# Aggression towards owner male GSD



## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

Hello, I'm hoping someone can help or has been in a similar situation to my husband and I who have a black male working line GSD called Ramey. He is one year old. A few months after we bought him home, he started to resource guard and growl. We then started going regularly to group training and he went to stay with a trainer for a week. Hes very smart and loves training. We then had another incident where he growled and lunged to bite my arm when I was doing something he didn't like (looking back I know this was stupid but I was trying to get him to hold still so I could take a photo). Another incident in December lady year, my husband got too close when he was eating his food and bit his hand and didn't immediately let go, husband had to go get stitches. After this incident, Rameys behaviour completely changed for a few monthsm. He was obedient, stopped resource guarding his food and no signs of aggression. We had hoped that we were past it, we had continued with training and following the advice of our trainer. And then something happened again. My husband was play wresting with him on the ground when Ramey started growling, he went to get up and Ramey latched on to his arm and didn't let go. When he did he stayed snarling at the both of us until he sheepishly looked down. (Trainer told us never to walk away if we can) My husband had to go to hospital, get his arm flushed out in surgery due to how deep it was and then get stitches. Ramey hadn't been desexed yet so we got him neutered that week. When we bought him home he was quite groggy so we stayed out of his way. I was patting him at one point but then started to growl at me and then chased me into a room. Since then, the resource guarding has returned a little although only to growling. My nerves are gone a bit now so I tend to leave him when he starts. We've spoken to our trainer about him and are getting another who specialises in GSD to come round next week. Thankfully we don't have children but we both feel quite helpless. I haven't found anyone who has gone through something similar. Our family is telling us to put him down but we don't want to do that.

Some info about him, We him from a breeder when he was 8 weeks old however found out later that he was actually 6 weeks old. We walk him twice a day and train as well. He hasn't been crate trained, he cried and cried everytime we tried, even with food. He's allowed in our house but knows the boundaries of the bedroom's. He's really great with other dogs and has shown no aggression to anyone else except to my husband and I. The trainer was able to purposely provoke it out of him once, but that was with the resource guarding.

Has anyone had any experience with a dog like this?? If the behaviour person can't help us and it happens again I'm not sure what more we can do :-(

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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Oh, I'm so sorry - I did have a dog like this. I raised him from a puppy, and the issues started with him when he was around 9 months old, so when puberty hit, and the hormones kicked in. I'm sorry to say, that the unprovoked random aggression only increased in frequency and severity. 

I ended up sending him back to the breeder for an evaluation, and training, but it was only a psychological way to deal with sending him away. I knew he had some wires crossed in his brain, and he wasn't going to get better. He was evaluated and worked with by a number of GSD trainers/Police K9 trainers, and the consensus was tha, that when not in his attack moods, he was a very nice dog, but there was something wrong with him, and should be put down. 

Sending him away was one of the most difficult things I had ever done, and still feel the loss. When he wasn't in his weird aggressive moods (he would wake up from a nap and come hunting for me through the house, growling all the way, then attack, even though I would ignore him, or sometimes I could snap him out of it by going into obedience drills - but not always.

For now, you'll have to manage him. From my own experience, I would suggest that you start feeding him in his crate. Close the crate door, and leave him alone. If you have a wire crate, cover it with a blanket so he feels more secure. 

With my dog, he ended up wearing a drag leash, 24/7 so I didn't have to reach towards him to put a leash on or off. Use a 4 or 6 foot leash with the loop handle cut off so it does not get hooked on anything as he drags it. Then you can just pick up the drag leash instead of reaching towards him to grab his collar, or to snap the leash on and off. 

My dog ended up NOT being put down - a K9 trainer saw a lot of potential in him (he did come from working lines, and I put some SchH/IPO training on him, so his Obedience and bitework were already showing a lot of promise), and kept him as a demo-practice dog. He lived in a kennel, and only came out to work, but the trainer loved him and that was a better outcome than PTS. He still lost it at times, and nobody could be near him then. I've heard that his unpredictable behaviour did stop, but that was like six - seven years later. 

We were just lucky that things worked out - I'm afraid that things for your dog do not look good. You may have to make some very hard decisions here. 

Were did you get this dog from? Do you know of his background, or breeding. Do you have a pedigree? I'd be curious to take a look.

Edited to add: I agree with your trainer - walk away if you can, don't do anything to escalate his aggression. Some people will recommend a "Come to Jesus" encounter (fight him until he gives up so he knows that you are boss), DO NOT DO THIS WITH A DOG LIKE THIS. It will make him reactive and suspicious, and more likely to attack anyone and anything because he just learned that the world is an unpredictable dangerous place.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

You are going to need to seek a skilled, professional trainer. Can you post a pedigree of your dog? 

You have a serious problem with your dog now and it will not get better unless you take some very strong corrective measures. Besides serious bites to your husband, you said you were petting the dog and "he started to growl and chased you out of the room." This is not normal behavior and there is a very serious issue. Have you had him checked out by a Vet? Are there any health issues? 

Where are you located? I think you need to look into other trainers or possibly finding a new home for this dog.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

Mine was like this from the day I brought him home, it worsened when his hormones increased. Part of it was he wasn't a cuddly dog and I just had to accept he never would be.

After I got him neutered and worked more on the bond rather than training he calmed down a lot, he still isn't a cuddler but he reacts appropriately, instead of growling he will just move away. Teaching him to relax with his food was a long process, but pushing this will only make it worse. Growing up my parents always told me to give dogs their privacy when they ate (even though none of my childhood dogs were food aggressive) and I still implement this with my dogs, but I have to be able to pick up the food bowl no matter what without my dogs biting me, so this is all I taught my GSD to tolerate. 

Anesthesia aggression is very normal, the vet should have warned you of this. I wouldn't take it personally he had a drug put into him and he woke up with an 'injury' in his mind. Generally after a spay or neuter my dogs are aggressive (usually toward the other dogs) or try very hard to avoid me and other dogs, so I leave them alone for the next 2 days then everything is back to normal.

I'm not saying that it will get better over time like it did with my dog, just sharing my experience.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Dracovich said:


> Mine was like this from the day I brought him home, it worsened when his hormones increased. Part of it was he wasn't a cuddly dog and I just had to accept he never would be.
> 
> After I got him neutered and worked more on the bond rather than training he calmed down a lot, he still isn't a cuddler but he reacts appropriately, instead of growling he will just move away. Teaching him to relax with his food was a long process, but pushing this will only make it worse. Growing up my parents always told me to give dogs their privacy when they ate (even though none of my childhood dogs were food aggressive) and I still implement this with my dogs, but I have to be able to pick up the food bowl no matter what without my dogs biting me, so this is all I taught my GSD to tolerate.
> 
> ...


You and Draco have really been through a lot. The more you post, the more I gain an appreciation for everything you've dealt with.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I am so sorry you are going through this. I am no expert, you would do better to listen to Slamdunc and Castlemaid, but I just have one comment. I would not "play wrestle" or roughhouse with this dog, but I suspect you have already figured that out..


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

I'm surprised the ER visits and surgery didn't result in quarantine orders and some serious discussions with animal control. Doctors are required to report animal bites. 

I have no experience myself with this type of owner-aggression, I think this is usually a combination of genetics of the dog and inexperienced owner handling. At this point, with two very serious bites on his record, you need to seek out an experienced trainer, and select that trainer carefully.

I would only recommend a handful of trainers for this, Bailiff on this forum is one of them. You can PM him to get his information- it would probably involve a board and train and extensive follow-up with you, the owners. It would not come cheap. 

Sometimes a dog with this history really does have a "screw loose" but usually it doesn't, so there is hope even though these two severe bite incidents are highly concerning. Few owners would put up with this. This is completely unacceptable behavior, truly dangerous. A dog with incidents like this comes across the forum once in a while, but the outcomes really vary based on how willing the owners are to do what needs to be done. 

I'm sorry you are dealing with this, please seek out the help of an experienced, qualified trainer.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

newlie said:


> I am so sorry you are going through this. I am no expert, you would do better to listen to Slamdunc and Castlemaid, but I just have one comment. I would not "play wrestle" or roughhouse with this dog, but I suspect you have already figured that out..


Very good point! 

Absolutely, No rough housing or "play wrestling" with this dog. 

There is a lot going on here and it could be as simple as a spoiled, pushy, obnoxious dog learning that it's owners are afraid of him and capitalizing on it. Once a dog, especially a young dog, learns to get what it wants through growling, biting and aggression correcting he behavior becomes harder. It may be fixable, but generally requires the owners to completely change their behavior with the dog, take a leadership role and implement clear rules. This dog will now require a very strong owner, preferably one with experience. 

This dog could also have physical or behavioral problems, it is hard to say. I doubt the breeder that let the puppy go at 6 weeks will be much help. But, I would contact the breeder and get more information, especially about the parents and litter mates.


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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

I'm located in Australia, we got him from a breeder called 'Redgum Kennels' . We explained everything to the vet when we took him in to get neutered and he did a full check over and didn't find anything wrong with him. The new trainer I've reached out to comes from a recommendation from a GSD shelter, they use this guy on dogs that are surrendered to them. 

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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

Thank you for your response Castlemaid. We did try with the crate when he was younger but he freaked out in it, even when we tried to feed him in it and all the positive reinforcement techniques, so we gave up. Re the K9 options, our current trainer has offered to assess him to see him he could take him and train him up for someone else to use him.. my husband is concerned that Ramey will fail as whenever there is some sort of loud noise he runs to the opposite side of the room. He barks when people are walking past our house or come to the door but not in an aggressive 'i want to get out at you' kind of way

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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Being adopted at 6 weeks is not ideal but it should not have resulted in this extreme form of disturbed behavior. It seems like it has to do with social pressure. I once worked with a Golden retriever in a shelter like that. He was brought in with his registration papers and was a gorgeous dog. He was obedient and lovely until he refused to give up a toy and I tried to take the toy from him (by holding it only, so no physical correction). He would have taken my face off if I wasn't as fast as I was then. I contacted the breed's organisation (this was in Europe) and it turned out that one show champion in these lines produced pups with this kind of rage syndrome. Later another client called me about aggression in her GR and when I asked for the pedigree, that same sire was in it. This was a genetic issue.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Uh ... freaking WOW!!! This is ... pretty much off the hook??? And yes ... find a trainer is highly recommended but it's not as simple as opening a search engine and looking for "Dog Trainer??" You show give us your general location and someone on here may be able to point you in the right direction. 

That said ... you still need to live with this dog and this dog "needs" to be Crate Trained! If he won't go in the Crate ... he does not eat ... feed him in the Crate ... only. His life in your home needs to be structured. Indoors he should be in "Place" (which needs to be trained) or in his Crate, no free roaming indoors and no bed or furniture privileges. No more affection and no more giving him the opportunity to "make poor choices." 

And lastly ... more or less ... I would reevaluate the "walks." A casual stroll around the block is not gonna cut it. The walks should be properly structured walks, done with purpose and pretty much conducted in silence. Aside from OK or Stay and a occasional "Good Boy" if he is??? But no sniffing or wondering about ... we are going this way dog ... end of discussion. When you get to whereever ... let him take a "potty break" and after that ... just "Sit." That would be "Sit on the Dog" no commands or talking just sit ... then head home. If corrections are necessary ... a slight tug sideways should suffice. But considering this dog's history ... a muzzle for walks at least for awhile ... might not be bad idea???

He kinda sorta sounds like a very high potential for an up leash dog??? IE ... might not take kindly to being told no??? There are protocols for muzzle conditioning ... just a thought.

And the details to things I've alluded to can be found here. :
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/8006017-post7.html 

And as I said find a trainer by all means but ... the dog still lives with you and some serious changes need to be made at home. Welcome aboard and sorry ... it appears to be a seriously bumpy ride!!


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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> Being adopted at 6 weeks is not ideal but it should not have resulted in this extreme form of disturbed behavior. It seems like it has to do with social pressure. I once worked with a Golden retriever in a shelter like that. He was brought in with his registration papers and was a gorgeous dog. He was obedient and lovely until he refused to give up a toy and I tried to take the toy from him (by holding it only, so no physical correction). He would have taken my face off if I wasn't as fast as I was then. I contacted the breed's organisation (this was in Europe) and it turned out that one show champion in these lines produced pups with this kind of rage syndrome. Later another client called me about aggression in her GR and when I asked for the pedigree, that same sire was in it. This was a genetic issue.


Hi Wolfy, what ended up happening to the golden retriever? I haven't been in touch with the breeders yet. I wasn't sure if I'd get great support considering they were willing to give away puppies at 6 weeks like that. Does getting in touch with the breeder usually just allow you to diagnose the problem faster?

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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Have you ruled out anything medical? Tumors? Thyroid?


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

wolfy dog said:


> Being adopted at 6 weeks is not ideal but it should not have resulted in this extreme form of disturbed behavior. It seems like it has to do with social pressure. I once worked with a Golden retriever in a shelter like that. He was brought in with his registration papers and was a gorgeous dog. He was obedient and lovely until he refused to give up a toy and I tried to take the toy from him (by holding it only, so no physical correction). He would have taken my face off if I wasn't as fast as I was then. I contacted the breed's organisation (this was in Europe) and it turned out that one show champion in these lines produced pups with this kind of rage syndrome. Later another client called me about aggression in her GR and when I asked for the pedigree, that same sire was in it. This was a genetic issue.


I have heard about that happening a bit more with Goldens ... not my cup of tea but kinda sad to hear nonetheless.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Kayla31 said:


> Hi Wolfy, what ended up happening to the golden retriever? I haven't been in touch with the breeders yet. I wasn't sure if I'd get great support considering they were willing to give away puppies at 6 weeks like that. Does getting in touch with the breeder usually just allow you to diagnose the problem faster?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk


The one brought into the shelter was put down. The owner who called me about her pet dog; not sure anymore what they decided (20+ years ago). In that time there was a similar problem with the Datamations and the Bernese Mnt Dogs


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## Breaker's mom (May 27, 2008)

Nothing to add regarding suggestions but I just want to say I am very sorry you are going through this. I hope a good trainer comes your way...


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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

Breaker's mom said:


> Nothing to add regarding suggestions but I just want to say I am very sorry you are going through this. I hope a good trainer comes your way...


Thanks so much Breaker's mom. It has been tough. We both love him a lot. Really hoping that the shelter trainer can help us.

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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I'm sorry ... but I highly doubt a "Shelter Trainer" is going to be of much use ... that is simply just not what they do.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

this is the only thing I can offer. It may give you a second or two extra before an outburst. In the coming days, be observant of his body language, especially when he is relaxed and happy. the way his ears are positioned, what his muscles look like, mouth open or closed. Breathing rhythm, facial expression, shape of his eyes. This will give a good base line to gauge how your dog is feeling and help you better in seeing the more subtle changes before an out burst. 

I haven't been in your situation but I have had to deal w/ dog aggression. I have found that knowing my boys subtle signals has helped me tremendously not just with aggression but everyday interactions.

I'm not a trainer but thought this was worth mentioning.

I'm sorry this is happening and wish the best outcome for you,dh and your boy


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Heartandsoul said:


> this is the only thing I can offer. It may give you a second or two extra before an outburst. In the coming days, be observant of his body language, especially when he is relaxed and happy. the way his ears are positioned, what his muscles look like, mouth open or closed. Breathing rhythm, facial expression, shape of his eyes. This will give a good baseline to gauge how your dog is feeling and help you better in seeing the more subtle changes before an outburst.


 That is good advise ... but it is also an acquired skill set. 



Heartandsoul said:


> I haven't been in your situation but I have had to deal w/ dog aggression. I have found that knowing my boys subtle signals has helped me tremendously not just with aggression but everyday interactions.


 I'm gonna say aside from "Pro's" most of us have never seen or experienced anything like this??? 

There was a X-Mas day meltdown two years ago and the husband, upon advise from a Vet Alpha Rolled the wrong dog and got 40 stitches in the face! I thought ... that was as bad as it got but ... apparently not.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Heartandsoul said:


> this is the only thing I can offer. It may give you a second or two extra before an outburst. In the coming days, be observant of his body language, especially when he is relaxed and happy. the way his ears are positioned, what his muscles look like, mouth open or closed. Breathing rhythm, facial expression, shape of his eyes. This will give a good base line to gauge how your dog is feeling and help you better in seeing the more subtle changes before an out burst.
> 
> I haven't been in your situation but I have had to deal w/ dog aggression. I have found that knowing my boys subtle signals has helped me tremendously not just with aggression but everyday interactions.
> 
> ...


FYI, I read another post about this several years ago and it was very helpful to me with Newlie's reactivity to other dogs. The post was about how it was often too late to divert a dog's attention once they became hyped up and agitated, that it was much more effective to try to catch the dog in the seconds before it reacts. Once I started looking for signals, it was so obvious that I wondered how I didn't see it before. When Newlie sees some dogs, (or squirrels and rabbits for that matter), he usually stops dead in his tracks for a minute and has a laser-focused stare. However, I don't even have to see his eyes anymore, I can tell it now when I am beside or behind him. His body becomes tense, his neck seems to extend as his head goes way up and his ears go up even further than they usually do. It is unmistakable. I know that human and dog aggression are two very different things, but being aware of those signals has more than once bought me time to react. Maybe that is something your new trainer can help you with.


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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

Chip18 said:


> I'm sorry ... but I highly doubt a "Shelter Trainer" is going to be of much use ... that is simply just not what they do.


Sorry I may not have described it correctly. He is a professional obedience and behaviour trainer who has helped the australian GSD shelter in their rehabilitation and training of some of the dogs that come through the shelter. Some of these dogs haven't been treated well so he has seen a lot of different behaviours with shepherds. He also works privately with others alongside helping the shelter.

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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Kayla31 said:


> Sorry I may not have described it correctly. He is a professional obedience and behaviour trainer who has helped the australian GSD shelter in their rehabilitation and training of some of the dogs that come through the shelter. Some of these dogs haven't been treated well so he has seen a lot of different behaviours with shepherds. He also works privately with others alongside helping the shelter.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk


Ah ... OK and yes ... that is quite a bit different, that is good to hear!


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

I just went back and re-read the first post. This dog has shown no aggression to other people or dogs. The owners gave up on crate training because the dog didn't like it. The aggression after surgery was excused because the dog was groggy... the dog is a resource guarder yet wasn't left to just eat in peace. 

This sounds to me less and less like a dog "with a screw loose" (I hate that term) and more and more like a pushy dog who has gotten away with things. A trainer can push almost any dog into defensive aggression- of the two times I've been bitten (once was defending my dog from an attacking dog) the other time was when I went to give a pill to my friends geriatric, 45 lb dog, and neglected to see the warning signs. That dog, who has no bite history, latched onto my forearm and didn't let go for a while. I flushed out the wounds, but I learned something- any dog can bite given the right provocation. The dog lived out the rest of her 16 years with just that one bite to her credit. 

The reason I tell this story is that sometimes the dog is biting because it has a serious problem with its genetics. But sometimes it is biting because of the inexperience or poor handling by the owners. In this case, I think it is the latter. 

Not to rag on the OP, but you need to step up your game and learn how to deal with this dog- no wrestling, leave him in peace when he's eating, figure out how to deal with resource guarding or manage it so it's not an issue. Maybe he needs to be a kennel dog for now, and not have free roam of the house. Maybe he just needs to be a kennel dog and only be out for training and exercise. That is all OK. 

I'd really seek out a very experienced trainer for this, do your homework and don't waste money or time with someone who lacks experience or expertise. 

He is just a year old! I've found that many male dogs aren't fully mature until around 2.5 to 3. You need to get this taken care of now, and be very disciplined about doing what needs to be done to make sure this dog doesn't get a chance to bite you again.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Muskeg said:


> I just went back and re-read the first post. This dog has shown no aggression to other people or dogs. The owners gave up on crate training because the dog didn't like it. The aggression after surgery was excused because the dog was groggy... the dog is a resource guarder yet wasn't left to just eat in peace.
> 
> This sounds to me less and less like a dog "with a screw loose" (I hate that term) and more and more like a pushy dog who has gotten away with things. A trainer can push almost any dog into defensive aggression- of the two times I've been bitten (once was defending my dog from an attacking dog) the other time was when I went to give a pill to my friends geriatric, 45 lb dog, and neglected to see the warning signs. That dog, who has no bite history, latched onto my forearm and didn't let go for a while. I flushed out the wounds, but I learned something- any dog can bite given the right provocation. The dog lived out the rest of her 16 years with just that one bite to her credit.
> 
> ...


Great perspective. I overlooked that part and apologize for going the genetic route first.


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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

Muskeg said:


> I just went back and re-read the first post. This dog has shown no aggression to other people or dogs. The owners gave up on crate training because the dog didn't like it. The aggression after surgery was excused because the dog was groggy... the dog is a resource guarder yet wasn't left to just eat in peace.
> 
> This sounds to me less and less like a dog "with a screw loose" (I hate that term) and more and more like a pushy dog who has gotten away with things. A trainer can push almost any dog into defensive aggression- of the two times I've been bitten (once was defending my dog from an attacking dog) the other time was when I went to give a pill to my friends geriatric, 45 lb dog, and neglected to see the warning signs. That dog, who has no bite history, latched onto my forearm and didn't let go for a while. I flushed out the wounds, but I learned something- any dog can bite given the right provocation. The dog lived out the rest of her 16 years with just that one bite to her credit.
> 
> ...


Hi Muskeg, I'm hoping that you are right. I know my husband and I are not experienced handlers so I agree that we haven't done everything right from the start. We've never had a working line GSD before. Looking back it probably wasn't the smartest choice considering the experience he does need, but we are committed and don't want to just give him up. We are trying to give him a good life. Ramey is a very dominant dog and does definitely push the boundaries constantly. But as you mentioned, he is still maturing. I also hope we can get the help and experience of a proper trainer so this can be worked out. 

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## NYCgsd (Apr 23, 2016)

Working line males are known for having an "edge". I don't think he is a bad dog from what you described, it can stem from something you or a family member had done and you may have not even noticed it. Before you give up on the dog and put him down you should be completely fair with him and yourselves, ask yourself; Have you given this dog a fair shot and hired a professional trainer? If not, then you haven't been fair.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I'm not really big on the "screw loose" thing ... I understand it can happen but it's also fairly rare ... although I have heard some things about, American Akita's but I digress.

Most of the time the issues revolve around management in the home and poor choices by the owner. I had ... five packs fight and got sent to the ER for stitches by my first GSD! And had I followed my now ... current advise ... none of that would have happened because "Rocky" would not have been giving the opportunity to make "Poor Choices!" But to be fair ... I was never his target, that would have been a heads up for me but he laid low for seven months and ... then at 116 lbs (OS GSD) it was "Game ON!"

I learned from my mistakes and that crap will never happen again but our story is here.:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/aggression-good-bad-ugly/399905-what-would-my-dog-do.html


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## Kayla31 (Apr 7, 2017)

Hi all. Thought I'd post an update on here for anyone who goes through something similar. We had another incident with Ramey a few months ago. This time he came up to me when I was lying on the couch, I patted him and all of a sudden he started snarling at me inches from my face. He then turned around and attacked my husband and pretty much chased us out of the house. My husband had to go to hospital as he had multiple bites. The next day we spoke to our trainers who agreed to take him and try and train him for a working job. We couldn't do it anymore. It was so scary. About three weeks after our trainers took him we had a call from them, in a routine training session he had another incident without any provoking. His eyes went white and he started snarling and snapping at the trainer for no reason. They believe now that he had something called rage syndrome which is an extremely rare neurological condition which causes him to almost black out for moments. It explains a little while he looked so confused afterwards sometimes when he came back to us. Unfortunately due to his unpredictably, the trainers told us that they would need to put him down. It makes me incredibly sad knowing that he couldn't help it. When he was present with us, he was the best dog. I hope no one else needs to go through this and can learn more about this syndrome if any one else experiences similar incidents to ours.

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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Hi, I'm so sorry you and your husband have been through all this trauma, and now grief. Have you contacted the breeder about what has happened? Maybe the trainers could do this for you so the breeder knows how serious the problem was. The trainers may also be able to help find you another dog, when you are ready.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Yes I just leaned of this syndrome recently. Same symptoms, same unfortunate conclusion. I'm hoping it's not a common problem. Very sad.:crying:


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## Bjax (Nov 23, 2016)

I'm so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you tried everything possible. Sometimes, as rare as it is, you lose the genetic lottery.


I found this article on rage syndrome interesting. 

Springer Rage Syndrome | ESSFTA - English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association


I always thought it was a seizure disorder, but apparently it is more commonly a severe form of dominances aggression that seems to fit with the description of the attacks in this case. If that's the cause, it explains why it tends to run in show lines in goldens, springers, and cockers. The confident dog is far more impressive at a show. In general over selecting one trait often has unintended results, just like pointing results in nervousness and herding results in neuroticism.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I am so sorry to hear this, but be comforted that you did all you could. Think of it this way, if your boy had developed terminal cancer, you would at some point have had him put to sleep to keep him from needless suffering. Your pup also had a condition which evidently has no cure and which was causing him and every one else needless anxiety and pain. After all, it can't have been comfortable even for him to perceive danger everywhere and from everybody. Run free, sweet boy, you can be at peace now.


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