I have a 6 month old female GSD. She is coming along great other than a few minor annoyances that I chalk up to just being a puppy.

However around other dogs she becomes intolerable. My parents have a little dog (Pom mix) and when I bring her to their house she is out of control. As soon as we drive up to the house she starts this high pitch screaming/howling. She gets very worked up and won't relax. When I bring her in the house (on leash with pinch collar) it's more of the same high pitch screaming and barking. She is totally fixiated on my parents dog. I try to bring them together and it leads to fighting.

First she licks his face, then she puts her paw on the back of his neck, he doesn't like it and starts to snap at her and I have to seperate the two. When she does get the opportunity to get at him she gets on top of him and holds him down while barking. I should mention that although small this Pom has a dominant personality and doesn't like her pushing him around. When she was an 8 week old pup he would snap at her.

When I take her to my girlfriends parents house she Does the same routime with their dog. They have a yellow lab and my dog Seda jumps all over her and holds her down on the ground. Their dog is submissive and doesn't fight back. Seda and their dog will play if their dog chooses to play but most of the time she just wants to lay around.

What I have tried so far is to reward her when she acts calmly with a treat. However she is so fixated on the dog she won't even accept the treat. What worked great today was when I got her favorite tug toy out and played with her while in the presence of the other dog. She focused on the toy rather than the dog and was OK. I have her on leash at all times. I keep her close to me and she will lay on the ground next to me while at either house. However she never relaxes, she is constantly panting and whining and worrying and trying to get away to get to the other dog. It gets to the point where after a few hours I just put her outside in my truck.

What is the best way to fix this problem?

Thanks

Why are you continuing to take her to the houses and into the presence of dogs she is so reactive with? Don't the owners of the other dogs object to subjecting their dogs to being terrorized? (QUOTE: I try to bring them together and it leads to fighting. END)

Why do this? Stop!

There are several things you can do about your dog's reactivity, but not that.

So, first: How is your dog on walks, etc., casually passing strange dogs?

What kind of obedience work are you doing, if any, and where are you with it?

This: What worked great today was when I got her favorite tug toy out and played with her while in the presence of the other dog. She focused on the toy rather than the dog and was OK. END was a good thing! However, I would work up to this goal of indifference. Which dog was this? The one she screams about (Pom) or the Lab? How long had you been there?

It's good that you posted. There ARE things to do about this.

 Quote: Paul Andrew

What is the best way to fix this problem?

Quit bringing the dogs together.

Confucious say, take two dogs to fight.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Why are you continuing to take her to the houses and into the presence of dogs she is so reactive with? Don't the owners of the other dogs object to subjecting their dogs to being terrorized? (QUOTE: I try to bring them together and it leads to fighting. END)

Why do this? Stop!

I have continued to bring her together because these dogs are going to be subjected to each other for the remainder of their lives. My family does things together such as camping and the dogs come along. I hoped that by having them together they would get used to each others company.

During walks she is fine. If she she another dog she keeps an eye on it but continues to walk without incident.

As far as obedience she knows the basic commands. Sit, down, stay, come. She doesn't always obey these commands but for the most part she does.

When I was playing with her with the tug toy it was with the dog that she screams at.

Thanks

You understand that a GSD can kill a little dog faster than you can blink, right?

You are making your pup miserable, and continually betraying it's trust.

It's your dog, obviously you can do what you want; but you have had a VERY experienced group of people give you good advice.
Disregard it at your own (and everyone else who comes around your dog)'s risk.

 Quote: Paul Andrew

.... I have continued to bring her together ...

And how's that working for you?


Using someone else's computer briefly, so, briefly:


This is not a way to acclimate reactive dogs to each other. They may not be able to be together off-leash ever, but what you are doing is almost guaranteeing that. (It's also a great way to instill fear-aggression in at least one other dog.)

You have received brusque answers because of what these dogs are going through; this is not what a pack leader does. He protects the dogs from attack and makes sure that there are no fights.

On to positive things: When I asked about basic ob, I was hoping to find out how you train the dog and whether you know anything about marker training.

Yes I train her with marker training. I have "your puppy 8 weeks to 8 months" and "basic dog obedience."

On to the "brusque" comments. A) There is no biting or attacking. Maybe in my first post I made the situation sound worse than what it is.

B) they are never off leash or out of my site ever. These are not unsupervised dogs.

My dog Seda plays rough. When her and I play it is rough. She is strong and very prey driven. She tries to play this way with my parents dog Bear. Bear doesn't like it and he growls and snaps at her. She ends up just smothering him. There is no biting no teeth being shown, no hair standing up, nothing.

Alyssa you really over-reacted to this thread.

Your first post said this: I try to bring them together and it leads to fighting.

This led the readers to think there was fighting. Fighting means biting, etc. Fighting also leads to the assumption that the dogs are not leashed. So you see the picture we had. And a GSD can kill a Pom in a minute. A pack leader who allows fighting is a very bad pack leader, which is why you received the replies you did. QUOTE: Maybe in my first post I made the situation sound worse than what it is. END Yes.

However, you are not doing any of these dogs any favors. You are forcing stress on them. And you used the word "snap."

OK, moving on: About the "snapping." I am not completely clear on who is snapping. The Pom or your dog?

Also, when you said that the game of tug re-focused your dog on you... how far away was the Pom? Visible to your dog?

Paul,

Unless I am missing something here (and I may very well be), I think your dog may be dog aggressive. My dog is dog aggressive. It may be that the very best you can hope for is getting her to the point where she is able to ignore other dogs, as long as those dogs do not approach her.

One of Ed's DVDs demonstrates how to use an e-collar to condition a dog aggressive dog to ignore other dogs.

I keep my dog away from other dogs. When we go to the vet he waits in our SUV in his crate until it is his turn to go in, and then we take him through a side door. Like your dog, he is often OK on walks, unless the other dog makes a move towards him. If that happens we have to take action to keep him from going into drive.

I think the best you can do is keep these dogs separated.

You're right. I totally overreacted to the fact that you intentionally and in an ongoing fashion force your dog to be in a situation where it is clearly very uncomfortable, and in which both people and dogs are in danger of injury.

And just think... Your dog is neither physically, mentally or sexually mature...