# Aggression towards other dogs



## Aydhayeth (Feb 24, 2015)

Hello guys,

A couple of months ago I adopted a two year old GSD called Dex.
He has not been a model dog and has needed a lot of sculpting.

I am not a professional dog trainer but I know my way around dogs most of the time.

I am however in need of some advice.
We have noticed that he does not appreciate other dogs. This being said, the place we adopted him from he lived with 5 other dogs and was not an issue. With us he lives with a single other dog, a lab who is the leader, beneath me of course.

At first they fought quite severely but have sorted this out, and apart from the occasional growl everything is fine.

However...
On walks when we encounter unknown dogs he will lunge. I have sorted this out by distracting him with toys, per tip from you guys. And this works great.
Now yesterday a buddy came by with two borders. We met up in a field, neutral territory. I muzzled dex because I knew what was going to happen and sure as **** it did.
On leash, the second the other dog got near he went after her. I could hear him trying to bite ( teeth chattering ). I told him off quite severely and he calmed down. I unleashed him and unmuzzled him after about 10 minutes and started playing fetch and the other dogs got ignored completely.

I did a test, was paying attention to the little pup while dex dropped him ball next to me and I ignored him. It did not take long for him to go after the pup because he was getting ignored.

After scolding he stopped and resumed fetching. 
I put the ball away but once he knows I have it his focus is on me for the next gazillion hours until I throw it.

So what I am asking is, how do I sort this out? I put the muzzle on if I have to, but prefer to avoid it as it is not much fun for him, nor for me. 
I don't think he lunges out of aggression or fear but more for attention.

What you must know is that he lived outside in a backyard for two years, together with other dogs, but with free reign. Doing as he saw fit.
This is a recurring issue in anything I do, as he is extremely bright but extremely stubborn.

Cheers for any advice.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Well first welcome aboard! And congratulations on passing the "unofficial" first test!

You've pre acknowledged..."hmm maybe I don't know...everything??" 

Sometimes it take pages of post just to get that point through and those folks pretty much checkout and some of us wait to see them again, in the my dog bit growled at etc aggression thread in a few months, if they have not already dumped the dog!

Anyway enough of that! Let's get started! Most likely the dog you have is a Dominant male dog!

That was my first dog Bull Mastiff/APBT/Lab mix I thought Dog Park dog! But... he made it clear yeah...no, that is not going to happen??? I had him evaluated by a Pro he pronounced him a" Dominate" male dog! OK I could deal the dog has to be "managed"...no dog parks,taught to ignore other dogs problem solved!

With proper leadership/management and training such dogs can be taught to behave properly around other dogs but it takes time and the right methods!

You said he was fine with the other dogs he lived with?? That is not a mystery! If it was a foster, either they were very good at all three of the above skills or the other four dogs were all balanced dogs and the GSD was the top dog in the pack! A GSD in a pack and no or few "issues" is not an easy thing to achieve, when a Dominant male dog is involved so Kudo to them! 

You are going to have to put in a lot more work with this dog "before" you can put him around other dog and ...please even then avoid Dog Parks more on that bit of advice later. 

First your choice to use a muzzle? Congratulations, 3 minutes in on this clip and you can see why that was sound reasoning! 

I used this one myself for awhile with my GSD with uh...issues!

A Great Small And Lightweight Nylon Mesh Muzzle

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5589386-post1.html

I post the link at the end...all the time! I also stress "Who Pets my puppy or Dog" that is how you demonstrate leadership with your dog! You don't seem to have a "people" issue (my problem) but the principles are still the same!

Dog stays beside you at all times! If he is safe with people that's fine but he does not step out front! You stand in front of him and make the intros, then step aside and let people greet him if they chose and you allow, other than that... move on an ignore! That's what you do with people and that's what you do with dogs, move on an ignore!

It sounds like most likely you are "not" doing "I thought my dog was friendly folks??" Because it seems like you clearly understand that, your is not?? If that is the case then it's a good call on your part! You don't need any additional bad encounters! Muzzled or not a bad encounter reinforces a bad behaviour that you want to get rid off!

David Winners pointed out that I'm a bit lacking on the "leash reactive dog" bit (I'll work on that ) but I do cover the basics of "my dog is reactive on leash to other dogs". Note the "loose leash in the clip!" on that issue!

I also cover the teach your dog to walk on a loose leash! And that is key to more than just walking your dog! In any case, the leash has to be loose always! The instant the leash tightens you've lost control!

I found that by training my dogs " to walk well on a Loose leash" and avoiding Dog Parks and "I thought my dog was friendly folks"... you don't get a "leash reactive dog"...hence my lack of alot of info on that subject!:blush:You also don't get additional problems that "you" will have to fix if you simply avoid having "bad encounters"!

The only tool I use is a flat collar and leash but now I'll simply recommend a slip leash:

British Style Slip-Lead

Not a brand recommendation just showing what they look like! 

And yes I also used a fabric muzzle for awhile with...my dog changed at 15 months, High Rank Drive,People Aggressive GSD!

But I did most of the things I'll link and if you do enough time with "Who Pets...thing (you'll find many more people to ignore than you will dogs) the time will come when you will be be able to read your dog..."know your dog" and your dog will "understand" how you "expect" him to behave and will listen to you and you can drop the use of the muzzle! An (easier to manage dog!)

The "walks" are extremely important! With an open desert to exercise my dogs, I badly underestimated the value of one on one walks with my GSD!

Don't be like me! :blush:

So with all that by way of an explanation...here you go:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html

And yeah...I got more!


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

I would stop setting the dog up to fail and work at a distraction level the dog can handle. You are having success with focus training already. Putting the dog into a situation where you know it is going to fail is counter productive.

I would put focus on cue, meaning when you say "watch" the dog will look at you. Then proof that against distraction incrementally, adding corrections after you 100% know that the dog understands the command. I'd also do the same with down and heel.

Then, you can work outside the dogs threshold and build good behavior. If the dog gets distracted, ask for focus. Then you can slowly, at the dog's pace not yours, work closer and closer to other dogs.

All this would probably go much smoother with a trainer who can read the dog and determine if the dog is fearful or just being a jerk.

I would advise against putting the dog in a fabric muzzle for anything longer than a few minutes. They restrict panting and the dog can overheat easily. If you are going to use a muzzle, get a Jafco, Baskerville or other basket muzzle.

When you say stubborn, you really are humanizing the dog. Try consistently (100%) rewarding good behavior, and communicating bad behavior for a while. You may find that "stubborn" dog just lacked some clear communication. I see it all the time. 

"My dog is so stubborn! All he will do is sit."

"Let me guess. Every time you go get a cookie, the dog sits and you give him the cookie."

"Well sure."

"What other behaviors have you encouraged the dog to do to get the cookie?"

"Waddya mean?"


Who is stubborn?


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

David Winners said:


> I would advise against putting the dog in a fabric muzzle for anything longer than a few minutes. They restrict panting and the dog can overheat easily. If you are going to use a muzzle, get a Jafco, Baskerville or other basket muzzle.


I just put Rocky's fabric muzzle on to check out his ability pant. He was already panting so I figured it was good test!

He looked at me like??? What is this about??? Refused to open his mouth! 

Certainly no vigorous exercise and high heat would also be a consideration! In view of that and your recommendation not to use it, if the dog is out and about as it were! I will stop recommending its use...to many precautions!

I like to use the KISS concept so...job is done here that regard!


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

From; http://leerburg.com/muzzleselection.htm

Fabric muzzles are good for a vet's office or to carry in a vehicle, backpack or emergency medical kit. They should not be used for training.

Cloth muzzles restrict a dog's ability to pant and it’s not recommended to leave them on while the animal is unattended. If it's hot out or the dog is stressed in a warm environment that dog could over heat and possibly die. So these fabric muzzles should only be used while the dog is being supervised by the owner.

From: http://muttabouttown.com/2013/03/16/why-we-dont-need-to-fear-muzzles/

– Use a basket muzzle, never a cloth or “grooming” muzzle. Cloth muzzles prevent a dog from panting, and can be dangerous when worn for extended periods of time. Basket muzzles allow a dog to take treats, drink water, and pant.


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