I read every topic heading in this forum, and individual posts on many of them. I apologize if this is already mentioned somewhere but I did try to find it before posting! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

As someone who has only ever met sweet, friendly GSDs, I'm wondering from all of the posts here if this is a common problem and I've just been lucky enough to never have encountered it.

Also, is it likely to be more of a problem in working line Shepherds? I ask because I'm getting a working line pup in mid-December, who will hopefully be a nice addition to our family.

Just to get a feel for how common it is...is it more like a 1 dog in 100 kind of thing or a one in every litter kind of thing? Or, is it that any dog will become dominant if it is allowed to be?

Sorry if this is a stupid question! I've never had a single problem with any shepherds but there are so many posts about it! Thanks all!

Almost every dog I’ve ever seen has displayed dominant behavior….. from little Yorkies to English Mastiffs. Most owners don’t have the knowledge to understand dominant behavior. Many dog owners see dominant behavior as “cute”Jumping up on the owner without permission…. Demanding food at the table….. being pushy about attention…these are all expressions of dominance. When you have a working dog with a real “Type A Personality” it can be dangerous if left to fester.

Good point. I guess I should have said aggression towards people caused by dominance (as opposed to fear, etc.). You know, is it common for GSDs to really want to throw their weight around or just the occasional dog.

So if I read your post right, it stands to reason that if from day one you make it clear to the pup where he is in the pack that you shouldn't have any problems? Are all dominance issues a result of handler problems or are some just pushy? I guess I should have titled this post "What causes dominace in GSDs?"

They're only pushy if you let them. Establish who's in charge from the start and allow zero slip-ups. This is what gets most people in trouble...thinking its only one small thing here or there. It all adds up in the end and you end up with a problem before you know it. Take the lead right away and your dog will love you for it.

Howard

Amber,
Dogs are like people, you have some dogs who are going to lean towards the dominate side adn other who will not. You will want to get a good eval on yor dog when he/she first arrives, some GSD are push overs and not very dominate at all, other lean towards the higher side of things. My personal dog is one that leans towards the higher side of things so he must always be kept in check. My first GSD (American not German) was much different and I did not have to beas hard with him as I do my current dog. So just like people all dogs are differnet and you must learn and know your own personal dog. If they are a bit softer you do not have to be as stong a pack leader, if they are a bit more dominate like my Max, you must bea stronger pack leader. Example, my first GSD could sit on the couch or lay on my bed, this one CAN NOT. Now Max is a tuff and very strong dog from working lines, my first GSD was from American show lines and the difference is night and day. That may be more do to teh fact that Max scored mostly 2 on his tempurment test and not 4 like my other GSD was. So knowing the temperment is the KEY.
Jay

This is all new to me. Some of us take longer to "clue in". We had a male Dachshund who was the sweetest little guy, never showed any kinds of dominant behaviour at all (now that I know what it is!) Later, we acquired an Old English in Florida, why God only knows but we did and we let someone from the "old school" train him by basicilly slapping him around until he did what he was supposed to. The result was a VERY aggressive 85 lb. dog who made repeated attempts to attack my daughter. He is now safely in the loving and capable hands of an experienced handler who has 11 sheepdogs and ALOT of property. So we get this precious little black/tan female Dachsy puppy. Still not aware of what went wrong with the sheepdog, we now have the most aggressive little 3-yr-old on the planet, who also wants to hurt my daughter. I'm beginning to finally learn that the commonality has to do more with how the dogs are dealt with than how often you chance upon an aggressive dog. Probably one for the "duh" file for the rest of you but I'm glad to have found Mr. Frawley's site and information to help us help our little creature. To finish, here's a funny: We had guests last night who wanted to "see the dog" so we let them peek in and look at her (she was crated) As she bared and growled and hissed and lunged, one of them asked "Does she bite?" HA!

I think that there are far more permissive owners than dominant dogs. I only seldomly come accross a truly dominant dog, most of the time it's the owners who place the dog in a dominant role by failing to take over leadership. It's really a problem because the owner's aren't aware of what they are doing (or NOT doing as the case may be).

I totally agree with Ptrlm Grubb every breed no matter what size is capable of exhibiting dominance, I have always suspected it starts when the pups establish pack rank amongst themselves the dominant ones here, can either become more dominant or less in the new enviroment depending, on who takes the alpha role in the home the dog or owner, I was just a pet owner, who became a handler and trainer, out of necessity, I allowed my dog to rule the roost, which led to all kinds of problems, when problems crop up,we either deny or deal with it,depends on the person's
investment,thats why I stress to all my puppy buyers and anyone who owns a dog, that you need to have rules and keep them.Dogs make there own, if you don't.
Size and breed is irrelevant, Owning a dog is like raising a kid,
you need to be reponsible and take ownership.You are either in for the long haul or out.
It is not just about putting a bowl a food down a day and giving a good pat.When most ask me,I tell them I learned the hard way, save yourselves a lot of trouble and I send them here for some reading and then ask them do they still want to own a GSD,
most stay committed, some just go away quietly, better safe than sorry.Dominance is severly under rated, it is the Number one reason most dogs are rehomed apart from destructive behaviour IMHO, it doesn't always exhibit itself in aggressive behaviour,
it shows up in other ways.By the way excellent topic.

A general awnser is difficult to give. In certain lines they are very rare in other they are predominant. All depends on the reasons why they are bred and what the selection criteria for breeding are.

greetings

Johan