# 6 month old barks at everything !!!



## samanthaaa (Dec 31, 2017)

I have a six month old gsd who barks at people he’s unfamiliar with and dogs to the point where his hair is standing up and I worry he’s going to attack. He hasn’t had any training except for what I’ve taught him (sit, shake hand, lie down) and he doesn’t spend much time out of my room; which I’m currently trying to fix. It’s to the point where people don’t like coming over anymore and I get nervous (but try not to let it show because I know how it can affect him) about just taking him to the vet and going on walk because he barks at everything; when we’re walking he will bark and any person or dog he sees within a 20 ft distance. He’s bitten my neighbors dog before too (the neighbors dog is fine, there was a gate stopping worse from happening). He even bites me sometimes. It started after I introduced him to another dog in the family that has some bad habits too. I don’t know what to do, I could lose him. How do I go about getting him socialized and trained ?


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## konathegsd (Dec 3, 2016)

Find a behaviorist to work with


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

He sounds like he's under stimulated and is reacting out of excitement from lack of exposure to distractions and little to no training. 

If your breeder is of no help, find a good club and sign up for classes. Club trainers and members can see your dog first hand and give you further direction if needed. The club will have a network of trainers who can help you sort out any possible outside the box issues.


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## Armistice (Oct 12, 2017)

I'd agree with Nigel. It sounds like your pup is bored out of its mind

It sounds like you are trying to avoid the barking and aggressiveness by keeping your pup locked up, and it's only making it worse. Barking can also be a fear response. This may be to the little to no socialization your pup has gotten from being cooped up inside away from the outside. (Pup may need more play and bonding time as well)

How well does your pup know "sit"? That was my go-to command when we were outside. If someone would pass by or a car or a dog, I'd put my pup in a sit and if she was quiet, I would give her praise and pets. When you do this, the pup learns that "oh, dad likes it when I'm quiet and calm when other things go by us." Your pup needs to learn this

Have treats ready. Go for a walk. If your pup starts to bark or be reactive, put them in a sit. A little barking may be fine. If your pup calms down, then give a treat (be ready because you may only have a second of calm before barking starts up. Be careful with your timing). Keep doing this and your pup will learn. If pup doesn't quiet down, try turning them away from person. Keep your voice calm. If you're excited, it'll excite them more. If you're calm, it will help them be calm

This will take time. It's easier to train a good behavior from a clean slate than train out a bad behavior and swap to a good one. You might have your work cut out for you but if you're vigilant and have patience, this problem can be fixed

These suggestions are only based off of what I've done with my pup. They might not work for you, but hopefully it gets you on the right track

Watch videos on YT. There are many sources out there. Watch a few different vids and use the one you think would be best


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

That behavior is a sign of insecurity; that is often quite normal at that age, but usually disappears as mental maturity is acquired with age. Though it can be of genetic causes, it is also a behavior that often matures into an aloof dog. I would do as others have suggested in having the dog assessed, as they can help you and the dog forward.


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## konathegsd (Dec 3, 2016)

Yeah doesn’t sound like excitement to me, but we haven’t seen the dog.


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## Gers4lyfe (Aug 3, 2016)

samanthaaa said:


> I have a six month old gsd who barks at people he’s unfamiliar with and dogs to the point where his hair is standing up and I worry he’s going to attack. He hasn’t had any training except for what I’ve taught him (sit, shake hand, lie down) and he doesn’t spend much time out of my room; which I’m currently trying to fix. It’s to the point where people don’t like coming over anymore and I get nervous (but try not to let it show because I know how it can affect him) about just taking him to the vet and going on walk because he barks at everything; when we’re walking he will bark and any person or dog he sees within a 20 ft distance. He’s bitten my neighbors dog before too (the neighbors dog is fine, there was a gate stopping worse from happening). He even bites me sometimes. It started after I introduced him to another dog in the family that has some bad habits too. I don’t know what to do, I could lose him. How do I go about getting him socialized and trained ?


Sounds terrific.
Our dog was very similar. We went to a trainer. We received a very serious talk after the assessment.
We committed to the dog. He matured through it. He is everything we wanted. 
I encourage you to heed the advice you've already received.

Oh. We wanted a dog as a companion and personal protection for my wife. The barking was never an issue for us. 

The prey drive seemed to make small dogs a particular challenge. He had a way of nipping them between the shoulders and drawing blood on occasion. There is a scent gland there and in retrospect I think he was dominating them and imprinting not attacking them.

As he got older he has had the opportunity to learn some dog manners from older physically strong dogs. He now at two is relatively peaceful and playful towards the neighbor dogs.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

As far as people go, you may have to do specific walking drills where you just walk past people, strangers, small crowds. Have treats for good calm passes, quick short corrections for barking. Keep the practice short, go home, and repeat the next day. If someone wants to pet your dog tell them no. Ask them to ignore your pup. If a huge stranger wanted to pat us on the head I think we would bark too. I also don't expect my dogs to like all other dogs. Years ago I had a dog that I allowed to Meet and Greet other dogs but my GSDs are taught to just pass on by. Since we do dog sports / activities we don't want our dogs to have the expectations of meeting and playing whenever they see another dog. If you want your dog to have pals, a play date would be the way to go. 

I think almost all of us would recommend a good trainer. You need to find someone who not only uses praise and treats but someone who understands a well timed correction. Your aim isn't to hurt your pup when they do wrong but to let them know that a behavior is not allowed. And then follow that up by praising a behavior that is allowed. Timing can be tricky and having another set of eyes is invaluable! We've had a few "sticky" issues that just weren't clearing up and a good trainer saw the mistakes right away.


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