# 1 year old boy is to aggresive



## aliceinwonder83 (Oct 20, 2017)

Hello, I have a 1 year old German shepherd dog. His name is Commander and he is very rough. He is smart but he won't listen. He does whatever he wants and if you try to make him do something he gets angry and will snap at you. He always has to have something in his mouth and often times favores having a hand or foot. If you tell him no and try to get your hand back he gets mad and tries harder to get your hand or whatever and bites down harder. He also often bites my face or the top of my head. He also just gets really aggressive when he plays. He loves to run but will sometimes turn back on me and will bare his teeth and snarl really awfully. He does this a lot when mad. I have tried to train him but since he doesn't listen and only gets angry when made to do something it doesnt work out. He also wont listen for food or toys getting to hyper and not focusing on me and what I'm telling him. I also don't have money to take him to a training school and giving him away is not an option either.


----------



## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

aliceinwonder83 said:


> Hello, I have a 1 year old German shepherd dog. His name is Commander and he is very rough. He is smart but he won't listen. He does whatever he wants and if you try to make him do something he gets angry and will snap at you. He always has to have something in his mouth and often times favores having a hand or foot. If you tell him no and try to get your hand back he gets mad and tries harder to get your hand or whatever and bites down harder. He also often bites my face or the top of my head. He also just gets really aggressive when he plays. He loves to run but will sometimes turn back on me and will bare his teeth and snarl really awfully. He does this a lot when mad. I have tried to train him but since he doesn't listen and only gets angry when made to do something it doesnt work out. He also wont listen for food or toys getting to hyper and not focusing on me and what I'm telling him. I also don't have money to take him to a training school and giving him away is not an option either.


How do you train him? Could you explain that?


----------



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

There is no magic bullet. It sounds like you have a high drive dog and you need to be very clear in your commands on what you want to do. You have to be very clear what the rewards and consequences are. At one year of age he is much like a human teenager, thinking that they are all grown up and know everything when in fact they don't. They push the boundaries. 

Can you make some videos of how you try and work your dog and post it on You Tube or Vimeo and share it with us? Another set of eyes can be a great help.


----------



## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I need to be blunt, because this is a bad situation.

You've said that you can't train Commander because he won't listen and he bites you.

You say that you can't hire a trainer.

And you say that rehoming this dog is not an option.

How do you see this playing out? It won't get better unless you rethink one of these variables. And in fact it could and very likely will get much worse! 

It's not as expensive to hire a good trainer for a few hours, than it is to visit an emergency room for stitches or something worse. 

I looked just now, and for 350.00 you can get 3, 1-hour sessions in my area. In three sessions a good trainer can probably resolve most of this problem behavior. And I say that because, I've seen it happen time and again. It's not your fault, and it's not the dog's fault, it's more likely the dynamic between you. Hire a good, balanced, GSD experienced trainer, and I guarantee you you will be amazed at the progress you can make in 3 hours!


----------



## DaBai (Aug 13, 2017)

I am sorry that you are in such a situation, but you really need to save money to find a trainer or find an experienced rescue/organization to give him away for your own safety. How serious are his bites? Does he attack other people and dogs? I am afraid saving money by not finding a trainer will cost you more money down the road with medical/law suit bills.


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

This is the reason why the most common age for GSDs to end up on shelters in my area is 6-18 months. Mouthy, bratty behavior that was (sort of) cute as a puppy becomes unacceptable in a larger dog.... but the mental state of the dog is still that of an overgrown puppy with no boundaries. It's the age where lack of good training as puppies manifests as butt-headed adolescent. 

They're often completely turned around in 2-4 weeks in an experienced foster home that puts some basic OB on them, gets them lots of exercise and mental stimulation, and practices NILF. I've seen many of them become really great dogs in that short transition, in the right hands. That should tell you that part of what's needed is learning the right skillset!

If you can't afford private training, look for an obedience club (Google: [your town/county/state] obedience club). They are sometimes a less expensive option than private trainers. Also, look through your local parks & rec programming or community college extension programming (or even your local city animal shelter) -- these public institutions sometimes have affordable group classes taught by APDT-certified trainers. One of the people who teaches such a low-cost class in a nearby town's community college in my state is the head of the local IPO club -- translating OB training for pet (non-sport) dogs. She's amazing at helping working breed owners problem solve in her group classes. There are people out there like her in many communities, and a 6-8 week course can run as little as $100 for the entire course (or even less, sometimes).


----------



## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

aliceinwonder83 said:


> Hello, I have a 1 year old German shepherd dog. His name is Commander and he is very rough. He is smart but he won't listen. He does whatever he wants and if you try to make him do something he gets angry and will snap at you. He always has to have something in his mouth and often times favores having a hand or foot. If you tell him no and try to get your hand back he gets mad and tries harder to get your hand or whatever and bites down harder. He also often bites my face or the top of my head. He also just gets really aggressive when he plays. He loves to run but will sometimes turn back on me and will bare his teeth and snarl really awfully. He does this a lot when mad. I have tried to train him but since he doesn't listen and only gets angry when made to do something it doesnt work out. He also wont listen for food or toys getting to hyper and not focusing on me and what I'm telling him. I also don't have money to take him to a training school and giving him away is not an option either.


Then for crying out loud STOP PUTTING UP WITH IT! By doing nothing, you're just letting him get away with being a demanding brat. He's not mad, he's pitching a fit like a 2-year old human because he wants something and you're saying no. Stop letting him do that.

Does he know the word "no"? If not, teach him the meaning of "no". Make "no" come to mean something uncomfortable and intimidating. Give him the stink eye and a low, threatening growl when you say it. Look intimidating. Imagine you're a giant bear. He should squirm a little under your displeased glare and tone of voice. He should look slightly unsettled (not terrified, just unsettled).

Put him in a boring room for 10-20 minutes when he acts up--do this as many times as you have to until he stops being a brat and calms down for the moment. From this point forward, being a brat means he goes in the boring room. The second you decide you've had enough, give him the "no" and put him away.

Additionally, from this point forward, he's not allowed to eat until he sits. He's not allowed to leave the house until he sits. He doesn't get to fetch the stick until he sits. He doesn't get ANYTHING until he sits or lays down. No more babying. No more pampering. No more being scared of your own dog.


I'm fairly certain that you simply deciding you're not going to put up with his behavior will start to change things before you even take any action. Why? Because you're going to stand up straighter, you're going to glare at him harder, and generally look like a being that is serious. Dogs read such things very well.


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

To what Kyrielle said, check your vocal tone. Really listen to yourself or better yet, use your phone to record your voice. Do you sound a little whiney when you say things? I mean, is your tone high pitched, saying something like, "Nooooo, stop! Owwwww! Quiiiiit it. Noooooooooo. Bad boy!"? That's a super common newbie mistake.

Learn to say "no" one time, in a deep, guttoral tone -- if you're a woman with a high-pitched voice, this can take practice. 

The other thing that's incredibly important for your bond is to give the dog a replacement behavior to some of the annoying stuff. PRAISE and REWARD that replacement behavior so that you aren't just constantly correcting and constantly saying "no, no bad dog." If you're doing things right, your marker for good behavior should be much more common in your home than "no." (You can use "yes!", "good!", "bravo!" whatever-- even a clicker is just a marker.) Most people totally forget to tell their dog when it's being good. They just take it for granted that the dog knows. Help him know what the right thing to do is by telling him! 

Mine learn that if they want attention, come sit next to me and look up. It's polite and lovely, and it becomes a default behavior for them over time--one that I like a lot. It's self-reinforcing because they get what they want (attention, praise, snuggles). Same is true for fetch -- if sit-stay or down-stay is rewarded with a release and a throw, that's a great reward. Dogs are brilliant at learning how to make good stuff keep happening once they connect cause and effect.


----------

