Okay here is the problem, over the last 2-3 weeks he has started having barking fits. When I let him out to go to the bathroom he goes on these barking/hackles up sessions that only last for a about 30 seconds and he stops when I say enough. Also when we go to places where we run into other dogs now he has started barking and “puffing up” (I am tough guy stance is what I call it!). Of course people look like OMG its a killer GSD (rolling my eyes!). Any ideas on what is causing this? I am assuming it is his duh I am a teenager stupid stage but I wanted more opinions. I adore him but can not have him trying to act tough with other dogs. While I will not say he won’t hurt anything, I can say he is a gentle giant an done of his fave playmates is the nieghbors toy poodle………. however we did have a dog come in our yard and attacked our young son about 2 months ago and Alex not only chased him out of the yard but had no issue getting in between that dog and our son (I thanked him for protecting our son). I worry that might have caused some of this barking tough guy issue as well but would think it would have started sooner.

Any ideas?!?! Also how do I curb this when we are in public? I had someone tell me to muzzle him to make sure he doesn’t hurt something or someone but that seems a bit extreme and seems to me it would put him on the defensive even more.
Thanks
Michelle
I included a pic of our handsome guy!

The best thing to do with your new puppy is to socialize him as much as possible. If he is not going to be trained in protection, then I would give your neighborhood kids the opportunity to pet and spend time with him.

And as far as the ears go, most times ears will stand by 4 months old, and will tend to go back down as they teeth. I wouldn’t worry about it until your dog gets about 5 months old.

Send us pictures of your new puppy!

Your dog is exhibiting what is called, “resource guarding”, as he is becoming aggressive when he feels that “his possessions” are being threatened. And for a dog raised as a pet, this can become a bite waiting to happen.

You mentioned that

“he will lay on top of me and growl at my cat, although he will not hurt the cat”

I’m sorry to say, but this can become a bite very quickly. And not only against your cat, but for him to lay on his possession (you), you could also get caught up as part of the aggression.

Statistics on dog bites run very high – at the top even – for a dog to bite its owner, or a member of the household, due to this exact “resource guarding” behavior.

But with all that said, let me tell you that all this is simply training issues. That and begin a new way of leading him. It’s called NILIF. That stands for “Nothing In Life Is Free”. It’s a way of pack leadership that is a must for a dog like this. He’s very young (still a pup!), and so within a few months, you’ll have a new boy.

Basically, he needs to earn everything he gets. He wants water? make him sit first. You eat before he does, and when it’s his turn, make him sit before – then release him to eat. Correct him if he breaks the sit. You walk out the door first. If he “pushes” his way ahead of you, either close the door on him, or leashe correct him for it. He needs to know that he cannot make decisions on when he leads (which is exactly what he’s doing when showing aggression and lying on you), and when he follows. He Must Always Follow!

As far as the leash pulling and such when he’s not with you, these are simple obedience matters. Enroll in a local dog obedience training class. but for now, you can set up training with him and a friend (or boyfriend) for these types of situations. If he listens to you, but not others, then you can have your boyfriend run your dog through obedience commands. Sit, platz (Down), walk on leash, etc… If he pulls, or otherwise breaks the commands, correct him. Again, he’s making decisions on his own as when he can lead, and when he selects to follow.

And one last thing – if you do not have 100% control on your boy using commands such as “sit/stay/down” – and especially “HEIR” (German for “Come”), then I would not take him off-leash. That can lead to (as you’ve seen with other dogs you show attention to) a dog bite.

We never, ever want to think as dog owners that our dogs would ever bite another dog, or our very own cat, or other family members. But we need to remember that besides our dogs loving us unconditionally and are faithful family members – they are DOGS. And dogs are genetically wired to base their actions on instincts and re activeness. I have a great friend who raised their dog from a pup. Well, their dog got his head stuck in their backyard fence. As my friend removed a board to free the dog, it turned and attacked him. NOT because the dog was angry about the time it took to free it. And it didn’t attack because it was raised as a fighting dog. No…he attacked because he was in a “re active” state.

Let me know more info, and we can begin to really work on this!

Martin

With any breed, a 4 year old will come with a history. And so we as dog owners need to be able to handle that. Especially the large breed we’ve chosen, the German Shepherd Dog. So let me say this, before anything else – this is a training issue that can be handled with proper “pack leadership“, obedience training, and patience.

Does she know the sit command? From the sound of it, she’s not trained at all, so I’d start with the basics. What’s her temperament like? Is she a “hard dog”, or “soft dog”? How do you handle discipline now?

Probably the best thing you can do is search out a reputable dog trainer, and or a dog club. I would suggest having your new dog’s temperament evaluated, so you can better judge your response as far as corrections go.

Please reply to the answers above, and we can get into greater detail on your training.

A few things may be going on with her. Excessive peeing can be an indication of a bladder infection. I’d take her to your local vet to make sure there is nothing medically wrong with her.

Another issue can be nervousness, which can result in “submissive peeing”. This happens when a dog is very submissive, and they’ll pee when approached by people. Even when they arrive into a new environment, like from outside to indoors.

Can you ask (most times this will be denied, but you should ask anyway) the breeder about her attitude/behavior prior to you getting her? Was she: raised with young kids (that may have “harassed” her young life – NOT on purpose, but just as kids may do if unsupervised)? Raised with a dominant dog that may have brought her to submission every day, and during every encounter?

And while this peeing behavior is not wanted, it can be (read: patiently) worked out. Here’s what I would do, taking the results from the vet as a negative for any medical reasons:
Do NOT approach her initially with affection. Do NOT even make eye contact with her. Let her come to you (or back inside) - without any touch/eye contact at all. This will eventually (read again: patience!!!) lead to her determining on her own that there is no need for submission - OR over excitement when entering a new environment.

Patience is the key. Simply do not give her opportunity to (in her mind) react to a situation with submission. We owners (and other family members) are leaders, and as such, approaching our dogs seems to be a reason for submissive behavior on some dogs, dogs with history (read: a reason) to show submission.

Let me know how she develops!!!