I decided to take my puppy on a different route than normal. The puppy is a 6 month old female. I have been considering trying to make this a PPD but have been hesitant because I am afraid the dog’s nerves may be too weak. Anyway she was doing well, ignoring the fire works they don’t seem to bother her at all. She does seem to be somewhat dog aggressive especially if the other dog is acting aggressive to her. Well I run into a neighbor of mine and his young son. The dog never acted aggressive to the boy but she lunged 3 times and the father. The first time he was reaching down to pet her (without my permission). I did not quite know what to do about this aside from control her. I did not know how and if I should correct her after all I do want a PPD. After the first time I jerked her back down made her sit and began to talk to my neighbor. After a few minutes she tried it again. So I jerked her down again and made her sit. The last time she didn’t get air born like the first 2 times but she did start at him again. What does this mean as far as how I should handle this dog’s training? Obviously I will have to keep control of her at all times while in public and have to make sure people don’t try to pet her. I have seen behavior similar to this but always when someone she didn’t know came in the house and she never actually lunged on the attack just aggressive barking.

Was she lunging aggressively? Or playfully? Was she growling and trying to bite?

Defiantly aggressively. She was on the attack and she was not playing.

What is the breeding of the dog? Some people will look at the aggression you are describing as a nerve or temperament issue, but I think you have to look at the dog as a whole. If your dog handles fireworks without a problem, that is a plus in the nerve category. Your dog was okay with the child and was aggressive toward someone invading her space. GSDs should be good with the family and children and suspicious of strangers. Also, she is just a pup. I think too often people will say this behavior is a temperament problem, when it might actually reflect truer breed temperament.

I am embarrassed to say I am not familiar with the dogs breeding except for the fact that one of its grandparents was supposed to be a police dog. I kind of got the cart before the horse by buying a dog and then deciding to try to make a PPD of it.

So what do you guys think? Should I be looking at this like my dog has weak nerves or is too sharp and I need to socialize her more and try to build more confidence or should I be looking at like I want a PPD and my dog does not like strange men. Good for her.

A six month old aggressively lunging multiple times at a neutral stranger in a neutral location is not a good sign. If this behavior continues, the dog does not have the correct temperament for a ppd and should be replaced with a more suitable candidate.

I don't know about the PPD aspect. However it would seem that 6 months is awful young to be showing ANY aggressive behaviour. I would think regardless of what the end goal is for this pup, more socialization and confidence building would be appropriate.

can you really tell at only 6 months old that a dog would need to be replaced or isnt suited for PPD ???...Even if the dog is only a year old....he or she would still be consider immature and would still be very superstitious to new surrounding and strange people and animals...Hossinpfeffer (my male) is only 15 months old and just starting to show confidence in himself and new situtions/ stangers/ animals.....he too was a very aggressive/superstitious towards others and animals between that 6 months to 12 months of his puppyhood....
Time spend with him and alot of time...not just the average joe time of i will walk him and then kennel him up or work him for a hour....but really put some time with your dog...they are just like children the more time u put into them the better they will adjust to adulthood and know what is expected of them....

It is definetely a problem for a 6 month old dog to be attacking a stranger. She was either sacred or has very weak nerves. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />