Mar
15
how can i get my german shepherd to be more tolerent of other dogs?
Byi have a year old GSD and he hates other dogs !! he was not well socialized when he was young and we can not tell u much more as we only got him 3 months ago .
But we have another dog a 12 year irish setter and when my GSD first saw him he got agressive but than 10 minutes later they were playing and now there fine ??
so how can i fix my GSD’s tolerance of other dogs better ??
6 Comments
March 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am
The more dogs he meets, the more he will be socialized. Keep working with him and reward him when he greets them calmly.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:17 am
If it is a dog your are bringing to your home, first let the dogs meet in a natural environment, such as a park. Sometimes it helps to sit between them and pet them both at the same time. Try to get them to play together while at the park.
When you return home let the new dog in first so he can get all of the investigation out of the way. Let him have the run of the house for about 1/2 hour. Let your existing dog back in but on a leash in case there are territory issues. Once they are settled try some more play time in the house. After a bit of play they will be best friends. Also, make sure you have a food bowl for each dog.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:56 am
First is he neutered? this helps those testosterone levels..secondly, although I am not a fan of muzzling, but I maybe would try to as a means to keep him from hurting another animal and expose him to other dogs..like a walk or dog area but of of course keep him leashed..talk to him..every time another dog comes any where close to him pet him re-assure him..I am not certain without the help of a professional this can be accomplished but he needs to see other dogs as play time, as treats time, as just a bunch of fun.. I hope you are able to work this out..Best to you all..
March 15th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Ever heard of the fantastic method called TRAINING?
DISCIPLINE??
No magic wand…takes WORK to DEMAND the animal comply w/ANYTHING you want. Any..,EVERY behavior.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Boy, have I gone through this one! People often think that when dogs fight when they first meet that one dog is mean and the other isnt and whatnot…but what people need to try to imagine is that a dog is NOT a human! Thats right, they are more like wolves and therefore they understand a pack mentality. In their world, the pack leader (alpha male/female) is always dominant and must prove their dominance constantly to maintain their status in the pack. The ONLY way to control this instinct is to BE the leader of the pack, and make any dog in your home that growls at you or another dog or shows any aggression submit by flipping them on their back and gently grasping their neck. That re-confirms that you are still leader. I had to do this to my St. Bernard because she was fighting with my other dogs when I first got her. It was a trick because she was full grown and ya, it was a little tough to do but once it was done, she understood. I only had to repeat the lesson a few times afterward, when there were kids in the house and I found my dogs growling a warning to them over toys, food, whatnot. When I heard that growl, I knocked them down and reminded them that the pack leader decides who gets food, toys, etc. For some of you, this might sound rough or unkind, but believe me, people loved my dogs and they were wonderful with kids and a joy to be around. But this method only works in your home. A dog park is a free for all, and will ultimately result in fights when other people dont use this method on their dogs. A dominant dog WILL fight with any new dogs to show that they are boss. If the boss is you…they are not as inclined to fight. Simple as that.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Does your GSD ever get his morning walks? Sometimes, when dogs don’t get enough exercise they get bored/anxious and agression is one way of expressing it. GSD require not only regular exercise but a lot of mental stimulation because they are working dogs. I also agree with jrfw’s comments on socialization.Hope it works out for you.Another thing you might try is the ‘removal’ technique. The next time he gets agressive, remove him from the room where the other dog/dogs are in and praise him when he is calm & rejoin him with the other dogs. It may take some time but hopefully with constant repetition he will get the message that any bad behavior has consequences. Bottomline, the fact that he has a history of agression, I would pay really close attention to him because you can never be sure when he repeats that behavior inspite of training.