April 26, 2011
My GSD was going after my Yorkie. I had her leash but she turned and bit me instead. She has been after them lately. What should I do?
Full Question:
Hello,I am emailing with pics of a bite from my 7 month old GSD female. She was going after my yorkie and I had her leash thankfully but she turned and bit me instead. Of course I was glad it was me and not my yorkie. She has been after them lately, what can I do? I have been establishing the pack structure. Its not perfect yet but its a whole lot better than when I first got her. Only had her a couple of months. I keep her in her crate when she is not on my leash by my side. She is fine one minute and it just happens. Should I muzzle her when she is out? I don't want to have to get rid of her but me and my yorkies cant be attacked every couple of days. I love her very much and would do anything to keep her. Please help. Thank you.
Cindy's Answer:
Managing a multi dog household can be much more challenging than a single dog. I would be following our Groundwork program and the video Pack Structure for the Family Pet.
Owners of dogs like yours underestimate the genetic power of "PACK DRIVE." Pack structure is not something new and it is not optional, and if you don’t provide the structure and leadership a dog NEEDS then he or she will behave as canines have for thousands of years and will structure your family and household their own way. Your dog is not behaving badly out of spite or stubbornness; your dog is simply being a dog, a dog that needs some guidance and rules.
If you want to fix a problem like this you can but it takes some work. In order to get the most out of the training, it’s important to work with all dogs in the household, not just the individual you think is the problem. If the Yorkie is not under control, then you are going to have a hard time making any progress.
Here is a DVD that I would recommend titled Dealing with Dominant and Aggressive Dogs.
If you go to the link on this DVD you can read about what it covers. You will also see a detailed outline of what’s in the video.
I would definitely recommend a muzzle while you work through these issues. They can be fixed but it will take a lot of work and making sure if you can’t pay 100% attention to the dogs then they should be crated to prevent any altercations.
I would direct you to the search function in the upper left corner of the website for any additional questions you may have.. If you type in your key words it will guide you to articles, Q & A’s and posts on our forum.
I hope this helps.
Cindy
Owners of dogs like yours underestimate the genetic power of "PACK DRIVE." Pack structure is not something new and it is not optional, and if you don’t provide the structure and leadership a dog NEEDS then he or she will behave as canines have for thousands of years and will structure your family and household their own way. Your dog is not behaving badly out of spite or stubbornness; your dog is simply being a dog, a dog that needs some guidance and rules.
If you want to fix a problem like this you can but it takes some work. In order to get the most out of the training, it’s important to work with all dogs in the household, not just the individual you think is the problem. If the Yorkie is not under control, then you are going to have a hard time making any progress.
Here is a DVD that I would recommend titled Dealing with Dominant and Aggressive Dogs.
If you go to the link on this DVD you can read about what it covers. You will also see a detailed outline of what’s in the video.
I would definitely recommend a muzzle while you work through these issues. They can be fixed but it will take a lot of work and making sure if you can’t pay 100% attention to the dogs then they should be crated to prevent any altercations.
I would direct you to the search function in the upper left corner of the website for any additional questions you may have.. If you type in your key words it will guide you to articles, Q & A’s and posts on our forum.
I hope this helps.
Cindy
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