What to do with GSD?

travis

Hi all,
My female german shepherd just attacked my terrier,luckily i caught her before she did serious damage.The last time this happened the terrier needed over 30 stitches.She also attacked our cat & our 2 golden retrievers over the last 4 years leaving them with scars.She just flips & goes into a frenzy,when she was fighting with terrier the last time my mother was hitting her with the sweeping brush to make her let go,she lunged at my mother with the terrier still in her mouth.I cant understand what gets into her,shes normally so friendly.shes obedience trained & well socialised.What are the chances she will she will turn on one of us one of the days? I will never trust her with the other dogs again after tonight so her only options are to be left on her own in a pen or a one way trip to the vet(which i really dont want to do).due to her unpredictable temper rehoming is not an option.what can i do with her?

peasant

What kind of obedience training does she have and how and by whom was she trained?

marystar

did she get spayed ,, i heard sometimes that can help

http://www.vospca.org/archive/spayneut.html

travis

I brought her to a professional trainer when she was young.She knows all the basis commands.She was not spayed.

Alfasudcrazy

That was part of the reason I did not get a German shepard. I just felt I could not trust them as much as the dobies.

Our neighbour had a german shepard like that too. He killed our two goats and our terrier. I know this may sound very harsh but I would put him down - that dog can't be trusted with other animals or humans and you have given her enough chances.

golden

It appears that your dog needs more indepth training than just basic training. Since she is showing an aggressive nature would also be advisable to have her spayed see the link that Marystar has given also temperment generally follows through the lines.

peasant

travis wrote:

I brought her to a professional trainer when she was young.She knows all the basis commands.She was not spayed.

Did you hand her over to the trainer and collected her some time later , readily trained or were you involved in the training yourself?

Also in what manner was she trained? Some so called "professional trainers" seem to believe that because of the GSD's reputation all GSD's need to be trained in a rather harsh, hard and highly disciplined (almost militaristic) manner. Also a lot of people train GSD's as guard or personal protection dogs.

That's the wrong kind of training for a family dog, especially if that dog has to share its family with other animals.

It is impossible to guage your situation over the internet, a good trainer (of the non-militaristic persuasion!) should have a look at your situatuion and give you and your family some advice what to do.

The fact that she can only be controlled via a sweeping brush is not a good sign ...she basically doesn't accept your authority. That will take quite some time, effort and professional help to re-establish.

It would also be necessary to see how you treat her in relation to the other dogs and how they interact with her.

The whole situation is not just a matter of what to do with the GSD, but what to do with all your animals.

You really need somebody neutral and "in the know about dogs" to assess your overall situation.

travis

I brought her to the classes & was instructed what to do then carried on with the training at home.No harsh method were used & she wasnt trained as a guard dog.She knows where she stands with us & respects that we are the bosses,the only reason the brush was used is because she was in a frenzy & wouldnt let go of the other dogs troat. Normally the dogs all get on well together,shes top dog & the others know that & always give way to her.she just seems to have a nasty streak in her to attack every now & again.

Alfasud, I think you mite be right.Next time it could be a neighbours child & being locked in a pen on her own 23 & a half hours a day is no life for a dog.

fits

One thing you could investigate is possible pain triggers... Its a common cause of unexplained aggression like this.

If a vet doesnt find anything though, I think you're going to have to consider her future carefully.

houndsoflove

In my opinion i think you should try getting her spayed first and see will her temperament change, she deserves another chance.

Nicola.

andrawolf

my boxer would be the same and has hurt some cats and seriously hurt a jack russell when she was younger. She is now 12. my husband didn't believe in putting her down as it was part of the jacks fault.she was only lookin after her family. I have never had any small dogs or cats with her but I do have two huskies. There is an odd fight but the huskies can hold there own. She has never harmed my kids and I know even when the boys pull at her she would not hurt them. you have to keep an eye and if that means a pen when you are not there then that is a good way. you no when you are not with her she can not hurt anything. The terrier may have bit her tail or anything and she was only fighting back. But as I know from having small dogs they will fight with big dogs but they come of the worst.did you see the fight from the start?

travis

I didnt see the fight from the start but the terrier always acts submessive to her so i dont think she would have started it.Iv already given her a second chance,& a third & fourth.This cant stay going on until she attacks a person. Iv decided to get her put down next friday,its going to be the hardest thing iv ever done but I couldnt live with the guilt if she mauled a child when shes shown her unpredictable nature so many times.

travis

I didnt see the fight from the start but the terrier always acts submessive to her so i dont think she would have started it.Iv already given her a second chance,& a third & fourth.This cant stay going on until she attacks a person. Iv decided to get her put down next friday,its going to be the hardest thing iv ever done but I couldnt live with the guilt if she mauled a child when shes shown her unpredictable nature so many times.

houndsoflove

How old is the GSD? and would you really not consider the spaying option first?

kashi

I love GSDs but to be honest, I would tend to agree with putting her down. As you said, if you can't trust her then how can you trust her with other children or people. I'm sure there is some reason as to why she is like this, but the risk just isn't worth it.

I'm really sorry about you having to put her down, but she won't feel any pain. It's just like she will fall asleep.

Alfas, why can't you trust GSD's? Most of them are the biggest slobs.......just like dobies. My GSD is such a slob he will just pretty much lick you to death. I hope you didn't have a bad experience with them:(

doctor evil

You made a tough decision but the right one. There is only so many chances you can give.

cowzerp

get her spayed-dogs fight every now and again, like people, pen her when your not around if your unsure-she has never bit anyone so why do you believe she might-its your call, i bet you could rehome her with a gsd lover if you have given up on her. i believe your responsible anyway-you should of got her trained as soon as it happened the 1st time. sorry to be so harsh but i cant believe your giving up so easily.

andrawolf

I know this is your choice but please don't put her down. If you don't have the time to work with her then rehome as a guard dog. there are a lot of people with buildings that need guard dogs. If she hasn't hurt a preson she does not diserve to be put to sleep. I always said if my boxer hurt an person I would not listen to my husband and she would be at the vets. But your dog was only doing what is in her nature and you didn't see the fight start. she went for your mum as she was hittin her and was only protecting her self. She is an aniamal after all. please think again and pen her as she diserves to live. a person only gets lock up if they kill. she is a guard dog.:(

corkimp

It is a tough call but it is your decision afterall. Unfortunately some dogs will change - could be a s simple as pain triggers, hormones/in season or mistreatment as a pup - my parents and sis (kashi) have a mongrel at home Molly - a bearded collie/terrier type mix. She was basically dumped on us by my ex-sis inlaw when she moved to Wales and we knew she was wary of certain things. If you held a stick or brush in your hand she'd charge at you and try bite - minute you dropped it she was ok. We have her over 4 years and only now reasonably ok with it - but still wary of us. She is a lovely dog. my pup bullies kashi's gsd a bit (funny to watch) but Molly puts her back in place though Esri is now 5" taller then her! Esri is spayed but not sure she likes small dogs - she doesn't know her own strength and when pushing my friends cavalier down into submission, the cavalier yelped - she was too rough on her.
If you cannot wholely trust this dog then don't take the chance. If you want perhaps getting her checked over - maybe even ask your vet what he thinks - could there be an underlying problem. If you are putting her to sleep - make her last few days with you memorable and happy - play games with her and stuff so you can remember her in a good light. Forgot to ask - how old is she?

~Thalia~

Please re-consider having her pts. There may well be many reasons for this behaviour as many posters have commented.

have you had GSDs before? How old is she? having her spayed may relieve this if she has issues with dominance.

Please do your best to figure out why this is happening before yo utake such a drastic step and if you really don't want to do that then please offer her to an animal shelter where they are experienced with GSDs and may well be able to help her overcome whatever this is.

If you are in the Limerick/Munster area send me a PM and I'll try to help you out.

Obviously this is your decision but I would urge you to try out all other options before deciding to end her life.

Thanks.

arybvtcw0eolkf

travis wrote:

Hi all,
My female german shepherd just attacked my terrier,luckily i caught her before she did serious damage.The last time this happened the terrier needed over 30 stitches.She also attacked our cat & our 2 golden retrievers over the last 4 years leaving them with scars.She just flips & goes into a frenzy,when she was fighting with terrier the last time my mother was hitting her with the sweeping brush to make her let go,she lunged at my mother with the terrier still in her mouth.I cant understand what gets into her,shes normally so friendly.shes obedience trained & well socialised.What are the chances she will she will turn on one of us one of the days? I will never trust her with the other dogs again after tonight so her only options are to be left on her own in a pen or a one way trip to the vet(which i really dont want to do).due to her unpredictable temper rehoming is not an option.what can i do with her?

I'll be honest with you, and be hated by alot for saying this.

But if I were you I'd be the safety of my family before all else and get rid of the dog.

We few year's ago my father had the most beautiful GSD's you'll ever see, Shane and Bismark. Then like your's they turned mean on other animals, until one night both (Shane first) turned on my father and literally ripped the clothes off his back. While still in the back yard he had both shot, it broke his heart (esp. for Bismark) but it was the right thing to do.

There's not a snowballs chance in hell would I keep an animal which posed a threat to the safety of my family.

~Thalia~

Mairt wrote:

I'll be honest with you, and be hated by alot for saying this.

But if I were you I'd be the safety of my family before all else and get rid of the dog.

We few year's ago my father had the most beautiful GSD's you'll ever see, Shane and Bismark. Then like your's they turned mean on other animals, until one night both (Shane first) turned on my father and literally ripped the clothes off his back. While still in the back yard he had both shot, it broke his heart (esp. for Bismark) but it was the right thing to do.

There's not a snowballs chance in hell would I keep an animal which posed a threat to the safety of my family.

I really wish I hadn't read this

arybvtcw0eolkf

~Thalia~ wrote:

I really wish I hadn't read this

I know, but its reality. I'll put my family before anyone or anything else in this world.

I'd never take a chance with their safety. And like most people here I'm also an animal lover.

Seriously, if I had a dog like that I'd get rid of it, no question.

peasant

Mairt wrote:

There's not a snowballs chance in hell would I keep an animal which posed a threat to the safety of my family.

emmm ...

Weren't you the one looking for a dog (Staffie)?

Might I recommend a goldfish instead?


as for the OP ...

Iv already given her a second chance,& a third & fourth

.


Giving the dog "a chance" (in my humble opinion) doesn't mean that you give the dog a chance to re-offend enough times until you can finally justify killing it but instead getting expert help to evaluate the cause of this behaviour and then take action to change it.

Killing the dog should only be a last resort AFTER any attempts to alter the behaviour have been unsuccessful.

travis

She will be 6 in october.Wouldnt give her as a guard dog,anyway,when shes not ripping the other dogs to pieces shes very friendly.I talked to the trainer about spaying but he said it wouldnt help.
This wasnt a decission i made lightly but the warning signs are there like Mairts dogs.Shes a big powerful dog & could do a lot of damage to a person. Im not looking forward to friday.

Peasant,what would you recommend doing with a dog that savagly attacks other animals every now & again? I did go to the trainer about it & he gave me the options,isolated in a pen or put her down.Killing is a harsh word it dont you think.

houndsoflove

It's your decision at the end of the day. However i really think you should at least try the spaying first, this way you can say you have tried everything and putting her to sleep was the only option left.:(

I would like to know what trainer said it wouldn't work! He is either retired from the training or not experienced in my view.

peasant

travis wrote:

Peasant,what would you recommend doing with a dog that savagly attacks other animals every now & again? I did go to the trainer about it & he gave me the options,isolated in a pen or put her down.Killing is a harsh word it dont you think.

If it was my dog, I would do several things:

First off, I wouldn't use the word "savage". Savage is a human definition for human behaviour, doesn't apply to dogs. The dog was either defending itself or attacking ..either way it must have had a reason for doing so.
Secondly I would leave no stone unturned in trying to find that reason for the attacks and then remove it from the environement. I would consult vets and dog trainers until I had a satisfactory answer.
Thirdly, I would tell that so called "dog trainer" of yours to consider a change of profession.


Dogs don't just "turn" ..there is always a reason. And if that reason isn't an illness (like a brain tumor) or years of maltreatment the agressive behavior CAN be reversed.
Worst case scenario the dog has to be removed from its current environement and re-homed to a more suitable one ...it doesn't have to be killed though.

And no ..."killing" is not a harsh word. It is the factual description of what you're about to do to your dog ...have it killed. "Putting it down" may sound nicer but it's still the same thing.

andrawolf

travis wrote:

She will be 6 in october.Wouldnt give her as a guard dog,anyway,when shes not ripping the other dogs to pieces shes very friendly.

How can you say she is not bad enough for a guard dog but is bad enough to put to sleep. I could see killing her if she was very ill or did hurt someone but not for a may be. If she was a person and was hitting your child you could not have her shot. The day I took any animal into my home it became part of my family and you work with the troubles you just don't kill your family. I know this sounds hurse but it is a life and animals have every right that we have. Please have her rehomed the vet may be able to help.:(
PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE THINK AGAIN.

SuzyS1972

Ok 1st of all - has your dog ever been agressive with a human OTHER than when it was in a fight with another dog. I've been bitten breaking up fights so other than that are there signs she is going to attack ?

If not then some dogs are simply just not sociable with other dogs for a variety of reasons - that trainer needs to stop offering advice

Ring a decent trainer like Julie Holmes - www.tagnrye.com

Other than having her put to sleep can you simply not have her assessed by a professional certified trainer and based on their opinion simply re-home her to a household where she'll be an only dog ?

One of my terriers was a complete disgrace with other dogs yet we managed to sort him with the help of Julie Holmes and he's fine now. I wouldn't give up - there's always a solution -

cowzerp

peasant wrote:

Worst case scenario the dog has to be removed from its current environement and re-homed to a more suitable one ...it doesn't have to be killed though.

And no ..."killing" is not a harsh word. It is the factual description of what you're about to do to your dog ...have it killed. "Putting it down" may sound nicer but it's still the same thing.

Agree on both counts-sometimes dogs fight. thats life, this is there way of been the top dog-thats why you need to be the top dog so there is no fear of attack or aggression-good training sorts this out, if you dont trust her
1. get her homed with somebody who will train her to be a good dog.
2. kill her-not what i would do.

doctor evil

andrawolf wrote:

If she was a person and was hitting your child you could not have her shot.

Once you compare a dog to a person you lose all credibility in your argument. Do you mind asking how old you are?. No offence but you strike me as someone who is young or quite niave.