Hello. This is my first post to this board. Hopefully, someone can either validate what I am doing or point me in a different direction.

Issue: 2 1/2 year old GSD female who is fear aggressive

She is not aggressive around the family. She was socialized to the extent that we could when she was a pup. We have other dogs that were heavily socialized with no temperment issues. There are really no agression issues with our other dogs...we don't allow it.

I realize it is probably genetic and she will not be the dog that I can take walks with in the park. However, I'm hoping that this is not a lost cause. Have been working with her to try and resocialize her. What I have been doing is taking her to a park where she is not confined (wide open field) and she seems to do fine. Took her down to the park where there were a lot more people closer and her hackles were up and she was barking that "don't come near me" bark. Walk her in the neighborhood as well and she selectively chooses who she will bark at. She isn't afraid of cars or traffic, just people and other dogs.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Dave

Have you had people try to give her treats at all? Like, have someone you know meet you at the park and give them treats in advance.
Have the person ignore the dog and just start a conversation with them.
You stay confident and do not reassure the dog when she is acting fearful, but rather take her a little ways away, just until she is back in her comfort zone and then do some basic obedience work.
Praise her for being quiet and listening to you and then try again.

Once she is quiet when you approach and engage in conversation with the person and she remains quiet, have them reward by tossing her a couple treats. Do not let the person invade her space by approaching too close to where she gets uncomfortable again.....just keep the space where she is calm and quiet, but will accept the treats and to where she is not going to be able to get to the person if she tries to.

Make sure to use her FAVORITE treat in the whole world.....it may be small bits of raw steak, but it has to be what she loves.

You have had her since puppyhood?

Barking and hackling, but not lunging, right? Then what do you do?

Have you considered working on desensitizing? That would probably be what I'd try, since you can define her comfort zone.

Which people does she react to? (You said she was selective.) More than one? People with a dog? People who get closer? People walking towards you?

Ditto what Carol said about strangers, treats, etc., but before that part, I think you have to get to a point where you can be out in public and/or just walk in the vicinity of people/dogs without her going ballistic. One way to work on this is to get her to focus on you or a treat instead of on the other person/dog. When you're successful at that, you can start working on shrinking down the size of her "space" or comfort zone to something a little more reasonalble.

I rescued an 18 mo. GSD a while back who was very fear aggressive, afraid of people, cars, rustling/loud noises, etc. and pretty aggressive around other dogs and around people she didn't take to - and there were a lot! I worked to assure her that (1) I'm the pack leader and as such, I'll protect pack members; she can relax now, there's no need to be scared of everything and confront everything with an aggressive response, and (2) NO aggression against other people and dogs will be tolerated; that will bring an appropriate correction. This process took many months, starting out in a very controlled "safe" environment and just gradually increasing the stimuli and adding more situations where I could test her and reinforce the rules. When I think back about the difference between how she acted when we got her and a little over a year later, it's a huge change. She'll never be a lap dog or one that happily greets every stranger we come across, but I'm not looking for that anyway.

I'm wondering exactly how she fits in the the pack - your family members and the other dogs. Sometimes, there can be some relationship/pack order issues that could be a factor in the other problems.

Besides posting here, there are plenty of articles and podcasts on this web site that can be very helpful. As an owner of a few of Ed's DVDs, I'd highly recommend them for an even better understanding of training and problem solving.

HTH

Mike

 Quote: David Walter

What I have been doing is taking her to a park where she is not confined (wide open field) and she seems to do fine.

Mike is absolutely correct, I was focusing on this part of your post and failed to answer about the beginning part now that I read it again....sorry about that AND great eyes Mike.....

 Quote: David Walter

. . .I realize it is probably genetic and she will not be the dog that I can take walks with in the park. However, I'm hoping that this is not a lost cause.

BTW, I know that mine doesn't have the genes I wish she had, and I gave up on the idea of training her as a therapy dog - she just doesn't have the temperament for it. But I can comfortably take her anywhere in public - like a street fair - where there's loads of stimulation and distractions and she's perfectly behaved.

The other element we haven't mentioned is that you need to become very good at reading her so you can stop aggression or interrupt inappropriate behavior at the very outset before it accelerates out of control. An early level 2 or 3 correction is far better than having to use an 8, 9 or 10 when things are out of hand.

Mike

Wow! Thanks for the responses! I’ll try to respond to all of the comments/questions.

I will definitely try the treats. My dad is open to working with her on this. Took her over to his house. She was OK and we were holding a conversation with no problem, until he came in a little too close to her space and was talking to her. Seems like it is about a 10 foot circle. I was able to walk past him and around him with no problems.

One thing that I was doing that I will have to correct is reassuring her. I know...stay confident and in control.

I have had her since puppyhood. Didn’t “socialize” her as much since she had bad diarrhea. However, she was always a little spooked and skittish, even as a new puppy. She isn’t lunging, just barking and hackling. I am working on desensitizing her, and trying to learn her comfort zone. Finally got her to walk on manhole covers. Crazy thing but she would go way out of her way to avoid them. Just wish the process would go faster.

As far as who she reacts to, it depends. Doesn’t seem like it is consistent. It may be, but I just haven’t figured it out. People with dogs she does react to almost all of the time.

I am working with her to assure her I am the pack leader. Guess this is just a learning process for both of us. One thing is that I need to realize is that this is a process and will not happen overnight. I can walk with her in the vicinity of others. I take her up by a little store at the top of our street that gets a lot of traffic and sit there and let her watch people coming in and out. Correct her when she starts growling or showing any signs trying to learn her trigger points so I can stop it at a 2 or 3 instead of an 8 or 9.

From a pack perspective, I guess it goes like this: Wife, Me, 8 yr old cattle dog, Sasha (GSD), and then the other dogs. Pack structure seems pretty solid where there isn't any competition for the #2 or #1 spot. There is some separation anxiety with her when I walk away with my wife holding the leash. My wife has competed in obedience before and did quite well so this is not a totally foreign concept to us. What videos would you recommend of Ed’s?

What I really want is to be able to take her places where she is comfortable and behaved. Was hoping to do obedience with her, but that may or may not happen. Only time will tell.

Thanks again for all of your help and support! Will definitely be a more active participant on this forum.

Dave

While you're doing a little reading , you might also check posts under the topic of "Raising Multiple Dogs in the Same Home" - http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/85/page/1

Since we don't think the way dogs do, sometimes we end up screwing things up when we think we're helping:
http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=85&Number=148147&Searchpage=1&Main=15654&Words=fogle&topic=0&Search=true#Post148147

Mike

Mike and everyone else. Thanks for all of the information. Lots to read and absorb. : )

Basically, what I've decided is to start again at square zero and treat her like a new puppy...socialize, establish pack order, basic obedience, etc. Some of the things I was doing correct, others...well you know the answer.

We just took our youngest puppy through a couple of puppy classes, one of which was at the local dog club that is very active with obedience, rally and agility and will be applying what they were teaching. A good refresher for me as well since some of the problems may be with me and not entirely the dog's fault. Some of the "topics" we will be able to get through quick, others will take time. Patience and work (hopefully not too hard) ahead.

Again, thank you and please let me know any additional thoughts you may have.

Dave