# Aggression towards other dogs.



## ninjaassassin

I have recently adopted a male, 7 month old German Shepherd. When I was at the pound I noticed that he was very calm around all the other dogs even though they were all barking at him. As my boyfriend and I were checking him out he started barking at a kitten, but it seemed more like a curious bark then an aggressive one so we shrugged it off.

The next day, we took him to PetSmart thinking that he would do really well because he behaved so well around all the other dogs. He barked at every single dog he came across in the store. My boyfriend was having to hold him back. 

As we were finally leaving the store, and let out a sigh of relief, another couple was walking in with their Boxer. Both men had death grips on their leashes. We were all nervous, but he didn't bark he just approached the dog. So both men slowly let the dogs sniff each other out and my dog reached out his paw and hit the Boxer. We told him No and headed towards the car.

Is there anything I could do to help with this behavior? We both have lots of family dogs and we want to bring him on trips to have play dates, but can't if he's going to attack them.


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## jakeandrenee

get the puppy into classes....socialize socialize socialize


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## JKlatsky

GSDs are very vocal dogs. How was the rest of his body language when he was barking. Where were his ears, his tail, his eyes? Hackles? How deep was his bark?

A dog that is barking and pulling forward could just be REALLY excited and not necessarily aggressive. Whapping the boxer with a foot is a play behavior. GSDs play rough by nature. You still need to work on calm greeting behavior. Enrolling in a group obedience class with a reputable trainer (probably not PetsMart) can help you to deal.

The other option is that he was not actually calm at the shelter, but rather is a state of complete shut down and avoidance. I find that this is not really uncommon with rescue dogs. At the shelter they are so distressed that they can't function, and now that he's in a more comfortable environment he's acting out. 

Still your best bet is to get enrolled in classes.


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## cshepherd9

My pup is 10 months and you are describing behavior that she has done since she was about 6 months and we are still working on it. Willow has gone from puppy class to basic obedience and on to an advanced class and she still likes to bark at dogs when we are out on walks. She does really well when we are in class and she hardly ever barks out in the back yard but out on leash she would bark at anything.... including the neighbors leaf bag that was sitting in the driveway! She is slowly getting better and everyday I notice a marked improvement in her ability to focus on me and not the dog across the street. She just gets super excited about seeing other dogs and I have to work to get her attention back on me. Just takes time, patience and training. Good luck!


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## gsdraven

ninjaassassin said:


> My boyfriend was having to hold him back.
> 
> Both men had death grips on their leashes. We were all nervous, but he didn't bark he just approached the dog.


Along with what was already mentioned, I want you to be aware of these two statements. Sometimes this adds fuel to the fire. A tight leash sends a clear message to the dog that the owner is nervous/scared/unsure and that he needs to control the situation. I know it is really tough to have a loose leash when the dog is barking its head off and you are trying to keep him away from other dogs but just be aware that tightening up ahead of time could cause the reaction. Also, if your boyfriend had to keep pulling him back, that could have been ramping him up more.

Get into a good obedience class (not PetSmart, Petco or the like) with experience on reactive dogs. He needs to be socialized and learn the proper way to meet dogs. Also, two books that you can read are Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt to learn how to control the outbursts as well as The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell to learn more about canine communication.


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## trish07

Try the Obedience class with an educator who wiil be abble to help you with this particular problem.

We did two obedience classes which didn't work with our dog who had the same issues. We than decided to get our own behaviorist which worked perfectly. Obedience classes, in general, are there to help owners to learn commands to their dogs (it works like this most of the time in Quebec though).

When you have that kind of issues....yes you should socialized your dog with other one, but I don't think obedience classes will really help to find a good solution to this agression.

You can't bring an agressive dog into an obedience class (anyways, most of trainers won't) and risk to injure another dog....this is my opinion 

Yes you have to socialized him, but he also need special reeducation.


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## Mitchb2

*Sudden Aggression and Claiming Territory*

I adopted a german shepard male about a year ago from an abusive home. We've had our struggles with him being fearful of various events and people but started working with him and we've got most of those types of issues taken care of. 

Last night we had an incident. I had another dog previous to this new guy coming into our house. They occasionally get into disputes but normally they end quickly. Last night was a whole other situation. We keep their food in our pantry and I've noticed lately that the shepard has become territorial of the door. I've made him sit and backed him out of the kitchen several times until his food is in his bowl. I wasn't quick enough last night and a fight broke out. He had my other dog by the neck and was shaking him violently. I honestly thought he was going to kill my other dog. I could not get them apart. Finally, I had to just bite the bullet and realize that I might get bit to get them apart. Thankfully, I didn't but the whole ordeal has left me very shaken. My instant reaction was that this dog needs to go. He's a big lover and has never had that kind of reaction to humans only to Cooper (the other dog). 

I've had dogs all my life and have never dealt with this kind of situation. I'm at a complete loss as to what to do.


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## mymunir92

How to control aggressiveness of my German shepherd without any teaching classes?


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## pineconeforestGSD

I have found for emergencies a small stun gun will work. just the sound/frequencies often work quick enough that you don't even have to touch the dog. and it MUST be a small cheap low power one.
also Leerburg.com has a great video on youtube about the safest way to separate 2 dogs fighting.
best of luck and I hope Cooper is OK.:-}


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## holland

The Cooper post is almost a year old.


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## Chip18

Hmm I see it is old. Two post wonder how that worked out? For the others start here:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/puppy-behavior/431649-aggression-after-walks.html
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-behavior/431289-new-dog-very-challenging.html


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