# A little bit aggressive..



## tlilyinc (Mar 24, 2014)

I have a Shepherd about a year and a half, not neutered yet. We have been going to dog parks frequently, but he has recently been showing signs of aggression to other dogs. He has a tendency to chase dogs down, it seems like it's a sport for him, but to other dog owners, it seems as if he is bearing down on their pup and trying to eat them. 

He nips around their ears sometimes, and for certain dogs, he will growl, and it seems like he is about to nip at the neck. 

I am considering getting him neutered. Will this help lower the aggression? We do have another pup at home, a dachshund, and he gets along with her very well. a 65+ pound difference, but he does not bite her, growl, or show any signs of aggression towards her. He is only a problem with other dogs.

I am at a breaking point I do not want to give him away, but his aggression, the growling, the feign biting, it must stop. He also acts out whenever we go on walks and he sees other dogs in the streets. 

Any tips, training advice, anything will be helpful information


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

You are seeing a good example of why the GSD is usually not a good dog for dog parks. 

Altering him may or may not help. I suggest getting a trainer involved. Get the obedience solid and move on to some type of sport/other activity with your dog that doesn't involve a dog park.


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

skip dog parks IMO. too much wrong with them. set up play dates for your dog to meet other dogs.

are you doing anything to correct your dog not to act out against other dogs while on walks. saying no and pulling the dog in the oppisite direction won't do anything if it hasn't already. a prong collar and a correction will work real fast.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I agree to skip the dog parks. Frankly, what you are describing sounds like normal nutsy GSD 'play' which other dogs and dog owners do NOT alway appreciate  So easier to prevent any misunderstanding (and subsequent REAL fight from another dog/owner) by avoiding the dog parks and only playing with dogs/owners you know in other situations.

Meanwhile, this sounds like just a training issue that would have been a bit easier to fix a year or so ago (when he was smaller and lighter  ) but absolutely can be TRAINED and fixed with some great dog classes. 

Doesn't really sound like 'aggression' to me. Just rude and inappropriate behavior cause he hasn't (yet?) been taught any better in a clear manner he understands. 

For me, I learn better and my dogs learn faster when I have the help of a great instructor in the controlled environment of a dog class.


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## tlilyinc (Mar 24, 2014)

scarfish said:


> skip dog parks IMO. too much wrong with them. set up play dates for your dog to meet other dogs.
> 
> are you doing anything to correct your dog not to act out against other dogs while on walks. saying no and pulling the dog in the oppisite direction won't do anything if it hasn't already. a prong collar and a correction will work real fast.


I definitely do have a correction collar, I have a little remote control, ranges from 1-16. We do say no, sternly, and if we see another dog across the street, we swerve completely, we just avoid all other dogs as much as possible. I'm kind of weirded out by prong collars, since I've seen some terrible photos of those collars digging into the neck and hurting the dog. He is a strong dog, and i dont want a chance of that prong collar hurting him. 

I like having him socialized, and he used to do extremely well at dog parks, he used to get along with all sorts of dogs, so it's just really weird that he is now acting out ):


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## tlilyinc (Mar 24, 2014)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> I agree to skip the dog parks. Frankly, what you are describing sounds like normal nutsy GSD 'play' which other dogs and dog owners do NOT alway appreciate  So easier to prevent any misunderstanding (and subsequent REAL fight from another dog/owner) by avoiding the dog parks and only playing with dogs/owners you know in other situations.
> 
> Meanwhile, this sounds like just a training issue that would have been a bit easier to fix a year or so ago (when he was smaller and lighter  ) but absolutely can be TRAINED and fixed with some great dog classes.
> 
> ...


I agree that it's not aggression, because he has not hurt a dog in the time period that he has been "acting out". My problem is that we have just moved from TX to NY so we don't know anyone or have any close friends/puppy dates for him to play with. 

I guess getting a trainer is our next step. But we are just curious, to see if neutering him will help with the "aggression"


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

I dunno... this sounds like it is amping up in the direction of aggression. IMHO. A trainer that knows GSD would be helpful. Note that prong collars are training collars and are used when training and then removed. If you go this route, buy a Herm Sprenger, German-made prong collar. The Chinese ones can be too sharp. If you are taught how to use it by a trainer, you will certainly (has been shown with research) do less damage to your dog's neck then letting him yard on a flat collar. Finally, male dog to male dog aggression can be curbed with neutering, again look at the research. But, if you choose not to do this you probably could train better behavior.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

tlilyinc said:


> I definitely do have a correction collar, I have a little remote control, ranges from 1-16. We do say no, sternly, and if we see another dog across the street, we swerve completely, we just avoid all other dogs as much as possible. *I'm kind of weirded out by prong collars, since I've seen some terrible photos of those collars digging into the neck and hurting the dog*. He is a strong dog, and i dont want a chance of that prong collar hurting him.
> 
> I like having him socialized, and he used to do extremely well at dog parks, he used to get along with all sorts of dogs, so it's just really weird that he is now acting out ):


Properly used prong will NOT do that. Those pictures circulating are most likely the result of a collar being left on a dog as it grew and it became imbedded, a flat collar can do the same thing.


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## tlilyinc (Mar 24, 2014)

Nigel said:


> Properly used prong will NOT do that. Those pictures circulating are most likely the result of a collar being left on a dog as it grew and it became imbedded, a flat collar can do the same thing.


Ah okay, good to know! It's very misleading!


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## Colie CVT (Nov 10, 2013)

Which is why they post pictures up like that. They aim for an emotional response of the person who doesn't actually know what the object is for so that they can get more people saying its bad and on their side. Oh how that gets used to con people who aren't familiar with a particular object or subject to see only one side lol. That's for another day.

I agree with the no dog parks. I wish I'd not done it with my golden, but thankfully he's just this amazing boy who bounces back from things in a way no dog should. I've been extremely cautious with my latest pup, who actually had been getting reactive. I definitely agree with getting in a trainer who understands GSD. It's been a long summer with Doyle, but he's considerably better than he was.  Have faith and learn how to conquer it together.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

May not be my chosen avenue of training, but a prong collar will not cause injury to his neck if fitted and used properly. Whatever type of training you choose to do, find a trainer experienced with GSD's, and try to take a group class with them where there will be other people and dogs. This way the trainer cans show you appropriate and inappropriate interaction and how to modify his behavior so that he learns to interact and play politely with other dogs.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

sounds like a typical gsd I see in a dog park, eventually the gsd will hurt a dog 

try to find something else to keep your dog active and busy like join a sport agility?


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## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

Another option may be to enroll him (weekly, bi-weekly) in a half day or couple hours of dog camp at a well referenced, good rep.'d kennel. My pup has gained a lot from his experiences at our local (loved!) kennel (although only 6 months old). One thing that we have found is that at the kennel is is *all play* with no correction/training, although completely supervised. We were leery of trying this but they have a CC cam that we can watch him interacting with the other dogs---it is pretty cool. Good luck!


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## VedicSky (Feb 3, 2013)

I cannot contribute anything to the Aggression conversation..."Is It or Isn't It, and What to Do About It". I am here reading to learn any tips to take and apply to my recent posting here. 
However..so-called 'Dog Parks' are being mentioned here, along with some very specific collar advice...and I just want to add my 2 cents and separate the issues. Because in IMO the only collar that should ever be worn in a Dog Park is a Break-a-Way. Period and zero exceptions. 
Dog Parks are not the place for Prongs, Flats, Martindales, e-collars. All of those collars have a great place in skilled hands for Training purposes, or for handling your dog hands-on and out-and-about.
But they can kill in dog park accidents, and in the blink of an eye.


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