Dog Aggressive German Shepherd

First of all, you are probably devastated and mortified but please know that this type of behavior is SUPER common, both with the breed and with young dogs (GSDs mature slowly, especially in the "head", until they are 3-4 years old).  Please do not beat yourself up over this.  You are doing right by your dog.

With the genetics of your dog and his previous training and socialization being unknown, at this point your first priority should be management so that you have control over your dog.  I would not waste a lot of time trying to figure out of the dog was protecting you or if the previous attack made him dog aggressive.  He may have been, maybe not.  You'll never know.  What's apparent is that he is reactive to other dogs and will put up resistance rather than show avoidance.  The dog aggression is very common among GSDs, and even those that live with other family dogs and tolerate *some* dogs would never, ever tolerate strange dogs barreling down at them.  Both of mine would have put up some resistant against the dogs in your scenario, but the difference is that I am less concerned because I have more control.  First you need control physically, so that if your dog does react (and again, in the scenario you described I do not think what your dog did was all that severe or even unwarranted).  When I use a Gentle Leader, I always use and extra "tab" that connects the GL to a slip collar, so if the GL breaks the leash is still connected to a backup collar that the dog can't get out of (I do the same with an Easy Walk harness and even a prong collar).  I made my own tab out of an old leash and an extra snap.  To be honest if dogs come charging at my dogs like that and I can't stop them I *do* drop my leash because the least I can do is let my dogs defend themselves.  Jerking back on the leash when they are not the ones provoking the attack often does more damage.

I would somehow make sure that if your dog breaks his GL you still have him on a leash, and never go past that house again (which you probably already decided!).  As for the training, it needs to be done really slowly.  Flooding just does NOT work for most of these dogs.  Walking him past dogs at relatively close distances (within half a block) is probably too much.  If he is reacting then he's already been given too much of a chance to start on that behavior.  He will need to start with more distance.  Working with a trainer is best because you have control over the situation.  Out on a walk you never know when you're going to come up on a dog that might provoke your dog, or a stupid owner who lets their dog approach your dog. 

My young male GSD was very reactive and dog aggressive when he was younger and for four months I didn't walk him.  I spent a LOT of time just bonding, playing games, finding ways to reward and motivate him, building his trust in me.  After four months I dared to take him out on a walk, and when a loose dog approached all he did was hackle a bit, whereas before he would be barking, lunging, throwing a huge screaming fit.  Now he is 20 months and there are no dog issues.  If I take him out to the middle of our club training field and tell him to down and stay, he will do that off leash even with other dogs working within 5 feet of him.  In his case I really didn't do any purposeful desensitization around other dogs, I just took other dogs completely out of the picture for several months while I worked on my dog being focused on me and trusting me so that he was no longer concerned with other dogs.  He will never be a "dog park" kind of dog, but I can walk him around - off leash if I wanted - and he no longer cares about other dogs.

Five months is still a short time, especially to a GSD.  He will hopefully continue to settle in, mature, and feel more trusting of you so that he doesn't feel the need to react to other dogs.  Most of these reactions are fear-based.  The dog is thinking, I'll just bark and go crazy and make that other dog go away before it has a chance to come at me.  The specific scenario you described is a bit different in that those dogs were coming straight at him.

Liejse,

 I can't tell you how grateful I am for your response.  I literally read your response with tears in my eyes.  Thank you for the understanding...and very informative response.  I have sent a couple of emails to trainers in our area to see if any of them would be a good fit for our situation.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  For now, we are going to be spending lots of time in the backyard playing, bonding, and working on our sits, stays and comes.  Our one challenge will be that one of the neighbors behind us (who also have a privacy fence) have two very vocal little dogs that never fail to get a reaction.  We'll just have to try to manage our outside time when they are inside.  Good advice on removing the stimulus of other dogs (as much as possible).  We're also going to cover the windows that line our front door so he can't see the dogs walking by the front of the house as easily.

 Thanks again for taking the time to respond and provide such wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement. 

I think the important thing here is that HE DID NOT BITE.  It sounds to me like he did not even put his mouth on the other dog, but simply restrained it.  That's a huge point in your favor.  And, yes, much of this sounds fear based.

When I've used a GL or even a prong which I did with with my oldest boy who was far too strong for me, I used a second lead.  As you've learned, GSD's are incredibly strong animals and they can easily snap a GL when they feel provoked.

This is not a "bad" dog, or a hopeless case.  I would strongly suggest crate training this dog so that he can be transported for training in his crate.  I've given up on car harnesses....when we travel (with the dogs it's in the RV) they ride in their crates.  I will use a harness for a trip to the vet, but mine are much happier in their crates.  And safer too.

I'll see if I can rouse Anne....she's one of our trainers and may have some good tips for you as well.

I'm going to chime in and say that this is yet another reason I hate electric fences!!!  You just never know when an accident like this will happen.  You were not at fault here - you were trying to do the best you could to manage your dog in the safest way possible, and you were walking him on leash on a public way.  With large, powerful dogs, a Gentle Leader is fine, but you should always have a second safety leash attached to the collar for any dog that is aggressive, but had you known that they could snap, you would probably have done that, too, as you sound like a very concerned owner.  The very good news is that your dog was acting DE-fensively (well, maybe a bit of "the best defense is a good offense";) and has excellent bite inhibition, or the other dog would have teeth marks in him - so I would term your dog "reactive to other dogs" i.e. frightened, and certainly not aggressive in the sense that he wants to kill the other dog.  German Shepherds are notorious for barrier aggression, both at fence lines and on leash if they have been either under-socialized or had a traumatic incident, as your dog did.  But, the fact that dogs are contained in electric fencing does NOT, in my opinion, give them any more right to rush at your dog than if they were off leash at the park.  The owner in this case obviously knew that passersby got scared of her dogs, otherwise why would she have had to yell at YOU that they were contained - I'll tell you why, because she didn't have a rat's butt of a chance of calling them away from you.  Obviously, no control over her dogs whatsoever.  Your dog sounds like an excellent candidate for a "Feisty Fido" type class, rather than a regular obedience class, which will give you more ways in which to manage his behavior successfully. 

gsdowner

Liejse,

 I can't tell you how grateful I am for your response.  I literally read your response with tears in my eyes.  Thank you for the understanding...and very informative response.  I have sent a couple of emails to trainers in our area to see if any of them would be a good fit for our situation.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  For now, we are going to be spending lots of time in the backyard playing, bonding, and working on our sits, stays and comes.  Our one challenge will be that one of the neighbors behind us (who also have a privacy fence) have two very vocal little dogs that never fail to get a reaction.  We'll just have to try to manage our outside time when they are inside.  Good advice on removing the stimulus of other dogs (as much as possible).  We're also going to cover the windows that line our front door so he can't see the dogs walking by the front of the house as easily.

 Thanks again for taking the time to respond and provide such wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement. 

You are very welcome.  I am no expert or behaviorist, but I have GSDs and have one that was an absolute holy terror around other dogs and I never ever believed I'd see the light at the end of the tunnel.  But now just a year later my dog has already entered and passed in a Schutzhund trial and is entered in an agility trial later this month.  He will still react NOT kindly if another dog charges him or does something rude in his face.

I do not worry as much about fence fighting.  My dog does this as well.  He is constantly running the fences and usually has a Kong in his mouth that he's shaking furiously and growling into if other dogs or animals are on the other side of the fence.  There's really nothing that can be done short of not letting him near the fence, which is not possible or practical.  I have not seen this translate into dog aggression or create problems in other areas of our training, so I let it be.  If he's starting to bark or is annoying I will call him inside.  He will do this to a neighbor and then if I open the gate the neighbor can walk right in and pet him.  It's more of a game to him.  Also the GSD is bred to patrol a boundary, this is really how they work sheep (not like other herders who are trained to move sheep around courses, the GSD trots back and forth creating a virtual fence, keeping some things in and other things out).

First of all, welcome to the board!  You've come to the right place to get any and all of your questions answered.  We have some excellent trainers here; and I consider Lies the GSD expert.  I, too, have two GSDs, but Lies has the experience in training and competing and can offer great articulate advice.

My first thought when you said your dog's lead snapped was that you should have a backup lead attached just for this purpose.

Her advice of dopping walks for a while and bond and play and train is excellent.  Work on focus "Look at me" as well as down stays and your recall.  One thing I do want to say though is when you do start the walks again make sure that your energy is calm and confident. 

Focusing on you is most important.  One of the things that works well for me and Heidi is to always have her high value toy on me when we go on walks.  She has learned that when there is a distraction (such as a dog behind a fence) that she is to look at me and continue to focus on me until we are past the distraction...then she is rewarded with her high value ball.  Maybe its food for your dog...maybe its a tug toy.  My point is that when we are near a distraction, she knows now to keep her eyes on me; and her reward is her ball.

You mentioned that he does not do well in the car.  That should be made one of your training goals.  You also mention the neighbor dogs...make that part of your distraction training; getting him to focus on you.

I wish you the best of luck; and do find a good trainer to help you.  PS...we all enjoy seeing pictures. 

Have you tried a crate in the car?  My GSDs don't ride well uncrated.  They are so distracted by everything, they whine and pace around.  In a crate they quickly settle and just sleep.  It did take training/desensitization but ultimately it is the safest way to transport the dog and now they know it as a comfortable, safe place.

Like Barbara, I also bring a toy along when I have Nikon out in public.  It's like my emergency recall.  I don't bring it out unless I need it, but I have had to use it in the past.  Most recently, my husband and I were walking two dogs and turned a corner only to find an off leash lab bounding over to us.  There were two little girls in the yard, apparently left unsupervised to watch the off lead dog.  I immediately stuffed the ball in Nikon's mouth and played tug while my husband helped catch the dog and had the girls bring it inside.  The drive/obsession for the ball is what I spent those 4 months developing.  It's basically a medium for me to reward and motivate my dog and communicate right (giving the toy) from wrong (removing or keeping the toy back).  He also knows that the toy is no fun by himself and he always brings it to me for tug or fetch.  I like the toy because I can do so much more with it than food.  To take high value treats on every walk, I'd have to plan ahead.  But, if food is what works for your dog, go that route.  Also intermittently reward when the dog is behaving correctly or *any* time he does not react to another dog.  I still praise and reward Nikon for ignoring other dogs.  Last week in agility a dog ran over and sniffed right in Nikon's butt and he didn't react so he immediately got praised and we played with the ball.

Thanks Anne.  I was thinking more reactive than agressive too.  I bit my tongue about those dumb fences, but agree totally with you.

And, yep.  Lies is the one who does all the real work with gsds.  I have more, but she does the real work with hers.  I just have one lonely therapy dog who isn't comfy with little kids but LOVES old people.

Please do work on that bond and focus on you.  The boy I used a prong with, now can go just about anywhere off lead because we worked so very hard on a long line, focus on me and his leave it and recall.  You can get there.  Promise!

Hi, if you don't mind I would like to add a few words.  I am a NYS Certified Dog Behaviorist/Trainer and I would suggest to you that you find someone in your area (look up APDT) and see if you can find a Behaviorist not a Trainer.   I am both so I am not saying that trainers aren't very important for some things, but the majority of trainers do not fully understand the psychology behind the dog.  Behaviors aren't breed specific, they go according to how the dog was raised, what boundaries were or weren't set, who is the pack leader in the family, what types of social situations was the dog introduced to, etc.   Also in my experience I have found that gentle leads do not safely harness powerful breeds.   My advice to you would be to get either a metal training collar or a sturdy slip collar.   I lean on the positive side of rehabilitating & training, but your choice in equipment is as important as the attitude you have.    Training collars and slip collars are not "choke" collars unless they are used incorrectly.   Look in any book and follow the "P" & "9" advice.   You should always pick the side your dog is to walk on.  If you are walking him on the left, then while facing the dog thread your metal training collar so the it forms a "P" and if walking on your right it should be in a "9".   Used correctly these collars were designed to give the handler much better control.  A mild leash correction may be necessary in a situation such as yours as well as redirecting the dog.   It is a pack leaders job to protect, so if your dog is in that "protective" mode then he is not viewing you as the pack leader.  You say your dog was just pinning the other dog, but the reality is, that the next time might be a worse scenario.   Your dog definitely needs to be socialized around other dogs, but you also need to practice a calm, firm energy.   It is a fact that dogs sense our feelings and will react accordingly.   I'm sure you must have been freaking out when you saw those dogs running at you and understandably so.  But this was the reason more so why your dog felt he had to "protect" you.  If your dog is truly "aggressive" then he would have charged the other dog and bitten him.  I hope I was able to shed some light on your situation.   Good luck and please find a behaviorist before any damage is done.   I wouldn't want to see something happen to someone elses dog or yours!

The Dog Chick

I would suggest to you that you find someone in your area (look up APDT) and see if you can find a Behaviorist not a Trainer.   I am both so I am not saying that trainers aren't very important for some things, but the majority of trainers do not fully understand the psychology behind the dog.  Behaviors aren't breed specific, they go according to how the dog was raised, what boundaries were or weren't set, who is the pack leader in the family, what types of social situations was the dog introduced to, etc.   Also in my experience I have found that gentle leads do not safely harness powerful breeds.   My advice to you would be to get either a metal training collar or a sturdy slip collar.   I lean on the positive side of rehabilitating & training, but your choice in equipment is as important as the attitude you have.    Training collars and slip collars are not "choke" collars unless they are used incorrectly.   Look in any book and follow the "P" & "9" advice.   You should always pick the side your dog is to walk on.  If you are walking him on the left, then while facing the dog thread your metal training collar so the it forms a "P" and if walking on your right it should be in a "9".   Used correctly these collars were designed to give the handler much better control.  A mild leash correction may be necessary in a situation such as yours as well as redirecting the dog.   It is a pack leaders job to protect, so if your dog is in that "protective" mode then he is not viewing you as the pack leader.  You say your dog was just pinning the other dog, but the reality is, that the next time might be a worse scenario.   Your dog definitely needs to be socialized around other dogs, but you also need to practice a calm, firm energy.   It is a fact that dogs sense our feelings and will react accordingly.   I'm sure you must have been freaking out when you saw those dogs running at you and understandably so.  But this was the reason more so why your dog felt he had to "protect" you.  If your dog is truly "aggressive" then he would have charged the other dog and bitten him.  I hope I was able to shed some light on your situation.   Good luck and please find a behaviorist before any damage is done.   I wouldn't want to see something happen to someone elses dog or yours!

I'd like to address some of your points:

Hi, if you don't mind I would like to add a few words.  I am a NYS Certified Dog Behaviorist/Trainer and I would suggest to you that you find someone in your area (look up APDT) and see if you can find a Behaviorist not a Trainer.   I am both so I am not saying that trainers aren't very important for some things, but the majority of trainers do not fully understand the psychology behind the dog. 

I wasn't aware that any state certifies trainers or behaviorists - is that a recent law in New York?  At any rate, I think you'll find that many trainers are good at working with reactive dogs, but if your inclination is to find a behaviorist, then APDT is not the best source for that.  The Animal Behavior Society is the organization that certifies Applied Animal Behaviorists.  IAABC maintains a listing as well, but not all their behaviorists have Ph.D or DVM credentials.

Behaviors aren't breed specific, they go according to how the dog was raised, what boundaries were or weren't set, who is the pack leader in the family, what types of social situations was the dog introduced to, etc.  

If behaviors are not somewhat breed specific, then why would herding dogs exhibit "displaced herding behavior" that gets them seen by behaviorists all the time?  Behavior is a combination of breed characteristics, social experiences, and the environment.  The one thing that has *nothing* to do with it is "pack leadership" - apparently you have not yet read the research supporting the idea that dogs, unlike wolves, do not form linear hierarchies, and that even wolf hierarchies are now thought to be more related to breeding than other issues.

Also in my experience I have found that gentle leads do not safely harness powerful breeds. 

It's called a Gentle Leader, and I have a client age 75 who has been walking a Great Dane on one for years.  On dogs that are heavy pullers, a Halti is more substantial and works very well.  As you and I both suggested, a tie back to the collar, or a second leash is an option.

My advice to you would be to get either a metal training collar or a sturdy slip collar.  

If you are a behaviorist, you should know that use of a training collar (by that I assume you mean a prong) is not advisable on reactive dogs, and a slip collar is useless for anything but +P, which is not how most behaviorists today address the issue of reactivity.

I lean on the positive side of rehabilitating & training, but your choice in equipment is as important as the attitude you have.    Training collars and slip collars are not "choke" collars unless they are used incorrectly.   Look in any book and follow the "P" & "9" advice.   You should always pick the side your dog is to walk on.  If you are walking him on the left, then while facing the dog thread your metal training collar so the it forms a "P" and if walking on your right it should be in a "9".   Used correctly these collars were designed to give the handler much better control.  A mild leash correction may be necessary in a situation such as yours as well as redirecting the dog.   It is a pack leaders job to protect, so if your dog is in that "protective" mode then he is not viewing you as the pack leader.  You say your dog was just pinning the other dog, but the reality is, that the next time might be a worse scenario.  

I don't know any veterinarian behaviorist who would give this advice to the owner of a reactive dog, especially if there was even a hint of aggressive behavior.  I think the issue is not where the dog walks, but how easily the handler can get the dog's attention off the stimulus that makes him react, and at what distance.  If you correct a dog for being frightened, you add to the fear.  If you reward a dog for looking to you for guidance, and keep him safe, you do not add to the fear.  And fear is what causes this behavior in the first place.

Your dog definitely needs to be socialized around other dogs, but you also need to practice a calm, firm energy.  

Any dog that has not had adequate social experiences during the optimal socialization period that occurs between age 8-16 weeks may have issues that require desensitization and counter-conditioning, and it is unwise to tell someone to "socialize" their dog without explaining how that is done.  As you should know, some dogs are fine with dogs off leash, and only react on leash.  This dog has already shown that he is capable of being snarky off leash as well, and to judge that he is safe to socialize, based on the fact that during one incident he did not pierce the other dog, is not something we should be doing without direct knowledge of the dog.  One has to be cognizant of the potential harm to the other dogs with which this dog will interact.

It is a fact that dogs sense our feelings and will react accordingly.   I'm sure you must have been freaking out when you saw those dogs running at you and understandably so.  But this was the reason more so why your dog felt he had to "protect" you. 

While that may be true, in more cases than not, the dog is protecting himself out of fear, or a sense of being attacked, or trapped on the lead.

If your dog is truly "aggressive" then he would have charged the other dog and bitten him. 

Probably, but, again, don't take chances with this - find a pro to help you.

 I hope I was able to shed some light on your situation.   Good luck and please find a behaviorist before any damage is done.   I wouldn't want to see something happen to someone elses dog or yours!

Best Idea of all.  And use the Animal Behavior Society or IAABC sites for referrals, or speak to your veterinarian for a referral.  

Oh my.  I totally disagree that characteristics are not breed specific.  Dumb bell that I am I suffered through the differences between cocker spaniels and gsds because I ass/u/me d that a pup was a pup was a pup!!  Not so much!

Thanks Anne.  I wanted to comment on some of the very things you did but you did it so much more eloquently than I could have.  :)

spiritdogs

if your inclination is to find a behaviorist, then APDT is not the best source for that.  The Animal Behavior Society is the organization that certifies Applied Animal Behaviorists.  IAABC maintains a listing as well, but not all their behaviorists have Ph.D or DVM credentials.

spiritdogs

If you are a behaviorist, you should know that use of a training collar (by that I assume you mean a prong) is not advisable on reactive dogs, and a slip collar is useless for anything but +P

That is based pure in personal preference

spiritdogs

The one thing that has *nothing* to do with it is "pack leadership"

Some call them "benevolent leader, some other call them "mom/dad", etc. Dont let 2 words misguide you, everybody agrees here: Bottom line: the dog needs to pay attention to you instead.

spiritdogs

If you correct a dog for being frightened, you add to the fear. 

I dont think anybody in this world corrects a dog for being afraid but ignorant people out there think it actually happens.