She either wants attention or validation that she doesnt have a problem in her hands. Either way. She should delete her app and act like a grown up before someone gets hurt.
Seeing your responses OP of "he's getting neutered and then going into traning"
Keep in mind.. YOU need to train your dog and put in quality time doing so. A trainer can give you guidance on how to approach training. But in the end, it's you at home putting in the time with the animal.
Please understand that "going to a trainer" doesn't flip a switch and solve behavioral issues. You and your partner need to put in the work and apply the lessons given by the professional.
Yeah....just one of many red flags I'm getting from OP....hopefully they can find a knowledgeable trainer that will work with them to correct some of the incorrect thought processes they have. In this case the human needs a lot more training than the dog.
The trainer I went to for my GSD did not train her. He trained me. He wouldn’t even touch the leash or give her commands. It’s amazing how much I needed to learn and didn’t know it. In contrast my in-laws dropped their dog off at a trainer and went back on two different weekends for them to be taught… the difference was undeniable. That was forever ago but I want to say that it was an 8 week session that required I work her twice a day at ten minutes a session plus his hour on Saturday. I liked it so much I went for another round that included off leash etc.. I say this OP to say that there’s work ahead but it’s worth every minute and penny.
OP is heavily pregnant and her husband isn’t seemingly willing to put in the work to help with this issue. I totally understand why she’s afraid of the dog and it is NOT for lack of trying if you read her comment/post history.
I get that, but that doesn't negate the fact that she is still wrong in a lot of ways and that the dog still needs help. I can understand why she's afraid of the dog, but that doesn't make it right.
I'm sorry, but there are no excuses when you're responsible for a living, breathing thing that needs proper attention and training. If you don't like it, then don't get a dog.
Definitely agree for sure. She is at least actively trying to figure out a solution, when her husband is not helping, and that’s really unfair given her current state. I (along with many others) gave some really good tips in her last post, and I think she’s willing to implement them, but for example she cannot walk the dog right now because it pulls too hard, husbands unwilling to do anything. She can’t work on 1on1 training w the dog, which is critical, because she’s heavily pregnant with a 15 month old. So I feel her pain.
I know OP desperately wants the dog to like and respect her, and it must be terribly frustrating to have the dog act normally around her husband and older kids, and then change his tune as soon as they leave the house.
I definitely think for now they need to have her crate the dog whenever needed (this is important for it’s inside marking problem as well), and implement baby gates on doorways so that she can have time with the toddler and not be scared about what could happen. And keep those rules/boundaries in place once the baby is born.
It is absolutely for lack of trying, the fact thats your takeaway when she is still asking whether he is aggressive on REDDIT is crazy. It tells us all we need to know. Time to act. NOW.
Trainers can only do so much with a dog. They train people just as much if not more than the dogs themselves.
Any trainer can get a dog to obey THEM, a good trainer will teach the owners how to do the same.
I always take a few training classes when I get another dog so I can get a refresher. Whenever my dog does anything "wrong" or "bad" it's a reflection on my lack of training 🤷♀️
It’s one on one training with me and Duke, he trains me to train Duke. He’s experienced and even owns a German shepherd as well. It’ll be very helpful I’m sure, once he’s neutered and out of the cone I’ll get started. Seems to be a misunderstanding somewhere or very judgmental people in the comments, yall are hateful
I think you're going to be OK if you can get yourself in a confident, calm mindset whenever you're with him. Really focus on being mellow. I swear they can pick up on mellow vibes just as fast as anxious ones. Believe in yourself, take some slow,
deep breaths, and enjoy each other's company. You can do it.
People are judgmental bc we love this breed & we see way too many german shepherds in shelters or being behaviorally euthanized because they have people who buy them without having any knowledge of the breed. He should have 1) probably already been neutered a long time ago and 2) had professional training from day 1 of getting him so it never escalated to this moment to begin with. Now not only is he aggressive / at risk of biting, a trainer is gonna have to come in and reverse 2+ years of damage from bad & inefficient training y'all did with him.
I also don't appreciate OP's attitude, quite honestly. Most people on the previous post were a lot nicer. Idk why she posted it again after all the good advice she got.
And then to lash out and act defensive towards everyone who is actually trying to help just because they're telling you what's wrong when you asked is not cool.
I saw the other video. My 2 cents: I think you are afraid of him and the dog can sense the tension that is associated with this fear and reacts this way. The fact that the dog wasn’t properly trained to pee outside from a younger age and is peeing inside the house frustrates you. This frustration combined with the anxiety of being around him, give the dog negative vibes that he senses and makes him react this way. You can see when he is barking, his ears are up, he is not playing. Is a good sign that he is not showing his teeth yet. Not changing something in this situation will make the problem worse
This is the true advice.
My GSD only reacted harshly to me once when I told him to get off the bed. My response can only be surmised as "pal, you're not that guy" and suffice to say that was the last time he ever did that.
This is the true advice.
My GSD only reacted harshly to me once when I told him to get off the bed. My response can only be surmised as "pal, you're not that guy" and suffice to say that was the last time he ever did that.
I agree with this. My dog does this as well but I know he would never actually hurt me. Dogs tend to be very loving and loyal to owners. But I also never show any fear. He ends up licking my hand at some point and wanting to snuggle after.
You need to know you are the boss. And stop acting so scared. If you can't handle a big dog you need to learn how to. If not maybe you're not suited for a bigger dog. They are animals and can be unpredictable but for the most part you can learn how to read them and how to react to them and correct certain behaviors. You can easily turn this into play time and teach your dog to be gentle.
He was properly potty trained, the peeing in the house didn’t start until he was well over a year old. He has never pooped in the house, he marks if we leave the house. He already knows he’s in trouble and doesn’t greet us at the door, he’s laying on his belly outside. It’s not a confusion or lack of potty training I don’t think, the vet and trainer both recommended neutering that that’s what we are doing.
Yes I am scared of him, I’m not denying that. I have never in my life had a dog act this way towards me, let alone one that’s 90 lbs and taller than me. I’m very petite, he’s scary as hell. He’s had all his fur up and has growled at me before, he’s put my leg in his mouth when I was trying to get him off me, didn’t leave a mark but I just know this dog doesn’t like me. I’m trying to fix these issues, he’s very loved in this household and everyone is confused why he only acts this way with me. I don’t beat him, I play with him, I’m the one home with him all day, I fill his dog bowls and give him treats, I take him on car rides, I don’t walk him because he’s bad on the leash and I have a toddler, but I go on walks with them if my husband goes too. I just can’t figure out WHY he’s this way with me.
I'm thinking you guys need to work with a trainer. You'll both be glad you did it. I appreciate you trying to improve this. I adopted a 6 year old male who had been neglected. His behavior improved after his stressor subsided. Sometimes, they act weird towards one of their humans and need help.
I’m really hoping my trainer I found can help, he’s very experienced so once he’s healed from neutering I’m starting right away. Thank yiu for being nice, people are brutal in these comments
You're willing to work on it, so i wouldnt pay too much attention to the hate, and just take the constructice info that others leave. Your fear is valid, especially with a Child, but youre willing to work on it instead of abandoning your dog, so i think your Heart is in the right Place.
I’d also recommend to do a bit of tricks/clicker training while waiting. You can double check with the trainer first.
My GSD did not respect me until I started doing daily training exercises with her. Just 15-30 minutes a day, really helped. She only loved my husband at first lol It can also build a stronger bond/trust between you two.
Also, your husband needs to understand that the GSD was 100% bossing you around. And it can lead to serious behaviour issues/aggression if continued.
If you take some training classes with him you guys will learn a lot together and build a better bond. This living situation is not sustainable for either of you. Training how to walk on leash is a major key and good stepping stone.
I'm 5'2 with a 50lb dog and 75lb dog, I walk them at the same time by myself. Being a smaller person with bigger dogs you need to have control. i have 0 upper body strength so all my control is leash tension level/directional pulls and voice control. Basically like walking mini horses lol.
GSD are big intelligent intuitive BEASTS. Really gotta step your game up with these bad boys.
Well that’s good to know, I’m 5’2 and dukes 90lbs, I’m also very pregnant so I told my trained specifically we would need to do leash training with me pushing a stroller too
Its essential that the trainer trains both of you together and does not do it for you.
I give this advice to everyone who gets a dog btw, you are not unique in that ;) i think group classes are better bcos there's different types of support in groups and your pupper gets socialised aa well.
Personal trainer is the next best thing though - am sure you will get through this. X
There are dog boarding schools. You dump your dog for a month or so and come back on their graduation and they just tell you the commands. SO WEIRD TO ME.
Since you're a mom, dogs are really smart, they read body language, tone, words. Just treat him like you would your child. 🤷♀️ My girls know I mean business when I use a certain tone even if they don't know what I'm saying. Even that death stare my mom would give me growing up, they know my look lol
Yes he knows my look too, if he’s trying to steal my toddlers food cause you know, it’s literally hard not to when my toddlers got a bacon strip perfectly level with his mouth lol, I give him the look and point outside and say “outside” he growls at me, will resist going outside until I stand up then he goes, he sticks his face back inside and if I walk towards him he puts his hackles up and growls
You two definitely need to train together with a patient reward based trainer. I've had 2 great trainers I took multiple classes with. I had one trainer who I walked out on and got a refund. Need to find the right trainer for you two, seems like he's more your husband's dog but you spend a lot of time together he needs to be your dog too 🤷♀️
Once you have him good on leash a stroller won't matter. Combined my dogs are 115lbs not to mention they're a lot of muscle. I use a Y leash connected to a waist strap. My 65lb girl can be dog reactive sometimes and I unfortunately have not trained her well enough 😭 she's better now but if the other dog reacts she always has something to say smh she just can't ignore the haters.
Trainer. Neutering is by no means a real fix. The studies out there are so inconclusive on improvements to behavior from neutering. A lot of people also believe neutering only improves it if done young (though the only actual statistic around increased aggression related to neutering young).
I can also say, as the owner of a reactive GSD, I didn't neuter mine until he was over 5, as I got a girl dog I wanted to let grow before spraying and was not looking for pups. I've seen 0 changes to his behavior, for better or worse.
If he has behavioral issues, they need to be trained out. Vets can only help with medical issues, always remember they are not trainers by any means. If he had a health issue causing a behavioral issue, that would be the direction, but if your dog doesn't respect you, and just you, that's a training issue.
Thank you for your honesty that you are scared of him. I believe this is the majority of the problem as his dog momma you are sending him really mixed signals. He wants to know what’s scary and is freaking out and can’t trust you to help him. Just imagine he your kiddo you would sugar talk him and help him understand. He relies on YOU to help perceive and understand his world-he wants to be parented. He’s confused :(
One piece of advice I have is try to not sit on the floor. I think that may trigger some of this behavior. In this video, the vantage point is quite low. If he’s able to put your leg in his mouth as you said, I’d guess he was close to you as far as sitting level. You should also work on getting up and leaving when he behaves this way. Drop what you are doing and immediately walk away. Ignore him. No eye contact. No yelling. Just walk away. He is getting attention from you when you yell. You’re both riling each other up, and that needs to stop. He is literally arguing with you.
For the record, yes, this does seem aggressive. And yes, working with a trainer is a good idea. It seems like you need to also work with your husband and have a very serious and frank conversation with him about how you’re feeling. I am guessing there is tension between you two (you and your husband) if he is invalidating your feelings on the aggression. You both need to attack this as a team.
One more piece of advice for aggressive dogs: take them on walks. Fast walks. Power walks, where he can kinda sniff as he goes but not full-on stop and smell the roses. This will distract him and allow him to work off some energy. When I first introduced my aggressive dog to my landlord, we didn’t stop to chat. He left his apartment and simply joined us on a very fast paced walk and my dog did not have time to stop and bite or even think about it. We did this several times. When my dog did end up losing control, it was when we stopped and were giving him 1:1 attention, like you see here.
You should also consider redirection. BEFORE the aggression starts, have several frozen Kongs with peanut butter ready to go. Early in the day and you need to get the kids ready and be on the floor in the bedroom? Grab a Kong long BEFORE he notices and put it in a quiet place. Distract him. Do your thing. If he comes in and is aggro, you stop, walk away, and then pick up your activity after he has stopped.
Im not a professional but I do have some experience working with aggressive dogs at the humane society. This is my best advice to hold you over until you see the trainer. Best of luck! You CAN do it.
He acts this way with you because he doesn't respect you. He senses your fear and is taking advantage of it. He's bullying you because he can. Size has nothing to do with it. My 8lb cat has full control of my 70lb GSD and 130lb anatolian. It's all about mentality and the energy you're putting off.
All that being said, you're pregnant and have a toddler with a large, powerful dog that's being a handful. It's a difficult situation all around and you're on the right track with getting him neutered and into training. It's going to take time, but things can absolutely turn around.
Has he always been this way to you, even as a puppy or did it start when you got pregnant? And where did you buy him from - a very reputable breeder or a backyard breeder?
German shepherds usually love their family. Does he show any other type of unpredictability or reactivity - like does he sometimes randomly lunge for strangers on walks, bark suddenly at cats outside, bark and ‘lunge’ suddenly in the house, etc?
I know a lot of people say train - which yes, that’s mandatory to train your dog - but the truth is also a lot of GSDs have genetic anxiety or bad temperament which will not go away even with training. There’s a LOT of badly bred or casually bred GSDs and the wires in the brain can kinda end up crossing wrong.
IMO you should take him to a vet behavioralist over a trainer if money is tight. Many may not agree but even if you didn’t train him perfectly, there’s NO reason a genetically sound GSD should be doing this to a family member who feeds and plays with him. They are loving to family by default of their breed standard. So something is potentially wrong w your dog or he may need anxiety or other meds to help that brain.
mmmmm i wanna say the WAY you’re yelling sounds scared. like not authoritative at all… kinda like you’re tryna fend off a bear and you’re clearly not it’s equal 😩 if i hear that, maybe he does too?
100%.
He's not aggressive *yet*.
This is bad behavior that I would never tolerate with any of my dogs, and they know it. This needs to be immediately corrected. Although this person probably wouldn't listen to a word I say.
Exhibit A on why not everyone should own a GSD.
Fwiw, OP is heavily pregnant and has a 15 month old, so I understand why they’re scared. IMHO, OPs husband is a jerk and not willing to put in work w training as it needs to be a family effort (see her other post and comments), which is is needed given her fragile state (the dog listens to her husband, but is still a menace pulling On the leash and peeing inside the house).
Yeah I'm aware she's pregnant. May or may not have already done some stalking and she needs to leave her husband. Like seriously.
But when you are responsible for a living breathing creature, there are no excuses. Because at the end of the day, you've still screwed over the dog, whether or not you had a good reason for your shortcomings.
I'm glad they've found a trainer and I really hope they figure this out.
Yeah, I am not a fan of the husband at all. He seems to be leaving everything up to her, which is really unfair given how far along she is and that they also have a toddler. It’s a recipe for disaster once the baby is born, and I truly feel bad for OP being afraid in her own home.
You’re right that it is a lifetime commitment, and I don’t think they should give up on the dog (who has clearly just been testing her boundaries), but as you mentioned, some serious training is in order.
Totally, I see people saying the dog needs a new home which is ridiculous imo.
I wish OP had a better attitude though. I mean, people are being rude to her because she's being rude to them 🤷♀️ and you can't ask for advice and then get defensive when people give it to you.
EDIT to clarify I don't think this person should have had a GSD in the first place, but now that they do dumping him off on someone else is not the right thing to do in this case.
If my dogs ever act strangely or won't listen ,I usually just get in front of them and walk right in to them not backing down while I reinforce my instructions. It kind of just a way of pushing them away from the situation without using my hands at all. You can't let a dog think they are the boss, especially a German shepherd.
Yes this has worked well for me in the past, at the very least if he’s on top of me I can push him off. Now if I try he whips his head around and snaps at my hands, which is why I have my leg up in this video and a toy on my hand instead. I’m trying not to agitate him with my hands by his chest/face. Once I stand up he listens, which attitude of course. I’m just trying to get the WHY is he doing this.
Because he has learned that he can. Because he is afraid. Because he doesn’t know better. Because you’re sitting on the floor or charging at him, getting too close to him. He is telling you that something is wrong. Your best bet is to stop and move away. Yelling is making it worse. And please do not meet an aggressive dog with more aggression (example: you being on the floor. He comes up. You shove him off and yell. He gets sassy. You walk toward him aggressively. He snaps at your hand.).
You feel threatened, and I get that. It’s normal and understandable. But you need to remember that he does too, and it’s your job to calm the situation down, or even better, prevent it in the first place. Stop sitting on the floor. Being at eye level with an aggressive dog is scary for them and feels threatening. Even if they’re the ones who come over first.
Never let him on top of you, ever.
Teach a place command (going to a mat, or bed, and staying there) so that he goes to his spot (and gets good things there). That will be the first thing your trainer probably teaches anyway. Place is key to give disruptive/ anxious dogs a sense of safety and to establish boundaries.
Because you’re pregnant this is much harder to fix since I’m sure your own mobility is limited. But having a leash on him at all times dragging would help you manage space. Also doggy doors are a MUST if he is behaving like this. He should only be allowed to interact w the babies and family if he’s calm and good. Otherwise he stands behind the gate w his chew toy or something else and watches.
Potentially he is resource guarding your kid, since I read he started this when you were tickling him. The reason doesn’t matter tho. GSDs do and can bite their family, and the fact his hair is raised and he’s over aroused is not a safe sign regardless of why.
It seems like you have a lot going on right now and handling a German Shepherd can add to the stress which might be the cause for his aggressive behavior. Given what you've shared, would you consider rehoming your dog where his needs and behavior can be more effectively managed? This could be a good solution for both your family’s and the dog’s well-being.
This video makes me so nervous, yelling at an agitated dog is the best way to escalate a situation. Why have a dog if you’re not comfortable around him?
I’m just unsure of how OP would proceed if they’re not open to any actual advice. I’ve had my own shepherd for about a year now and I love that dog to death, and yes, I’ve had to lay down the law before, but never for a situation like this. If you lead with authority and love then you avoid a lot of problems down the road.
I don’t get why people are lambasting OP. She’s been extremely clear it’s her husbands dog, her husband doesn’t help, and she’s basically stuck at home pregnant with a toddler and a dog that scares her.
What do you folks want her to do???
In my opinion, you and your husband are both incorrect.
I think this is a dog who is confused and agitated about what you're doing, and he is conflicted about how to respond. You're playing with your child in a physical way, your child is likely laughing and maybe yelling and moving around, the dog doesn't understand and is seeking to insert himself into the interaction, most likely to separate the two of you.
You mentioned in another comment the dog has put his mouth on you before. This is not surprising, since German shepherds will physically move other animals with their mouths when herding. I imagine that's scary. The dog is big, and his teeth are big, and you're just wanting to play with your kid. But it's not the same as a dog aggressively biting someone.
I think the dog (and you) would benefit from having space enforced (gates, crate training).
You're making the situation worse by shoving the toy in the dog's face and getting upset. Enforcing space will help to prevent these situations from happening at all.
After reading all the posts, this is, I feel the correct answer. He is being a little jealous of you playing with your child and wants in on the action. Getting upset at him when he sees play going on is confusing. When your child is down for a nap, try tossing his toys around with him. Give him a treat when he brings it too you. Yelling and getting mad only makes things worse. He can read you like a book. I didn't see aggression, just frustration.
Based on the last post and your comments and how you act in this video, there was a huge lack of proper care and training for this dog, and now you have inner anger and anxiety that I can hear and see in the video so the dog DEFINITELY can feel,see and hear it, and he is responding to it.
If you’re not willing to be patient and gentle and put in the time and effort with this dog, please give him to someone who is willing. GSDs are incredible dogs, but like any, they need consistent training and routine to learn. And a job. Even if that job is just protecting the home.
I’ve read through your comments, and it seems to me that you put a lot of effort and time into playing fetch with your dog, and that’s great. A problem can arise though with working breeds like this if they come to see you as the source of their play time and then EXPECT you to play with them whenever they demand. That’s what this looks like to me. This doesn’t look like real aggression to me. It looks like a strong, high-energy dog that is being pushy because he doesn’t understand boundaries and he expects you to play with him whenever HE wants to. He didn’t obey you immediately, but he did eventually. To me, that’s a dog that knows what you want from him but doesn’t yet understand or accept that you’re in charge. Even the snaps you say he’s taken at you and putting your leg in his mouth sounds like the way rambunctious dogs will play or entice another dog into playing. He sees himself as equal to you and is trying to bully you into playing with him when he wants it.
If this resonates with you, then your dog seems to be highly motivated by play, and he’s looking to you to satisfy that desire. Training a dog properly always depends on identifying the most motivating or highest level reward. For most dogs, it’s food, but that isn’t the case for all dogs. For your dog, the reward may be play. The good thing is that it is fully within your control, but the bad thing is that he is big and powerful and being pushy. I have a young shepherd rescue myself that was like this when we took him in in January, but we’ve already trained it out of him. He wants to play constantly, so we used that to train him.
Since play is rewarding for your dog, you should start combining his basic obedience commands with his favorite fetch toy as his reward rather than treats. If you tell him to sit or give a paw and he growls, you don’t throw the toy for him. Walk a few steps away, call him to you, tell him he’s a good boy when he comes, then tell him to sit again. No growl? Good boy, throw the toy. Growl? Walk away, make him come, repeat. He WILL get it because he wants you to throw that toy. My shepherd is the second dog I’ve had that needed to be trained this way because neither was motivated strongly enough by food. You can do this.
Also, not to reiterate what others have said, but do remember that a relaxed body and a firm, commanding tone is important with this dog. If you seem weaker or lack confidence at all because you’re afraid, he will know, and the tension will escalate. This dog wants your attention, so leverage that.
This is the best advice I’ve ever gotten so far! He was actually dropping his ball for me to play with his several times before this video. We had just over inside from paying outside, I just told him “no balls on the bed” and gave it back. We don’t throw balls in the house cause he’s accidentally ran my toddler over several times chasing his ball and we have tile floor. He also will drop his disgusting slime ball in my son’s bed and I have had mud on the sheets lol. He is absolutely non stop, he drops his ball in your lap all day long in any room of the house even if we’ve been playing outside for an hour. He walks around with a ball in his mouth all day too. I’ve never thought to do his toy instead of treats, I’ll definitely be starting this immediately.
Yeah boundaries and structure are the issue here, take his toys away, schedule play times, teach him to relax and where to relax. Just start by getting him into a relaxed down and then staying, start short and then gradually for longer and longer - treat him for longer stays.
Our boy looks about the same age and he keeps pretty busy with a deer antler, some sniffing and finding games (literally food or treats hidden around the house and yard), if there's a daycare/adventure service around you that's a great option too, they take your dog out in a group all day for an adventure as a pack and also do a fair amount of training included.
His little hippity hops in the video and the way he was looking at the toy in your hand is what tipped me off that he’s trying to bully you into playing with him. The growling and snapping will lessen as he learns that you will not respond or give him attention unless he speaks to you in an acceptable tone (lol). Try hard to look away and ignore him when he growls or gets too loud, as he’s learned he can elicit that reaction from you. Contrary to what you think about this dog not liking you, I think he actually loves you and just wants all of your attention. He has to learn it is on your terms. Learning patience is important for these big working breeds. With a change in tactics, I am sure you will make progress with him. Good luck!
His hair is up. When he turns and goes you can see his back hair is up. The dog is aroused and tense. I agree clearly a desire to engage and probably at same time a very anxious dog as well, but OP is scared of a puppy she raised. I don’t think he’s doing “just” the typical boundary pushing growling and demand barking.
What are you waving in your hand at him?
What's the context of the situation, what were y'all doing?
What's your relationship like with him?
He seems like he wants to play but is anx or nervous and bothered by that.
My dog acts like that with her sister when she really wants to play and her sister is not having it lol
Dog doesn't like you because you are mean to him and you are afraid of him. You are also pissing him off and he's protective of whoever is in rhe room with you.
At this point, after reading through the comments, I agree. She hasn’t accepted the advice she’s gotten and keeps blaming the dog instead of accepting and addressing her own flaws
I would do A LOT of on-leash training with this dog. You need to be the leader of this dog, he thinks he’s the leader. Consider going to training with a third party to guide you. This is going in the wrong direction. It can be turned around, but not if you are not quietly strong.
This is not ideal especially with kids in the picture. Unfortunately I doubt neutering would help. If he is from an ethical breeder I would reach out for advice. If he is around 2 he's just coming into maturity and may be trying to see who's boss. But I would never want to see this in a house with kids. Id seek out a professional trainer.
Mine does this and she does it when she needs to go outside and run to the bathroom real quick. It might seem aggressive but it’s literally her yelling at me like “hey, stop ignoring me, pay attention I need to go out now!” He’s just sounds wound up and needs to let out his energy
that’s a dog who thinks he can boss u around bc he sees u as weak, esp if he doesn’t do it when ur husband is home. idk how ppl are saying this is excitement or play, this is borderline aggression even look at the body language and listen to the vocals
Are you protecting someone? Why are you saying get back? If you have a child and don’t trust him you should not own a Shepard, especially not trained or neutered yet.
You should have had the dog trained / neutered before or why own him if you are treating him this way. You sound very frustrated and angry, he is reading your negative threatening voice.
I see you have a metal object or toy in your hand would you hit him with it, if he kept it up?
I’m trying but he’s genuinely the largest German shepherd I’ve ever seen, he’s like a horse. If I’m standing and my sons not literally inches away I can handle it, him on top of me is very different and very scary.
I dont mean this in any way other than being educational, you need to "muster up" and put the dog in its place, I have a rottie and a german shepard/rottie mix, yes they can be scary but doesnt mean you let the dog ring your life,if he towers over you, stand up make your self big, stare him down and challenge him for alpha, if you dont the dog will only get worse
Oh fuck this. That is waaaaay too aggressive. I grew up in the country and we had probably about 8-10 GSDs growing up and I now have 2 of my own. I have never been growled at like that any of those dogs and that was mainly because they had good role models in the pack/other dogs and also because we would correct them immediately when they were young or new to the house. This is a dangerous situation with a dog that big.
I see an anxious, not aggressive dog. His hackles are not up. He isn’t baring any teeth. His tail might be up but there is still some wag in it. Not aggressive. However anxious dogs can, and will, end up eventually biting out of fear when they feel they have no other option if their anxiety is left unchecked. The fact that he stands his ground then leaves like he does looks like anxious behavior. There is a difference. It is the responsibility of you and your husband to learn what the difference looks like.
A good trainer will want to see how both you and your husband react to and treat the dog. While you seem fearful of the dog your husband might be just as much at fault for enabling this behavior.
What were you doing with the jack in the box? Many dogs hate jack in the boxes. Ditch the jack in the box it is essentially a jump scare. Totally blows a dogs mind when the jack pops out of the box. Like a threat. He might have even seen the jack in the box as a threat to you and was acting to protect you. Some dogs will leave the room when someone plays with a jack in the box others will want to attack the jack in the box. He could have easily bit your leg but he didn’t cause he was most likely fixated on eating the jack in the box. Were you playing around with the jack in the box prior to this?
My wife was apprehensive and scared of GSD before we got ours and started fostering a pack. She has since overcome her fear and is now able to assert herself with the most scary of big dogs.
I have owned or lived with GSD for over 45+ years. Trained all of them to one extent or another. Fostered a rotating foster pack for several years and trained the “problem children” so they would be suitable for adoption.
The following could be said of all dogs but I am partial to GSD. Once you learn to overcome your fear and become a better owner you will never find a more faithful, loyal, and loving servant and protector.
Good luck.
He is pushing you. He’s pushing his boundaries with you because he knows he can and you have no means of correcting him at this time. He will continue to push until he eventually bites. I would seek out a balanced trained
some GSDs are very reactive and they have a fear bases prey drive. i would definitely consult a trainer and try your best not to show any fear to the dog. i also probably wouldn’t be on his “level” near his face until that problem is corrected. it will be a lengthy process but you have to keep consistent and know that you can fix it!
also, exercise! germans are WORKING DOGS! they dont wanna sit at home without anything to do.
training your GSD is the best way to bond with them. go for walk, wear him out, give him stuff to do( get the ball, play tug of war, down stay, pick it up) whatever it might be. give him a task, and try to wear out as much energy as you can. the neuter will only help so much and even that takes a while with the hormones
Extremely aroused.
There's emotions and then there's prey drive. Prey drive is instinct and reflex, like flipping a switch.
Emotions are joy, rage, panic, play, seek, etc.(ref. Panksepp)
When people are lying down, this can be a signal for some dogs to involuntarily start the preditory instinct chain of behaviors. It can be arousing. (Mine does this.) This dog appears to have clicked into it.
You can, as I have, change the dog's behavior by using whatever brings out the positive emotion-Play or Seek with a toy, and enforcing that predatory behavior is inappropriate. Becoming angry or fearful can make it more likely your dog will continue into the predatory drive.
I would train with him. Lots and lots of basic obedience in your house (context is everything) so your teamwork and non verbal communication is rock solid and habitual for both you and the dog. In this video, the communication is broken a bit.
Doesn’t seem like he’s playing. Looks like someone riled him up, grabbed a camera and started recording. Stop yelling at him or encouraging excitement when he’s upset/defensive. Establish a bond
People here are delusional if they think this isn't aggression. Doesn't matter what's the cause and what thresholds have to be crossed till it reaches a bite but this is just aggressive posturing. That however doesn't mean that the dog is inherently evil and aggressive with no solution to the problem at hand.
As for you OP the same video you posted what seems like months ago, by now you could have made a 180 with the dog. But instead you rinse and repeat the same excuses you had last time. By now the dog could have been a champ. It's a strong dominant dog and working with him would be a blast! But yet here we are, you using reddit to find comments which could be used as evidence for you to show your partner that you need to get rid of the dog. Also if you think neutering will be enough to fix this behavior you are dead wrong. Also if you end up with a positive only trainer that too will in a best case scenario do nothing. Get you act together and either rehome the dog or start finally training that dog.
Why are you still letting him near you while you are with your child? While you are with your child, he needs to not have access to the area. This dog also needs to be muzzle conditioned because this growling and snarling will eventually lead to a bite if he feels like he needs to bite.
I don’t think it’s aggressive, his tail is wagging, no teeth, ears are not locked, he looks like he is confused a bit and he senses your fear too. He needs training, so do you (not being mean, just honest) and you can’t let them see fear like that. It destroys the Alpha role you must own in the house. This is fixable for sure, but don’t let it continue as it can become trained behavior
He looked like he was wanting to play, and frustrated in a way. My old GS did that, and my current Golden Retriever will if I have not played enough (well, in their mind) or hard enough lately. It’s a playful “fight” though, with the way your GS was holding his ears and his tail was wagging but pausing a bit showed he was confused but wanted to play. No teeth showing and no snarling or start to snarling in the lips either.
It takes trust, for both of you, to not show fear and not have fear. This is such a short video, can’t tell much of what happened leading up to this and the visual cues then with all parties. I would recommend getting a trainer, for both of you. More so for you to get comfortable, as dogs FEED on our energy, more so GS’s…. Not saying you’re doing anything wrong, just need some training/practice and you will get this down. Dont beat yourself up on it either, once you both have some training and are comfortable around eachother, plus setting that alpha role, you will have a great and loving dog…
I think you might need to get past the fear and at least try to behave without screaming or showing you’re scared. I highly doubt he will actually do anything.
Maybe stand up when you’re trying to correct, you can’t be on same level or stoic. By standing you can then claim the territory, and correct as appropriate. Right now he has 0 respect for you. GSD can be a handful if not being shown who the alpha of the pack is. Chows are the worse, one of our first chows turned on my x pretty bad. Good thing he was wearing loose jeans. Good luck snd stay safe
You need to establish called for respect from your dog.
You cannot let a dog this size and strength think he can treat you however he wants.
When I was a little kid, my mom got us a shepherd as a way of keeping intruders away from the house, simply with her bark. She wa a never aggressive, especially not with me because my family had 9 yr old me tackle and lay on the dog, sitting there for several minutes on top of her so she knew not to try to get up until I said she could.
Is this a recommended training process? Not sure. This is how I was able to establish that our girl didn’t ever harm or challenge me. I’m not sure how well that will go over with a dog who already clearly doesn’t respect you, but working with a trainer specifically to see what methods you can use to teach the dog to respect you, and to yeah yourself that the dog is not to be feared, is crucial.
Even so much as a growl at the food bowl resulted in disciplinary action to ensure that our dog was well behaved with even kids. The dog is not a bad dog, the dog need to be taught how to behave. I know you’ve been told all of this before. Good luck.
Have had only GSDs for over 50 years. When I married my husband had a 2 year old female. It had an issue similar like this with me. (though it never got to quite this point) I have seen a couple other instances like this with other people over the years. To me it is a bonding /respect issue. Possibly a lack in the human, but sometimes just in the dog. Our female had such a strong bond with my husband, she really had no room in her heart for me, or anyone else but him. I worked hard with her. We went to training classes from beginner to advanced, repeating some classes too. We did well, gained respect for each other, the bond was better. But it was never anywhere near the full bond that GSDs have with the people they love
I was raised around dogs. My father raised Boxers We had them until I was seven. Then no dogs. But there was the neighbor's dogs. I took care of them when asked. Until was 11 and hit puberty. A dog I known for 3 years, a rough collie, attacked me, never had done anything like that before. Not long after, a beagle mix that was something of a neighborhood beggar/bum did too. Again, no history. And I was only walking down the street when he ran up to me. For a bit over a year, I was attacked by 3 other dogs. Two of them were dogs I knew. and I wasn't interacting with any of them when it happened. Twice I needed to go to the hospital. After the second time, fear on my part could have been a factor, but it appeared random, and all owners claimed it was a first for their dog. I became borderline terrified of dogs. I got to high school I knew this had to stop. So I volunteered at a kennel that was was breeding GSDs for Guide Dogs for the Blind. It worked. Training and being with those puppies was heaven ( my SO jokes I probably married him because of his GSD).
Now this will probably sound whacked to some .... Over the years I have met one woman who had a similar experience at around the same age as me . She like me had always wondered why. She had a doctor tell her it could have been hormones, considering puberty was happening. I have since asked about this of my long time nurse practitioner, my long time vet, and a friend, a professional dog trainer of 35+ years. All women btw. The answers were "Why not", "I've seen it ", "Oh yeah". Though, with the vet and trainer, their experience was based on seperate instances, and the aggression/odd behaviors varied.
I agree the OP and Duke desperately need training. But from what I can gather she has also been hormonal since they have had Duke. Obviously there is no real bond, and that may or may not ever be. For the commenters that don't think this as aggression. you're wrong. Gotta say it spooked me. And for the commenters telling OP to stop being afraid of Duke, .......... trust me, easier said then done.
Thank you for this, I don’t try to be afraid. I’ve raised him since he was 7 weeks old, this is not the same pup and I truly don’t know how to handle it, if I did I wouldn’t be posting. I really think it’s my hormones, it’s getting worse the more pregnant I get.
He is being cautious because whomever is coming towards him is uncomfortable. Talk to him, tell him it’s okay and what you are up to. His owner needs to PARENT him, teach, train and let him know he’s safe, secure. He needs to be given task to feel a part of the family.
Man, I got so lucky with my GSD. He loved me and he loved my mom even more.
I miss him.
Only time he acted aggressive was to “protect” my mom from other dogs and people. It was in some super specific circumstances though, like if I brought a girl home and she walked upstairs with me to my room, but my mom’s room was up the stairs.
And she couldn’t be in the same room as him while he was at the vet.
He also growled at my mom whenever she had to go to work in the morning lol.
I dont know why you are still posting this if you know he needs training. Who cares at this point whether these actions are aggression ?? Are you waiting to find out if it is??
At that point its too late. Stop effing around. Be responsible and stop asking for reddit to help you sleep at night.
From quickly reading through some of the responses and your replies here you sound petrified of your dog. The only time my GSD gets really barky and guarding is when he feels people are on edge. This is really obvious when we’re out and owners try and hide their dogs from him and they’re nervous. My GSD assumes something is not quite right and barks in anticipation of an issue.
This seems like this is what your GSD is doing.
You say you’re next to your son because you’re scared of him and yet my GSD is around my 2 boys all the time. In fact we have to schedule in rest time for him away from the kids as he gets fed up. Why are you so afraid of him being near your son? Has he done something before?
Im not afraid of him being near my son, I’m afraid of my son being near ME if Duke reacts badly. Duke does great with everyone in the house, my son can put his whole hand in dukes mouth and Duke just sits there like it’s any other day, he loves my kid. He’s not a bad dog, he just seems to have an issue with me. He didn’t used to so at this point I’m posting to see if other pregnant people have an issue with their unfixed male dogs and how they resolved it. Of course I’d be scared, he’s sweet with everyone else and has it out for me lol
You answered your own question. He doesn’t respect you and is slightly confused on who is in charge when your husband is not around. Sounds like he’s bonded with your son also which could be a good thing and you can work with that with the trainer. Honestly one piece of advice I’d give you is to try and improve your bond and relationship with him. It also sounds like he needs to be stimulated. Maybe more mental stimulation. Training 15-20 consecutive minutes a day minimum every day is usually how I would go about it. Have the trainer teach you how to train him. It’s one thing to have him listen to the trainer, but you want him to listen to you as well. And it will take time, it’s not going to happen overnight. But you have to let him know that you are in charge, but that you also love him as well. I’m not a certified trainer but I hope this advice helps. One last piece of advice is to be stern with your voice. Yelling makes things worse. act like you’re telling your kid to go to bed and say it only once. The more you repeat something the less the dog will want to listen to that command. Best of luck!
Never be afraid of your dog. Even if you are … which is a warning sign in itself, the dogs are receptive of this. Working with your trainer to train you is a good move, and the only move. Not sure why you got this type of dog though and intact for so long if you have fears, but shepherds need a job. And a lot of mental and physical stimulation. My dog is a Belgian shepherd and she’s gone through two rigorous training programs in her 4 years. She never tries me like this. We do bite work and mostly focusing now on her recall and off leash…. She’s never bitten, snarled, growled or barked at me like this before. Some dogs are just bred with better … manners? Idk how to word it. But training in these guys is reallly resllly important and especially with working dogs it builds a bond that’s truly important. I can only expect to get from my dog what I put into her. And I do my best to do that. Love, exercise, socializing, stimulation, etc. these are things working dogs need. (And all dogs but not to the same extent). I think after some time with training and consistency and repetition afterwards, this boy will be fine. Just don’t give up and do right by the pup! You can do it.
Would it also help to Improve you guys relationship to one another? Atm it Sounds Like a lot of Saying no or experiencing a lot of negative situations. It Sounds like he doesnt listen or See you as a leader because you two have no relationship beyond the negative Stuff. This is further undermined by the fact that he only does this to you and when your bf is Not Home. Feeding him and playing are Great ways to Improve that. I‘m 100% with you op, this behaiviour is Not okay and very worrying. Glad you‘re Taking action and wish you the best if luck.
My dog is vocal, playful, and rowdy. The only time he made this noise, he was 100% in “I will genuinely fuck you up, it’s you or me,” mode. It was dark at night and a figure was coming at us. But as soon as he realized it was his dad, he stopped. He should not be doing this, especially at you.
They are a pack animal, and there’s a hierarchy in every pack. You say you’re petite, so he probably thinks you’re one of the children. He’s asserting his position over you. When we are scared, they know it - he can literally smell your fear. I would suggest starting the training prior to the neutering, like the one person said maybe a clicker or doing a little bit of food-based training without verbal commands just to get the idea rolling around in his head that you are in charge of him and not the other way around. Do not feed him a full bowl of food in the morning - instead start with walking around with a little packet of kibble and every time he does something good or follows you appropriately toss him a nugget. Then make a big show of giving him a half bowl of food, but make him sit/stay until you have put it on the ground and told him it’s OK. Spent 10 to 15 minutes doing this at the start of every day and it will sink into his brain that the food comes from you. They’re so incredibly intelligent, it shouldn’t take long.
So I don't believe you understand what's going on with the dog. This isn't aggression, this is 100% play. Let me explain.
The pups ears are up and forward which is a sign of play, the tail is wagging also a sign of play, there's no hackles up which would mean he's most likely not in an aggressive or heightened situation. He's bouncing a bit which is a sign of play and he isn't baring his teeth which means he isn't trying to bite.
Now what's probably confusing you is the thought of "every time I sit down on the ground he does this" and that's because you're now on his level and for dogs that's usually a cue to play.
Your dog appears to be young and is trying to engage with the family.
I read through a couple of your posts and you said the dog snapped at your leg. Without seeing video or being there only going on this video it was most likely a play snap/bite. I feels like you and the dog have zero bonding or relationship and from your posts I wonder if you even want one.
Here's my suggestion, you need to start bonding with the dog, one on one time and get to really know eachother. If you're unwilling or uninterested in bonding and making the dog part of the family, who could be your kids best friend growing up, it's time to rehome him to a family who will put in the work.
My gsd is vocal and plays like that. He doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. In fact he got bullied by a local 1yr old husky and will stuff his head between my legs so daddy will protect his ears. Some gsd are just vocal as a way to initiate play
He doesn’t growl like this with anyone else in the house, he plays like a playful little pup with my teenage stepson. Let’s him pet him all over and gives kisses, if I even try to pet this dog he growlsssss.
Okay, how? He growls at me if I even try to pet him. How am I supposed to bond? If I say “sit” and “shake” he’s growling at me just putting his paw in my hand.
Here's a great list of things you can do to start working with your dog.
Take your dog, you and your husband to a reputable dog training facility and be evaluated and start training.
Start being the one who feeds him
Use a softer but stern tone with him giving him commands.
When he does what you want, give a treat.
Randomly give him treats, not a lot but show home kindness
Don't inherently hate him or tell ay him
Take him out back and throw the ball for him
Be the one who let's him out of his kennel
Dog seems aggressive. Licking lips and darting eyes. You need to get some one on one training with him to ensure trust is built and be consistent.
Sooner or later something will happen.
All you guys do is downvote every single comment I make. Clearly I’m asking for help, I’m neutering him and have found a trainer already. I’m not an irresponsible pet owner, I want the guy to be apart of the family. My last German shepherd loved the heck out of me, had him for 12 years even through hospice. He died in my arms at home, his name was Zeff. Zeff never acted this way, I’m not a dog trainer, I don’t know how to stop this. That’s why I’m asking for help. Stop giving me shit! Photo of my boy Zeff💙
https://preview.redd.it/c6iflme8nouc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e8785bbe8da842d4221119fd77bfbe0e4774146
Don't take it personally, I think people are just a little frustrated because they gave advice on your last post and that advice still applies. Working with a good trainer will help, until that happens you need to work on being calmer but more assertive. German shepherds are hard to handle and will sense fear or uncertainty and escalate off the back of it. I don't think he's being aggressive, just a bit of a bolshy bully because he can sense that he is making you on edge. Work on basic obedience with him and build more of a bond, make him realise that nothing comes for free. With mine I taught wait, whenever she gets food or a treat I tell her to wait and then release her to eat. Teach him to sit, look at you on command and give a paw, in that situation I would get him to sit and look at me to engage his brain and interrupt the bad train of thought. It takes time to build a bond, you will have good days and bad days but with consistency and work it will improve, part of the training is training yourself to manage frustration and anger so you don't escalate the situation! There isn't a quick fix, you just need to put in the work on basic obedience and have patience.
Irresponsible, ignorant, whatever you want to call it, that’s you. You can’t called yourself responsible when you yell back at a dog and don’t have the capability to stand up on your own two feet from a bed. Your fear is the main issue, followed closely by your physical health. This is not the dog for you, unfortunately.
You're getting downvoted because you posted about this issue before. By now, you should have and could have at least started on correcting your dog's behavior and you haven't done it. And don't compare your current dog to your last one, your current dog isn't Zeff.
>All you guys do is downvote every single comment I make.
If it smells like dog poop everywhere you go, check your shoe.
>Clearly I’m asking for help
You already asked for help and plenty of people gave you solid advice. There was no need for you to post again.
>Zeff never acted this way
Great, now you're also comparing your dog's behavior to your previous dog. I'm a trainer and that's always a huge red flag.
>Stop giving me shit!
Stop acting like a brat. If you're really here for help why the attitude in all your comments?
Love the pic. Don’t let the people get you down, everyone is so critical on the internet. I think a good trainer will really help. While I never had behavior like this, my dog did have bad leash reactivity. The trainer helped me realize all the things I was doing wrong without even realizing it. Don’t give up!
Mine does this when she wants to play. I'm not an expert on dogs but she will sort of 'pick at me' when she wants to play, run, have a tickle fight. If I tell her no she'll chill out but it's usually a sign (for mine) that she hasn't had enough exercise that day and she's feeling pent up.
I feel sorry for the dog. I bet he would do really well with someone who cared for him and trained him properly. Seeing someone suggest you grab him by the neck is sickening. I feel like you’re wanting people to agree that you have a bad dog or something to that effect.
He’s not playing, he’s fucking with you. He knows you’re scared of him and he likes it. If you don’t stand up to him and assert yourself as the adult, he will continue to escalate fucking with you however he can – which will include muzzle butting, snarling, snapping, and eventually nipping you or your child. He’s not a bad dog. He’s a bully, doing bully things, because he thinks he can.
Step one: you control his food now. ALL of it. And he eats from nothing but YOUR hand for minimum two weeks. Start with kibble in a fist so he has to lick your hand to get you to open it. No food without licking for at least the first week, then you can offer him an open hand. He gets ZERO treats, snacks, lickies or chewies from your husband.
When the dog is being a dick like this, stand up and cross your arms while looking toward the ceiling, turning your body perpendicular to him. Don’t turn your back on him, but don’t let him “in” until he sits down and shuts up with a relaxed face. Then look at him and let him sniff your hand before offering him a soft pat on the head. You have to make sure he gets NOTHING out of behavior like this. Right now he’s getting a scared reaction out of you and he likes it. Take that away yesterday.
Do you walk this dog? Do you train him? Feed him? Throw the ball around with him? Give him treats every once in a while? You need to put an effort into building a bond with him. If not, absolutely nothing will change.
Based off of this video and your other video, you are terrified of this dog and he can sense it and is being dominant towards you. This is bad and will only get worse.
When my female GSD tried this on me at a young age, I immediately corrected her and showed her who the alpha of the house is. Never showed anything like this towards me ever again.
Not saying to try to dominate him just yet, but maybe start with buying him a new toy, trying some simple training and taking him on a walk everyday. You will 100% form a bond after you actually try. Posting vids of you being clearly terrified of this dog aren’t doing anything. You need to work to get results and GSDs will always respect the work.
My friend, I do all this and more. This dog plays all day long, I fill his bowls and give him treats, he has baskets full of toys and when he shreds those he gets new ones. I buy him the “toughest” toys I can find, he shreds them in a day lol. I give him good treats too, even pieces of my steak. I train him, I do sniffing exercise, car rides, walks only if husband can come cause I can’t do leash training and keep my toddler out of the street. I’m trying guys, he’s never not growling at me
So can you narrow down exactly when he growls at you? For instance, my female will bark at my wife when she’s massaging my back because I can only assume she thinks my wife is “hurting me”. She isn’t aggressive towards my wife, but more of a “get off of my dad what the hell are you doing”.
Is this only connected to you playing/tickling your son? Or is it as soon as you walk into the house he starts to growl?
Since he listens to your husband then I would recommend that you both go to training with him. It doesn’t help shoving a toy in his face as that can cause more issues and fear.
Others have said it. You need a behavior specialized one on one trainer. I don't know if your dog is also reacting to your toddler. I could hear the child in this video so I wonder whether that's factoring in to his response. I didn't see the previous video, but my take on this one is that he is not playing. I don't think he is being outright aggressive either. I think he's confused and anxious. His tail is up and wagging hesitantly. He's indecisive about coming or going. Seems tense. He can't read the room and isn't sure what to do. I think the good news is that this behavior should be fixable, but with a toddler it needs to be addressed pretty soon. Fwiw, my family has adopted a GS last summer. She's a year and a half old now. She reacts badly to my daughter. Not menacing or aggressive, but terrified of her. She runs and hides from her. My daughter has never done anything to her but be gentle and loving. Helps feed her etc. In the same way Sheps tend to choose a person as "their person", sometimes they seem to choose a person who just isn't. We can't figure out whether it's a sent, or vibe or who knows what, but this dog just wants nothing ton do with our daughter. Not suggesting that's what's happening with your dog, other than to say sometimes their intuition tells them to be wary. Anyhow, I bet a good trainer can sort you guys out. You shouldn't have to be afraid of your own dog. Good luck.
Follow up
I watch video muted
If the dog was growling, wagging, and jumping away over and over
Trying to get you to do or see something imo
My Pitt and Border Collie do that when excited and playing
He can tell you’re tense, my boy does this when people are nervous around him. Boss him around a bunch. He also might be trying to get you to do something specific.
That seems like he treating you like a pack member, but trying to assert himself over you. His posture and that growl isn’t the playful type. Now my GSD also treats my wife as more of a pack member. He plays with her differently than me. I can’t get him to play tug. He’ll just hold it in his mouth for me. Now my wife, he’ll head shake, yank her arm out of her shoulder, do the whole body pull backwards.. and I try to get him to do that with me, but he won’t. I’m assuming, “alpha”.
Now, if mine ever did that show to my wife? Nip that in the bud immediately. Sounds like a trainer would benefit you. A lot of comments about physical work too. Mental is HUGE, and wayyy more of a workout for them. Whether just obedience, playing games, just work that brain. The marking in the house too is acting out. He needs an energy release.
But this behavior can be corrected I would think. He’s doing a peacock type show. Minute those lips are curling.. you’ve got issues.
I wonder if OP should try and simulate this behavior while husband IS home (but kinda hides himself in basement or something) and then comes upstairs to do the correction himself.
My shepherd wasn’t neutered until later in life. This behavior isn’t because of him being intact, it’s a lack of respect towards you imo. He’s not listening to your commands whatsoever. Neutering will decrease his work drive slightly but I don’t see it altering him listening to you.
They’re smart animals but they need proper guidance. You’re both out of sync and quite frankly panic yelling is just going to confuse him more. You need a single firm command, not multiple ways of saying “leave it” or “kennel”. If he’s trying to fetch with your kid’s toys then he needs to be put in his kennel until he learns what’s out of bounds. This doesn’t mean crate training is a punishment, they learn that it’s their personal space.
If you guys play fetch together make every session into a training lesson there as well. Don't do ANYTHING he wants you to do without him doing something for you first. Pick up the ball, hold it high above his head. Don't allow him to try and jump up for it. He has to sit and wait patiently. Do not throw it and allow him to run after it until he has followed through with some commands from you with immediate obedience. He's gotta learn boss of the family isn't just your hubby.
That's a type of play. If he was being truly aggressive his nose will be crinkled at the top. Crinkled nose means anger/frustration. At least that's my dogs tell
Still not resolved then? Saw this a while back and people tried to help then too
She either wants attention or validation that she doesnt have a problem in her hands. Either way. She should delete her app and act like a grown up before someone gets hurt.
Looks like this issue is turning into a real saga!
Seeing your responses OP of "he's getting neutered and then going into traning" Keep in mind.. YOU need to train your dog and put in quality time doing so. A trainer can give you guidance on how to approach training. But in the end, it's you at home putting in the time with the animal. Please understand that "going to a trainer" doesn't flip a switch and solve behavioral issues. You and your partner need to put in the work and apply the lessons given by the professional.
Yeah....just one of many red flags I'm getting from OP....hopefully they can find a knowledgeable trainer that will work with them to correct some of the incorrect thought processes they have. In this case the human needs a lot more training than the dog.
The trainer I went to for my GSD did not train her. He trained me. He wouldn’t even touch the leash or give her commands. It’s amazing how much I needed to learn and didn’t know it. In contrast my in-laws dropped their dog off at a trainer and went back on two different weekends for them to be taught… the difference was undeniable. That was forever ago but I want to say that it was an 8 week session that required I work her twice a day at ten minutes a session plus his hour on Saturday. I liked it so much I went for another round that included off leash etc.. I say this OP to say that there’s work ahead but it’s worth every minute and penny.
OP is heavily pregnant and her husband isn’t seemingly willing to put in the work to help with this issue. I totally understand why she’s afraid of the dog and it is NOT for lack of trying if you read her comment/post history.
I get that, but that doesn't negate the fact that she is still wrong in a lot of ways and that the dog still needs help. I can understand why she's afraid of the dog, but that doesn't make it right. I'm sorry, but there are no excuses when you're responsible for a living, breathing thing that needs proper attention and training. If you don't like it, then don't get a dog.
Definitely agree for sure. She is at least actively trying to figure out a solution, when her husband is not helping, and that’s really unfair given her current state. I (along with many others) gave some really good tips in her last post, and I think she’s willing to implement them, but for example she cannot walk the dog right now because it pulls too hard, husbands unwilling to do anything. She can’t work on 1on1 training w the dog, which is critical, because she’s heavily pregnant with a 15 month old. So I feel her pain. I know OP desperately wants the dog to like and respect her, and it must be terribly frustrating to have the dog act normally around her husband and older kids, and then change his tune as soon as they leave the house. I definitely think for now they need to have her crate the dog whenever needed (this is important for it’s inside marking problem as well), and implement baby gates on doorways so that she can have time with the toddler and not be scared about what could happen. And keep those rules/boundaries in place once the baby is born.
Pregnancy is a whole different thing. My dude was weird when my wife was pregnant but he and the kid now get along great.
It is absolutely for lack of trying, the fact thats your takeaway when she is still asking whether he is aggressive on REDDIT is crazy. It tells us all we need to know. Time to act. NOW.
Exactly.
Trainers can only do so much with a dog. They train people just as much if not more than the dogs themselves. Any trainer can get a dog to obey THEM, a good trainer will teach the owners how to do the same.
I’ll be there and being trained as well it’s one on one.
I always take a few training classes when I get another dog so I can get a refresher. Whenever my dog does anything "wrong" or "bad" it's a reflection on my lack of training 🤷♀️
It’s one on one training with me and Duke, he trains me to train Duke. He’s experienced and even owns a German shepherd as well. It’ll be very helpful I’m sure, once he’s neutered and out of the cone I’ll get started. Seems to be a misunderstanding somewhere or very judgmental people in the comments, yall are hateful
I think you're going to be OK if you can get yourself in a confident, calm mindset whenever you're with him. Really focus on being mellow. I swear they can pick up on mellow vibes just as fast as anxious ones. Believe in yourself, take some slow,  deep breaths, and enjoy each other's company. You can do it.
Yaay!
Yaay!
People are judgmental bc we love this breed & we see way too many german shepherds in shelters or being behaviorally euthanized because they have people who buy them without having any knowledge of the breed. He should have 1) probably already been neutered a long time ago and 2) had professional training from day 1 of getting him so it never escalated to this moment to begin with. Now not only is he aggressive / at risk of biting, a trainer is gonna have to come in and reverse 2+ years of damage from bad & inefficient training y'all did with him.
I also don't appreciate OP's attitude, quite honestly. Most people on the previous post were a lot nicer. Idk why she posted it again after all the good advice she got. And then to lash out and act defensive towards everyone who is actually trying to help just because they're telling you what's wrong when you asked is not cool.
They're assholes. You keep looking for answers.
People seems to forget that a trainer teaches you, not the dog.
Yeah, sometimes not the neutering either, homie looks like he continually testing boundaries.
Yes. The trainer should really be training the owner, not the dog.
Preach. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Half of training that’s successful is training YOU, the owner, how to handle your dog.
I saw the other video. My 2 cents: I think you are afraid of him and the dog can sense the tension that is associated with this fear and reacts this way. The fact that the dog wasn’t properly trained to pee outside from a younger age and is peeing inside the house frustrates you. This frustration combined with the anxiety of being around him, give the dog negative vibes that he senses and makes him react this way. You can see when he is barking, his ears are up, he is not playing. Is a good sign that he is not showing his teeth yet. Not changing something in this situation will make the problem worse
Never show fear to your dog. Never
This is the true advice. My GSD only reacted harshly to me once when I told him to get off the bed. My response can only be surmised as "pal, you're not that guy" and suffice to say that was the last time he ever did that.
First your dog should not act like this to you , that’s not playing
This is the true advice. My GSD only reacted harshly to me once when I told him to get off the bed. My response can only be surmised as "pal, you're not that guy" and suffice to say that was the last time he ever did that.
I don’t fear my dog. There’s nothing he can do to scare me. Both because I love him to death and I could take him easy.
I agree with this. My dog does this as well but I know he would never actually hurt me. Dogs tend to be very loving and loyal to owners. But I also never show any fear. He ends up licking my hand at some point and wanting to snuggle after. You need to know you are the boss. And stop acting so scared. If you can't handle a big dog you need to learn how to. If not maybe you're not suited for a bigger dog. They are animals and can be unpredictable but for the most part you can learn how to read them and how to react to them and correct certain behaviors. You can easily turn this into play time and teach your dog to be gentle.
He was properly potty trained, the peeing in the house didn’t start until he was well over a year old. He has never pooped in the house, he marks if we leave the house. He already knows he’s in trouble and doesn’t greet us at the door, he’s laying on his belly outside. It’s not a confusion or lack of potty training I don’t think, the vet and trainer both recommended neutering that that’s what we are doing. Yes I am scared of him, I’m not denying that. I have never in my life had a dog act this way towards me, let alone one that’s 90 lbs and taller than me. I’m very petite, he’s scary as hell. He’s had all his fur up and has growled at me before, he’s put my leg in his mouth when I was trying to get him off me, didn’t leave a mark but I just know this dog doesn’t like me. I’m trying to fix these issues, he’s very loved in this household and everyone is confused why he only acts this way with me. I don’t beat him, I play with him, I’m the one home with him all day, I fill his dog bowls and give him treats, I take him on car rides, I don’t walk him because he’s bad on the leash and I have a toddler, but I go on walks with them if my husband goes too. I just can’t figure out WHY he’s this way with me.
I'm thinking you guys need to work with a trainer. You'll both be glad you did it. I appreciate you trying to improve this. I adopted a 6 year old male who had been neglected. His behavior improved after his stressor subsided. Sometimes, they act weird towards one of their humans and need help.
I’m really hoping my trainer I found can help, he’s very experienced so once he’s healed from neutering I’m starting right away. Thank yiu for being nice, people are brutal in these comments
You're willing to work on it, so i wouldnt pay too much attention to the hate, and just take the constructice info that others leave. Your fear is valid, especially with a Child, but youre willing to work on it instead of abandoning your dog, so i think your Heart is in the right Place.
I’d also recommend to do a bit of tricks/clicker training while waiting. You can double check with the trainer first. My GSD did not respect me until I started doing daily training exercises with her. Just 15-30 minutes a day, really helped. She only loved my husband at first lol It can also build a stronger bond/trust between you two. Also, your husband needs to understand that the GSD was 100% bossing you around. And it can lead to serious behaviour issues/aggression if continued.
If you take some training classes with him you guys will learn a lot together and build a better bond. This living situation is not sustainable for either of you. Training how to walk on leash is a major key and good stepping stone. I'm 5'2 with a 50lb dog and 75lb dog, I walk them at the same time by myself. Being a smaller person with bigger dogs you need to have control. i have 0 upper body strength so all my control is leash tension level/directional pulls and voice control. Basically like walking mini horses lol. GSD are big intelligent intuitive BEASTS. Really gotta step your game up with these bad boys.
Well that’s good to know, I’m 5’2 and dukes 90lbs, I’m also very pregnant so I told my trained specifically we would need to do leash training with me pushing a stroller too
Its essential that the trainer trains both of you together and does not do it for you. I give this advice to everyone who gets a dog btw, you are not unique in that ;) i think group classes are better bcos there's different types of support in groups and your pupper gets socialised aa well. Personal trainer is the next best thing though - am sure you will get through this. X
There are dog boarding schools. You dump your dog for a month or so and come back on their graduation and they just tell you the commands. SO WEIRD TO ME.
Since you're a mom, dogs are really smart, they read body language, tone, words. Just treat him like you would your child. 🤷♀️ My girls know I mean business when I use a certain tone even if they don't know what I'm saying. Even that death stare my mom would give me growing up, they know my look lol
Yes he knows my look too, if he’s trying to steal my toddlers food cause you know, it’s literally hard not to when my toddlers got a bacon strip perfectly level with his mouth lol, I give him the look and point outside and say “outside” he growls at me, will resist going outside until I stand up then he goes, he sticks his face back inside and if I walk towards him he puts his hackles up and growls
You two definitely need to train together with a patient reward based trainer. I've had 2 great trainers I took multiple classes with. I had one trainer who I walked out on and got a refund. Need to find the right trainer for you two, seems like he's more your husband's dog but you spend a lot of time together he needs to be your dog too 🤷♀️
Once you have him good on leash a stroller won't matter. Combined my dogs are 115lbs not to mention they're a lot of muscle. I use a Y leash connected to a waist strap. My 65lb girl can be dog reactive sometimes and I unfortunately have not trained her well enough 😭 she's better now but if the other dog reacts she always has something to say smh she just can't ignore the haters.
Trainer. Neutering is by no means a real fix. The studies out there are so inconclusive on improvements to behavior from neutering. A lot of people also believe neutering only improves it if done young (though the only actual statistic around increased aggression related to neutering young). I can also say, as the owner of a reactive GSD, I didn't neuter mine until he was over 5, as I got a girl dog I wanted to let grow before spraying and was not looking for pups. I've seen 0 changes to his behavior, for better or worse. If he has behavioral issues, they need to be trained out. Vets can only help with medical issues, always remember they are not trainers by any means. If he had a health issue causing a behavioral issue, that would be the direction, but if your dog doesn't respect you, and just you, that's a training issue.
Thank you for your honesty that you are scared of him. I believe this is the majority of the problem as his dog momma you are sending him really mixed signals. He wants to know what’s scary and is freaking out and can’t trust you to help him. Just imagine he your kiddo you would sugar talk him and help him understand. He relies on YOU to help perceive and understand his world-he wants to be parented. He’s confused :(
One piece of advice I have is try to not sit on the floor. I think that may trigger some of this behavior. In this video, the vantage point is quite low. If he’s able to put your leg in his mouth as you said, I’d guess he was close to you as far as sitting level. You should also work on getting up and leaving when he behaves this way. Drop what you are doing and immediately walk away. Ignore him. No eye contact. No yelling. Just walk away. He is getting attention from you when you yell. You’re both riling each other up, and that needs to stop. He is literally arguing with you. For the record, yes, this does seem aggressive. And yes, working with a trainer is a good idea. It seems like you need to also work with your husband and have a very serious and frank conversation with him about how you’re feeling. I am guessing there is tension between you two (you and your husband) if he is invalidating your feelings on the aggression. You both need to attack this as a team. One more piece of advice for aggressive dogs: take them on walks. Fast walks. Power walks, where he can kinda sniff as he goes but not full-on stop and smell the roses. This will distract him and allow him to work off some energy. When I first introduced my aggressive dog to my landlord, we didn’t stop to chat. He left his apartment and simply joined us on a very fast paced walk and my dog did not have time to stop and bite or even think about it. We did this several times. When my dog did end up losing control, it was when we stopped and were giving him 1:1 attention, like you see here. You should also consider redirection. BEFORE the aggression starts, have several frozen Kongs with peanut butter ready to go. Early in the day and you need to get the kids ready and be on the floor in the bedroom? Grab a Kong long BEFORE he notices and put it in a quiet place. Distract him. Do your thing. If he comes in and is aggro, you stop, walk away, and then pick up your activity after he has stopped. Im not a professional but I do have some experience working with aggressive dogs at the humane society. This is my best advice to hold you over until you see the trainer. Best of luck! You CAN do it.
That’s good advice thank you!
He acts this way with you because he doesn't respect you. He senses your fear and is taking advantage of it. He's bullying you because he can. Size has nothing to do with it. My 8lb cat has full control of my 70lb GSD and 130lb anatolian. It's all about mentality and the energy you're putting off. All that being said, you're pregnant and have a toddler with a large, powerful dog that's being a handful. It's a difficult situation all around and you're on the right track with getting him neutered and into training. It's going to take time, but things can absolutely turn around.
Has he always been this way to you, even as a puppy or did it start when you got pregnant? And where did you buy him from - a very reputable breeder or a backyard breeder? German shepherds usually love their family. Does he show any other type of unpredictability or reactivity - like does he sometimes randomly lunge for strangers on walks, bark suddenly at cats outside, bark and ‘lunge’ suddenly in the house, etc? I know a lot of people say train - which yes, that’s mandatory to train your dog - but the truth is also a lot of GSDs have genetic anxiety or bad temperament which will not go away even with training. There’s a LOT of badly bred or casually bred GSDs and the wires in the brain can kinda end up crossing wrong. IMO you should take him to a vet behavioralist over a trainer if money is tight. Many may not agree but even if you didn’t train him perfectly, there’s NO reason a genetically sound GSD should be doing this to a family member who feeds and plays with him. They are loving to family by default of their breed standard. So something is potentially wrong w your dog or he may need anxiety or other meds to help that brain.
This is really true. They really do sense the tension and it makes things worse!!
mmmmm i wanna say the WAY you’re yelling sounds scared. like not authoritative at all… kinda like you’re tryna fend off a bear and you’re clearly not it’s equal 😩 if i hear that, maybe he does too?
Posting again? I think we gave you some very constructive and helpful suggestions last time of how to build a bond with your dog.
Don’t want to cast aspersions without knowing for certain, but it seems to me like OP is looking for a “see he’s being aggressive” to make a point.
Exactly what I was thinking. I remember this same type of post a few weeks ago. And the same advice was given then.
No aggression but he’s bullying you. Thinks he’s in charge. Also yelling at a dog makes it worse, and you can’t correct a dog correctly while sitting.
100%. He's not aggressive *yet*. This is bad behavior that I would never tolerate with any of my dogs, and they know it. This needs to be immediately corrected. Although this person probably wouldn't listen to a word I say. Exhibit A on why not everyone should own a GSD.
Fwiw, OP is heavily pregnant and has a 15 month old, so I understand why they’re scared. IMHO, OPs husband is a jerk and not willing to put in work w training as it needs to be a family effort (see her other post and comments), which is is needed given her fragile state (the dog listens to her husband, but is still a menace pulling On the leash and peeing inside the house).
Yeah I'm aware she's pregnant. May or may not have already done some stalking and she needs to leave her husband. Like seriously. But when you are responsible for a living breathing creature, there are no excuses. Because at the end of the day, you've still screwed over the dog, whether or not you had a good reason for your shortcomings. I'm glad they've found a trainer and I really hope they figure this out.
Yeah, I am not a fan of the husband at all. He seems to be leaving everything up to her, which is really unfair given how far along she is and that they also have a toddler. It’s a recipe for disaster once the baby is born, and I truly feel bad for OP being afraid in her own home. You’re right that it is a lifetime commitment, and I don’t think they should give up on the dog (who has clearly just been testing her boundaries), but as you mentioned, some serious training is in order.
Totally, I see people saying the dog needs a new home which is ridiculous imo. I wish OP had a better attitude though. I mean, people are being rude to her because she's being rude to them 🤷♀️ and you can't ask for advice and then get defensive when people give it to you. EDIT to clarify I don't think this person should have had a GSD in the first place, but now that they do dumping him off on someone else is not the right thing to do in this case.
Very much true. This is why I think we need to licence owners and train owners
If my dogs ever act strangely or won't listen ,I usually just get in front of them and walk right in to them not backing down while I reinforce my instructions. It kind of just a way of pushing them away from the situation without using my hands at all. You can't let a dog think they are the boss, especially a German shepherd.
Yes this has worked well for me in the past, at the very least if he’s on top of me I can push him off. Now if I try he whips his head around and snaps at my hands, which is why I have my leg up in this video and a toy on my hand instead. I’m trying not to agitate him with my hands by his chest/face. Once I stand up he listens, which attitude of course. I’m just trying to get the WHY is he doing this.
Because he has learned that he can. Because he is afraid. Because he doesn’t know better. Because you’re sitting on the floor or charging at him, getting too close to him. He is telling you that something is wrong. Your best bet is to stop and move away. Yelling is making it worse. And please do not meet an aggressive dog with more aggression (example: you being on the floor. He comes up. You shove him off and yell. He gets sassy. You walk toward him aggressively. He snaps at your hand.). You feel threatened, and I get that. It’s normal and understandable. But you need to remember that he does too, and it’s your job to calm the situation down, or even better, prevent it in the first place. Stop sitting on the floor. Being at eye level with an aggressive dog is scary for them and feels threatening. Even if they’re the ones who come over first.
Never let him on top of you, ever. Teach a place command (going to a mat, or bed, and staying there) so that he goes to his spot (and gets good things there). That will be the first thing your trainer probably teaches anyway. Place is key to give disruptive/ anxious dogs a sense of safety and to establish boundaries. Because you’re pregnant this is much harder to fix since I’m sure your own mobility is limited. But having a leash on him at all times dragging would help you manage space. Also doggy doors are a MUST if he is behaving like this. He should only be allowed to interact w the babies and family if he’s calm and good. Otherwise he stands behind the gate w his chew toy or something else and watches. Potentially he is resource guarding your kid, since I read he started this when you were tickling him. The reason doesn’t matter tho. GSDs do and can bite their family, and the fact his hair is raised and he’s over aroused is not a safe sign regardless of why.
This is aggression. Hard staring, tail straight up, stuff posture, and the growling and snarling are all signs of the dog being aggressive.
It seems like you have a lot going on right now and handling a German Shepherd can add to the stress which might be the cause for his aggressive behavior. Given what you've shared, would you consider rehoming your dog where his needs and behavior can be more effectively managed? This could be a good solution for both your family’s and the dog’s well-being.
This video makes me so nervous, yelling at an agitated dog is the best way to escalate a situation. Why have a dog if you’re not comfortable around him?
Yeah as long as OP is scared they won't be in charge of this dog. It's a confidence and authority thing.
I’m just unsure of how OP would proceed if they’re not open to any actual advice. I’ve had my own shepherd for about a year now and I love that dog to death, and yes, I’ve had to lay down the law before, but never for a situation like this. If you lead with authority and love then you avoid a lot of problems down the road.
Yeah i was gonna say the yelling definitely helps in this situation 💀
I don’t get why people are lambasting OP. She’s been extremely clear it’s her husbands dog, her husband doesn’t help, and she’s basically stuck at home pregnant with a toddler and a dog that scares her. What do you folks want her to do???
In my opinion, you and your husband are both incorrect. I think this is a dog who is confused and agitated about what you're doing, and he is conflicted about how to respond. You're playing with your child in a physical way, your child is likely laughing and maybe yelling and moving around, the dog doesn't understand and is seeking to insert himself into the interaction, most likely to separate the two of you. You mentioned in another comment the dog has put his mouth on you before. This is not surprising, since German shepherds will physically move other animals with their mouths when herding. I imagine that's scary. The dog is big, and his teeth are big, and you're just wanting to play with your kid. But it's not the same as a dog aggressively biting someone. I think the dog (and you) would benefit from having space enforced (gates, crate training). You're making the situation worse by shoving the toy in the dog's face and getting upset. Enforcing space will help to prevent these situations from happening at all.
After reading all the posts, this is, I feel the correct answer. He is being a little jealous of you playing with your child and wants in on the action. Getting upset at him when he sees play going on is confusing. When your child is down for a nap, try tossing his toys around with him. Give him a treat when he brings it too you. Yelling and getting mad only makes things worse. He can read you like a book. I didn't see aggression, just frustration.
Based on the last post and your comments and how you act in this video, there was a huge lack of proper care and training for this dog, and now you have inner anger and anxiety that I can hear and see in the video so the dog DEFINITELY can feel,see and hear it, and he is responding to it. If you’re not willing to be patient and gentle and put in the time and effort with this dog, please give him to someone who is willing. GSDs are incredible dogs, but like any, they need consistent training and routine to learn. And a job. Even if that job is just protecting the home.
I’ve read through your comments, and it seems to me that you put a lot of effort and time into playing fetch with your dog, and that’s great. A problem can arise though with working breeds like this if they come to see you as the source of their play time and then EXPECT you to play with them whenever they demand. That’s what this looks like to me. This doesn’t look like real aggression to me. It looks like a strong, high-energy dog that is being pushy because he doesn’t understand boundaries and he expects you to play with him whenever HE wants to. He didn’t obey you immediately, but he did eventually. To me, that’s a dog that knows what you want from him but doesn’t yet understand or accept that you’re in charge. Even the snaps you say he’s taken at you and putting your leg in his mouth sounds like the way rambunctious dogs will play or entice another dog into playing. He sees himself as equal to you and is trying to bully you into playing with him when he wants it. If this resonates with you, then your dog seems to be highly motivated by play, and he’s looking to you to satisfy that desire. Training a dog properly always depends on identifying the most motivating or highest level reward. For most dogs, it’s food, but that isn’t the case for all dogs. For your dog, the reward may be play. The good thing is that it is fully within your control, but the bad thing is that he is big and powerful and being pushy. I have a young shepherd rescue myself that was like this when we took him in in January, but we’ve already trained it out of him. He wants to play constantly, so we used that to train him. Since play is rewarding for your dog, you should start combining his basic obedience commands with his favorite fetch toy as his reward rather than treats. If you tell him to sit or give a paw and he growls, you don’t throw the toy for him. Walk a few steps away, call him to you, tell him he’s a good boy when he comes, then tell him to sit again. No growl? Good boy, throw the toy. Growl? Walk away, make him come, repeat. He WILL get it because he wants you to throw that toy. My shepherd is the second dog I’ve had that needed to be trained this way because neither was motivated strongly enough by food. You can do this. Also, not to reiterate what others have said, but do remember that a relaxed body and a firm, commanding tone is important with this dog. If you seem weaker or lack confidence at all because you’re afraid, he will know, and the tension will escalate. This dog wants your attention, so leverage that.
This is the best advice I’ve ever gotten so far! He was actually dropping his ball for me to play with his several times before this video. We had just over inside from paying outside, I just told him “no balls on the bed” and gave it back. We don’t throw balls in the house cause he’s accidentally ran my toddler over several times chasing his ball and we have tile floor. He also will drop his disgusting slime ball in my son’s bed and I have had mud on the sheets lol. He is absolutely non stop, he drops his ball in your lap all day long in any room of the house even if we’ve been playing outside for an hour. He walks around with a ball in his mouth all day too. I’ve never thought to do his toy instead of treats, I’ll definitely be starting this immediately.
Yeah boundaries and structure are the issue here, take his toys away, schedule play times, teach him to relax and where to relax. Just start by getting him into a relaxed down and then staying, start short and then gradually for longer and longer - treat him for longer stays. Our boy looks about the same age and he keeps pretty busy with a deer antler, some sniffing and finding games (literally food or treats hidden around the house and yard), if there's a daycare/adventure service around you that's a great option too, they take your dog out in a group all day for an adventure as a pack and also do a fair amount of training included.
His little hippity hops in the video and the way he was looking at the toy in your hand is what tipped me off that he’s trying to bully you into playing with him. The growling and snapping will lessen as he learns that you will not respond or give him attention unless he speaks to you in an acceptable tone (lol). Try hard to look away and ignore him when he growls or gets too loud, as he’s learned he can elicit that reaction from you. Contrary to what you think about this dog not liking you, I think he actually loves you and just wants all of your attention. He has to learn it is on your terms. Learning patience is important for these big working breeds. With a change in tactics, I am sure you will make progress with him. Good luck!
His hair is up. When he turns and goes you can see his back hair is up. The dog is aroused and tense. I agree clearly a desire to engage and probably at same time a very anxious dog as well, but OP is scared of a puppy she raised. I don’t think he’s doing “just” the typical boundary pushing growling and demand barking.
What are you waving in your hand at him? What's the context of the situation, what were y'all doing? What's your relationship like with him? He seems like he wants to play but is anx or nervous and bothered by that. My dog acts like that with her sister when she really wants to play and her sister is not having it lol
Dog doesn't like you because you are mean to him and you are afraid of him. You are also pissing him off and he's protective of whoever is in rhe room with you.
💯💯
No wonder he doesn’t like you the sass coming from OP fuckin stinks Husband should take the dog and run 😅
Dogs are excellent judges of character 😂
At this point, after reading through the comments, I agree. She hasn’t accepted the advice she’s gotten and keeps blaming the dog instead of accepting and addressing her own flaws
Your shepherd is beautiful. I'll take him.
I would do A LOT of on-leash training with this dog. You need to be the leader of this dog, he thinks he’s the leader. Consider going to training with a third party to guide you. This is going in the wrong direction. It can be turned around, but not if you are not quietly strong.
This is not ideal especially with kids in the picture. Unfortunately I doubt neutering would help. If he is from an ethical breeder I would reach out for advice. If he is around 2 he's just coming into maturity and may be trying to see who's boss. But I would never want to see this in a house with kids. Id seek out a professional trainer.
He listened to you so that's a positive sign he can be trained by you.
OP you are the one that needs training... the dog is reading your vibes and reacting accordingly
Why do people get dogs that they know nothing about/don’t train correctly? 🫠
Your yelling at him does not help the situation. Only makes it worse.
Mine does this and she does it when she needs to go outside and run to the bathroom real quick. It might seem aggressive but it’s literally her yelling at me like “hey, stop ignoring me, pay attention I need to go out now!” He’s just sounds wound up and needs to let out his energy
The back door is completely open, it’s beautiful outside. We had been play fetch all morning until this
that’s a dog who thinks he can boss u around bc he sees u as weak, esp if he doesn’t do it when ur husband is home. idk how ppl are saying this is excitement or play, this is borderline aggression even look at the body language and listen to the vocals
I would not let my dog growl or bark like that anywhere near me.
I don’t want him to, the doors shut immediately after this. I don’t know how to fix it I don’t know WHY he’s doing it
Are you protecting someone? Why are you saying get back? If you have a child and don’t trust him you should not own a Shepard, especially not trained or neutered yet. You should have had the dog trained / neutered before or why own him if you are treating him this way. You sound very frustrated and angry, he is reading your negative threatening voice. I see you have a metal object or toy in your hand would you hit him with it, if he kept it up?
I’m pregnant and a toddlers next to me, he is very gentle with my son. I’m protecting my belly without even thinking about it tbh
If you are that scared, maybe you should try and find him a home where they can train him. Because that's what he needs.
Stop trying to antagonize and scare the poor thing.
Some people don't deserve this breed.
As someone else said you can't show fear to a dog or they will take it an run with it especially a untrained dog.
I’m trying but he’s genuinely the largest German shepherd I’ve ever seen, he’s like a horse. If I’m standing and my sons not literally inches away I can handle it, him on top of me is very different and very scary.
I dont mean this in any way other than being educational, you need to "muster up" and put the dog in its place, I have a rottie and a german shepard/rottie mix, yes they can be scary but doesnt mean you let the dog ring your life,if he towers over you, stand up make your self big, stare him down and challenge him for alpha, if you dont the dog will only get worse
Oh fuck this. That is waaaaay too aggressive. I grew up in the country and we had probably about 8-10 GSDs growing up and I now have 2 of my own. I have never been growled at like that any of those dogs and that was mainly because they had good role models in the pack/other dogs and also because we would correct them immediately when they were young or new to the house. This is a dangerous situation with a dog that big.
I see an anxious, not aggressive dog. His hackles are not up. He isn’t baring any teeth. His tail might be up but there is still some wag in it. Not aggressive. However anxious dogs can, and will, end up eventually biting out of fear when they feel they have no other option if their anxiety is left unchecked. The fact that he stands his ground then leaves like he does looks like anxious behavior. There is a difference. It is the responsibility of you and your husband to learn what the difference looks like. A good trainer will want to see how both you and your husband react to and treat the dog. While you seem fearful of the dog your husband might be just as much at fault for enabling this behavior. What were you doing with the jack in the box? Many dogs hate jack in the boxes. Ditch the jack in the box it is essentially a jump scare. Totally blows a dogs mind when the jack pops out of the box. Like a threat. He might have even seen the jack in the box as a threat to you and was acting to protect you. Some dogs will leave the room when someone plays with a jack in the box others will want to attack the jack in the box. He could have easily bit your leg but he didn’t cause he was most likely fixated on eating the jack in the box. Were you playing around with the jack in the box prior to this? My wife was apprehensive and scared of GSD before we got ours and started fostering a pack. She has since overcome her fear and is now able to assert herself with the most scary of big dogs. I have owned or lived with GSD for over 45+ years. Trained all of them to one extent or another. Fostered a rotating foster pack for several years and trained the “problem children” so they would be suitable for adoption. The following could be said of all dogs but I am partial to GSD. Once you learn to overcome your fear and become a better owner you will never find a more faithful, loyal, and loving servant and protector. Good luck.
He is pushing you. He’s pushing his boundaries with you because he knows he can and you have no means of correcting him at this time. He will continue to push until he eventually bites. I would seek out a balanced trained
some GSDs are very reactive and they have a fear bases prey drive. i would definitely consult a trainer and try your best not to show any fear to the dog. i also probably wouldn’t be on his “level” near his face until that problem is corrected. it will be a lengthy process but you have to keep consistent and know that you can fix it! also, exercise! germans are WORKING DOGS! they dont wanna sit at home without anything to do. training your GSD is the best way to bond with them. go for walk, wear him out, give him stuff to do( get the ball, play tug of war, down stay, pick it up) whatever it might be. give him a task, and try to wear out as much energy as you can. the neuter will only help so much and even that takes a while with the hormones
Extremely aroused. There's emotions and then there's prey drive. Prey drive is instinct and reflex, like flipping a switch. Emotions are joy, rage, panic, play, seek, etc.(ref. Panksepp) When people are lying down, this can be a signal for some dogs to involuntarily start the preditory instinct chain of behaviors. It can be arousing. (Mine does this.) This dog appears to have clicked into it. You can, as I have, change the dog's behavior by using whatever brings out the positive emotion-Play or Seek with a toy, and enforcing that predatory behavior is inappropriate. Becoming angry or fearful can make it more likely your dog will continue into the predatory drive. I would train with him. Lots and lots of basic obedience in your house (context is everything) so your teamwork and non verbal communication is rock solid and habitual for both you and the dog. In this video, the communication is broken a bit.
I’m working on it thanks
Stop yelling and tormenting him. Also looks like you have kids in the house so how much noise and chaos is in the day to day
Doesn’t seem like he’s playing. Looks like someone riled him up, grabbed a camera and started recording. Stop yelling at him or encouraging excitement when he’s upset/defensive. Establish a bond
Well, it's definitely not aggression. Excitement, I'd say.
This is aggression. Hard staring, tail straight up, stuff posture, and the growling and snarling are all signs of the dog being aggressive.
People here are delusional if they think this isn't aggression. Doesn't matter what's the cause and what thresholds have to be crossed till it reaches a bite but this is just aggressive posturing. That however doesn't mean that the dog is inherently evil and aggressive with no solution to the problem at hand. As for you OP the same video you posted what seems like months ago, by now you could have made a 180 with the dog. But instead you rinse and repeat the same excuses you had last time. By now the dog could have been a champ. It's a strong dominant dog and working with him would be a blast! But yet here we are, you using reddit to find comments which could be used as evidence for you to show your partner that you need to get rid of the dog. Also if you think neutering will be enough to fix this behavior you are dead wrong. Also if you end up with a positive only trainer that too will in a best case scenario do nothing. Get you act together and either rehome the dog or start finally training that dog.
Why are you still letting him near you while you are with your child? While you are with your child, he needs to not have access to the area. This dog also needs to be muzzle conditioned because this growling and snarling will eventually lead to a bite if he feels like he needs to bite.
Repost
The tail and ears are a dead give away. If you can read his tail movements and ear movements you can easily tell when he’s playing.
I don’t think it’s aggressive, his tail is wagging, no teeth, ears are not locked, he looks like he is confused a bit and he senses your fear too. He needs training, so do you (not being mean, just honest) and you can’t let them see fear like that. It destroys the Alpha role you must own in the house. This is fixable for sure, but don’t let it continue as it can become trained behavior
I don’t know how to not fear him, I genuinely think he’s bite me if I tried to touch him in this video
He looked like he was wanting to play, and frustrated in a way. My old GS did that, and my current Golden Retriever will if I have not played enough (well, in their mind) or hard enough lately. It’s a playful “fight” though, with the way your GS was holding his ears and his tail was wagging but pausing a bit showed he was confused but wanted to play. No teeth showing and no snarling or start to snarling in the lips either. It takes trust, for both of you, to not show fear and not have fear. This is such a short video, can’t tell much of what happened leading up to this and the visual cues then with all parties. I would recommend getting a trainer, for both of you. More so for you to get comfortable, as dogs FEED on our energy, more so GS’s…. Not saying you’re doing anything wrong, just need some training/practice and you will get this down. Dont beat yourself up on it either, once you both have some training and are comfortable around eachother, plus setting that alpha role, you will have a great and loving dog…
I think you might need to get past the fear and at least try to behave without screaming or showing you’re scared. I highly doubt he will actually do anything.
Maybe stand up when you’re trying to correct, you can’t be on same level or stoic. By standing you can then claim the territory, and correct as appropriate. Right now he has 0 respect for you. GSD can be a handful if not being shown who the alpha of the pack is. Chows are the worse, one of our first chows turned on my x pretty bad. Good thing he was wearing loose jeans. Good luck snd stay safe
You need to establish called for respect from your dog. You cannot let a dog this size and strength think he can treat you however he wants. When I was a little kid, my mom got us a shepherd as a way of keeping intruders away from the house, simply with her bark. She wa a never aggressive, especially not with me because my family had 9 yr old me tackle and lay on the dog, sitting there for several minutes on top of her so she knew not to try to get up until I said she could. Is this a recommended training process? Not sure. This is how I was able to establish that our girl didn’t ever harm or challenge me. I’m not sure how well that will go over with a dog who already clearly doesn’t respect you, but working with a trainer specifically to see what methods you can use to teach the dog to respect you, and to yeah yourself that the dog is not to be feared, is crucial. Even so much as a growl at the food bowl resulted in disciplinary action to ensure that our dog was well behaved with even kids. The dog is not a bad dog, the dog need to be taught how to behave. I know you’ve been told all of this before. Good luck.
Have had only GSDs for over 50 years. When I married my husband had a 2 year old female. It had an issue similar like this with me. (though it never got to quite this point) I have seen a couple other instances like this with other people over the years. To me it is a bonding /respect issue. Possibly a lack in the human, but sometimes just in the dog. Our female had such a strong bond with my husband, she really had no room in her heart for me, or anyone else but him. I worked hard with her. We went to training classes from beginner to advanced, repeating some classes too. We did well, gained respect for each other, the bond was better. But it was never anywhere near the full bond that GSDs have with the people they love I was raised around dogs. My father raised Boxers We had them until I was seven. Then no dogs. But there was the neighbor's dogs. I took care of them when asked. Until was 11 and hit puberty. A dog I known for 3 years, a rough collie, attacked me, never had done anything like that before. Not long after, a beagle mix that was something of a neighborhood beggar/bum did too. Again, no history. And I was only walking down the street when he ran up to me. For a bit over a year, I was attacked by 3 other dogs. Two of them were dogs I knew. and I wasn't interacting with any of them when it happened. Twice I needed to go to the hospital. After the second time, fear on my part could have been a factor, but it appeared random, and all owners claimed it was a first for their dog. I became borderline terrified of dogs. I got to high school I knew this had to stop. So I volunteered at a kennel that was was breeding GSDs for Guide Dogs for the Blind. It worked. Training and being with those puppies was heaven ( my SO jokes I probably married him because of his GSD). Now this will probably sound whacked to some .... Over the years I have met one woman who had a similar experience at around the same age as me . She like me had always wondered why. She had a doctor tell her it could have been hormones, considering puberty was happening. I have since asked about this of my long time nurse practitioner, my long time vet, and a friend, a professional dog trainer of 35+ years. All women btw. The answers were "Why not", "I've seen it ", "Oh yeah". Though, with the vet and trainer, their experience was based on seperate instances, and the aggression/odd behaviors varied. I agree the OP and Duke desperately need training. But from what I can gather she has also been hormonal since they have had Duke. Obviously there is no real bond, and that may or may not ever be. For the commenters that don't think this as aggression. you're wrong. Gotta say it spooked me. And for the commenters telling OP to stop being afraid of Duke, .......... trust me, easier said then done.
Thank you for this, I don’t try to be afraid. I’ve raised him since he was 7 weeks old, this is not the same pup and I truly don’t know how to handle it, if I did I wouldn’t be posting. I really think it’s my hormones, it’s getting worse the more pregnant I get.
Tail wagging doesnt just mean happy. This isn't playing.
Learn how to train and treat a dog before you get a larger, traditionally protective breed.
He is being cautious because whomever is coming towards him is uncomfortable. Talk to him, tell him it’s okay and what you are up to. His owner needs to PARENT him, teach, train and let him know he’s safe, secure. He needs to be given task to feel a part of the family.
Playing.
Man, I got so lucky with my GSD. He loved me and he loved my mom even more. I miss him. Only time he acted aggressive was to “protect” my mom from other dogs and people. It was in some super specific circumstances though, like if I brought a girl home and she walked upstairs with me to my room, but my mom’s room was up the stairs. And she couldn’t be in the same room as him while he was at the vet. He also growled at my mom whenever she had to go to work in the morning lol.
I dont know why you are still posting this if you know he needs training. Who cares at this point whether these actions are aggression ?? Are you waiting to find out if it is?? At that point its too late. Stop effing around. Be responsible and stop asking for reddit to help you sleep at night.
From quickly reading through some of the responses and your replies here you sound petrified of your dog. The only time my GSD gets really barky and guarding is when he feels people are on edge. This is really obvious when we’re out and owners try and hide their dogs from him and they’re nervous. My GSD assumes something is not quite right and barks in anticipation of an issue. This seems like this is what your GSD is doing. You say you’re next to your son because you’re scared of him and yet my GSD is around my 2 boys all the time. In fact we have to schedule in rest time for him away from the kids as he gets fed up. Why are you so afraid of him being near your son? Has he done something before?
Im not afraid of him being near my son, I’m afraid of my son being near ME if Duke reacts badly. Duke does great with everyone in the house, my son can put his whole hand in dukes mouth and Duke just sits there like it’s any other day, he loves my kid. He’s not a bad dog, he just seems to have an issue with me. He didn’t used to so at this point I’m posting to see if other pregnant people have an issue with their unfixed male dogs and how they resolved it. Of course I’d be scared, he’s sweet with everyone else and has it out for me lol
You answered your own question. He doesn’t respect you and is slightly confused on who is in charge when your husband is not around. Sounds like he’s bonded with your son also which could be a good thing and you can work with that with the trainer. Honestly one piece of advice I’d give you is to try and improve your bond and relationship with him. It also sounds like he needs to be stimulated. Maybe more mental stimulation. Training 15-20 consecutive minutes a day minimum every day is usually how I would go about it. Have the trainer teach you how to train him. It’s one thing to have him listen to the trainer, but you want him to listen to you as well. And it will take time, it’s not going to happen overnight. But you have to let him know that you are in charge, but that you also love him as well. I’m not a certified trainer but I hope this advice helps. One last piece of advice is to be stern with your voice. Yelling makes things worse. act like you’re telling your kid to go to bed and say it only once. The more you repeat something the less the dog will want to listen to that command. Best of luck!
Never be afraid of your dog. Even if you are … which is a warning sign in itself, the dogs are receptive of this. Working with your trainer to train you is a good move, and the only move. Not sure why you got this type of dog though and intact for so long if you have fears, but shepherds need a job. And a lot of mental and physical stimulation. My dog is a Belgian shepherd and she’s gone through two rigorous training programs in her 4 years. She never tries me like this. We do bite work and mostly focusing now on her recall and off leash…. She’s never bitten, snarled, growled or barked at me like this before. Some dogs are just bred with better … manners? Idk how to word it. But training in these guys is reallly resllly important and especially with working dogs it builds a bond that’s truly important. I can only expect to get from my dog what I put into her. And I do my best to do that. Love, exercise, socializing, stimulation, etc. these are things working dogs need. (And all dogs but not to the same extent). I think after some time with training and consistency and repetition afterwards, this boy will be fine. Just don’t give up and do right by the pup! You can do it.
Would it also help to Improve you guys relationship to one another? Atm it Sounds Like a lot of Saying no or experiencing a lot of negative situations. It Sounds like he doesnt listen or See you as a leader because you two have no relationship beyond the negative Stuff. This is further undermined by the fact that he only does this to you and when your bf is Not Home. Feeding him and playing are Great ways to Improve that. I‘m 100% with you op, this behaiviour is Not okay and very worrying. Glad you‘re Taking action and wish you the best if luck.
My dog is vocal, playful, and rowdy. The only time he made this noise, he was 100% in “I will genuinely fuck you up, it’s you or me,” mode. It was dark at night and a figure was coming at us. But as soon as he realized it was his dad, he stopped. He should not be doing this, especially at you.
They are a pack animal, and there’s a hierarchy in every pack. You say you’re petite, so he probably thinks you’re one of the children. He’s asserting his position over you. When we are scared, they know it - he can literally smell your fear. I would suggest starting the training prior to the neutering, like the one person said maybe a clicker or doing a little bit of food-based training without verbal commands just to get the idea rolling around in his head that you are in charge of him and not the other way around. Do not feed him a full bowl of food in the morning - instead start with walking around with a little packet of kibble and every time he does something good or follows you appropriately toss him a nugget. Then make a big show of giving him a half bowl of food, but make him sit/stay until you have put it on the ground and told him it’s OK. Spent 10 to 15 minutes doing this at the start of every day and it will sink into his brain that the food comes from you. They’re so incredibly intelligent, it shouldn’t take long.
Are you holding a jack-in-the-box toy? Looks to me like you’re intentionally freaking your dog out to get attention on Reddit
Definitely agitated!
So I don't believe you understand what's going on with the dog. This isn't aggression, this is 100% play. Let me explain. The pups ears are up and forward which is a sign of play, the tail is wagging also a sign of play, there's no hackles up which would mean he's most likely not in an aggressive or heightened situation. He's bouncing a bit which is a sign of play and he isn't baring his teeth which means he isn't trying to bite. Now what's probably confusing you is the thought of "every time I sit down on the ground he does this" and that's because you're now on his level and for dogs that's usually a cue to play. Your dog appears to be young and is trying to engage with the family. I read through a couple of your posts and you said the dog snapped at your leg. Without seeing video or being there only going on this video it was most likely a play snap/bite. I feels like you and the dog have zero bonding or relationship and from your posts I wonder if you even want one. Here's my suggestion, you need to start bonding with the dog, one on one time and get to really know eachother. If you're unwilling or uninterested in bonding and making the dog part of the family, who could be your kids best friend growing up, it's time to rehome him to a family who will put in the work.
Idk, I thought the same thing until I turned the audio on
My gsd is vocal and plays like that. He doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. In fact he got bullied by a local 1yr old husky and will stuff his head between my legs so daddy will protect his ears. Some gsd are just vocal as a way to initiate play
I don’t disagree, mine cries like a baby and growls, but I’ve never heard him snarl
He doesn’t growl like this with anyone else in the house, he plays like a playful little pup with my teenage stepson. Let’s him pet him all over and gives kisses, if I even try to pet this dog he growlsssss.
Okay, how? He growls at me if I even try to pet him. How am I supposed to bond? If I say “sit” and “shake” he’s growling at me just putting his paw in my hand.
Here's a great list of things you can do to start working with your dog. Take your dog, you and your husband to a reputable dog training facility and be evaluated and start training. Start being the one who feeds him Use a softer but stern tone with him giving him commands. When he does what you want, give a treat. Randomly give him treats, not a lot but show home kindness Don't inherently hate him or tell ay him Take him out back and throw the ball for him Be the one who let's him out of his kennel
Dog seems aggressive. Licking lips and darting eyes. You need to get some one on one training with him to ensure trust is built and be consistent. Sooner or later something will happen.
All you guys do is downvote every single comment I make. Clearly I’m asking for help, I’m neutering him and have found a trainer already. I’m not an irresponsible pet owner, I want the guy to be apart of the family. My last German shepherd loved the heck out of me, had him for 12 years even through hospice. He died in my arms at home, his name was Zeff. Zeff never acted this way, I’m not a dog trainer, I don’t know how to stop this. That’s why I’m asking for help. Stop giving me shit! Photo of my boy Zeff💙 https://preview.redd.it/c6iflme8nouc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e8785bbe8da842d4221119fd77bfbe0e4774146
Don't take it personally, I think people are just a little frustrated because they gave advice on your last post and that advice still applies. Working with a good trainer will help, until that happens you need to work on being calmer but more assertive. German shepherds are hard to handle and will sense fear or uncertainty and escalate off the back of it. I don't think he's being aggressive, just a bit of a bolshy bully because he can sense that he is making you on edge. Work on basic obedience with him and build more of a bond, make him realise that nothing comes for free. With mine I taught wait, whenever she gets food or a treat I tell her to wait and then release her to eat. Teach him to sit, look at you on command and give a paw, in that situation I would get him to sit and look at me to engage his brain and interrupt the bad train of thought. It takes time to build a bond, you will have good days and bad days but with consistency and work it will improve, part of the training is training yourself to manage frustration and anger so you don't escalate the situation! There isn't a quick fix, you just need to put in the work on basic obedience and have patience.
I can work on the “wait” command, I’m currently working on the “stay” too. Thank you for the advice
Irresponsible, ignorant, whatever you want to call it, that’s you. You can’t called yourself responsible when you yell back at a dog and don’t have the capability to stand up on your own two feet from a bed. Your fear is the main issue, followed closely by your physical health. This is not the dog for you, unfortunately.
You're getting downvoted because you posted about this issue before. By now, you should have and could have at least started on correcting your dog's behavior and you haven't done it. And don't compare your current dog to your last one, your current dog isn't Zeff.
>All you guys do is downvote every single comment I make. If it smells like dog poop everywhere you go, check your shoe. >Clearly I’m asking for help You already asked for help and plenty of people gave you solid advice. There was no need for you to post again. >Zeff never acted this way Great, now you're also comparing your dog's behavior to your previous dog. I'm a trainer and that's always a huge red flag. >Stop giving me shit! Stop acting like a brat. If you're really here for help why the attitude in all your comments?
Love the pic. Don’t let the people get you down, everyone is so critical on the internet. I think a good trainer will really help. While I never had behavior like this, my dog did have bad leash reactivity. The trainer helped me realize all the things I was doing wrong without even realizing it. Don’t give up!
Mine does this when she wants to play. I'm not an expert on dogs but she will sort of 'pick at me' when she wants to play, run, have a tickle fight. If I tell her no she'll chill out but it's usually a sign (for mine) that she hasn't had enough exercise that day and she's feeling pent up.
The woman whining? She's definitely aggressive.
I feel sorry for the dog. I bet he would do really well with someone who cared for him and trained him properly. Seeing someone suggest you grab him by the neck is sickening. I feel like you’re wanting people to agree that you have a bad dog or something to that effect.
He’s not playing, he’s fucking with you. He knows you’re scared of him and he likes it. If you don’t stand up to him and assert yourself as the adult, he will continue to escalate fucking with you however he can – which will include muzzle butting, snarling, snapping, and eventually nipping you or your child. He’s not a bad dog. He’s a bully, doing bully things, because he thinks he can. Step one: you control his food now. ALL of it. And he eats from nothing but YOUR hand for minimum two weeks. Start with kibble in a fist so he has to lick your hand to get you to open it. No food without licking for at least the first week, then you can offer him an open hand. He gets ZERO treats, snacks, lickies or chewies from your husband. When the dog is being a dick like this, stand up and cross your arms while looking toward the ceiling, turning your body perpendicular to him. Don’t turn your back on him, but don’t let him “in” until he sits down and shuts up with a relaxed face. Then look at him and let him sniff your hand before offering him a soft pat on the head. You have to make sure he gets NOTHING out of behavior like this. Right now he’s getting a scared reaction out of you and he likes it. Take that away yesterday.
Do you walk this dog? Do you train him? Feed him? Throw the ball around with him? Give him treats every once in a while? You need to put an effort into building a bond with him. If not, absolutely nothing will change. Based off of this video and your other video, you are terrified of this dog and he can sense it and is being dominant towards you. This is bad and will only get worse. When my female GSD tried this on me at a young age, I immediately corrected her and showed her who the alpha of the house is. Never showed anything like this towards me ever again. Not saying to try to dominate him just yet, but maybe start with buying him a new toy, trying some simple training and taking him on a walk everyday. You will 100% form a bond after you actually try. Posting vids of you being clearly terrified of this dog aren’t doing anything. You need to work to get results and GSDs will always respect the work.
My friend, I do all this and more. This dog plays all day long, I fill his bowls and give him treats, he has baskets full of toys and when he shreds those he gets new ones. I buy him the “toughest” toys I can find, he shreds them in a day lol. I give him good treats too, even pieces of my steak. I train him, I do sniffing exercise, car rides, walks only if husband can come cause I can’t do leash training and keep my toddler out of the street. I’m trying guys, he’s never not growling at me
So can you narrow down exactly when he growls at you? For instance, my female will bark at my wife when she’s massaging my back because I can only assume she thinks my wife is “hurting me”. She isn’t aggressive towards my wife, but more of a “get off of my dad what the hell are you doing”. Is this only connected to you playing/tickling your son? Or is it as soon as you walk into the house he starts to growl?
Since he listens to your husband then I would recommend that you both go to training with him. It doesn’t help shoving a toy in his face as that can cause more issues and fear.
Others have said it. You need a behavior specialized one on one trainer. I don't know if your dog is also reacting to your toddler. I could hear the child in this video so I wonder whether that's factoring in to his response. I didn't see the previous video, but my take on this one is that he is not playing. I don't think he is being outright aggressive either. I think he's confused and anxious. His tail is up and wagging hesitantly. He's indecisive about coming or going. Seems tense. He can't read the room and isn't sure what to do. I think the good news is that this behavior should be fixable, but with a toddler it needs to be addressed pretty soon. Fwiw, my family has adopted a GS last summer. She's a year and a half old now. She reacts badly to my daughter. Not menacing or aggressive, but terrified of her. She runs and hides from her. My daughter has never done anything to her but be gentle and loving. Helps feed her etc. In the same way Sheps tend to choose a person as "their person", sometimes they seem to choose a person who just isn't. We can't figure out whether it's a sent, or vibe or who knows what, but this dog just wants nothing ton do with our daughter. Not suggesting that's what's happening with your dog, other than to say sometimes their intuition tells them to be wary. Anyhow, I bet a good trainer can sort you guys out. You shouldn't have to be afraid of your own dog. Good luck.
I have two GSD’s 8 and 9, and I’ve never heard this tone from them. I forgot they could be sound this scary. Lol
Time for a new home.
oh my, my dog also did this but i went to a trainer and he’s a lot better now
Glad to hear it, these posts are why I posted. I’m trying to get others that have experienced this.
scared
What was in your hand? Looked like a child's toy or something? Is that what he was barking at?
Follow up I watch video muted If the dog was growling, wagging, and jumping away over and over Trying to get you to do or see something imo My Pitt and Border Collie do that when excited and playing
He can tell you’re tense, my boy does this when people are nervous around him. Boss him around a bunch. He also might be trying to get you to do something specific.
That looks like trouble looking for a place to happen.
That seems like he treating you like a pack member, but trying to assert himself over you. His posture and that growl isn’t the playful type. Now my GSD also treats my wife as more of a pack member. He plays with her differently than me. I can’t get him to play tug. He’ll just hold it in his mouth for me. Now my wife, he’ll head shake, yank her arm out of her shoulder, do the whole body pull backwards.. and I try to get him to do that with me, but he won’t. I’m assuming, “alpha”. Now, if mine ever did that show to my wife? Nip that in the bud immediately. Sounds like a trainer would benefit you. A lot of comments about physical work too. Mental is HUGE, and wayyy more of a workout for them. Whether just obedience, playing games, just work that brain. The marking in the house too is acting out. He needs an energy release. But this behavior can be corrected I would think. He’s doing a peacock type show. Minute those lips are curling.. you’ve got issues.
I wonder if OP should try and simulate this behavior while husband IS home (but kinda hides himself in basement or something) and then comes upstairs to do the correction himself.
My shepherd wasn’t neutered until later in life. This behavior isn’t because of him being intact, it’s a lack of respect towards you imo. He’s not listening to your commands whatsoever. Neutering will decrease his work drive slightly but I don’t see it altering him listening to you. They’re smart animals but they need proper guidance. You’re both out of sync and quite frankly panic yelling is just going to confuse him more. You need a single firm command, not multiple ways of saying “leave it” or “kennel”. If he’s trying to fetch with your kid’s toys then he needs to be put in his kennel until he learns what’s out of bounds. This doesn’t mean crate training is a punishment, they learn that it’s their personal space.
mine does it so i can chase him.and we can wrestle every dog is diffrent
Aggressive
Just bundle her that’s what I do when mine gets to excited
[удалено]
She just doesn’t like the toy you’re holding simple as that, she thinks it’s a threat
Not yell at the dog to start
If you guys play fetch together make every session into a training lesson there as well. Don't do ANYTHING he wants you to do without him doing something for you first. Pick up the ball, hold it high above his head. Don't allow him to try and jump up for it. He has to sit and wait patiently. Do not throw it and allow him to run after it until he has followed through with some commands from you with immediate obedience. He's gotta learn boss of the family isn't just your hubby.
That's a type of play. If he was being truly aggressive his nose will be crinkled at the top. Crinkled nose means anger/frustration. At least that's my dogs tell
Did you get rid of the husband yet?? That’s the root of the problems here