I'm starting to have trouble with my German Shepherd trying to show dominance over me. To best explain his action it is very rough play. He will grab at my hands and arms for the most part and try to jump all over me at the same time. There is never any growling or barking and he will only act this way towards me. I have a 1 yr old daughter and he has never shown any signs of touching her. I'm trying to determine what I need to do to control this agression and put an end to it. I use a prong collar when he starts throwing his fit. If he does not have his prong collar on he is almost uncontrollable. Once the collar is put on there is no problem at all and I can't give a good correction. How should I go about correcting this behavior without the prong collar? And does this sound like a dominance issue or just him trying to get attention?

If more information is needed, just let me know.

 Quote: Brad Jimeson

I'm starting to have trouble with my German Shepherd trying to show dominance over me. To best explain his action it is very rough play. He will grab at my hands and arms for the most part and try to jump all over me at the same time. There is never any growling or barking and he will only act this way towards me. I have a 1 yr old daughter and he has never shown any signs of touching her. I'm trying to determine what I need to do to control this agression and put an end to it. I use a prong collar when he starts throwing his fit. If he does not have his prong collar on he is almost uncontrollable. Once the collar is put on there is no problem at all and I can't give a good correction. How should I go about correcting this behavior without the prong collar? And does this sound like a dominance issue or just him trying to get attention?

If more information is needed, just let me know.

Are you training him?

Yes, he is trained well with all of the basic commands. This has only started in the last month and is getting to be more common. He does not follow any commands while he is acting out. And he will not do this if the prong collar is on, but I don't want him to wear the collar all of the time.

Since he is a year, it is problably hormones. Are you exercizing him enough? I can't speak to the issue of your daughter.

 Quote: susan tuck

Since he is a year, it is problably hormones. Are you exercizing him enough? I can't speak to the issue of your daughter.

Ditto on the exercise. A tired dog, etc., etc.

More exercise, more training, plenty of pack leadership. JMO.

Is he getting sufficient exercise or has there been a change in your schedule within the last month you have noticed the change in him? A tired, exercised dog will not be so obnoxious.

He could be "collar smart" and know that the prong delivers when he wears it and when its off then he knows there is no correction. I would leave it on when he is out of his crate and let him drag a leash on it. If he starts being obnoxious, it's easy to grab the leash and correct him.

It sounds like he is being mildly dominant by being demanding & trying to get attention by playing rough. But unless there are other "symptoms" like, growling or possessiveness or trouble with his obedience, I wouldn't be overly concerned with him being labeled dominant. If you take the right measures now to let him know that his roughness is not acceptable that might be the end of the story.

Have you read some of Ed's articles about groundwork and dominance prevention? Make sure you are covering all the bases there and try the drag leash. Keep us updated on how he improves or not. Hope this helps!
Alison Voore

I think you may be right on with the hormones. He is still intact and I was thinking it may help to get him fixed. I was needing to do this anyways. I have no attention on breeding him. The exercise may be an issue too. I take him on regular walks, but try not to over due it (bad hips) and we play ball.

I only put the part about my daughter to show that he is not an aggressive dog. And only acts this way towards me.

I have been reading everyones post for a while now and I am glad that I came across this thread. I am having the exact same problem with my 1 year old female shepherd. I am trying to exercise her more. When she is tired she is a completely different dog. When I come home from work and I let her out of her kennel she is like a wild animal. She is a big girl weighs in at almost 90lbs. I take her bike riding with me every day for about 40 minutes. As soon as I get the prong on she behaves much better. I would like to be able to get her to a point that I will be able to get her to sit to put the collar on without feeling like I have to defend myself when she is let out. Keep the replies coming every piece of advice helps. Thanks.

I would recommend reading his articles on Becoming the Pack Leader. Part of this is his age, the equivalent of humans terrible two's. My dog went through this but i never let him be dominate over me. so he would just refuse commands. He is now 1 and we have no issues. I dictact everything he does. You need the mindset that those are my toys and I let you play with them.

40 minutes of bike riding every day with a 1 year old 90lb. GSD is way too much. You're gonna break her in half with that routine.