Recently I have encountered one problem with my dog: the dog will not allow to pet or check himself by a stranger ( my gsd is 11 month old). Pet - may be, but with a constant observance of a stranger's movements, but if somebody have to check him - i.e. his backreebs, stomack, male parts,etc. in the best scenario, he will start to growl, in the worst he will snap or jump on person. Soon we will have to go to the vet and this for sure will create a problem, plus if we want to take part in shows and trials this will not be tolerated at all. The handler that we were taking classes from said that my guy is too agressive. The question is - is he? In a big crowd he will not snap or jump on somebody by flick, if smbd will extend a hand to him, he may sniff it but so far never has snapped (snapped only few times when people were trying to pet him or his nose)or growled. He will do whatever is asked from him but will not allow to be examined when I want him too. I am that lengthy in my discription as I want to present all the detaisl before any judgement or advise is made. How can I teach him to be more tolerable or maybe trustoworthy or is this a case with a fear biter or weak nerves?
Combining the information in this post with the info from your posts about your dog's behavior during bitework, I'm getting a different picture now of your dog. During bitework, he avoids during the approach of the helper, is afraid of the sleeve, sometimes bites at the helper rather than the sleeve, then can't be touched or examined by others and has snapped at people who have touched him on the face. This paints a picture of a dog with some serious social issues. I don't think it can be resolved on a board like this. My first priorities would be to cease doing bitework, particularly with that helper (since he exacerbates the problem with his lack of ability to read the dog), and get enrolled in an obedience program with a trainer with a good reputation in your area. With a dog like this, I would tend to recommend the AKC-style obedience classes, where it is a group environment. These behaviors all sound like they are fear-based and you need some hands-on guidance.
Actually we did stop doing the bite work. The general obedience classes we already did. Usually we have 3-4 dogs in a class and so far I have not had socialization problem with him. He is always dog freindly and people friendly (newcomers. If you would mind your business he would not even look at you. I hope this is just the attitude towards himself, as he is still a pup and hope he will overgrow it. We will try to change the group where he will be doing refreshing obedience classes to see whether this will change behaviour. I hope I am moving in the right direction.
When purchasing any product from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. it is understood
that any and all products sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. are sold in Dunn
County Wisconsin, USA. Any and all legal action taken against Leerburg Enterprises,
Inc. concerning the purchase or use of these products must take place in Dunn
County, Wisconsin. If customers do not agree with this policy they should not
purchase Leerburg Ent. Inc. products.
Dog Training is never without risk of injury. Do not use any of the products
sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. without consulting a local professional.
The training methods shown in the Leerburg Ent. Inc. DVD’s are meant
to be used with a local instructor or trainer. Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. cannot
be held responsible for accidents or injuries to humans and/or animals.
Copyright 2010 Leerburg® Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. All photos and content on leerburg.com are part of a registered copyright owned by Leerburg Enterprise, Inc.
By accessing any information within Leerburg.com, you agree to abide by the
Leerburg.com Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.