I need help. I am going to be purchasing the Prong & Dominant Collar sometime next week. I know I have to start with Obedience and Pack Leadership first. But I dont have much time. I live with my parents and just got a 3yr old German Shepherd Female on December 25 2008. At first she was calm due to being a new area and then after 2 days her true side came out barking, trying to bite at the other dogs, people she dont know plus family members. She is showing aggression more to our two older females here, a little to the male, growling showing teeth at my older sister & other sisters, snapping at my friends & family & she already bit my sister but didnt break the skin for no apparent reason no signs of aggression then she was relax and just snap at her arm she could of bit her face but she went for her arm.
When we had brought past shepherds into our home they fought with the dogs that were already here but knew their place because my father was a strong Pack leader. But due to injuries he can no longer handle this situation for our family. I can already tell what will happen if I let her loose in the yard with the three. I hate to lock her up constantly from a crate to a kennel. I no longer allow her to run loose or pull me. I make her sit at the door before we go out and make her sit before she can eat. But only broke one habit which was spilling her bucket of water. I want to do this the right way and not the wrong way. I know about the dvd havent been able to buy it due to the job hour lost here in Florida.

I have 2 weeks to get her to stop barking and I dont know if I should purchase a bark collar to stop that problem. Right now I have her when she barks for no reason I put the muzzle on her someone told me to do that because it works (not sure).

She also has strong prey drives she hunts from the smallest creature such as a grasshopper to a Dog. How do I get her to focus from whats prey and whats not prey.She even tries to bite at the other dogs with a muzzle on. The pet store groomers wont bathe her or the vet wont take her in to get a bath and dip because she snap at the people with a muzzle on trying to bite at them when they tried to bathe her... She is smart when there are no other dogs or animals insite she listens well but as soon as other dogs or animals come into site she doesnt want to listen to me at all. But she will listen if no ones around. Its weird but I am willing to take any advice. Remind you I will purchase the video of dealing with aggression and I am also going to be purchasing the dominant collar. Please help until the meantime.

1. Are you in school or working or largely at home with the dogs?

2. What is the dog's exercise/training like (daily)? Be honest.

3. Why did you add another dog? Was this an emergency?

4. Are they all crate-trained?

5. All GSDs?

I am hoping for some clarification before suggestions are made. You may be in way over your head, but let's get all the info on the table first.

I want to point out that this: When we had brought past shepherds into our home they fought with the dogs that were already here is not going to match up with any advice you will get here. This is not the way to introduce dogs to the home.

Welcome to the board!

I do go to work part time doing Art(home schooling) and most of the time I do be with the dogs or taking care of my sisters two kids. I do take her out in the morning for a walk on days that I dont work other wise I have put her into the 10x10x6 Dog Kennel.
I do live with my parents so I can not allow her to roam in house freely or stay in the crate all day plus she cant have that privilege until she respects everyone in household. She also isn't allow to run in yard because I haven't gotten totally control over her yet.
I got her because my sisters boyfriends dad had no choice but to get rid of her due to neighbors complaints plus fines in Texas neighborhood and the pound was just going to put her to sleep so I told him I will take her which meanwhile all I knew was she needed to be train and has never socialized with another dog before. He did leave her with a friend and the male dog fought with her but after that they got along but he was an older male and I didnt want her to be put down she is beautiful, smart and has very strong prey drives which you can just tell(I didnt know she did have that otherwise I probably wouldn't have took her.

Both Shepherds are crate trained our older females never were in crates but we had them since pups and they respect us and know who's in charge. My youngest male shepherd he was going through Pano and I haven't done serious training with him other then the basic obedience and taking him around loud noises & people so he could get use to it, he wants to play with her but she is too strong for him and she is still nippy at mouth but calmer with him then what she is with the females.
The other two females are not Gsds one is a black mouth cur mix with shepherd the other one is a lab,chow cross and she is so scared of the new shepherd she shakes bad & hides. Because we had another female that I had to replace into another home due to a fight with our 8yr old two times she almost got killed due to the lock on. I didnt know about leerburg until after that situation which I wish I never placed her into another home because I could of corrected my behavior but it works out she is a protective dog to her new family.
I hope this information helps to help me too.
We learn over the years when bringing in a new dog to our home but never had one like this one before. She was dominant over her last family and did what she wanted when they weren't around her but only respected the wife more then the husband from what he told me. I talk to the original owner of her parents but so far they are good dogs the male(her father) is protective from my understanding. I never seen or met them because they live in Texas and I am in Florida. So I couldn't tell you if her parents had good temperaments or not.

Should I just rehome her because she could be one of those dogs that will never get along with another dog. She is registered but I will hate to have her lock up all of the time. Should I place her into a training facility or into a K9(police trainer) home who has experience with high prey drive dogs. I am only one person who is handling this situation and trying to get everyone to help isnt easy at all and I dont want no one to get hurt(family or friend wise). I love to have two dogs at all times but in this situation I cant get her to be with my other dog yet alone with my sisters dogs and they all were trying to be nice to her but she just kept trying to hunt them and bite them even then we put a muzzle on her same thing. I think in my mind she will be best to be the only dog in her home and with a more strict pack leader then what I am. What do you think?

Holy cow, you have a lot of work to do. If you really intend to keep this dog and make this a good situation, forget your self-imposed time lines. If your attitude is: ". . . I need help. . . I have 2 weeks to get her to stop barking. . . I dont have much time", then you don't sound like you're really serious about doing this right. If you intend to do what it takes (and it'll probably take more work than you expect), then this is the place to get the help.

Since you've just joined here, I doubt you've had the time to read Ed's articles/ebooks, listed to his podcasts, etc. The answers to your many questions can all be found here:

http://leerburg.com/dogtrainingpodcasts.htm
http://leerburg.com/dogtrainingebooks.htm
http://leerburg.com/dvd.htm

"I know I have to start with Obedience and Pack Leadership first." You said it!
All of Ed's training videos and podcasts are great, but you should start with the "Groundwork" and "Basic Obedience" DVDs/podcasts. You and the dog need that foundation before you jump in using a prong/dominant collar and other issues without knowing Ed's training philosophy.

My suggestion is to spend as much time as possible for the next few days reading Ed's articles and listening to podcasts (on groundwork, philosophy, correction, introducing dogs into homes with other dogs) while you wait for the Basic Obedience DVD to arrive.

You have a lot of challenges ahead, but it's very rewarding to be successful at this. And keep coming back with questions as you progress.

Mike

 Quote: naeema white

Should I just rehome her because she could be one of those dogs that will never get along with another dog. She is registered but I will hate to have her lock up all of the time. Should I place her into a training facility or into a K9(police trainer) home who has experience with high prey drive dogs.

You have no idea if she can get along with other dogs! She is in a pack situation with no foundation work, no groundwork, and no pack leader.

How have you assessed the "high prey drive"?

Do you actually know an LEO with PSD experience who is looking for a companion dog? Or a "training facility"? Like what?

QUOTE: I got her because my sisters boyfriends dad had no choice but to get rid of her due to neighbors complaints plus fines in Texas neighborhood and the pound was just going to put her to sleep so I told him I will take her which meanwhile all I knew was she needed to be train and has never socialized with another dog before. END

What kind of complaints and fines?

Gosh, I am reading "I give up." Am I wrong?

This is a job. You took it on. If you give up, then you give up, but it sure doesn't sound like any attempt has been made to work with this dog, and I still don't get why you took her.

I'm sorry to sound confrontational. I am hearing casual references to placing the dog in "a training facility" or "in a K-9 home" -- this is not in any way a likely outcome unless you know something unusual that you haven't mentioned.

Please tell me that I have mis-read the last posts.

Thanks
I so far read the introducing a new dog and I know its alot of work the only problem is our neighborhood is becoming annoying even though we live in the country area and people have been known to call animal control if they hear aggression dogs going at it but my dog doesnt like dogs at all I only had her for about 3mths now and she is already driving me crazy but for some part I know she means well and she is smart when no other dogs are around her or in sight of her she obeys more then until she sees another dog she doesnt want to listen to me anymore. I do not like dog runs or leaving a dog in a crate too long. We never had to do that until now. My parents dislike her now because all she does is show teeth & growl for no reason at all, does that annoy bark, wants to go after everything she sees, they are getting older and for my dad being in pain and hearing that it really stresses him out that is why I was trying to find a quick solution for his sake. She even bit my sister for no apparent reason-at that moment in time we were taking pictures and she showed no signs of dominance or aggression she could of went for her face becuz she was side by side at the face I did it too we were fine and she did it she was fine until she went after her arm & I immediately put her to the ground told her bad girl no and put her into her kennel she stayed in the doghouse and didnt say not one word(bark) that day.
I am hoping for the best answers possible, I feel like I am not a strong pack leader.
Naeema

 Quote: Naeema White

..... I know its alot of work the only problem is our neighborhood is becoming annoying .... people have been known to call animal control if they hear aggression dogs going at it but my dog doesnt like dogs at all ... I only had her for about 3mths now and she is already driving me crazy ... I do not like dog runs or leaving a dog in a crate too long. .... My parents dislike her now because all she does is show teeth & growl for no reason at all.... She even bit my sister for no apparent reason ..... she showed no signs of dominance or aggression .....

OK, you are right. The dog cannot be in your home.

You also can't re-home her to anyone but a strong handler with experience, no kids, no pets, etc., and you have to give full disclosure.

I am sorry to say that you are probably going to have to call a GSD rescue or surrender her to A/C.

JMO.

I would also have to say that the way you are living with the other dogs is not at all good for them or your family or anyone in the vicinity (because you have a dog pack), but I assume that they are your parents' dogs and that you have little say in the matter.

oh no no misleads Connie,
I am just confuse to myself, I know I made the mistake of taken her. But I thought it was best at the time to have a new member I thought I could handle her like I have with past dogs we owned. I thought it would be a great task for me to do. But I never knew she would have prey drives. I had tried to distract her with a squeaker toy which she did start looking at it and stop looking at my sisters dog. To try to focus her on that. She rather play with stuff toys or a real house cat then with a ball. The prey drive is because of her willing to hunt and she always aims at peoples arms like she wants to attack just like she did to my sister. If I could of gotten a camera out how she would go into hunting skills you would be amazed how she was getting ready to pounce on my sisters dog but good thing she was on a leash for her potty outing. To me her motive is to hunt & sometimes seem eager to learn. She did get a hold of our outside cat and shook him bad but luckily didnt break the skin drop him and wanted to go on chase after him. I know she would do the same to the other dogs but the only problem is my sisters dog will try to avoid a fight by looking at me and walking away or behind me but unexpectedly I know she will defend herself. As soon as my other sisters dog knows she is coming out of the outdoor kennel or house she is already gone and hiding. Event though my other shepherd that I let go attack her she wasnt afraid of her but when she came "Lola" she has been afraid of her.
I dont know anyone at the moment but I was going to ask my aunt who works for sherrifs if she could ask the k9 trainer if they are looking for a dog or companion they would like to work with or have into a companion if she didnt then my best knowledge I would have to train her myself and find her a new home but in my mind is saying "whats to guarantee she wont get put down for her behavior and it will be a bigger mistake"

the complaints were that she is barking too much and they said if they didnt resolve the problem they would fined him for it and if that didnt get resolve still they would take the dog and one of the neighbors tried to shoot her with a bb gun because of her barking. He said hew would of kept her if he could of stop her from barking but he wasnt a strong pack leader at all she was the pack leader of that family from what he was saying to me how she control the situations...

QUOTE: "whats to guarantee she wont get put down for her behavior and it will be a bigger mistake" END

There is no guarantee. However, you are not going to resolve anything in that pack situation in two weeks except to get her taken by A/C.

Meanwhile you are subjecting dogs in your care to lives of anxiety and fear of attack.

I'd concentrate on placing her as best you can.

PLEASE don't take in another dog. I'd put some time in after this with basic obedience foundation work, learning marker training, learning about pack leadership, and pretty much listening to every one of Ed's podcasts.