# 2 yr old GSD Growling when he looks at me!



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

I have a 2 year old German Shepherd who has been continuously growling at me when we have eye contact. I previously tried to work with him by training him with treats and it worked for a while, but his growling recently got worse and is mainly directed towards me instead of my husband. At night I am actually scared because his kennel, which we took the top off of is right next to the bed on my side, and if I have to use the restroom he growls at me. We moved his kennel to the end of the bed so that I will not be afraid of that anymore, but if I look at him he stares me down. I know having a stare down is challenging him, but until he submits and follows his commands of laying down and sitting up and handshake.. this continues. I do not want to be scared of my dog and I know they sense that, but I am not sure what else to do. Today, is the first day without incident and I played with him and had as much interaction with him as possible. I'm about to go home after work to sleep and I feel like I know he is going to growl. I need help! Hopefully, having more interaction and playing versus just training and exercising will help.??


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

Why challenge him? Just ignore him.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## simba405 (Mar 14, 2013)

lauren43 said:


> Why challenge him? Just ignore him.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Wow talk about bad advice. 

You should seek out a trainer. Maybe he's resource guarding something. Maybe he's just being a brat. Get someone to help you find out why he is growling and then fix it. Do not ignore it!


----------



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

I think she means to ignore HIM, not ignore the behavior. A period of temporary Social Isolation can actually be quite effective: Social Isolation


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

How long have you had him? I would think you need to balance everything out. You would need to feed, care, exercise, and train him.


----------



## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

in which state do you reside?
i am asking because perhaps there is a trainer near you someone knows


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

simba405 said:


> Wow talk about bad advice.
> 
> You should seek out a trainer. Maybe he's resource guarding something. Maybe he's just being a brat. Get someone to help you find out why he is growling and then fix it. Do not ignore it!



No it is not bad advice. I don't understand why anyone would keep challenging a dog that is trying to communicate it is not comfortable with what is being done. Growling is the best thing a dog can do.

And yes a trainer is recommended.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Rocket (May 3, 2014)

I'm not an expert with dogs by any stretch of the imagination, so please take what I have to say as merely a suggestion, and not authoritative.

It sounds to me like your pup acknowledges your husband as the "alpha" but the dog is trying to establish himself above you in the pecking order. If this doesn't get addressed then it can progress to something dangerous. Additionally dogs respond to fear. If he growls and you get scared then he knows he's in charge. If he growls and you stand your ground and immediately take control (verbally put him in a down stay) then he understands that challenging you is not acceptable.

My suggestion would be take time (all three: you, husband, dog) and work on establishing the pecking order, people > dog. Use treats and praise to reward good behavior, save the physical correction for only severe infractions. This process could take some time (potentially many weekends) and many many repetitions.

Again, I'm not a professional trainer, nor do I have much experience in the field. What I've told you above worked for me.

If you see no improvement contact a trainer to address the issue.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

How long have you had the dog, and where did you get him?


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

I have had him since a puppy... 8 weeks old. I do believe I need a trainer and I reside in San Antonio, TX. I know he identifies my husband as the alpha and I am not 100% positive he is trying to establish himself above me. Tonight after work I came home and gave him a usual treat when I do and then took him for a walk. When we finished I tried to play with him with a rope ball, but he shied away. He did a small growl (no teeth) I told him no and told him to sit. He sat and I tried another command but he went towards his bed. That's how tonight went after all the positive training and exercising and extra walk tonight went. I'm not sure if this is better or not?


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

From what you are describing, it sounds as though he's shying away/fearful of you. 

Yep your best bet is to have him evaluated by a trainer.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

I am not an expert either, but I've heard of dogs being aware of something inside of you that you don't know is there. Any chance of pregnancy or illness? I've only heard of this, don't know how accurate it is. Just what popped into my head when reading this.


----------



## Myah's Mom (Mar 25, 2013)

Having a behaviorist evaluate him would be ideal, as well as a veterinarian (just in case there is an illness troubling him and he's taking it out on you).

In the meantime, I would move his crate out of the bedroom and have a very structured day for him: walk/exercise, train, play/reward, crate (repeat over and over) with you as the leader in charge (if you are comfortable). If you are not comfortable with this, then you know an appointment with a trainer/behaviorist is imperative and should be done right away. A dog who has figured out how to instill fear in his pack (you) is not a safe dog. Nip this in the bud early, and maybe (just maybe?) it's a phase. I don't know. But if you've had him since 8 weeks, something tells me this problem has developed over the long haul, without you realizing it. 

Read about NILIF and Leerburg's "Foundation Work". The Michael Ellis videos are awesome, too.

Make sure he's off the furniture and anywhere else in the house he might be claiming, other than his space.

How is he around visitors to the house?


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

quote OP "I know having a stare down is challenging him, but until he submits and follows his commands of laying down and sitting up and handshake.. this continues."

seems like a vicious circle is being created , one of mutual apprehension. 
A trainer will be a good idea , not so much for the dog but for building a better relationship.
Staring him into submission and then having the dog do tricks , handshake? , is not going to get you the positive results you want.
Your stare down is confrontational . The dog wants relief from this social pressure and tells you so with the growl .
To stare down you are facing the dog .
What would happen if you went beside the dog and asked him to move with you? 
How does the dog act when you take him for a walk ?


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

carmspack said:


> quote OP "I know having a stare down is challenging him, but until he submits and follows his commands of laying down and sitting up and handshake.. this continues."
> 
> seems like a vicious circle is being created , one of mutual apprehension.
> A trainer will be a good idea , not so much for the dog but for building a better relationship.
> ...


Yes! This exactly. You said it in a way I couldn't.

IMO this is not an issue of "dominance" and any over the top challenge on your end could result in a bite. 





Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Has anything changed? We had this problem with Dude. Only he was a lot younger. (7 months) He would growl at my husband and run away. I have been working with a trainer 2 x a week and taking him to classes. A thundershirt & neutering helped a lot. We think the death of our pack leader Buddy may have been the trigger. He no longer understood his place in the pack. Its calmed down a lot and we no longer have issues when I am home. He still will run and hide in his crate or under the bed when I'm not here.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Instead of challenging him, work with a trainer! IMO, it's gone beyond the point of training a "watch me" command where you teach them, and reward them, for making eye contact. You need a trainer to fix this.


----------



## sehrgutcsg (Feb 7, 2014)

If that happened to me in my house, I would "bulldog" that animal into submission so fast, he or she would be running at full speed to their crate "hoping the door was not closed."   

I am the leader and don't you forget it.

SGCSG


----------



## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

sehrgutcsg said:


> If that happened to me in my house, I would "bulldog" that animal into submission so fast, he or she would be running at full speed to their crate "hoping the door was not closed."
> 
> I am the leader and don't you forget it.
> 
> SGCSG


yup


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

I think a trainer is going to be my answer to these issues. Apache was actually growling at my husband and he got tired if it and did just give one smack and now Apache adores him, but is still growling at me. Apache was growling at me in the mornings, but we left the door to our bedroom open and for some reason that growling completely ended. It's the night time growling that needs to end. 

In general only family members come into the apartment (1 bedroom) since it takes forever for him to get use to others in the apartment. At my parents house we have other people there, and he tried to jump on one of my cousins who is 14 years old but very tall when he got too close to Apache instead of just ignoring him like I said to do.


----------



## Rocket (May 3, 2014)

Ycortez12 said:


> Apache was actually growling at my husband and he got tired if it and did just give one smack and now Apache adores him, but is still growling at me.


That sounds like he's trying to let you know that he's above you in the pack.


----------



## Rocket (May 3, 2014)

sehrgutcsg said:


> I am the leader and don't you forget it.
> 
> SGCSG





ken k said:


> yup


Agreed. I'm the alpha and there is no questioning that.

When I got my big dog (100+lbs) the lady I got him from warned me that he was stubborn and doesn't listen, just does what he wants (well mannered, but not obedient). She said he listens to her husband but not her, then she said he needs a strong and powerful authoritative owner. I laughed because I knew that I was alpha. By the time we got home (2 hour drive) he understood that I was alpha and that was never to be questioned. I've never laid a hand on him in violence or anger.


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

How did you do it??!!! I'm a 110lbs with a 90 lb dog. Outside walking, I can get him under control on the slight occasion someone surprises us on a walk.


----------



## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Take this for what its worth. It might not be worth anything. I am not a professional trainer, just an animal owner. I have dogs, horses, parrots, chickens and occasionally other types of animals and it has never let me down. I practice soft eyes. Direct hard staring alarms most animals. When ever I am in the presence of an animal, I act completely at ease and unconcerned with what is happening. The animals all stay very relaxed around me. I had to learn this with my horses. I have a particularly hard headed horse who would challenge me until I learned not to be threatening. This is something that I now practice with all my animals and they are all very relaxed around me.


----------



## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

You may just be unintentionally looking into his right eye, Robk touched on it a little bit. On top of finding a trainer, pay attention to what you are doing with your eyes. Too challenge someone is to stare directly into the right eye, people do this all the time they dont even notice it. My dogs look at me with love? no, they are staring into my left eye, which is the submissive excepting "i love you" eye  
Read up on it,


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

I'm sorry but I seriously can not believe how many people buy into "pack mentality" and dominance theory. It's all been disproven time and time again. Dogs are not dumb, they do not think you are another dog. They have so many facets of communication we could never hope to mimic.

To the OP good luck with your dog. Seek professional advise. Take everything you hear on the internet with a grain of salt. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

lauren43 said:


> I'm sorry but I seriously can not believe how many people buy into "pack mentality" and dominance theory. It's all been disproven time and time again. Dogs are not dumb, they do not think you are another dog. They have so many facets of communication we could never hope to mimic.
> 
> To the OP good luck with your dog. Seek professional advise. Take everything you hear on the internet with a grain of salt.
> 
> ...


Yeah I know. It's so easy to chalk everything to dominance. I like some stuff on leerburg but I'm amazed reading his replies to letters he gets. People write to him about problems they're having and he's able to diagnose them over email as being dominance. Fun to read though


----------



## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Oh almost every living creature has a pack mentality ! Including people lol elephants, deer, dolphins all have a hierarchy. A pack mentality is not a bad thing. My dogs are part of my family, we have an order here, no one needs to dominate anyone though. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Wear him out with good exercise, thinking games and play. Is he able to interact with you well in play situations? Keep his crate closed and out of your bedroom. Be consistent with NILIF.
Do not punish the growling as you will teach him that it is better to bite you. Consider it a warning, as you already did.
Interview trainers before taking him to make sure you like their approach and philosophy. Arrange for private training.


----------



## PoukieBear (Mar 25, 2014)

sehrgutcsg said:


> If that happened to me in my house, I would "bulldog" that animal into submission so fast, he or she would be running at full speed to their crate "hoping the door was not closed."


What does this even mean?


----------



## Rocket (May 3, 2014)

Ycortez12 said:


> How did you do it??!!! I'm a 110lbs with a 90 lb dog. Outside walking, I can get him under control on the slight occasion someone surprises us on a walk.


It's all about personality. Same with people. I lay out my expectations and there is no wiggle room. What I say (verbally or hand signal) is law. They understand that, and if they challenge it then they don't get what they want, (treats, going outside, interacting with people, whatever it is; I remove it and they only get what they want when I want them to have it)

But there is never any room for you not to carry yourself with confidence. Whether you buy into pack mentality / dominance or not if a dog doesn't view you as "the boss" then they will always operate in a manner that shows that they know your limits and they will exploit them.

Just my $0.02, again I'm not a trainer or expert, and I agree with Lauren43, take all advice from the internet with a grain of salt, mine included.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

It also helps to not wait till the unwanted behavior happens. If you know that he is going to growl at you when you pass by his crate - try walking by his crate very tall and upright say in a stern voice "You better check yourself." and ignore him as you walk by. 

I have three males in my house. The moment one even starts to give the stink eye to another, I'll say in a stern voice "You better think about it!" and all the dogs will turn and focus on me. It's not the words being said - it's the tone in my voice. 

I think you and your pup would benefit greatly with finding a trainer.


----------



## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Ycortez12 said:


> d. At night I am actually scared because his kennel, which we took the top off of is right next to the bed on my side, and if I have to use the restroom he growls at me. We moved his kennel to .??


I'm no expert but somehow you have to stop feeling "scared". This is a dog you raised from a puppy? Were you always scared of him? He's messing with you and I'd definitely get a trainer that knows GSDs. Unfortunately there maybe some screws loose but since this game of his has been going on for a long time it with take a lot of work for both of you. He's gotten away with bad behavior and some tuff love or Nothing in Life is Free should be a good start.


----------



## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Ycortez12 said:


> I think a trainer is going to be my answer to these issues. Apache was actually growling at my husband and he got tired if it and did just give one smack and now Apache adores him, but is still growling at me. Apache was growling at me in the mornings, but we left the door to our bedroom open and for some reason that growling completely ended. It's the night time growling that needs to end.
> 
> In general only family members come into the apartment (1 bedroom) since it takes forever for him to get use to others in the apartment. At my parents house we have other people there, and he tried to jump on one of my cousins who is 14 years old but very tall when he got too close to Apache instead of just ignoring him like I said to do.


I'm not a dominance theory trainer and without seeing the dog I can't really give very solid advice on this because I just have what you've written to go off of. However, before you wrote that post above I was thinking to myself that the dog needed to be smacked. It apparently works in this case.

There is a disconnect somewhere in your relationship. Somehow this became an operant behavior and that wouldn't have been possible without the lack of trust on your part and on the dogs part.

How does smacking a dog for that build trust you might ask? Well the action doesn't in itself create the trust but it does serve to empower you and break the progression of unwanted behavior you're seeing. You stop being fearful, the dog stops being an ass and you guys can go back to having fun and hanging out or whatever it is you do.


----------



## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

some dogs might tolerate a smack
others sensing lack of authority
just may bite in response

could be a death sentence at this point
not good advice i am afraid


----------



## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

> Dogs are not dumb, they do not think you are another dog


No, dogs are not dumb, they recognize different creatures individually by smell, including us, the humans. But, the ability to identify creatures and classify them as specific groups belongs only to humans, apes and dolphins. So, our dogs think that we are two legged big dogs and treat us accordingly, many dog owners think. Or - they think that they are the humans? Mistaken identity could be observed not only with them, some cats think that they are the dogs. We are partly guilty in it, because we fool our dogs by taken them away from their mothers, so making them feel that they are our children. This is a very interesting topic, but science doesn't have answers for everything Mirror test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 
This growling could be nothing but just a play, that's why the smack has worked in the first place. I remember a call from a mother asking to solve her GSD male's "agression problem". The dog slept in a bed together with her 5 year old son, and growled at her if she entered her son bedroom at night to check on him. She was scared to come and adjust his blanket. The dog was playing a protector, and, what the dog obviously thought - the woman was playing too - making shy steps, looking askance, moving like a thief. The dog started to anticipate this game every night. Fortunately, this male had a sense of limit, otherwise the game could have a nasty development.
You better stop the game. Or ignore him completely if you can.


----------



## sehrgutcsg (Feb 7, 2014)

Yeah Baillif,

A cattle rancher will bring down a cow by bulldogging --- wrenching the cow by the neck sideways. Do not try this with a Buffalo you will die.

I have no issue with "outing" a dog - rear legs off the ground - by the neck or collar - if the dog is locked onto a human being without cause - one hickup and the "OUT" is complete.

SGCSG


----------



## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

*I know having a stare down is challenging him, but until he submits and follows his commands of laying down and sitting up and handshake.. this continues. *
well quite frankly the owner is creating this issue
i do not understand why the need to have an adversarial relationship with ones dog when you could build a loving and trusting relationship with it
then the only advice is to smack the dog 

its really no wonder so many dogs end up being put down for 'aggression'


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

my boy diesel said:


> *I know having a stare down is challenging him, but until he submits and follows his commands of laying down and sitting up and handshake.. this continues. *
> 
> well quite frankly the owner is creating this issue
> 
> ...



Thank you thank you thank you. We agree here for sure!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

She should beable to look at her dog though. Regardless of the created issue, no one needs to walk on egg shells especially around a 4 legged friend. Trainer with the proper skill set is required,


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Well if we are weighting in here... "B" slapping and bull dogging are viable options for "some dogs" and "some owners!" Pretty sure I could do either just fine myself if I ever had the need. I prefer theses days to out think my dog so perhaps a less testosterone driven option?

I would go this route:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/training-theory-methods/426322-selzer-sitting-dog-4.html

No harm no foul...just saying.


----------



## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

missles there is a big difference between looking at a dog and staring it down
if people are not aware of the difference at least in this case the dog is telling the op it knows the difference and that is what matters

chip i really think in this case getting more confrontational is just going to up the game in the dogs mind and the dog has some weapons such as teeth to win the fight if push come to shove

a trainer is needed post haste
a good trainer and not one that is gonna tell them to smack the dog around


----------



## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Absolutely but i was under the impression that he growls regardless of a look, or if she gets up to use the bathroom, or if she full on stares him down.


----------



## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

i am guessing because this relationship has become so adversarial the dog is probably growling on a constant basis
this is really something unfixable over the net and will take a good trainer being there in person to see the situation firsthand


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

So, let me understand this better. You have had your dog from eight weeks onward and it has been doing this all along, or it is suddenly doing this at age two? 

Is he neutered?


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

It is dangerous to advise on something like this over here.

I can't believe someone advised smacking a dog who already does not respect this woman, and is constantly growling at her. Smacking such a dog, especially when you fear him, could so very easily escalate this to a full-fledged attack.

It could cause severe injuries to the OP.

I would immediately stop staring him down, and do a lot of yawning, looking away, blinking and ignoring.
Get a book called Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas, a professional dog trainer from Norway. 


http://en.turid-rugaas.no/calming-signals-photos.html

And find a trainer who knows GSDs!


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

selzer said:


> So, let me understand this better. You have had your dog from eight weeks onward and it has been doing this all along, or it is suddenly doing this at age two?
> 
> Is he neutered?


 
Apache (the dog) only started growling the past 2 months and it improved after some positive training- by using treats- and all of a sudden this month he began to growl at me. It first started only at night when we would be getting for bed at I would turn and happen to look at him in the eyes. He would growl. Now it has gotten worse where if I pass his kennel at night he would growl at me, but it is dark and it is my bed the kennel and then the bathroom. Our accomadations are small. His growling has progressed to during the day that even if I walk past him he will let out a growl and I'll tell him no, but he will growl worse! 

Other times he is perfectly fine and plays with me. It seems like he falls into these little fits where he does not want anything to do with me and just go lay down in his kennerl. The problem was that now it is when I am showering and since his kennel is right outside the bathroom when I walk out he will growl at me and I HATE this and it was starting to scare me a little. Now that we moved his kennel I do not have that problem. But for him lord forbid that I even glance at him and I will get a growl.

Also, when playing he will let out a growl and he will have a look like he doesn't know if he is in trouble or if he should keep playing. I usually try to keep him playing, but he still ends up deciding to go to his bed. Is this bad?


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

Also, my dog is not neutered and I have been curious to see if this has anything to do with any of the growling issues?


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Ycortez12 said:


> Apache (the dog) only started growling the past 2 months and it improved after some positive training- by using treats- and all of a sudden this month he began to growl at me. It first started only at night when we would be getting for bed at I would turn and happen to look at him in the eyes. He would growl. Now it has gotten worse where if I pass his kennel at night he would growl at me, but it is dark and it is my bed the kennel and then the bathroom. Our accomadations are small. His growling has progressed to during the day that even if I walk past him he will let out a growl and I'll tell him no, but he will growl worse!
> 
> Other times he is perfectly fine and plays with me. It seems like he falls into these little fits where he does not want anything to do with me and just go lay down in his kennerl. The problem was that now it is when I am showering and since his kennel is right outside the bathroom when I walk out he will growl at me and I HATE this and it was starting to scare me a little. Now that we moved his kennel I do not have that problem. But for him lord forbid that I even glance at him and I will get a growl.
> 
> *Also, when playing he will let out a growl and he will have a look like he doesn't know if he is in trouble or if he should keep playing. I usually try to keep him playing, but he still ends up deciding to go to his bed. Is this bad?*


How do you play with him?

It may be a good idea to go ahead and get him neutered at this point. He is old enough. He is becoming a handful. It sounds like he is not sure about you. He may have a physical issues where he is having some pain, or doesn't see well, but it may also be that he is smelling a female in heat somewhere, and is just being a dog that would be better off neutered -- it could take the edge off.

A strong leader would not have trouble with a young intact male. But as you are starting to feel afraid, which means your dog is definitely picking up on that, it may be best to have that dimension gone. It doesn't mean that you won't have to do training, and work through the issues, but he is a young adult and and it could help.


----------



## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

Ycortez12 said:


> Apache (the dog) only started growling the past 2 months and it improved after some positive training- by using treats- and all of a sudden this month he began to growl at me. It first started only at night when we would be getting for bed at I would turn and happen to look at him in the eyes. He would growl. Now it has gotten worse where if I pass his kennel at night he would growl at me, but it is dark and it is my bed the kennel and then the bathroom. Our accomadations are small. His growling has progressed to during the day that even if I walk past him he will let out a growl and I'll tell him no, but he will growl worse!
> 
> Other times he is perfectly fine and plays with me. It seems like he falls into these little fits where he does not want anything to do with me and just go lay down in his kennerl. The problem was that now it is when I am showering and since his kennel is right outside the bathroom when I walk out he will growl at me and I HATE this and it was starting to scare me a little. Now that we moved his kennel I do not have that problem. But for him lord forbid that I even glance at him and I will get a growl.
> 
> Also, when playing he will let out a growl and he will have a look like he doesn't know if he is in trouble or if he should keep playing. I usually try to keep him playing, but he still ends up deciding to go to his bed. Is this bad?


Can you capture and post or pm a video of the growling occurrence? Something in his environment is putting him in defense, you are lucky that he vocalizes meaning he gets very unsure of himself and tries to send you away using least possible resistance (other options are to bite you or run away). This is genetic and you will need to learn how to snap him out of this mode as it is not comfortable for the dog and if someday he bites you it will hurt and be messy. So best to get help from someone who understands temperament and can be there in person to witness and advise you on the best course of action. Does this happen in the morning also?


----------



## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

this could very well be run of the mill 'talking' that some shepherds do
it will take a trainer to figure it out
a vid as packen said may help
but your best bet is get a trainer on board


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

my boy diesel said:


> missles there is a big difference between looking at a dog and staring it down
> if people are not aware of the difference at least in this case the dog is telling the op it knows the difference and that is what matters
> 
> chip i really think in this case getting more confrontational is just going to up the game in the dogs mind and the dog has some weapons such as teeth to win the fight if push come to shove
> ...


??? My recommendation was "Sit on the Dog" that hardly seems confrontational??

Sorry if I was unclear.


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

I will try to get some video of his growling and the situations. I tried contacting a few GSD trainers and will review them before taking him to one.


----------



## Ycortez12 (Jul 8, 2014)

I will try to get some video of him growling. ALso, I have tried to start looking for a trainer and would not mind having some reccomendations for San Antonio, TX GSD trainers.


----------



## Wicked Seraphim (May 17, 2014)

I agree with so many here. A trainer will help with this issue.

I have a girl GSD who is sitting at 100 lbs, my male was about 80. She tends to respond to my husband quicker than she does me, but she does listen to me, even though physically, I don't have the strength my husband does. We've never had to do more than a stern voice to either dog from the get go and both were shelter dogs adopted over the age of 4 years. We made it clear from day one we were the boss, though I agree that using voice and positive reinforcements is good (for us, working with adult dogs, one that had a questionable background and nipped a child before we saved her, was the only way) and ultimately worked out beautifully. I have no fear of my dog, never have, and if anything ever arose where she did suddenly behave like this, I still wouldn't be afraid for myself, but I would for her. My dog nipped out of fear before I got her and she almost died for it.
Good training for your dog and understanding of the signs your dog is giving you are key. Kudos to you for looking for help.


----------



## Heidigsd (Sep 4, 2004)

Ycortez12 said:


> I will try to get some video of him growling. ALso, I have tried to start looking for a trainer and would not mind having some reccomendations for San Antonio, TX GSD trainers.


I haven't had much luck with trainers here  There is a club in SA maybe they know someone they could recommend someone. Good luck 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/events-club-info/176920-san-antonio-tx-schutzhund-club.html


----------

