# Aggressive German Shepherd, behaviour issues.



## jrmonti (Jan 11, 2012)

Hi Forum. We have a German Shepherd ( a girl ) of two months. She is aggressive, and i'm going to tell you what she does everyday.

- She doesn't respond when we call her. Of 10 times, she comes 3 o 4.

- She usually, when we are walking, entwines in our legs and bites ( aggressively ) the foots.

- Once I, accidentally, chocked her and she bitten her tongue. She barked me and showed her tooths.

- When she start to bite, we scold her. And she comes one or two steps back, and jumps to bite again ( some times more aggressively ).

She is little, yet. But I would like to know some exercises and advices to do with her to improve her behaviour and ( specially ) stop her biting.

I discovered that if I go a step further and close to her when she bites, she stop biting. Also, she follows me ( more than the other people in the family ) because I'm not afraid of her. She respect me a little bit more. Also its common that she shows her belly to me.

Please, I would like to receive tips and suggestions, and also exercises to train her and to be able to "explain" her that Im and the leader, not her.

Thanks.


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Sounds to me like a normal GSD puppy.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

She's only 2 months old?


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Sounds like a landshark GSD pup to me, which is normal for the breed.

How old is the puppy?


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

Everything about OP's post made me giggle. Sorry, don't mean any disrespect to OP b/c I was exactly where you are at one time.

GSD pups are notorious about doing everything you just listed. She's a pup. She loves you and wants to play. She rolls over and shows you her tummy b/c she wants you to pet her there (all mine love their bellies rubbed most) She probably follows you around b/c you may be the person she is attached to. Most shepherds attach to one person in the family.

Sounds like your girl is very energize. When she starts biting you, try redirecting her attention by giving her a chew toy. You have to be patience...eventually she will grow out of the landshark stage. Read a little about crate training...it will help her have a stop button.

Good luck....and I would love to see pictures of your girl.


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

jrmonti said:


> Hi Forum. We have a German Shepherd ( a girl ) of two months. She is aggressive, and i'm going to tell you what she does everyday.
> 
> - She doesn't respond when we call her. Of 10 times, she comes 3 o 4.
> 
> ...


Have you had her 2 months or is she 2 months old. If you've had her 2 months, how old is she?
If she is 2 months old. Calm down, she is not aggressive, she is a baby. The not coming when called, the getting wound around your legs on walks, the biting, the growling.....at this age she has no idea what she's doing and what you want of her. I am not sure how you accidentally choked her...but being calm, consistent and patient with her now is the key.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

jrmonti said:


> Hi Forum. We have a German Shepherd ( a girl ) of two months. She is aggressive, and i'm going to tell you what she does everyday.
> 
> - She doesn't respond when we call her. Of 10 times, she comes 3 o 4.
> 
> ...


As others have said sounds like a normal GS puppy. However, there are some things you need to fix from the start. You can not let her continue to bite. Give her lots of chew toys to bite on. You will probably have to go through lots before you find the one she likes. My GSD's have all liked the snugga toys by the makers of Kong. Also tennis balls are a favorite. If she likes food and treats (most GSD do) then that is the best way to train her to come every time. When she comes give her a small (really small just a taste really) treat every time until she gets it down. She comes she gets a treat. Other than that I strongly suggest a training class. You have to socialize GSD's early or you will have trouble later. She has to learn how to act around others. One more thing we found out by accident early on and have continued with all puppies since. GSD usually don't like to have toes handled. One puppy we got years ago had ticks and because she was to young for tick bath we had to hold her every day and check for ticks. This is a great training and bonding tool. Even tho I'm sure your little one doesn't have ticks make her sit still in your lap while you check her out at least twice a day. Look between toes and in ears. She will squirm at first but eventually she will grow to like the snuggle time and when she gets big you will have a much easier time clipping nails, checking ears, or just holding her still for a vet. 

Good luck!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

don't even know where to start with this one .

very obviously this dog does not even understand what "come" is . If you call her 10 times and the response is correct only 3 or 4 you are providing at least 6 opportunites to learn the wrong thing , the opposite , when she hears you call.

Structure . No free roaming around . Attach to you , have some device , light leash , nylon cord , light so that you can transission to the occasional not being attached (proofing) . Make a session out of it . Call her name to get attention , THEN request "come" . Make it pleasant . Give a little pop if the dog doesn't (don't drag) just a tug . The moment those feet take the first step to you give an indication that "yes!" this is what I want , good (voice rising) come, that's it , good. She is at your feet praise. Then you release her with an okay. You are the sun and she is your satelite.
Any time you can't supervise like this - into the crate she goes. 

Second - your feet as a toy , you as a toy. 
heeling , walking in a mannerly fashion.
choose a side to walk on . Conventional is LEFT side. Don't let her drift , sniff . Don't let her get ahead of you. Don't have the lead which for handling ease should be 6 feet and not chain which I have been seeing a lot lately . Don't cruise -- WALK . Throw in surprises . Short spurts of changes in speed . Quick right angle turns , sharp right, sharp left. Stop , get her to sit .
She won't have the opportunity to get all wound up in your legs.

If she bites your foot just exaggerate the movement make it uncomfortable for her . Don't giggle or play with her . 

Your scold is seen as you playing the same game . Words and more words are just noise -- unless the words have meaning and the context of those words are taught , word with action equals beginnings of understanding. 

quote "at this age she has no idea what she's doing and what you want of her." and so you have to show her what is appropriate and what is not.

What you expect in the end you should ask for and expect now. Asking for self control and respect , at any age, does not crush character or diminish drive . If you are consistent that means black and white here this is allowed and this will never be allowed. That is how a handler is to be trusted . 

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Here is a sticky thread with lots of links about teaching bite inhibition: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/puppy-behavior/85888-puppy-biting-teaching-bite-inhibition.html

Puppies bite because it's fun, and it's how they explore the world. It's up to you to teach her that it's not appropriate to put her teeth on you. 

And as Carmen said, she doesn't come when you call her because you haven't trained her to yet. How much time have you spent teaching name recognition and reinforcing her for coming to you?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

When you have such a young pup, you ARE the leader. You are bigger and louder and bring all the food.

So I'd back off that mindset and not waste anymore time on it.

Instead, you just need to TEACH your puppy how to be housebroken. How to play with you without bloodshed every time (the link above has great info). 

But the MOST important thing is to work on 'engagement' with your puppy! All good things will come if you take the time to train this with your puppy!

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...ime-owner/162230-engagement-key-training.html

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...-time-owner/165774-gsd-puppy-primer-tips.html


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm gonna out on a limb, and say that I suspect that this post is a joke or troll.

First post,.... and everything else I won't mention.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

jrmonti said:


> Hi Forum. We have a German Shepherd ( a girl ) of two months. She is aggressive, and i'm going to tell you what she does everyday.
> 
> - She doesn't respond when we call her. Of 10 times, she comes 3 o 4.
> 
> ...


:rofl:

I'm not laughing AT the OP...I'm laughing at the fact that a week or two after I got Echo I called my friend in tears crying, "this thing is evil, I've made the worst mistake, can I bring him back???" 

...a year and change later, he's the sweetest, mellowest, low-drive dog ever...for better or worse 

Hang in there, OP-- patience, consistancy, and boundaries, and it will pass!!


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## iBaman (Oct 25, 2011)

Anthony8858 said:


> I'm gonna out on a limb, and say that I suspect that this post is a joke or troll.
> 
> First post,.... and everything else I won't mention.



Bahahah, my first thought as well...


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Really enjoyed the video MRL! Thanks for posting it!


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

gee, i thought the video was going to be boring, but....... i was bummed when it ended. almost felt like i was hiking thru the woods, how darn cute is that puppy. wished i did that with my lexie, but she would put everything in her mouth,(wood, stones, water) and then get the runs. nice video maggie


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## monangenoir (Feb 19, 2013)

*Glad I read this post.*

My GSD is 9 weeks old, when we got her breeder lied about her age. Both her parents were registered, but this litter( what we were told was not planned) was not registered. When I was a teen we had a GSD we got at 12 weeks so looking at then at first I thought they were 8 weeks. After reading about growth I realized she wasnt as big as she should be at 8 wks. I took her to the vet and had him give me a rough estimate yesterday, he said 9 weeks. We have had her for 3. The behavior listed to me was normal especially for a pup who had been separated so early and I have been working hard on all rscommendations for bite inhibition. However, at vets they made a comment about how aggressive an unruly she was and THAT made me worry some. Seeing this made me feel better. The vet deal kinda messed with my confidence because I felt I had been doing really well with her. I mean I can tell her to sit and she does. She listens to no about half the time, with each day better. The biggest issue is my 5 year old kid and pups sharp teeth. My kid is dramatic about it, but tends to, how xo I put this, scream but giggle and put her hands out in front of pup.for a back off gesture, which of course makes puppy think she is enjoying this. Basically its a process of training.both the dog and the kid...lol. I do have one question though. The vet mentioned rubbing her ears to calm her, I didnt want tomess with her ears too much for the standing up thing, but I tried and for some reason touching her ears seems to rile her up more, is that normal for a GSD of her age? Like I said the first one I had we got at 12 weeks and sbe waz very calm and snuggly by the time we got her(and she was already potty trained, without any training...lucky us.) She was the biggest reason I chose to bring a GSD into our family, she was just all around awesome.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

monangenoir said:


> My GSD is 9 weeks old, when we got her breeder lied about her age. Both her parents were registered, but this litter( what we were told was not planned) was not registered. When I was a teen we had a GSD we got at 12 weeks so looking at then at first I thought they were 8 weeks. After reading about growth I realized she wasnt as big as she should be at 8 wks. I took her to the vet and had him give me a rough estimate yesterday, he said 9 weeks. We have had her for 3. The behavior listed to me was normal especially for a pup who had been separated so early and I have been working hard on all rscommendations for bite inhibition. However, at vets they made a comment about how aggressive an unruly she was and THAT made me worry some. Seeing this made me feel better. The vet deal kinda messed with my confidence because I felt I had been doing really well with her. I mean I can tell her to sit and she does. She listens to no about half the time, with each day better. The biggest issue is my 5 year old kid and pups sharp teeth. My kid is dramatic about it, but tends to, how xo I put this, scream but giggle and put her hands out in front of pup.for a back off gesture, which of course makes puppy think she is enjoying this. Basically its a process of training.both the dog and the kid...lol. I do have one question though. The vet mentioned rubbing her ears to calm her, I didnt want tomess with her ears too much for the standing up thing, but I tried and for some reason touching her ears seems to rile her up more, is that normal for a GSD of her age? Like I said the first one I had we got at 12 weeks and sbe waz very calm and snuggly by the time we got her(and she was already potty trained, without any training...lucky us.) She was the biggest reason I chose to bring a GSD into our family, she was just all around awesome.


This thread is over a year old! Please start your own thread for comments, etc.


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## rasikakothari (Oct 30, 2013)

Hi. I have read quite a few posts. I must say our dog is not aggressive. But I really don't know what her problem is. And I don't know where to post my queries so I am posting them here.
We stay in Nagpur, India. We have a 1 year old gsd girl, Ruhi. We bought her from a known breeder. We were in a hurry because my 5 year old daughter was really waiting for a puppy for her birthday. This is our first dog. All the information we got was from the net about puppy behaviour and from friends who have/had gsds. Our vet also gave us some tips. 
In the earlier months Ruhi used to listen to us. Was always waiting for my daughter to play with her. My daughter was a little afraid earlier, but not now. She plays with ruhi. No concerns about that. Everyone suggested that we should not have a trainer. so we taught her a few basic commands lit sit, stay, lie. We could not train her to walk properly beside us. Last week, she went out for a walk with my father-in-law, he stays with us, and pulled so hard that he fell down and injured his thumb. She also succeeded in getting out of his grasp and started charging on other people, one even had a baby with her. All this unsettled us and we decided to hire a trainer.
Another problem is that she doesn't bark on people who come in our house, but barks on our housemaids. She doesn't let anyone go out of our gate.
We have been giving her Royal Canin since she was 4 months. We have fixed her food times. And she is not even potty trained. She does it in our garden and never when out on a walk.
The trainer says that we have pampered her and she has become lazy as she gets food on time without having to do anything. He recommended that we not give her food until she barks and asks for food. So we followed his advice for 2 days. But I couldn't stand her hungry looks and gave her food. 
I had taken the responsibility of training her. But I am pregnant and cannot take her for walks as she pulls quite hard.
There are many other things but don't know what to do. Really desperate for advice.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

rasikakothari said:


> And she is not even potty trained. She does it in our garden and never when out on a walk.


Actually, "potty trained" usually refers to a dog peeing and pooping outdoors rather than in the house. If she's not having accidents in the house, then she's potty trained, even if you'd prefer that she do her business on walks rather than in your yard.



> The trainer says that we have pampered her and she has become lazy as she gets food on time without having to do anything. *He recommended that we not give her food until she barks and asks for food.* So we followed his advice for 2 days. But I couldn't stand her hungry looks and gave her food.


Sorry, but that is ridiculous! You can certainly use her food as training treats, having her do some obedience exercises for part of her meals, but not feeding her until she barks is just going to teach her to demand bark whenever she wants something - that's not "training". Dogs need to eat, feeding her regular meals is not "pampering" her or making her lazy.


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## Sri (Apr 25, 2013)

rasikakothari said:


> Hi. I have read quite a few posts. I must say our dog is not aggressive. But I really don't know what her problem is. And I don't know where to post my queries so I am posting them here.
> We stay in Nagpur, India. We have a 1 year old gsd girl, Ruhi. We bought her from a known breeder. We were in a hurry because my 5 year old daughter was really waiting for a puppy for her birthday. This is our first dog. All the information we got was from the net about puppy behaviour and from friends who have/had gsds. Our vet also gave us some tips.
> In the earlier months Ruhi used to listen to us. Was always waiting for my daughter to play with her. My daughter was a little afraid earlier, but not now. She plays with ruhi. No concerns about that. Everyone suggested that we should not have a trainer. so we taught her a few basic commands lit sit, stay, lie. We could not train her to walk properly beside us. Last week, she went out for a walk with my father-in-law, he stays with us, and pulled so hard that he fell down and injured his thumb. She also succeeded in getting out of his grasp and started charging on other people, one even had a baby with her. All this unsettled us and we decided to hire a trainer.
> Another problem is that she doesn't bark on people who come in our house, but barks on our housemaids. She doesn't let anyone go out of our gate.
> ...


It seems that your puppy is not well socialised, if she is barking at people when out on a walk. She has to be comfortable being around other people and calm. You can train her to do that by feeding her bits of meat or cheese while walking her. Give treats to people, including your housemaids to feed her(they can just drop them at her feet if they dont want to get close.) You can also teach her to walk on a loose leash by your side. Start this at home and do it several times a day. Then slowly add distractions : walk her in the yard, then just by your house, etc... 

There is a lot of material in the archives here and on the net. Just search around. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...-time-owner/165774-gsd-puppy-primer-tips.html

thepuppyprimer1

A bunch of videos on teaching loose leash walking :

loose leash walking kikopup - YouTube

I also recommend the puppy primer book by Patricia McConnell.

And if you want to train your puppy yourself(something that will be very rewarding for you) I highly recommend positive reinforcement training especially at this age. There is a lot of material on the web.


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## Sri (Apr 25, 2013)

Oh and these 2 :

Mind Games (version 1.0) by M. Shirley Chong

Nothing in Life is Free


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Someone please send the lady in India a prong collar. The dog is a year old, and the lady is pregnant. The pup is still very much an energetic puppy that needs exercise, but it won't get the exericise if it is pulling people down and breaking their thumbs. 

Also, Google Nothing in Life is Free. Your trainer is wrong, but not dead wrong. I would feed the dog and NOT create food guarding issues by screwing around with the food. But cut it down a little and feed 1/4 of the day's intake for stuff like coming to you when you tell her, looking at you when you get her attention, sitting when you tell her, taking treats gently -- you need to teach her to be gentle, use a word, like GENTLE, but since I do not know Hindi or any other language that might be your first language, you may have a better word that makes sense to you, short and easy, 1-2 sylables that you can stretch out, as you teach her to take a treat gently. Ge----ntle, or Eeeeeasy, or Ni---cly. I like the soft vowel sound in Gentle. But the other words work too. 

You do not really have to correct the dog with the prong collar, you can let her self correct. But lots of people will correct with it, giving a leash pop. I don't know that this is the best thing to do when she charges at people, it can make her more fearful and thus more reactive. It can also let her know to cut that crap out. It kind of depends on the dog. But a prong collar or a head collar will allow you to walk her with her dragging you.


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## rasikakothari (Oct 30, 2013)

Thanks. Nothing in life is free is good. We got a trainer since I last posted. He is good. She listens to him. What she does with us, still to see. We cant blame her now as here in India its Diwali-season of firecrackers.


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