Hi,
wonder if you could help/advise with this problem please;
GSD 3 years, bitch, intact, v well trained, passed year she showing aggression to other dogs, was always stand-offish but never aggessive - dogs she used to run with she would now attack if i didn't control her on lead, have to muzzle her if i do let her off lead. thoughts/ideas would be appreciated - i have been trying to get in touch with some other dog owners to socialize her some more under controlled situations, her 'sister' (3 yr G/retriever) no prob and the two play and run together.

many thanks

Rob

Under what conditions is she dog-aggressive?

Why/where is she off-lead around other dogs?

What does "socialize" mean to you?

"Control on lead" - does this just mean walk away, hold her back, what?

thanks - She will want to chase and attack other dogs under any condition
country side - if other dogs are around she is on leash, when she is off lease i muzzle her and there has been the odd unexpected dog come along, she will chase and bump into it.... but cant do anything as she is muzzled, she then comes straight back to me.

control on lead = walk away/distract her.....

thanks

Rob

what does she do when she see the dogs? does she just pull? does she bark, growl, is she silent, does she hackle, ears forward, what does her tail do?

has she been attacked or bothered by other dogs before? what is her prey drive like? is she territorial?

i'm just wondering b/c i would handle aggression due to fear differently than territorial aggression, personally. that said, while i think muzzling her off-lead is a great idea, it might be best to keep her on-leash until you've got this under control. even chasing/bumping into other dogs could be feeding into her aggression, and it's also not fair to the other dog. also, if she ever meets a dog that isn't interested in being chased but goes after her instead, she can't defend herself and you aren't right there to defend her.

i just saw this thread from a year ago:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=18&Number=171232&Searchpage=1&Main=17534&Words=+Rob+Bellis&topic=0&Search=true#Post171232

i take it what you're posting about now is simply a continuation/escalation of the behaviour you posted about last December? Did you keep her on leash as advised?

i really think you need to do so, and really watch her to figure out what her motivation is. if it's been a year and that's still not clear to you, i think you need to focus on what is provoking her/causing the aggression so that you can properly address it, and in the meantime, keep her leashed. some of what you posted last year (nervous, hackling) would suggest fear to me, but i'd hesitate to say so without more info.

many thanks both for your comments'

it is escalation from last post (well spotted).
i would have said it was fear driven year ago but now i'm not so sure, it could be but she will chase down anything given the chance.
i dont let her run uncontrolled but i would like to be able to give her more freedom without having a heart attack (me that is)every time another dog comes within few hundred feet.

her ears become alert, hackles up, tail up, will bark occasionally, prey drive is very high. she is territorial. have tried her in different places in case she thinks usual fields are hers etc....

it could be she thinks she is protecting us - i have tried petting the 'other dogs' to show no threat etc once mine is restrained, in this situation she does calm and stay put.

with people she is great just attacks them with licking, given the chance.

good point on muzzling, i thought the same, when i muzzle her now she looks around for the 'other dog'
but really she is a beautiful dog (Breeze) and perfect in every other way.

best wishes

Rob

 Quote: Rob Bellis

i dont let her run uncontrolled

i would say that if she's aggressively chasing after other dogs than she's uncontrolled, even if she can't bite them.

i don't know what kind of muzzle you're using, but you also run the risk of her learning to get it off.

i know it can be hard having an aggressive dog, and it can suck that you can't necessarily take them out with the same kind of freedoms as a non-aggressive dog, but for the best for your dog and other's, she should be leashed. having an aggressive dog is a big responsibility, and i'd err on the side of caution in terms of her freedoms until this is under control.

start there, and then i'd work on figuring out the causes/triggers and really try to get at the problem. she may never be okay off-lead, but hopefully you can work through it. are there any experienced trainers near you who you could consult with?

 Quote: Rob Bellis

i dont let her run uncontrolled but i would like to be able to give her more freedom without having a heart attack (me that is)every time another dog comes within few hundred feet.

her ears become alert, hackles up, tail up, will bark occasionally, prey drive is very high. she is territorial......

it could be she thinks she is protecting us

I think you may have hit the nail on the head here.

If you're anxious about meeting other dogs, she WILL pick up on this and become defensive.
Thinking honestly, how good is your Pack Structure?
If you aren't fully in control. calm and confident, she may try to take over and decide how the meetings go, and may deal with strangers with a show of dominance or aggrression.

You can start to resolve this by really upping your status as Pack Leader. She needs to know that you are in control and will deal with any situations that arise calmly and firmly. That way she can trust you, relax a bit and not feel the need to deal with it herself. And you need to keep YOU between her and any strangers - dogs or people.

Keep her on a leash if there's people about, and a long line if there's none visible. Distract when you can, correct any inappropriate behaviour before it escalates too much, and praise her when she does well

HTH

thanks all, will heed the advice here, it could be pack structure, she IS getting big for her boots! i will revisit training to refresh this as suggested..... please all be assured all that i do take this seriously and would never put her or other dogs in danger hence leash and muzzle. I use the leerburg police style muzzle which seems to work well -

Happy New Year.