Here's the previous post:

Perhaps someone can offer some advice on this for me. My wife and I just recently moved back to New Orleans. We will be staying with family (about 9 months) until our home is rebuilt. We have a 7 month old Black German Shepherd Dog. She has a pretty mild temperament but has been getting aggressive as of late. I'm sure the move (from New York) and the experience of a new environment has been much to adjust to.

My mother-in-law and her brother both have Labs. One is a male 2 yrs old 100 pounds. The second is a female 7 years old choc. lab - she's kinda skiddish and was the runt of her litter.

The house and the land is pretty large. He's working on the basement ( 1`st floor). Khepera barks at him constantly whenever he enters the house. Even if she sees him outside she's barking. There was a bad encounter. She was biting at him...in a puppy way and he hit her. Ever since then, she's been barking at him.

The barking hasn't gotten any better. In fact, as he leaves the house to walk to the trailer in the yard, if Khepera is outside, she runs over to confront him. Even if he isn't in the trailer, she runs over and barks at the trailer. I always attempt tp scold her for doin so. Am I right? It's gotten to the point where when I attempt to aproach her, she runs under the trailer and won't obey any of my commands (come etc.).

I'm really considering getting the electric collar to deal with what I consider to be fear turning into aggression.

Is this a good idea? I want Khepera to understand and trust that I have the environemnt under control. I understand that I let her down when someone other than myself scolded her.

In the meantime, I gather she shouldn't be left outside in an effort to prevent any future confrontations.

I'd have to say that my mother-in-law's brother has not handled the situation well. On one ocassion he threw a brick under the trailer at Khepera. His ego will not allow him to "treat her" into trusting him.

BTW, Khepera has no other relatrionship/trust issues with anyone else.

I'm not clear about the aggression: Is it the dogs too, or just the brother-in-law?

If it's just the BIL:

Unless he will agree to ignore her completely while you work with this, this will be pretty darned hard.

Meanwhile, I would not leave her off lead in the yard and allow these confrontations. I would exercise her on walks, in a park somewhere, etc., spend time on her basic ob training in an enclosure, or inside, or on a long line......


Sounds like you need her on a long line anyway, to work with the recall.

I'd concentrate on her training. I'd keep her away from the BIL for now while you work on the basics.

JMO..... and I'd have different suggestions if you said that she was aggressive with other humans and/or the other dogs, too. What is the situation with the other dogs?

Thanks Connie. The aggression is only with the BIL. I bought a 15 foot long line the same day I made the post. She is playful with the oter dogs when she's outside. I check her on it when I see it.

I think your advice about keeping them seperate is the best thing. I try to take her with me when I leave as often as i can.

When she's on the line, she attempts to bark ad may get out a ruff before I can get to her when he passes. When she does, I immediately confront her, grab her jst below the ears and tell her to "knock it off" until she submits.

She barks more if I'm at a greater distance when he passes. I guess this is something that will get better with time.