Right so I have a male 5 month old GSD. He's been around cats since birth, the breeders cats and my own. They've always gotten on since we brought him home.

HOWEVER,last night and tonight he's barked at the male when the male entered the living room. Now this isn't a normal bark it's.. Well it's hard to describe. It's kind of a high pitched yelp/scream type of bark. It's very sharp sounding, lasts for one second. It is not a consistent bark just the once before he gets punished. When he did it last night he was sent straight to his crate and today he's been friendly with both cats.

Does anybody know why he's suddenly started with this? Nothing has changed in his routine at all. What do we do to stop him doing this?

Thanks

I know this isn't what you are asking, but: You use the crate as punishment?


When he barked, did he give chase? Or what?

Only when he does this to the cats as it is their house first and foremost. Well last night he lunged forward then he stopped straightaway.

Is the bark a high-piched, like, yip?

If so, it is probably a play-bark. Does he also act excited and do play bows?

Or do you think he is protecting a toy, bone, or his bed?

He may not be acting aggressive. You can still correct him for trying to play with the cats, since they probably don't appreciate it, but rather than immediate removal (as would be warranted for aggression) try teaching him a better behaviour instead. For example, when he yips at the cat, redirect him with his own toy or make him lay quietly on his bed. Soon you will be able to ask him to go lay down on command.

At five months, you still have him on leash/tether all the time, right?

Yeah that's more what it is a YIP. He doesn't strike me as it being a playful yip. But it could well be as they are all in the same room right now all 3 relaxed as anything.

He already knows go lie down thanks I will try your way Angela see if that helps.

Regarding tethering. He's never been tethered, I am really new to the Frawley method of training and I thought he may be too old for tethering now. I'd like your opinion on this. I'm not sure how long I should tether him.

It would be something I'd be willing to try

This yip, in my experience, means: run away so I can chase you! My dogs do it to each other all the time, when one dog is hiding in a bush and the other dog "finds him" and then it's yip! yip! yip! until the hiding dog takes off for the game of tag! I used to have a cat and they would do this to my cat too. (My cat was very dog proof and used to play with the dogs in this way). It is a much higher pitch than a regular bark.

Prey driven aggression would be more staring, slower movements, and stiff body before the barks/growls.

Hard to tell without seeing it, though. My *guess* is that it's just play. A correction to teach the dog it's not allowed to play with the cat would definitely not be the same as a correction a dog would get for stalking or being aggressive to a cat.

My dogs are tethered until they earn free house privileges. In this way they do not have the opportunity to learn bad habits. My youngest (now 17 months) was tethered until he was 10 months old.

I do rescue and take in adult dogs. Those adult dogs (who came from outdoor situations and were not housebroken and did not know how to act in the house) were tethered to me or crated until I felt they understood house rules.

The result is NO countersurfing, NO housebreaking accidents, NO chewed furniture, NO begging for food, NO eating garbage (etc) because the dogs never had an opportunity to learn this bad behaviour. I was always right there to redirect them, and reward for good behaviour.

There is no age requirement for tethering. (Same as for crating). It's individual to the dog.

If you are confident that your dog already understands your rules and you have complete faith in him (which I personally would not have with a five month old) then he may not need to be tethered to you. However I think a five month old is still at the adventurous age where they taste everything and you always have to have eyes on the dog. Only you know your dog and your training goals best.

If he is tethered to you then you know that if he tries to bug the cat, he will never be more than a few feet from you and you are in a position to immediately redirect him to a more appropriate behaviour.