# how to introduce my GSP to new people in the house



## king88 (May 20, 2010)

i have a 2 year old gsp and he is very aggressive. every time a stranger comes into the house he barks like crazy and will do any means to attack him/her. he wont stop barking (and it pisses the entire neighborhood off) until the stranger leaves the house. there were already three instances wherein he got out of his cage and ran after our visitor/guest and bit them. one time we accidentally left our main door open, and he ran out of the house and bit the 1st person he saw on the street. but after those mishaps, we fixed his cage properly so there would be no single way to get out of it

but it should also be noted that we only put him in the cage every time a stranger visits (so that he doesnt bite them) and we let him roam around the house freely the rest of the day. he even sleeps in our room every night

here's the problem though. a couple of months ago, my cousin started living in our house. now we cant let him (GSP) roam freely around all day, because he;ll bite my cousin for sure. what we do is just let him stay in the other room every time my cousin is in the "open". we tried training him by letting him go face to face with my cousin, but he just goes crazy and attempts to bite her (he cant though since we have a leash on his neck). for around 3 consecutive weeks, we had a training wherein my GSP just faces my cousin and every time he acts aggressive, i tell him not to and when he listens, my cousin gives him a food reward. the training lasted everyday (for 3 weeks) and around 20-30 mins per day. up to this day, he still acts aggressive every time he sees my cousin and would no doubt bite her .

what should i do? hopefully you guys can give me something that would also help him be a little bit more friendly to other strangers and not just my cousin. 

ps. walking him in the park or in public places or outside our house wont work, he'll just bite everyone. we once went to the vet's clinic, and he scared everyone off. the vet didnt want him to go inside the clinic, so he gave him his injections (vaccines) inside our car while my siblings and i wrestled him and took a hold of every body part he has + muffler so he wouldnt bite the vet.


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## king88 (May 20, 2010)

oh i would just like to add that despite these behaviors, he is very lovable and affectionate when it comes to us (my parents and siblings and i) as we've all been there since the very first day we got him. he plays with all of us and is very sweet


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i'm sorry you're having trouble. I do have to ask though. What kind of socialization did you do with this dog as he was growing up with your family? What are his parents like? Does aggression run in his genetics?


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## king88 (May 20, 2010)

well to be fair, when he was younger, we didnt let him roam around the park or the streets. but we did let him roam freely around our house though. so yeah, maybe not letting him meet new people when he was younger played a factor in this. but i still really need help to fix it

hmm about genetics, all i know is that everyone above him (in the family tree provided) was pure bred. i dont have information about aggression running in his genetics. sorry! hope you could still help me though , would very much appreciate it


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Is he a GSP (German Shorthaired Pointer) or GSD (German Shepherd Dog)?
In any case, have you tried muzzling him and having your guests offer really good treats to him? Seeing as he wasn't socialized when he was younger, his interpretation of the situation is that every visitor is an intruder and potential threat so he's displaying how tough he is so they leave. If he doesn't see everyone as a threat, his behavior should improve. 
However, as he's bitten several people already (and you're lucky you still have him!, here he'd be confiscated and euthanized by now), I wouldn't trust him unsupervised or off leash in public even if his behavior changes. Most dogs would be terrified to actually bite a person for the first time, but this dog knows he can bite people and they're pretty much defenseless so he won't be afraid to do it again if the mood strikes him.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

How much training has your dog had? What obedience behaviors does he know?


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## king88 (May 20, 2010)

@jax: oh sorry my bad, he is a german shepherd dog (GSD) i got it kinda mixed it up.

anyway like i've said, we've tried training him by letting him face my cousin, then every time he stops his aggression, my cousin gives him a food reward. we did this for around 3 consecutive weeks, and he still hasn't accepted my cousin until now. hope you can help me


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## king88 (May 20, 2010)

@samba: he understands "sit", "come here", and "SSHHHH" (which basically is telling him to be quiet). he usually listens , but once he sees a stranger, everything changes. his entire attention is on the stranger and how to go after him. he never listens to us when there's a stranger

also, when he hears a doorbell, he goes bananas and barks nonstop. well probably because he understands that a doorbell sound means there's a stranger.nevertheless, its pissing our entire neighborhood off

how should i fix this? im worried that one day if ever he gets into an emergency or is badly sick or something like that, we cant even bring him to the vet because he'll just attempt to bite the vet and everyone else. (proven already once)


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

well first, an aggressive minded dog be it fear aggression or just flat out aggression is usually muzzled and/or sedated when at the vet as a precaution. Secondly, i would definitely agree with the muzzle suggestion. He's bitten before and therefore knows he can get away with it. The muzzle is a better safe than sorry for the future. Guests should provide high value aka tasty treats. When a guest comes over, the dog should be muzzled and leashed so you have better control. The guest(s) are NOT to make eye contact with the dog, you vocalizing to the dog. Normal movements and tossing treats every now and then so your dog learns to associate guests with treats instead of a threat. Also bear in mind that some GSDs simply will not accept guests, ever. While others will take a while to warm up to people who are members of the household (example would be your cousin who moved in). GSDs size people up and determine who is trustworthy. Some are overly friendly and welcoming and trust everyone while others are not so trusting and accepting. I can tell you that you definitely have your work cut out for you in training him to at least be semi polite and behaved with guests though with his current and previous behavior, i would never trust him around guests without him being leashed and under control. at the very least, him being muzzled so he cant bite which a muzzled suggestion would be a cage muzzle.


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## ShenzisMom (Apr 27, 2010)

If the dog will not accept treats from strangers it means he is above his threshold. We all have to remember that a muzzle stops the dog from biting, but does not stop scratching, or breaking out of the muzzle, or muzzle punches.
You need to start NILF. Nothing in life is free - NILF - dog training - Article on Pets.ca | Pets.ca
You need to start tethering your dog to you. When he is out of the crate, he is attached to you. He is no longer allowed on the bed or sofa. He has to work for his dinner. He no longer has freedom.
You need to go to an obedience school. If you post generally where you are located someone will be able to give you the name of a good school.
You need to start socializing him. Take him to the park. Take him and sit in front of a grocery store. Let him 'people watch'.
Personnally, I would have him muzzled through the socializing. 

Having a dog that is always muzzled is not the end of the world. It shows your responsibility, and knowledge of your animal. Make sure it is a good muzzle, like a basket muzzle. You want to make sure the dog is still able to pant, drink and recieve treats(if he will take them). However, I believe a jafco muzzle is more suited to your needs. Leerburg | Jafco Plastic Dog Muzzles

Please, join a training club. A trainer will help you infinately more than someone on the internet.


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