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Leash aggression

s.bale23

By s.bale23,
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s.bale23

s.bale23

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Hello All, 

This is my last chance to attempt to train my dog before looking at giving her to someone who can handle her. I have a 1 year old German Shepard Female. She is extremely sweet and absolutely adores other dogs and animals and is very gentle. She is great off leash and listens and never barks or bites and is usually for Calm and gentle with other dogs. The problem starts when her leash is on. She is un -believable, you would not think it's the same dog. She started of at 7 months by lunging and barking at other dogs on walks, a couple months after she started lunging and barking at people( only some people and most of them either get to close or look odd to her). She used to be leash trained but has completely trashed her road training and leash training. I tried exposure to everyday people and dogs but yet again I failed with no avail even with yummy chicken and toys anything I can use. Just today I was stuck in a walk way with people comity from each side, so I had to stick her body next to my legs so she doesn't lunge, she ended up lunging at the guys arm barking(she has never bitten but I am afraid it could escalate). It is a horrifying experience and makes me regret ever getting her. I'm not sure what is the problem but I am assuming it is severe leash aggression. I love her so much and any advice could help me.I am very hesitant to sell her because I am afraid whoever I will sell her to will abuse her due to her lack of listening. She has her basics and more commands but only listens with food or toys. Please help me find a solution( my last resort is a trainer as they are very expensive and not something I can afford). Thank You for reading

:)

 

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Pjrt

Pjrt

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Your last statement about a trainer not being something you could afford. Ask yourself the cost to yourself & your dog if the behaviour escalated to an actual bite or even intimidation of another person, demonstrating a lack of ‘effective control’ which is also an offence which can land you in a world of pain. 
besides the possible leash(ed) aggression (frustration) please consider that your dog is a herding breed with strong herding instincts. When herding instinct is restrained/constrained (by being leashed, for example) your dog will express frustration to that situation, which will manifest other frustration behaviour. It sounds to me like your dog is not ‘aggressive’ but extremely frustrated. 
a behavioural trainer is the way to go and if you can find one with a special interest in herding breeds and behaviours, all the better. 
Even if you find yourself at the end of your tether, at least have an expert behavioural assessment to be sure about your dogs true drives and nature to work out the best rehoming options. 
 

also try to find out if there is a German Shepherd Dog Club in your state, or a Herding Dog Club & seek advice from your breeder  also

Edited by Scratch
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persephone

persephone

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:(

How sad. 
You were advised months ago to find herding clubs/seek a trainer's advice before the behaviour escalated ....rehoming a problem dog is NOT easy, and , you are correct, she will very possibly end up with a not - so - suitable home . 
The ONLY suggestion I can make is that you pay for a phone consultation   with the BEST person for this type of behaviour ...a phone consult - and perhaps videos of the behaviour will at least give you a professional assessment and guidelines on which to base your plans . You can't afford NOT to do this :(

30 minutes ago, Scratch said:

try to find out if there is a German Shepherd Dog Club in your state, or a Herding Dog Club & seek advice from your breeder  also

And the above advice :) A problem shared, & all that !

 

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Diva

Diva

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You have good advice above, you really need a trainer and a breed club should provide some experienced advice. All I wanted to add was consider teaching your dog to wear a muzzle and use it if you have to be out with her on leash. If she bites a stranger the consequences could be dire for her and you have a responsibility to do all you can not to cause someone harm. A muzzle would prevent a serious bite and the look of it is likely to make people stay further away, which is probably what she is trying to achieve with the lunging. 

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s.bale23

s.bale23

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On 18/08/2020 at 11:20 AM, Snook said:

I know that you said a trainer is a last resort but you need professional help with this. This is something that is extremely hard to resolve on your own if you don't know what you're doing and you need to get on top of this before it does escalate to a bite. If you let us know roughly where you're located someone should be able to recommend a trainer for you. 

Hi Snook, 

I am located in melbourne, doncaster.

Thanks 

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Tassie

Tassie

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24 minutes ago, s.bale23 said:

Hi Snook, 

I am located in melbourne, doncaster.

Thanks 

Hi there.  I know this trainer personally and for me she would make a good starting point.  Not sure which areas she covers, but it would be worth sending her an email and explaining your situations and where you are.  Lockdown makes things difficult, but taking the first step is important.

https://www.pawsitivelygreatpets.com.au/behaviour-consultations

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PossumCorner

PossumCorner

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@JulesP - I'm way out of touch, but would there be anyone at Croydon who could help at a lesser cost that private trainer.  I know when I was a member the help I received with a charged-up Rottweiler was gold, changed our lives for the better.  But not aware now of the the training the club offers or whether they point people in a helpful direction.  Not too far from Doncaster if it would be an answer to the OP's very real issues.

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Pjrt

Pjrt

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Ffs I just realised you’ve posted about this issue a few months back. You really need to understand the implications if your dog escalated to a bite. Even if you dog doesn’t actually make contact, just feeling harassed And threatened by a dog, is cause enough for a member of the public to launch a legitimate complaint, with significant consequences.
You have a German ShepHERD Dog (it’s not Shepard) It has strong instincts which I’m pretty certain have a lot to do with the behaviours your dog is displaying. It’s not “leash aggression” (your dog is not aggressive towards leashes) it “LEASHED FRUSTRATION” manifesting as leashED aggression  

 

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JulesP

JulesP

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35 minutes ago, PossumCorner said:

@JulesP - I'm way out of touch, but would there be anyone at Croydon who could help at a lesser cost that private trainer.  I know when I was a member the help I received with a charged-up Rottweiler was gold, changed our lives for the better.  But not aware now of the the training the club offers or whether they point people in a helpful direction.  Not too far from Doncaster if it would be an answer to the OP's very real issues.

 

I haven't been there for a while. A work colleague went recently though with a dog that wasn't great on lead, wasn't aggressive, and they were recommended to go to the person Tassie has recommended above. I would also recommend this person. 

 

 

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cannibalgoldfish

cannibalgoldfish

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Not an expert in dog behavior, but if you can't afford a trainer, you in no way can afford the legal fees and fines if your dog actually bites or threatens someone. Doesn't even need to threaten someone in fact , imagine your dog lunging or barking at someone who is elderly and they startle and fall, breaking their hip. Sounds far fetched? It can happen :(  

 

A trainer is cheaper in the long run by far. 

 

 

 

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PossumCorner

PossumCorner

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4 hours ago, JulesP said:

 

.... I would also recommend this person. 

 

 

Good grief time flies.  I was just looking at some old Croydon vids and have one of Tahlia at her first puppy show.  Yes, recommend without reservation - even back in the day but obviously moreso now.  (Hadn't opened @Tassie 's link so didn't twig who it was).  

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Cosmolo

Cosmolo

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I’d strongly recommend consulting with a professional trainer aiming for a face to face consultation as soon as restrictions ease. 
 

However, I think you would benefit from gaining some knowledge now, to help you once you can get face to face help. Have a look at members.underdogtraining.com.au

 

I too would recommend the trainer mentioned above- Amanda is great- so you should make contact now and see how she can help you. 

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s.bale23

s.bale23

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On 19/08/2020 at 2:19 PM, Scratch said:

Ffs I just realised you’ve posted about this issue a few months back. You really need to understand the implications if your dog escalated to a bite. Even if you dog doesn’t actually make contact, just feeling harassed And threatened by a dog, is cause enough for a member of the public to launch a legitimate complaint, with significant consequences.
You have a German ShepHERD Dog (it’s not Shepard) It has strong instincts which I’m pretty certain have a lot to do with the behaviours your dog is displaying. It’s not “leash aggression” (your dog is not aggressive towards leashes) it “LEASHED FRUSTRATION” manifesting as leashED aggression  

 

Hi,

I understand that there is very serious consequences but there is no need to be so rude. She has leash aggression that ie the name in general, if you are gonna choose to be rude and judgmental then please get of my page. I appreciate everyone else's help and have signed her up for a trainer. Again thanks for trying to help but dont be rude. 
 

 

Edited by s.bale23
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s.bale23

s.bale23

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On 19/08/2020 at 7:40 PM, Cosmolo said:

I’d strongly recommend consulting with a professional trainer aiming for a face to face consultation as soon as restrictions ease. 
 

However, I think you would benefit from gaining some knowledge now, to help you once you can get face to face help. Have a look at members.underdogtraining.com.au

 

I too would recommend the trainer mentioned above- Amanda is great- so you should make contact now and see how she can help you. 

Thank You alot for your help, it is greatly appreciated and I have signed her up for a trainer to see how it goes. 

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s.bale23

s.bale23

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On 18/08/2020 at 12:41 PM, Snook said:

Having just read your past posts on this forum, it's a shame that you didn't act on this back in April when you were given the same advice that you're being given now. I completely understand that paying for a trainer can be costly and seem out of reach but hopefully you can see now, with having not made any progress since April and the behaviour continuing to get worse, that a trainer is going to be needed to help you and your dog. As others have said, at the very least you need a professional assessment of your dog so that you know what you are dealing with, what is likely to be involved in rehabiliting this behaviour, and where you stand with rehoming options. You have a responsibility to both your dog and the public to get professional help and prevent anyone from getting hurt or your dog ending up in a bad situation, whether that's the pound and euthanasia for biting someone or in another home that won't treat her well or manage her issues. Please also don't choose just any trainer as this is an unregulated industry and you need someone who knows what they're doing. Let the people on this forum guide you to someone appropriate for your circumstances. 

I do believe that taking action sooner about it would've been better. I have signed her up for a trainer. Thanks For your help

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s.bale23

s.bale23

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On 19/08/2020 at 1:28 PM, Tassie said:

Hi there.  I know this trainer personally and for me she would make a good starting point.  Not sure which areas she covers, but it would be worth sending her an email and explaining your situations and where you are.  Lockdown makes things difficult, but taking the first step is important.

https://www.pawsitivelygreatpets.com.au/behaviour-consultations

Thank You alot snook,

I have had a look at the website it seems great. We have found a trainer to start working with but if all does not go well I will be sure to email the owner of the website 

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