[Sheps]

I have a 3 year old German Shepherd. My wifes family has had him since he was a puppy but he's become increasingly aggressive over the past year and it's resulted in family members getting nipped but nips have quickly turned into full on bites.

So about a year ago he started growling at family members for no odd reason. Then I remember as clear as day, one night he was lying on my bed, I told him to get off but he typically refused. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck to pull him off and he quickly spun his head around and nipped my hand.

Since then he had gone on to nip both me and two of my brothers in law. He's had temper issues but I never thought it would progress. He'd always growl before he did anything and always seemed to be more defensive than anything.

Well recently we took him to boarding and apparently he'd become increasingly aggressive with staff and eventually bit a vet tech. This was something we feared so we made sure to call in every day to make sure he wasn't being bad. The staff always told us he was doing fantastic, it wasn't until he bit someone that the staff stopped lying and told us he was becoming aggressive. If we'd known he was getting bad we'd have pulled him out of there before it got to that.

He literally just got out of quarantine today for biting the tech and we know he may have some Kennel syndrome and might act slightly weird. We brought him home and despite what may be kennel cough, he was acting fine.

That was up until I was pointing towards a water bowl for him to drink. This was a bowl we'd bought for him today and he'd had no prior interaction with. As I went to turn away I felt a sharp pain in my hand and noticed my f***ing dog was bitting into my right hand, one I had recently broken so it would be fair to say I was in some agony. There was no warning and no real reason why that I can think of.

He would then follow me around growling at me for the next minute before finally calming down. It was a huge shock to me, this wasn't a nip, he full on bit into my hand with pure malice. What's weird is that he knows every time that he's done wrong. He'll act weird, like a certain way, not aggressive or his normal happy self. He remains quiet and sits in a corner, almost as if he regrets what he's just done and it's this part of his mentality that makes me want to save him.

I don't want to put him down, he's like family to me and I really want him to be ok but it just seems, with hindsight, that his aggression is hereditary and it simply won't stop (His father is extremely aggressive). I can't risk him hurting anyone else and in all honesty I don't feel safe around him anymore. How can I make him be normal, I can't trust him around anyone any more and I vowed that should he act aggressively towards anyone else that I'd have to take actions then and there to make sure he wouldn't hurt anyone else ever again.

Please help.

[Marc]

I'm usually in the school of 'don't waste money on a behaviorist' because a diligent master can learn what they need to from the Internet. If the master isn't diligent, then what a behaviorist can teach won't do any good anyway.

In your case, you have an urgent need for immediate change. This is a situation in which a behaviorist is definitely needed. He or she can help you immediately pinpoint what is going on and make the necessary changes NOW.

First thing's first though - have the dog worked over by a vet. In most cases, dogs get more aggressive when they don't feel well. It's very possible the progressive aggression is due to a degenerative disease such as arthritis. The increasing pain would cause increasing aggression. You get the picture.

[Josh Smith]

Originally Posted by Marc

I'm usually in the school of 'don't waste money on a behaviorist' because a diligent master can learn what they need to from the Internet. If the master isn't diligent, then what a behaviorist can teach won't do any good anyway.

In your case, you have an urgent need for immediate change. This is a situation in which a behaviorist is definitely needed. He or she can help you immediately pinpoint what is going on and make the necessary changes NOW.

First thing's first though - have the dog worked over by a vet. In most cases, dogs get more aggressive when they don't feel well. It's very possible the progressive aggression is due to a degenerative disease such as arthritis. The increasing pain would cause increasing aggression. You get the picture.

This is very much right, and I agree wholeheartedly.

I'm obviously not there so I can't see what's happening, but something - the environment, something in the way the dog was brought up - seems to have made him nervous and given him the idea that he's in charge, and he is reacting the way a dog will when its authority is challenged.

It needs to be put in its place immediately. It won't distinguish you or yours from another German Shepherd, which is not easily hurt.

From what you describe only, the dog is saying something along the lines of "I'm the boss, and I do not like the way things are being done." Frustration comes on the dog's part because he's not being understood, and on your part, because, well, you keep getting bitten.

One thing I think I may safely assume is that the dog is now the center of attention, reinforcing its belief that it's in charge (and in a way, it's right at this point!) Additionally, the dog will pick up on the stress and feed off of it.

What does the dog do when you feed him?

Josh

[Sheps]

I guess my wife's family has food available to him 24/7. He'll constantly have a bowl of dry food that is waiting for him in the laundry room but he never over indulges and is quite on the slim side, that might have to do with him not being neutered. I thought this weird as I feed my own food twice a day and it's always warm watered food.

Another thing that is really bothering him is what seems to be a cold. He was fine before he went to boarding but we got him back and he's having a really hard time breathing through his nose. We can hear that its stuffy and it's affecting everything else.

He literally can't sleep because he's so use to breathing through his nose that breathing through his mouth is simply too difficult. He'll sit on the floor, almost upright and his head will sway back and forth as he attempts to sleep.

He usually sleeps on his side but hasn't done so once yet, instead sleeping on his front. I did a bit of reading and came to the conclusion that he had some sort of kennel related cold went to get him some kids cold medicine. Just at the moment I'm having a hard time getting it into him.

I had some mushy cat like can of food that he's never really had. I poured 2 tsps of the cough mixture into it but he's not touching it.

In all honesty, as a fully grown man, I'm afraid to be around the dog. I know I need to assert my dominance but that's easier said than done when you have a 125 pound beast ready to tear into at any moment.

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

First, get the dog's physical well-being taken care of. It will help things.

Now, and here's the part where I tend to draw a lot of controversy: Next time the dog bites you, punch it in the muzzle. Not hard enough to break anything, but it gets across a very firm message that is urgently needed.

I almost never suggest this. Only in very extreme cases where someone will be hurt badly if dominance is not asserted quickly and with much authority. I will stress now that this will not hurt the dog but send a very clear message and give you some confidence.

Bear in mind that the dog will feed off of your fear. It knows you're nervous. First step is for YOU to overcome what YOU feel. The dog is feeding off of your emotions.

Now, also bear in mind that the animal could have crunched through your hand if he had wanted to. He is fully capable of breaking a dear's neck. HE was only asserting his dominance over YOU.

Shepherds are very pack oriented, and this can be a positive or negative thing depending upon the owner and circumstances.

My dog as a teenager - the best one I ever had, though Nikki is giving her a run for her money - was a black faced German Shepherd. Shep was an awesome, intelligent dog, who would never bite me, even in play. If I tried to wrestle with her, she ran to the door with a toy, so I could go play fetch with her.

She taught me a LOT about dog behavior. I miss her daily, and she's been gone for 12 or 13 years now.

Anyway, YOUR Shepherd is living in the lap of luxury. He has everything he needs - and he is also likely entertaining himself at his peoples' expense.

First thing, take the food. Feed him twice daily at regular intervals.

Once he begins to depend on you for food, he will start changing his behavior.

Follow this with activity. Walks, something. It should involve a leash because the leash lets you control the dog.

Those are probably the most important two steps besides ignoring him when he demands attention.

Control his food. Start there. Call a behaviorist ASAP.

Good luck, and I look forward to reading this thread with improvements posted weekly, if not daily.

Josh

[cherylmartin]

The very first thing I would have done is take him to the vet for a complete workup. Whenever your pet does something totaly out of the norm, he's more than likely ill or in pain.

Please do this first.

Let us know with an update.

[german sheep]

your dog has massive and active fear of hands, because has made bad experiences with the human hand. (muzzle grip, to through the dog on its back, grabbing the dog by the scruff ot its neck) All this signs show a clear intention to kill.

Meanwhile the hand is linked with pain and his defensive actions he has showed previously haven't brought success, so the last choice to solve its problem is at last to show aggression.

The boarding has made its behaviour more worse, most of these institutes "train" the dog with pinch collars or electric shock collars (torture of pain) or when the dog is aggressive, take the money but do nothing with the dog (kennel syndrom), except punishing when they are trying to feed them.

Very very sad. Maybe you would like to read something about what happens by the usage of hands and the collars mentioned above.

The script is for free and gives you an inside of what you have to consider in future and what you should know when you book a "specialist".
english version

But the behaviour of your dog is clearly triggered by a stimulus, so there is no reason to put the dog down.
Your homework should be to do a calm muzzle training until he has no stress by wearing it, visit the vet. to make sure that no organic damage was forced through the boarding staffs, read the book and contact a professional which is not on the market to do a quick buck, but to help you and your dog seriously!!!

A heart for our german sheeps.:cry:

german sheep