Puppy barking and trying to attack other dogs

Hi there

I am looking for some advice. We have a 20 week old GSD, male, not castrated and whenever we walk him and sees another dog he goes ballistic and tries to get at it. Not in an aggresive way but due to his size and tone of his bark he does seem quite aggresive.

I am now wondering what I can do to stop him as its becoming a nightmare taking him out.

I have been to training classes with him so far every week for the past 8 weeks but he doesnt seem to be getting any better.

I have tried to distract him, focus him on me rather than other dogs etc but nothing seems to work.

If he is off lead he isnt too bad, he still charges over and barks but comes back when called.

Our last GSD died at Xmas and was a little star, I know he is still young but I am getting worried if I dont sort it now it may turn into agression towards other dogs when he gets older.

Has anyone had a GSD or other dog with similar issues?

I am thinking of trying an anti bark collar on him to see if that works. Is castration likely to calm him down and stop this?

Thanks in advance

You are right it is better getting ontop of this as soon as you can but please please dont use a anti bark collar on him
This just punishes him without adressing the reason why he is barking and could end up with his actually fearing other dogs more as he associated getting punished with the other dogs

I know it is stressfull and there is the temptation to tell him off for being 'bad' but really he isnt being bad at all
has the trainer in the class given you any advice (if any of it is to punish him then I would walk away)


Its really best for someone to see him first hand to see really why he is being like this - could be fear or just frustraited because he wants to go and play

Trying to distract him when he is already barking and lunging is really too late for him to be able to focus on you
I would keep him further away and reward him for being calm at a distance he can cope with

does he have many doggy friends? structured play is good as well, so he isnt denied all doggy company - but he learns that when he is walking onlead the other dogs arnt really his buisness

Hope it helps - whatever you do it wont be fixed overnight, it takes a little time but its well worth putting the time in now

Please don't go down this route. GSDs are sensitive little souls as it is, and with a big dog you could end up with a big problem. These kinds of collars deal with the symptom but not the problem - you'll teach him not to bark but if you don't address the reason, you'll end up with alternative behaviour.
One cause of 'reactivity' on-lead is fear, this especially must be dealt with in kind ways. If you were scared of a spider and every time you saw one and screamed, you were zapped or sprayed in the face, you'd probably end up fearing spiders even more! Whereas if you were slowly introduced to spiders at a distance, carefully, your mind could work rationally and you'd become to realise they weren't that scary.
Another cause, that may be a bit more likely in a young pup with no bad experiences, is barrier frustration. The world out there is big and exciting but he's stuck on the end of this short lead and sooo frustrated, all he wants to do is go and say hello to that doggy over there, and he expresses his frustration with all this noise. A bit like a young child throwing a tantrum down a supermarket aisle because mummy said no to those sweeties. Screaming and throwing himself on the floor last time ended up in mummy buying the sweets just to shut him up, so next time mummy says no, he tries the same tactic. If at any point, his noise on the lead resulted in you hurrying up to introduce him to the other dog to quieten him, then the behaviour has rewarded itself. Even if it hasn't worked, dogs express themselves with sound and body language - his frustration has to be expressed somehow.
Even at 20 weeks he's probably getting to be a fair size and given his breed, I would definately suggest you deal with this before he reaches adult size and it becomes a major issue. I'd suggest a behaviourist or trainer to help - as mentioned, use fair methods, the results are a lot more likely to last rather than a quick improvement down to fear or punishment.
http://www.apdt.co.uk and http://www.apbc.org.uk are worth a look. Even just having a short consultation or one session to get you on-track practising things you can then do by yourself may be worthwhile if you're feeling a little unsure/overwhelmed.

Hi

Thanks for the reply. I think it could be a combination of nervousness (as sometimes his shoulders are raised) and also frustration (he still wags his tail).

An example is, we have a holiday home and when we go there we sit outside and he sits with us tethered on an extending lead. He cant be left off lead as he would run off at every opportunity.

If anyone with a dog goes past he goes ballistic and really does sound like he would eat it!! Although in fact I think he just needs to learn manners of meeting other dogs.

He doesnt have many doggie friends and even in training classes he gets left on his own as he seems to disrupt everything with his contant barking.

The trainer has told me to try and focus his attention on me rather things going on around him. This is usually in the form on lots of treats (too many in my opinion!) but this seems to be the norm.

The last couple of sessions have been 1-2-1 with the trainers dog in the background for distraction although they havent allowed him to meet the other dog yet.

Any other advice greatly accepted.

Dont worry about too many treats - the more you treat at the start (at the right time) the quicker the dog learns - it dosent mean you will spend the rest of his life rapid fire shoveling treats down his mouth, but every time you reward him he is getting feedback that he is doing something good, and also eating naturaly makes dogs happy so he is learning to be happy around other dogs

Is he fed a dry food? If so, measure out his daily amount then keep a portion back for treats. Mix them up in a treatbag with some slightly smellier, more tempting treats - e.g. little bits of cheese, chopped up hotdog, etc.
That way most of his treat portion will be just be part of his daily food, but he gets the odd little jackpot of a hot dog or bit of cheese to keep him tempted (and the dry food smells a little better because it's been mixed in the bag)

Hi and welcome. You are not alone! This is a common problem with young GSDs in my experience. They are sensitive souls and soon learn that if they shout at the scary thing, then the scary thing goes away. Voila! One gobby Shepherd.
First - remember your beloved last dog, who was so well behaved took a long time to get that way. I bet he wasn`t born good. So take your time with this youngster and you`ll be rewarded with another lifelong friend.
On practical terms, the distraction and reward is excellent. But teach a `look at me` command in a calm situation first as it makes it easier.
When he starts to stiffen at the sight of something scary, turn and walk away from the `threat`. When he relaxes, praise and treat. You will find the distance decreases as he learns to cope. The problem with on lead dogs is that they are unable to keep at their safe distance, so start shouting to look bigger.
I hope the training class is helping. If it isn`t - find a better one.

Thanks for the reply.

Thats is exactly what he is doing. Shouting in the hope they will go away. Even if its a good temprement dog which just lies down and ignores him, he still carries on, even though the other dog doesnt bat an eyelid.

Our last GSD was rescue and was almost 2 when we got her, so I havent been through the young pup stages before!

I am trying the watch (look at me) command at the moment and it seems to be working.

The training classes are helping but I want him to get more interaction with other dogs. Maybe I am hoping for too much too soon.

Problem is, when he pulls, he pulls like a train so my wife tends to dread to taking him out as she looks like she cant control him.

I have given up on the idea of a bark collar after reading the replies.

Any thoughts on walking him on a head collar? Would that make him easier to control and stop him pulling towards unwanted attractions?

Thanks again, I'm glad I'm not alone!

A headcollar is a good option for a strong, large dog. My GSD can be reactive (fear-based) and a headcollar gives me a lot more control.
I use the Dogmatic brand - more comfortable than the Halti IMO. I've tried some of the other brands - Gentle Leader, Canny Collar, etc. and the Dogmatic is my favourite, I ended up splurging on the leather ones so that they would last a long time.
Another option would be a harness with a chest ring, used with a double-ended lead to give two attachment points, this helps give a bit more control over the dog.
Remember that either will need to be introduced slowly so the dog is comfortable in them, the headcollar perhaps a little more slowly than a harness. There are videos on Youtube on how to introduce headcollars gradually
The important thing to remember with a headcollar is that you use it to turn the dog around, rather than to jerk it away from another dog. And never use it attached to a long line or extendable lead either! I walk my GSD on a Dogmatic and a harness (I think harnesses are more comfortable than using the collar), with a double ended lead just incase the headcollar slips off.

An example is, we have a holiday home and when we go there we sit outside and he sits with us tethered on an extending lead. He cant be left off lead as he would run off at every opportunity

GSD as you know can be very territorial, therefore I would NOT allow this dog to rehearse this behaviour, every time he is allowed to practice this strategy the better he will become at it.

Also, the dog is inadvertenly learning something you do not WANT him to learn, ie every time he barks the passers by disappear, thereby making this behaviour MORE likely next time, and stronger!

He is not to know that those people will leave whether or not he is there.

In addition, the picture you are presenting to the public is hopefully not the one you would wish.


I am not clear what consequences this dog has, if any, for this behaviour, but with none, he will continue to do this.


There are various designs of headcollars/halters on the market. All of which have their pros and cons and not all will suit all dogs, pockets or handlers. Unfortunately it is not until you buy one that you will know if it suits you and/or your dog there being no rental service available.

These can be useful for those dogs that have never been taught to walk on a collar and lead correctly or for those few dogs that have neck/trachea problems. They can have a calming effect on some dogs but they do not actually teach them to walk without pulling; however they mean that some dogs can be controlled with minimal strength. Correct fitting is required to prevent eye irritation or fur loss and to prevent stress. Jerks can result in neck injury so great care should be taken if used in conjunction with extending leads or long lines (not recommended). They can be made from leather, webbing or synthetic leather. They should always be removed when free running. The should be considered a management tool.

There is nothing wroing with using them and there are many designs as not all suit all dogs/handlers.




Black Dog Head Halter

http://www.agilitywarehouse.com/prod...ail.cfm?id=960

The Canny Collar

http://www.cannyco.co.uk/index.php


The Dogalter

http://www.kumfi.com/index.php?page=...hk=1&Itemid=26

The DogMatic

http://www.dogmatic.org.uk/

Gentle Controller

http://www.gencon-allin1.co.uk/

The Gentle Leader

http://canineconcepts.co.uk/item--Th...er--gentlelead

The Halti

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti.php

The K9 Bridle

http://k9bridle.com/

The Newtrix Easy Way

http://www.dogpartnership.co.uk/equipment.htm