I just got a nice male German Shepherd from strong DDR lines. I was told when i got him that he was a VERY HARD dog. Nothing was mentioned to me that he is handler agressive. This is day 5 having him and things looks like they are going for the worse.

When we got him home and opened the crate for him to come out everything went fine. He sniffed us down and made his mark on a few things in the garage. When i went to put him on the leash, he growled alittle, so i said "okay he is new and he is not familar with us yet.

After a few days, his agressive behavior has went up from a level 4 to a level 10. Before we started using a method i came up with, we would let him out and attempt to hook him on the leash, as soon as we went up to him he would get really agressive to the point that he jumped up at my g/f's mom and pinned her up against a wall and started snarwling and chewing on her arm. Although, he wasn't biting hard enough to cause any pain or injury, it was very apparent that was giving us a stern warning to stay away from his neck.

The only way we can get him on leash is to use a method that i luckily thought of and that is to; Take a metal coat hanger and bend it so that i can fish it through the crate door to hook his choke chain. So if any of you are having a problem like this, then please do use this method, it does work, although alittle tricky fishing for the ring on the choke chain to hook him.

He is to the point now that he will not let us open his crate door without growling and "going off" on us. Our only option is to use the coat hanger method described above. Same problem with food, when i go to give his food to him and before i even open the crate door he starts growling really bad at me or whoever attempts to give his food to him. I know he associates us with his food because once i take the food out of sight, he seems to calm down some. But the moment i bring it back into view he gets really agressive towards us.

He is also very dog aggressive. I have a bitch that is currently in season and he attacked her. He showed NO interested in the fact that she was in heat. He just wanted at her badly to attack her. So that is another issue.

Im a good dog trainer and like to train motivationally. Please don't give me "Get you an experienced trainer/behavorist" There is no such thing around here where i live (Southern Ohio). And plus i want to be the one responsible for bringing him out of this. I have limited info on his background, The guy stated he would be excellent for Protection/Police work and that he would in no way make a nice family pet. I knew all of this before i purchased the dog. So i can't blame him for any of this. Basically i bit off alittle more than i could chew.

When he is put on his leash he is fine, almost like an angel. The minute the leash is off he is his own boss and will attack if we dont heap his warning, i know for sure.

My questions;

For the people that are wondering why i don't have a muzzle: How do you put a muzzle on a dog that will not toloerate you touching anywhere around his neck/mouth area. Same thing with the prong color.

Im considering giving a major correction if this don't stop. It is obvious that this dog is trying to set itself as leader and that will not happen on my turf. Should i use the hang' em high method? That is def. a LAST resort but will use it if that is the only option i have. I have came to the conclusion that this dog needs to know who the leader is and that is me. Im getting really frustrated with his bullying attitude. It has got to stop.

I would most likely get rid of him but i paid good money for him so that is not an option and plus the fact im determined to correct this behavior.

I would appreciate any and all advice on this matter.

Thanks for your time!

Jason

 Quote: Jason S Campbell

The guy stated he would be excellent for Protection/Police work and that he would in no way make a nice family pet.

This isn't sarcastic or confrontational, but I have to ask. Why did you buy this dog??

What were/are your plans for the dog?

Anyway, for starters:

1. Are there children in the house?

2. I'm sure you know to separate the dogs. Your other dog can't be terrorized (and certainly not attacked).

At the time, i wasn't thinking. Now i ask myself that very same question.

I guess because i had plans to use him as a protection dog here at my home. No kids in house, dogs are seperated at all times.

He has excellent ball drives and very smart. He knows sit and down (when on leash) but the moment it comes off the problems start. Or when we try to insert food into his den/crate.

No offense taken.

Jason

Have you considered making a videotape of the dog and send to Cesar Millian. Maybe he will pick you to be on the T.V. to help your dog with hander aggression and other things. Well... Maybe you want to pm Ed because he had a dog named Otis who was a handler aggression. You might want to do some reading on his website on how to be a pack leader. Good luck!

 Quote:

Basically i bit off alittle more than i could chew.

I'm not being sarcastic Jason, but you say you want to handle this but then you say its too much for you. Good luck to you. I think you need someone who may not use the same type of motivational training as you.

Advice not criticism. PLEASE. Your not in my situation to understand the frustration, so please don't add to it.

I'm not criticising. I'll send you a PM.

Jason,

You say you train motivationally? Does that mean no physical corrections? I am assuming you have never handled a dominant aggressive dog before purchasing this male. You state you are a very good trainer, but how much experience do you have with aggression issues?

Have you corrected him at all for this behavior?

First thing I noticed in your post was that you allowed him to mark inside your garage. This dog needs to be put on a NILIF routine and I highly suggest a DD collar. I don't think a prong is your way to go with this one, especially if you are hesitant about corrections.

It sounds like you are just tiptoeing around this dog, that needs to stop ASAP. You are only making it easy for him to be the dominant one. He is not vying for/trying to be the dominant dog around the block, he already is. The first time he growled at you and you allowed the behavior he became top dog.

The methods to correct this are going to be a little different than with your average dog. What are your goals for him now? Is he to be a PPD for you still? You don't know much about his past, do you know what kind of training he has had? Has he had any bite training? What methods were used? If you don't have this information can you contact the seller and ask?

You may have to use the DD method ... "choking out" as it is often referred to. Much else may not have a whole lot of effect if he is as hard as he is supposed to be and any other regular physical correction may not do much. Especially not with a choke chain and a prong will guarantee you a good chomping.

If most of the problems are when he has no leash on ... don't take the leash off.

What exactly are the behavior differences between having a leash on or off? What does he do on lead that he doesn't do with it off and visa versa?

I agree to separate the dogs completely.

excellent advice, Jennifer. I always enjoy reading your comments on this particular topic.

 Quote: jennifer marshal

... If most of the problems are when he has no leash on ... don't take the leash off.

Yes, along with Jennifer's entire post.

And Jason, Steve's post was something that I was thinking too. If you don't think that you can do this, then there's no way you can. You can't have "I bit off more than I can chew" in your head.

The escalation from Day 1 to Day 5 happened because you allowed it to. I don't know what else you allowed from a dog who growled at you right out of the crate, but Jennifer's point about letting him plant his ownership flag in the garage (his first entrance to your home?) is right on the mark. This isn't criticism as much as it is telling you how not to go forward.

You have some work to do.

http://leerburg.com/dominantdogs.htm
http://leerburg.com/746.htm
http://leerburg.com/301.htm
http://leerburg.com/pdf/dealingwithdominantdog.pdf
http://leerburg.com/pdf/dealingwithaggressivedog.pdf

It might be good if you listen to a couple of Ed's podcasts tonight:
http://leerburg.com/dogtrainingpodcasts.htm

I'd start with The Groundwork to Becoming a Pack Leader
Part 1 and numbers 5, 8, and 10.

#8 (Intro of New Dog to First Dog) will be good to listen to even at this point.