Aggression in German Shepherd Dogs

There are certain breeds of dogs that tend to be more aggressive than others. We all have heard stories of pit bulls, chow-chows, and German Shepherds that show aggressive behavior, growling, snarling, and even biting people and other animals. Signs of hostility in a dog include bared teeth, flattened ears, erect tail, stiff legs, and bristling back hair; the dog may growl or bark. If you see these behaviors, you should keep your arms at your sides and slowly back away, while firmly saying "No." Why do certain breeds tend to be aggressive? Let’s look at German Shepherds as one breed that can behave aggressively under certain circumstances.

Why do German Shepherds tend to be aggressive?

Sometimes German Shepherds are aggressive just because it is part of the breed’s specific instinctual behavior. It is not learned, but inbred over time. German Shepherds also tend to become aggressive when they have not been socialized adequately as puppies.

Another manifestation of aggression is fear aggression. Instead of the aggressive behavior being based upon a sense of dominance and threat-eradication, poorly socialized German Shepherds can be so excessively shy and anxious around strangers that they snarl and bite out of a sense of fear, rather than true dominance.

How to Control Aggressive German Shepherd?

The best way to begin socializing your German Shepherd is to bring him home at seven or eight weeks of age and get him out into the world daily. Yes, daily is what it takes to establish a strong bond with your dog so that he will trust, respect, and obey you. This is “socializing” your dog, i.e.; getting him used to people, other dogs, other animals, and the world. This has an incredible impact on your dog’s behavior as he grows into adulthood.

It’s also crucial to socialize your adolescent dog, between the ages of six and nine months old to three years old. This is a difficult time of life for dogs; they are changing physically and learning constantly. They must be taught how to behave around people and other animals.

Continuing to socialize your German Shepherd during adulthood will not change the attitudes your dog has developed as a puppy, but can help to control his behavior so that he doesn’t act afraid or aggressive.

Socializing begins early and continues throughout your German Shepherd’s life. Take him for rides in the car. Take him to pet stores and other stores that allow dogs. Expose him to other animals at dog parks and as you take walks. Visit friends with him and have friends come to your home. Teach the dog to greet visitors. Use praise, praise, praise and affection constantly to encourage good behavior. Build a strong relationship with your German Shepherd; you are the leader and as the leader you must be calm, strong, loving, and consistent.

Touching has a powerful emotional effect on many dogs. It is part of the bonding process between the owner and the dog. Your dog must be willing to accept touching so that you can groom him, care for injuries, and put leashes and collars on him. Also, touch will help develop a strong, loving relationship between you, leading to his desire to please you. A daily “touch” session of five minutes or so is invaluable.

Training German Shepherds

He needs to recognize that you are the alpha dog. Make sure you're acting like an alpha from the very first day that he joins your household. If you don't, then you may experience resistance at first when trying to assume that role.

When dealing with aggressive behavior, don't use rough corrections, humiliation, abuse, or corporal punishment. A gentle shake by the scruff of the neck for repeated floutings of the rules is quite enough.

When he's behaving calmly, reward him with praise, pats, and a food treat.
Good behavior must be rewarded during training. This is called positive reinforcement training, and recognizes that most dogs - especially intelligent ones like Shepherds - respond eagerly to rewards and encouragement, whereas harsh corrections (loud angry voices, corporal punishment, humiliation) results in the dog 'shutting down' and being unable to learn.

Ensure that all members of the family are well up to speed on the concepts of the alpha status, on dog psychology, and dog communication. Make sure all members of the household take part to prevent him from becoming a one-man dog. Training should begin at an early age. Contrary to popular belief, there is no 'minimum age' for a Shepherd to begin obedience training. As soon as you acquire your pup you can start with housetraining and basic commands like 'sit' and 'stay'.

Socialization is absolutely mandatory for this breed. ALL dogs need to be socialized, but especially guarding breeds like German Shepherds. A lack of socialization it THE primary reason that dogs become aggressive. Enrol him in puppy school as soon as he's had his vaccinations and make sure he meets plenty of people and dogs throughout his life.

Make sure your Shepherd gets enough exercise: lack of exercise is one of the primary causes of aggressive behavior in dogs. Shepherds are VERY active dogs who need a lot of vigorous exercise each day. Take him jogging, running alongside a bike, Rollerblading, hiking, and play several interactive games with him as well (like fetch). At the VERY LEAST he should be getting a 45 minute, vigorous power-walk every day.

It is your responsibility as the owner to make sure your dog is getting what he needs. This means exercise, leadership, training, and affection. Your Shepherd needs ALL of these things to be a healthy, balanced dog.