http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/200265/page/0/fpart/1

Here's the thread from my original post. June 4th I posted this thread, frustrated and feeling so alone with my aggressive dog problem. My s.o. wanted to put the dog down, feeling there was no help for him. He had bitten me, my s.o., my dad, and was, in our minds, a time bomb waiting for the next attack.

We are pet owners, not experienced with this type of dog. You could call him "dominant" or simply a dog owned by inexperienced people who did not show effective pack leadership.

I am so excited to report we have made such fantastic progress, even my doubting s.o. is impressed! I've been taking much advice from the knowlegeable people on this site, and getting better at "reading" my dog, learning what he needs, and how he needs to learn. We had turned into such rigid authoritarions that the fun and love went out of our relationship with the dog. Along with that, we didn't have trust or any type of bond with our GSD, Cerbie.

The major thing we're working on is trust (no longer messing with him around the food bowl) and forming a better bond. We have more fun with him, and I get excited to work on training him (we had forgetten owning a dog should be fun!)

I can tell there's a huge difference in him (and us!) We've taught him to sleep on his bed out in our dining room. Initially he was sleeping beside our bed, but several times had growled at us as we approached him when he was on his bed. Banished to his crate in the basement was a good learning experience, but after a slew of night break-ins down the road from us we decided a week or so ago he should be out of his crate in the house, so he could give us a warning bark, if nothing else, should someone break in. Just last night I was in bed, he approached the door to the bedroom, never taking his eyes off me, took one step over the doorway, then another, still watching me. I merely pointed out the door towards his bed, and he turned tail and "huffed" as he lay on his bed. He tests us, but we're staying consistent! He no longer growls if we approach him laying on his bed. In fact, his bed is near my plants, and even if I am watering them and he's laying there he is completely relaxed and trusting.

He's actually started sometimes rolling over on his back (and we rub his tummy), doing it today for my s.o. for the first time (the one he really had trust issues with.) He acts so much happier and trusting, it's wonderful to see!!! We still avoid situations we know could lead to an aggressive response (petting him while he's laying down, for example, other than the tummy rub) in an efford to continue building trust.

Training is coming along well, and I've made contact with a trainer with whom I hope to start working with regularly, to learn some new fun things to teach him. Owning this dog has been a huge learning experience, both about myself and dog training. If only they taught dog training and behavior in elementary school! Imagine the dog bites that could be avoided!! The most important thing is that I'm back to believing owning a dog is fun, whereas it had turned into a nightmare for awhile.

I just want to again thank everyone for the time and patience you had with me as I brought my issues to the board, even though you had never met me or my dog. And thanks to Ed for having started this website and for producing some wonderfully informative videos.

Stephanie, you are an inspiration! I am so glad to see you have made such wonderful progress with your dog.

Nicely done!

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

Stephanie, you are an inspiration! I am so glad to see you have made such wonderful progress with your dog.

Nicely done!

Ditto!!!!
Awesome story to read this morning. Keep up the GREAT work.

(Hopefully those come out!!)

AAAWW, he's a big handsome punkin! What a great example you are!! I have been rooting for you guys.......it's so cool when it works out! Congrats and keep up the good work!
BTW your Cerbie could be my Pache's twin....LOVE those sables!

What great progress and a wonderful story! You should be SO proud of yourselves!

With your permission, I would like to use this thread (with the other attached) as an example to a few people I know, who can’t quite believe that by changing the way they interact with their dog, everybody will be happier. Like Lynne said, you already are an inspiration.

Thank you for the update!

I'm so happy for you. I think it's great that you didn't dismiss your responsibility. Most people would not have taken the steps you did.

Jessica, absolutely use my example! I was stumped myself, until learning all I did (much from this site.) Some of the most important things I learned and keep with me: Your dog, your rules. You decide what you want from your dog, how you want it to behave, then make it happen! There's no rule book for dog training. You decide what rules you want, and figure out the best way for your dog to learn it, then stay CONSISTENT. (That's been the biggest challenge!) Hearing what others do, what rules they have, have helped me to form my own, for what works in my situation. It's given me a new outlook that I never had before. And if something isn't working, don't be afraid to do something different!
And it would have been easy to dismiss my responsibility, but I recognized much of his behavioral problems were the result of inadequate leadership on my end (not something easy to admit, for sure!) I just couldn't walk away; I had to believe the situation could be improved, and it has!