# 8.5 month GSD unaltered female snapping at my face when ignored.



## ZoeysMom (Sep 24, 2013)

Hey,

I would like help with my issue. I'll be as descriptive as possible about Zoey and her past. So she went into her first heat mid November and has been a bit more aggressive since. She is extremely well behaved most of the time. I walk her twice a day and try to keep her pretty busy. I'll play fetch in the house too when she wants to play. She listens to commands, obeys boundaries, isn't aggressive at all towards other animals or people. She's good with kids, strangers, small dogs, big dogs, tolerates my cats attacking her without retaliation. Generally shes a good dog. Lately though when I ignore her because I'm doing work or watching a movie she'll jump up on the couch (which is okay she sleeps on it all the time) but start pawing. at me, barking at me, and snapping at me. If I tell her No and to stop she will get aggressive and bark more and snap at my face. The more I try to correct her and get to her stop the worse she gets. Today she bit me in the cheek which has caused my face to swell around my cheekbone. Thankfully didn't break skin. When she gets like this how would you folks recommend me to react? So far I've tried telling her No, tried making her get off the couch and usually end up having to put her in the cage because I'm scared shes really going to hurt me. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Oh and in the household she is my dog. So I do all the walking, feeding, playing and everything. My boyfriend has little to do with her and she rarely pesters him. 

Katherine


----------



## e.rigby (May 28, 2011)

The second she starts demanding attention I would ignore her. If she does not stop I would immediately put her in time out in a crate. I wouldn't wait for the behavior to escalate. It sounds like she started a behavior, didn't get what she wanted, and got more demanding. You have to be consistent. You can't let her push sometimes and then not others. You'll need to make sure that every time she does X you do Z.


----------



## Liz&Anna (Oct 29, 2013)

EXACTLY!! Crate!! I second that 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

ZoeysMom said:


> Hey,
> 
> I would like help with my issue. I'll be as descriptive as possible about Zoey and her past. So she went into her first heat mid November and has been a bit more aggressive since. She is extremely well behaved most of the time. I walk her twice a day and try to keep her pretty busy. I'll play fetch in the house too when she wants to play. She listens to commands, obeys boundaries, isn't aggressive at all towards other animals or people. She's good with kids, strangers, small dogs, big dogs, tolerates my cats attacking her without retaliation. Generally shes a good dog. Lately though when I ignore her because I'm doing work or watching a movie she'll jump up on the couch (which is okay she sleeps on it all the time) but start pawing. at me, barking at me, and snapping at me. If I tell her No and to stop she will get aggressive and bark more and snap at my face. The more I try to correct her and get to her stop the worse she gets. Today she bit me in the cheek which has caused my face to swell around my cheekbone. Thankfully didn't break skin. When she gets like this how would you folks recommend me to react? So far I've tried telling her No, tried making her get off the couch and usually end up having to put her in the cage because I'm scared shes really going to hurt me.
> 
> ...


My first thought is that this dog is bored. She needs more exercise and outlets for her energy. She is young and mostly likely testing and pushing boundaries. Exercise and structure will go a long way.


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I have a yearling myself and he has been a total butthead this past 2 weeks. The extreme weather and being virtually snowed in has had a definate effect and a big part of his butthead behavior. Fun hike and games through the bush today tired him out and brought back my well behaved content pup.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I tire out my dog before I sit down at the computer or read or watch a movie.
That way I can put him in his pen for a nap, and he's happy to go in there and snooze.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

She got what she wanted: your attention, negative or positive (in our minds), it doesn't matter. So you rewarded her and her behavior increased. 
The first sign of trouble? Time out without saying anything. But you have to be fair and get her mentally and physically tired first before you sit down. 
Hey, you have GSD!!


----------



## Alwaysaworkingdog (Feb 27, 2013)

Sounds like she's just boisterous. I would not use a crate, you'll start negative associations with, what is, a potentially great training tool - that is, if there even is an association to be made in the first place, she might not connect the two as, by the time you've gotten her into her crate, a large enough time has elapsed that no association can really be made.

She obviously isn't taking your "No" seriously enough so you need to escalate the correction and you also need to let her know that you control every aspect of her life. Don't allow her on furniture, walk first into dooryways so that she follows you, make her move when she's in your way. She's too young to be domineering so I'd say she's just testing her boundaries and what she can get away with. You've probably unwittingly reinforced this behaviour by not stamping it out to begin with. Work on your voice inflexion and escalate as she gets more boisterous, you could even attach a leash to her and use a leash correction if that is practical you can purchase dominant dog collars for really serious dogs but I highly doubt that this is serious. But we don't want you getting bit in the face again, no matter how playful it may seem, the next one might leave you blind or need stitches, so next time she does that you need to give her a correction so strong that she understands that behaviour like that is just.not.on.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

sometimes when i'm sitting around watching tv, reading,
on the computer my dog wants attention. he'll sit in front
of me and whine, bark, put his paw on me, turn in circle,
etc. i take it as he wants attention. rarely do i ignore him.
i do something. i'll take him out, throw his ball down the hallway,
call him up on the sofa and pet him, give him a treat, do
some training, etc. once i engage him he settles down.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> sometimes when i'm sitting around watching tv, reading,
> on the computer my dog wants attention. he'll sit in front
> of me and whine, bark, put his paw on me, turn in circle,
> etc. i take it as he wants attention. rarely do i ignore him.
> ...


Hats off to your dog; he has you well trained!


----------



## VTGirlT (May 23, 2013)

ZoeysMom said:


> Hey,
> 
> I would like help with my issue. I'll be as descriptive as possible about Zoey and her past. So she went into her first heat mid November and has been a bit more aggressive since. She is extremely well behaved most of the time. I walk her twice a day and try to keep her pretty busy. I'll play fetch in the house too when she wants to play. She listens to commands, obeys boundaries, isn't aggressive at all towards other animals or people. She's good with kids, strangers, small dogs, big dogs, tolerates my cats attacking her without retaliation. Generally shes a good dog. Lately though when I ignore her because I'm doing work or watching a movie she'll jump up on the couch (which is okay she sleeps on it all the time) but start pawing. at me, barking at me, and snapping at me. If I tell her No and to stop she will get aggressive and bark more and snap at my face. The more I try to correct her and get to her stop the worse she gets. Today she bit me in the cheek which has caused my face to swell around my cheekbone. Thankfully didn't break skin. When she gets like this how would you folks recommend me to react? So far I've tried telling her No, tried making her get off the couch and usually end up having to put her in the cage because I'm scared shes really going to hurt me.
> 
> ...


My dog is similar to this, what has helped _improve_ a lot of her snappy, mouthy and verbal rudeness. Is more *mental stimulation* and *basic NILIF*. 
Ultimately, *exercise* i think is a big part of the behavior, so if you can find a way to help release the pent up energy, that should, in itself, help a lot! 
But i'm interested to see other people's suggestions, since we are not totally out of the woods with this yet!
I also wanted to add that correction, did not seem to help Zelda. 
*Showing her what i do want her to do, seemed to help as suggested by some people.* For example: I taught her to go in a down and wait for her food, this was very helpful. She will still sometimes whine while being in a down, but when i start making her food now, she automatically lays down and then when i have it ready in my hands, she will sit and wait until i release her. So I figured out how to tell her what i DO want her to do. Before when she wanted her food really bad, she would be very rude to the point of her jumping on the counter, jumping on me, mouthing me, barking at me, etc. Now she has a much better energy when waiting for her food.
But there is no magic pill for anything, this didn't happen in one night either.


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I like the crate idea. But how you want to do this is to have a command for getting in the crate and reward getting in the crate. So - she starts her behavior; you say "crate command", load the dog in the crate & reward the dog for getting in the crate. What I'd be trying to achieve here is to have the dog say "Whoops! This behavior my oh so stupid human things is me asking to be crated! I'd better do something else." At the same time, I would not give her couch/bed privileges at this time. She's abusing those privileges now and needs to earn them. 

My pup came with a snap at the face - I've done my best to redirect this BUT she is not allowed on the couch or the bed. My older dog would be offended because the older dog has earned bed privileges and my pup has not earned those privileges.


----------



## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

middleofnowhere said:


> I like the crate idea. But how you want to do this is to have a command for getting in the crate and reward getting in the crate. So - she starts her behavior; you say "crate command", load the dog in the crate & reward the dog for getting in the crate. What I'd be trying to achieve here is to have the dog say "Whoops! This behavior my oh so stupid human things is me asking to be crated! I'd better do something else."


That's what I do too. My pup gets his crate command when he's being demanding. He's not neglected by a long shot, but lately his meal times have gotten messed up, and that messes with his schedule - which he has down pat, lol. 

He'll get pretty rammy for his frisbee. Yes pup, I know you know that it's frisbee time, but you just ate less that an hour ago....sigh. Stop with the pestering or, "You'll have to go in your bed." He doesn't like that, lol. Just saying that will usually work. 

I'm trying not to play with my pup every single time he wants to play. I will take him out but he has to be calm and be leaving me alone first. I don't want to get stuck with a demanding dog because it can get embarrassing. 

I was meeting with a trainer with my last boy, and he was barking at me to throw a stick he found. I was showing the trainer how smart I was, by ignoring the bad behavior. My dog then jumped up and tore my jacket, to get my attention, because I was ignoring him. LOL! This time (different pup, different trainer) in the same situation, I picked up the stick. My new trainer said I'd just rewarded his barking. I smiled and said, "Yes, I know." I was wearing a nice jacket, lol.


----------



## Sasha86 (Sep 8, 2012)

I suggest going back to basics a prong collar and a leash around your house. When she does unwanted behavior correct with a no. Give her things like kong filled treats that keeps her busy. She is testing you,maybe some more obedience classes 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

