Positive PetzineZeek doesn't like other dogs...
Posted June 24th, 2010 by gsdmom
Hello.. I have a 11mo old German Shepherd he has been through basic 1 training and did pretty good .. we got him at 3mos and he was, and still is very nippy, and everytime he sees another dog (big or little) he goes crazy and wants to attack them, not sure why. we can't even take him to the dog park anymore because of this. When we are on a walk I have to stop and restrain him while other people walk by with there dog. he will even try to bite me to get to them...not sure what to do ...Bark Busters is to expensive right now.. and I'm afaid to go to a class with other dogs.. any suggestions... thanks
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Re: Zeek
You need to find a trainer ASAP! It will save you tons of money in the long run to hire a good trainer now, because vet bills (from fights) and lawsuits are VERY expensive! A German Shepherd is not a breed to fool around with, so get him straightened out quickly! You need someone who will use positive methods (not flooding, aggressive handling, leash-yanking, etc) and will help Zeek slowly begin to see other dogs as good things in his life.
I agree re: find a trainer
I agree re: find a trainer or animal behaviorst that uses positive methods.
My dog has major reactivity/aggression issues toward other dogs and we got the help of a behaviorist and it helped a LOT. Our training focused on getting her to target our hand when there was another dog around - having her do a stationary behavior ('watch me' or sit) didn't work for her - but targeting did. After two training sessions she was able to walk in sync with a strange dog a mere 6 feet away - something she NEVER would have been able to do prior to enlisting the help of a behaviorist. Sure, it wasn't cheap, but it was well worth the peace of mind - knowing our dog was happier and knowing there was less risk of dealing with more serious issues in the future (seriously injured dogs, law suits, etc.).
I also got the book Click to Calm by Emma Parsons and I highly, highly recommend it.
re: Zeek doesn't like other dogs...
I agree with other posters who have suggested professional help. In the meantime, definitely avoid dog parks and places where there will be lots of other dogs.
If a professional trainer is out of the question financially, then you might be able to find a book called "Click to Calm" at the library or on-line. It is very useful and explains some of the the things that I would do if I were working with you.
zeek
GSDMOM
thank you for your input.. we are working with a trainer from petco and we are learning alot from her .. we have had 2 sessions so far .. so good. but not much help with the aggression with other dogs.. it's a little better, guess it just takes time.
re: zeek
It certainly takes more than a couple of weeks, although I have seen some drastic changes in short spaces of time that is not normal. If you can find Click to Calm at the library, read it, you will benefit. Also see this: http://positivepetzine.com/mr_hoopers_sketch
Just to clarify, the two
Just to clarify, the two training sessions I mentioned in my first reply took place over the course of a month and a half - and we still have a long way to go with Bug.
Another really good book I suggest you read is Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. For me, it helped me really gain a good understanding of why dogs behave the way they do and it really made me feel a lot better about Bug's behavior (i.e. it's NORMAL behavior for a dog). Your library is probably more likely to carry this one if you were unable to find Click to Calm (honestly, though, it's well worth the $$).
good zeekie
GSDMOM
well we are doing much better with the issue now .. we did have a bad experience the other day when we were on a walk and a pit burst out of his yard after us, they sniffed each other a minute and then he bit Zeek, I was knocked down and had to let go of the leash.. and he chased the dog back to his yard .. owner was not much help.
I never had this experice and not sure how to prevent it in the future.
re: good zeekie
Glad to hear you are having success. Unfortunately the unexpected things will happen no matter what, so you just have to do the best you can. Avoid high risk behaviour (like walking past that house again), but total avoidance of risk is almost as bad. My own GSD used to be strongly reactive to other dogs, but recently was attacked by two other dogs and responded completely appropriately and was not set back by the incident. A few years ago this would have been a big set-back for us.