mos) LOVES all other dogs...unless one growls and seems agressive...then she shys away. She is very social, open to meeting dogs, adults, kids. She seems to be pure-bred, but is very submissive. She is motivated more by the opportunity to play with other dogs than by food!!


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

klgraf said:


> Our 8 mo old female GSD (shelter dog - adopted @ 5 mos) LOVES all other dogs...unless one growls and seems agressive...then she shys away. She is very social, open to meeting dogs, adults, kids. She seems to be pure-bred, but is very submissive. She is motivated more by the opportunity to play with other dogs than by food!!


She is also still a baby and may change as she becomes an adult. 

Our male GSD was also very very friendly and outgoing as a puppy then decided there were a few dogs that he didn't really like as an adult (now 2 1/2 yo) but is still very friendly to most dogs (not so much to big pushy males) and esp. to little puppies as he loves them! And also kids!


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

lhczth said:


> This, IMO, is genetic and is based on fear and a weakness in nerves. I think it can be covered up with good training, but that does not change the underlying genetics of the dog. Should these dogs be bred? No. Very rarely it is due to poorly or stupidly done socialization. Also rarely dog aggression can be due to extreme dominance, but these dogs don't show the described behavior. I have owned a dog like this. You would have never known she was dog aggressive unless I had turned her loose with a dog outside her pack.


I agree with this. 

In my mind (and correct me if I am wrong or phrase it incorrectly) GSDs should have the ability to be "people" aggressive, but should be accepting (not necessarily welcoming) of other dogs.


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## HMV (May 17, 2010)

Do you think dogs can recognize their own breed? My dog loves all other GSDs and just wants to play with them but the moment another breed appears it's time for the hackles to go up and a good growling session begins.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

HMV said:


> Do you think dogs can recognize their own breed? My dog loves all other GSDs and just wants to play with them but the moment another breed appears it's time for the hackles to go up and a good growling session begins.


My old dog, an Australian Shepherd, absolutely despised Retrievers. I think it had to do more with their goofy in-you-face-rudeness than true breedism.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

HMV said:


> Do you think dogs can recognize their own breed? My dog loves all other GSDs and just wants to play with them but the moment another breed appears it's time for the hackles to go up and a good growling session begins.


 
Sinister loves all dogs but I noticed at the dog park that he tends to stick with GSD's if they are there, he'll play with anyone even if there isn't a GSD there but if there is one he stays by them. He has lots of friends he sees all the time of different breeds and mixes but his absolute best friend is a GSD.


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## Cigar (Feb 19, 2021)

Emoore said:


> My dogs are dog-aloof. They have dogs that they're friendly with, but they just don't care about strange dogs. GSDs are not, in general, good dogs for dog parks.


"Dog aloof" describes mine exactly. Recently a dog ran out of his house to basically attack her, and she was just surprised & just looked surprised. Luckily.
She does like the dog park, because many people throw balls but she basically ignores the other dogs there. 

She does like to "greet" other dogs we see as we walk. We're working on that, and I think eventually she'll be able to ignore them without my active intervention.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

JudynRich said:


> At work we have a dog rating book for families when they get ready to choose a family pet, dogs are rated in need for exercise, grooming, good w/ kids. agression w/ other dogs. GSD have good ratings for kids, poor ratings for getting along w/ strange dogs...one word-training!


Just because someone writes a book doesn't mean it's based on research or facts


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## Shefali (Aug 12, 2020)

My GSD is a 15 month old intact male. He is still somewhat immature, and he loves dog parks and playing with other dogs. However, at home, he is more protective. If a strange dog approaches our yard, he gets on alert. At the dog park I've noticed some GSDs are reasonably friendly with other dogs, others are aloof. But none is dog reactive in a bad way. If a dog is dog reactive - I would not take to the dog park. It is not necessary to do so. My last GSD did not care for strange dogs. I did not take her to the dog park.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

thread will remain open for discussion, but keep in mind, it was started in 2010.... many of the posters are no longer active.


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