In this chapter
- Understanding why your dog destroys your stuff
- Barking, digging, peeing, pooping, jumping, and escaping — it’s gotta stop!
- Understanding and overcoming aggression
German Shepherds are the best dogs in the world. And you are
no doubt among the best dog owners. So why are you having problems?
Remember
Even the best dogs with the best owners can do bad things. Well-meaning but misguided training advice from the next-door neighbor, or even dog trainers who don’t have a scientific background in analyzing dog behavior, can make the situation even worse. The most common improper advice is to punish the dog, and if that doesn’t work, to punish him some more. If punishment doesn’t work the first time, why do owners think that it will work the second, third, or fourth time? As the misbehavior continues, the owners lay the blame on the dog. Finally, they label the dog as stupid or incorrigible and either ban him to the far reaches of the yard, offer him to “a good home,” or take him to the pound.
Warning!
As a first step in any serious behavior problem, have a thorough veterinary exam performed. Some behavioral problems have a physiological basis that needs to be addressed before the behavior can improve.
Veterinarians can sometimes offer advice, but few are
extensively trained in behavior. Despite the popular perception of doggy
shrinks asking neurotic dogs about their childhood, a real dog behaviorist is
educated in canine behavior and therapy and considers both behavioral and
medical therapies. The behaviorist holds either a Ph.D. in behavior or a veterinary
degree and is certified as a companion animal behaviorist. Great strides have
been made in canine behavioral therapy in recent years.
This chapter talks about some of the most common behavior
problems in German Shepherds and gives you advice on how to deal with each
situation.
Taming Doctor Destructo
One of the great joys of owning a German Shepherd is knowing
that after a hard day at work, you can come home, be greeted by your loyal dog,
and spend quality time relaxing and playing. Dream on! That might happen, but
just as likely you will open your door and stop dead in your tracks, gasping,
“Vandals! We’ve been ransacked!” The vandal is your loving dog telling you how
much he loves you as only a dog can do.
Before I get to how your dog destroying your home is a token
of his love for you, let me talk about the times when this is not the case:
- Puppies are natural demolition dogs, and they destroy for sheer ecstasy. The best cure (besides adulthood) is supervision and prevention. Remove everything your pup can get into — there’s no need for a costly paper shredder or garbage disposal when you have a puppy loose in the house! And consider keeping your pup in a crate until age 2.
- Adult German Shepherds may destroy items because of frustration or boredom. The best way to deal with these dogs is to provide both physical interaction (such as chasing a ball) and mental interaction (such as practicing a few simple obedience commands) an hour or so before you leave. Several toys are available that can provide hours of entertainment; for example, you can fill toys with peanut butter or treats that your dog can spend a long time extracting.
Often, adult dogs continue their puppy search-and-destroy
missions, but the cause is seldom boredom, and they won’t simply outgrow it.
German Shepherds are extremely devoted dogs, and their owners tend to be
equally devoted. They chose GSDs in part because of the breed’s desire to be
close to its family. The problem for many Shepherds arises when their people
leave them all alone — an extremely stressful situation for these highly social
animals. They react by becoming agitated and trying to escape confinement.
Perhaps they reason that if they can get out of the house, they will be
reunited with their people.
The telltale sign of a dog suffering from this separation
anxiety (the fear of being left alone or separated from particular people or
even dogs) is that most of their destructive behavior is focused around doors
and windows. In this situation, most owners believe that the dog is spiting
them for leaving and punish the dog. Unfortunately, punishment is ineffective
because it increases the dog’s anxiety level, and he comes to both look forward
to and dread his owner’s return.
The proper therapy for separation anxiety is to treat of the
dog’s fear of being left alone. You do so by leaving the dog alone for very
short periods and gradually working up to longer periods, taking care never to
allow him to become anxious during a session. When you must leave your dog for
long periods during the conditioning program, leave him in a different part of
the house than the one in which the conditioning sessions take place. This way,
you won’t undo all your work if he becomes overstressed by your long absence.
When you return home, no matter what the condition of the
house or how much you missed your dog, refrain from inciting a joyous reunion
scene. Greet the dog calmly, or even ignore him for a few minutes, to emphasize
that being separated was no big deal. Then have him perform a simple trick or
obedience exercise so that you have an excuse to praise him. This process takes
a lot of patience and self-control, but letting this situation continue is not
fair to you or your dog. It will only get worse.
Helping a Dog Overcome His Fears
Known for their bravery, even the bravest German Shepherds
can develop illogical fears or phobias. The most common are fear of strange
people or dogs, fear of gunshots, and fear of thunder.
Warning!
You may have heard that the best way to deal with a scared dog is to inundate him with the very thing he is afraid of until he gets used to it. This technique, called flooding, doesn’t work because the dog is usually so terrified that he never gets over his fear enough to realize that the situation is safe. The cardinal rule of working with a fearful dog is never to push him into situations that might overwhelm him.
Never coddle your GSD when he acts afraid, either, because
doing so reinforces the behavior. Teaching him a few simple commands (see
Chapter Training
Your Dog) is always useful; his performing these exercises correctly gives you
a reason to praise him and also increases his sense of security because he
knows what you expect.
Warning!
In the worst-case scenario, the dog is petrified at even the lowest level of exposure to whatever he is scared of. You may have to use anti-anxiety drugs in conjunction with training to calm your dog enough to make progress. This is when you need a behaviorist’s advice.
Interacting with strangers
German Shepherds are characteristically cautious with
strangers. Some dogs take this caution to an extreme and are downright shy. Shy
dogs are like shy people in some ways: They’re not so much afraid of people as
they are of being the center of people’s attention.
Unfortunately, the most common advice given to cure shyness
in dogs is to have a lot of strange people pay attention to them. Doing so
usually does little but petrify the dog and further convince him to fear
strange people. The dog learns that for some reason, strangers are alarmingly
interested in him. And if you force a dog who is afraid of people to be petted
by someone he doesn’t know, the stranger may well get bitten.
Instead, ask strangers to ignore a shy dog, even when approached
by the dog. When the dog gets braver, have a stranger offer him a tidbit, at
first not even looking at him. Later, let the stranger make more direct
contact, eventually petting or speaking to the dog. If the dog has been taught
to sit on command, this process is often easier because the dog knows what is
expected of him.
Loud noises
Fear of thunder or gunshots is a common problem in older
dogs. To see a normally courageous German Shepherd quivering in the closet at
the slight rumblings of a distant thunderstorm is a sad sight, and it only gets
worse with time.
The time to do something about this fear is at the first
sign of trouble. Avoid fostering these fears by acting cheerful when a
thunderstorm strikes and playing with your dog or giving him a tidbit.
Once a dog develops a noise phobia, try to find a recording
of that noise. Play it at a very low level and reward your dog for calm
behavior. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of the recording, and
your dog should eventually lose his fear.
Remember
A program of gradual desensitization, in which you expose the dog to the frightening person or thing and then reward him for calm behavior, is time-consuming but is the best way to alleviate the fear.
Keeping a Dog from Digging Up Dirt
You may remember the days when your lawn was lush and green.
You should have taken a picture, because those days are long gone. But just
think of the extra physical exercise your thoughtful dog has arranged for you
as you leap over holes and shovel the dirt back into them, not to mention the
mental exercise you get as you ponder why you never have enough dirt to fill
them back up.
If you remain unappreciative, however, the best you can do
is to confine the digging to certain parts of the yard. The dog will do most of
his digging when you’re not around, so fence off those parts of the yard that
you wish to remain presentable and let your dog in them only when you’re there
to supervise. You might also try giving your dog his own sandbox or area for
digging; when he digs in the nice parts, redirect him to the digging area. And
take heart — digging is a problem that time may cure. Digging is worst in young
adults but gradually improves with age.
Warning!
Don’t try to teach a dog to stop digging by filling the hole with water and half-drowning the dog in it. This tactic doesn’t work, and it’s dangerous.
Quieting a Barking Beast
Having a doggy doorbell can be handy, but there’s a
difference between being warned of a suspicious stranger and being warned of
the presence of oxygen in the air. The surest way to make your neighbors hate
your dog is to let him bark day and night. Allow your dog to bark momentarily
at strangers, and then call him to you and praise him for quiet behavior,
distracting him with an obedience exercise if you need to. If your dog won’t
stop barking when you tell him to, distract him with a loud noise of your own.
Begin to anticipate when your dog will start barking, distract him, and reward
him for quiet behavior.
Remember
You may worry that you’ll ruin your dog’s watchdog ability by discouraging barking, but the opposite is true. A watchdog who cries wolf is useless. By discouraging your dog from barking at nonthreatening objects and encouraging him to bark at people sneaking around, you create the ideal watchdog.
Isolated dogs often bark because of frustration or as a
means of getting attention and alleviating loneliness. Even if the attention
gained includes punishment, the dog will continue to bark in order to obtain
the owner’s temporary presence. A dog stuck in a pen or tied to a chain in the
backyard will bark as well. What else is there to do?
The simplest solution is to move the dog’s quarters to a
less-isolated location. Let the dog in the house or fence in your entire yard.
Take him for long walks so that he can interact with you and other dogs. If
your dog barks when you put him to bed, move his bed into your bedroom. If
doing so is not possible, you must reward the dog’s quiet behavior with your
presence, working up to gradually longer and longer periods of quiet
separation.
The distraction of a special chew toy, given only at
bedtime, may help alleviate barking. Remember, too, that a sleeping dog can’t
bark, so exercise can be a big help.
A dog who must spend the day home alone is a greater
challenge. Again, the simplest solution is to change the situation, perhaps by
adding another animal — a good excuse to get two dogs!
Dummies Approved
For stubborn barkers, a citronella collar is sometimes effective. These collars spray a squirt of citronella (which dogs don’t like) whenever the dog barks. They’re safer and more effective than bark-activated shock collars.
Dealing with a Dog Who Forgets He’s Housebroken
What happens when your housebroken dog appears to be
“housefixed”? If your adult GSD soils the house, the problem could be physical
or emotional.
Warning!
A physical examination is warranted anytime a formerly housebroken dog begins to soil the house. You and your veterinarian need to consider the following possibilities:
- Older dogs may not have the bladder control that they had as youngsters; a doggy door is the best solution.
- Older spayed females may “dribble”; ask your veterinarian about drug therapies.
- Several small urine spots (especially if bloody or dark) may indicate a bladder infection, which can cause a dog to urinate frequently.
- Sometimes a housebroken dog is forced to soil the house because of a bout of diarrhea, and afterward he will continue to soil in the same area. In this case, restrict the area, deodorize it with an enzymatic cleaner, and revert to basic housebreaking lessons.
- A male dog may lift his leg inside the house as a means of marking his territory. Neutering often solves this problem, as long as it’s performed before the habit becomes established; otherwise, diligent deodorizing and the use of dog-deterring odorants (available at pet stores) may help.
- Submissive dogs, especially young females, may urinate upon greeting you; punishment only makes this submissive urination worse. For these dogs, be careful not to bend over or otherwise dominate the dog, and keep your greetings calm. Dogs usually outgrow submissive urination as they gain confidence.
- Some dogs defecate or urinate due to the stress of separation anxiety; you must treat the anxiety to cure the symptom. Dogs who mess their cages when left in them are usually suffering from separation anxiety or claustrophobia. Other telltale signs of anxiety-produced elimination are drooling, scratching, and escape-oriented behavior.
You need to treat separation anxiety (see the section “Taming Doctor Destructo,” earlier in this chapter) and start cage training again, placing the dog in it for a short period and gradually working up to longer times. Dogs who suffer from cage anxiety but not separation anxiety do better when left loose in a dog-proofed room or yard.
Fencing In an Escape Artist
German Shepherds are smart dogs — sometimes too smart for
their own good. Some Shepherds are especially good at applying their
intelligence to finding escape routes from the yard. In most cases, their
owners have helped them learn how to escape by making it easy at first and then
seeing whether a minimal fix will work.
Take the example of the new Shepherd owner and the old
fence. The new owner surveys the fence and decides that it may be tall and
strong enough. When the dog demonstrates that the fence is not tall enough, the
owner tries to fix the problem by adding an extension to make the fence a bit
taller. The problem is that the dog just graduated from crime school and has
learned a very bad lesson: Fences can be beaten. He will likely test the new
fence. If the dog can jump over or dig under that one, too, the owner is in for
a problem.
Adding to the fence bit by bit is exactly the way you teach
a dog to jump Olympic heights; in fact, that’s how Shepherds are trained for
military obstacle courses. So why would you use the same technique to teach
your dog not to jump? If you want your dog to stay in the yard, make your yard
escape-proof from the beginning.
Make the fence high — at least 4 or preferably 5 feet. Make
it strong. Make it reach to the ground and below. You can bury wire under the
dirt for about a foot inside the fence to discourage attempts to dig under it.
In rural areas, you can even string electric wire across the top to discourage
fence climbing. Whatever you do, do it right the first time.
Keeping a Good Dog Down
German Shepherds are big, heavy dogs, and big, heavy dogs
can wreak havoc when they jump on people — especially small, frail people in
nice clothes. Puppies naturally greet their mothers and other adult dogs by
licking them around the corners of their mouths. This behavior translates to
humans, but in order to reach your face, they need to jump up on you. Sometimes
owners love this display of affection, but not when they’re all dressed up or
when company comes over.
Because you can’t expect your dog to know the difference,
teach him to sit and stay so that you can kneel down to his level for
greetings. When your dog does jump up, simply say, “No,” and step backward so
that his paws meet only air. Teaching your dog a special command (“Jump up!”)
letting him know that jumping up is okay (when you’re in your grungy clothes,
for example) helps him understand the difference.
Remember
Shutting your dog in the other room when guests arrive will only make him more crazed to greet people and ultimately worsen the problem. The more people he gets to greet politely, the less excited he will be about meeting new people, and the less inclined he will be to jump up. Have your guests kneel and greet your sitting GSD just as you do.
Getting Over Aggressive Behavior
Despite how wonderful German Shepherds can be, many people
are afraid of them. Some GSD owners derive immense (if perverse) enjoyment from
this fear, but most protest that their dogs are just big pussycats.
Nonetheless, some GSDs can be aggressive, and their large size and powerful
jaws make this sort of behavior very dangerous. Understanding aggression could
save you a lot of grief and your dog’s life.
Telling whether a dog is just playing
Puppies and dogs play by growling and biting. Usually they
play with their litter mates this way, but if yours is an only puppy, you will
have to do. So many people have seen horror stories about dogs that when their
pups growl and bite, they immediately label them as mean. You need to know the
difference between true aggression and playful aggression. Look for these clues
that tell you it’s all in good fun:
- Wagging tail
- Down on elbows in front, with the rump in the air (the play-bow)
- Barks intermingled with growls
- Lying down or rolling over
- Bounding leaps or running in circles
- Mouthing or chewing on you or other objects
Warning!
On the other hand, these clues tell you that you’d better watch out:
- Low growl combined with a direct stare
- Tail held stiffly
- Sudden, unpredictable bites
- Growling or biting in defense of food, toys, or bed
- Growling or biting in response to punishment
Simply because your dog is playing doesn’t mean that you
should let him use you as a chew stick. When your pup bites you, simply say,
“Ouch! No!” and remove your bloodied stump from his mouth. Replace it with a
toy not made of flesh and bone. Hitting your dog is uncalled for — he was just
trying to play and meant no harm. Hitting also is a form of aggression that
could give him the idea that he had better bite harder next time because you’re
playing the game a lot rougher. You don’t want to encourage playful aggression,
but you don’t want to punish it, either. You want to redirect it.
Resolving dog-dog conflicts
If your dog is really acting aggressively rather than
playfully, you need to decide whether the aggression is directed toward other
dogs and animals or toward people. Aggression toward other animals does not
mean that a dog will be aggressive toward people. Many dogs are aggressive
toward strange dogs but friendly toward housemates, and many dogs chase small
animals, such as cats.
Aggression toward strange dogs is a biologically normal
trait of canines, but one that is not suitable for dogs in today’s world. It’s
natural for your dog to defend his territory against strange dogs. The problem
develops when you try to introduce a new dog into the home, or when your dog
thinks that the world is his personal territory.
Conflicts at home
The steps for introducing dogs are outlined in the sidebar
“Shepherding in a second pet.” Despite the most proper of introductions,
however, dogs within a household sometimes fight. A little sibling rivalry is
one thing, but continued and escalating fights can be dangerous to your dogs
and to your mental health. Simply separating the dogs is an option, but this is
the last choice. Ensuring that you can keep the doors closed without a mistake
for the rest of the dogs’ lives is difficult — and having dogs like that is no
fun.
Tip
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SHEPHERDING IN A SECOND PET |
|
Having more than one dog has certain advantages and
disadvantages. Two dogs are twice the fun of one, without being twice the
work. Consider adding another dog or pet if you’re gone most of the day and
your German Shepherd would otherwise be at home alone. Most dogs enjoy having
a canine companion, but don’t worry — they’ll still be loyal to you. Problems arise with fighting between dogs, especially
between dogs of the same sex. Two males are most likely to fight, but two
females can be persistent and vicious in their fighting. A male/female
combination works best, but only if at least one of the dogs is neutered. It
also works best if one dog is older than the other so that the elder dog is the
undisputed leader of the pack. When introducing dogs, do so on neutral ground. Have both
dogs on a leash and walk them alongside each other, letting them focus on a
lot of diversions. When they seem trustworthy around each other, feed them
together, again on neutral ground. Ignore the newcomer around the older dog,
and always make a fuss over the old dog when the new dog comes around. You
need to reinforce the older dog’s feelings of leadership by always petting
and feeding him first and letting him know that he’s still the special one. The same procedures apply to introducing your pup to cats
and other pets, except that you can’t take them to neutral areas. Feed both
animals in the presence of one another, and consider using a muzzle or cage
for the protection of both. Don’t leave the animals together unsupervised
until you’re absolutely sure that they’re getting along. |
Problems between housemates are mostly likely to occur
between dogs of the same sex and same age. Seniority counts for a lot in the
dog world, and a young pup usually grows up respecting his elders. Sometimes,
however, a youngster gets aspirations to be top dog, or two dogs of about the
same age never quite decide which one is the better leader. Then the trouble
starts.
Remember to decide first whether this is natural rough-play
behavior between the two. An occasional disagreement is normal, too. A
disagreement that draws blood or leaves one dog screaming, or in which the two
dogs can’t be separated, is a potential problem. Repeated such disagreements
spell trouble. Neutering one or both males in a two-male dominance battle can
help, but neutering females will not.
Warning!
You’re likely to be bitten if you try to separate fighting dogs. Instead, throw a bowl of water on the contestants, spray them with a hose, or drop cans on a hard floor to startle them. You may be able to distract them with tidbits or the offer of a run. Dragging the combatants to a doorway and trying to close the door between them sometimes works, too.
Soothing the underdog and punishing the bully is human
nature, but you’d be doing the underdog the worst favor you could. If your dogs
are fighting for dominance, they’re doing so in part because in the dog world,
the dominant dog gets the lion’s share of the most precious resources. Your
attention is the most precious resource your dog can have. If you give your
attention to the loser, the winner will only try harder to beat the daylights
out of him so that your attention will go where it should go — to the winner.
You do your losing dog the best favor if you treat the winning dog like a king
and the losing dog like a prince. This means that you always greet, pet, and
feed the top dog first. It goes against human nature, but with dog nature.
Conflicts out and about
Aggression toward strange dogs can be more difficult to work
with. This behavior is more often a problem with males, and neutering these
dogs may help. The most basic “cure” is to avoid other dogs and always walk
your dog on a leash. Don’t allow your male to mark trees (or anything) along
your route; in doing so, he is claiming that as his territory and will be more
likely to defend it later. Train your dog to do some simple obedience,
including the Come, Sit, and Stay commands — see Chapter Training
Your Dog. Bring tidbits, and
when your dog sees another animal, have him perform these exercises and reward
him. Do not wait until he acts aggressively to give the commands; doing so only
reinforces his aggressive actions.
Warning!
Many people pet and speak soothingly to their dogs when they begin to act aggressively, but doing so gives the dog the message that he is doing the right thing. Do not yell and scream, either; to the dog, you are entering into the fray and attacking the other dog as well. For the same reasons, do not run toward the other dog; your dog will interpret your behavior as attack behavior and be only too happy to help.
Sometimes your dog will chase other dogs not out of a desire
to fight, but out of a desire to catch. In this case, your dog is treating
another (usually small) animal as prey. Its behavior differs from typical
aggressive behavior in that no growling or posturing is involved. Dogs chase
down the perceived prey, grab it behind the neck, and shake or fling it.
Introducing your dog to a variety of small dogs, with your dog on lead, may
give him the idea that dogs come in many sizes. Practicing basic obedience may
help, too, but many dogs forget all training when the stimulus to chase arises.
Because this problem is potentially deadly, you can’t take
chances. You may want to get a radio-controlled shock collar, but even that may
not help reliably. The best precaution is not to run your dog off lead anywhere
small animals are also off lead.
Keeping a dog from being aggressive toward humans
Aggression toward humans is one of the most severe
behavioral problems a dog can have. The potential for human endangerment often
leads to the dog’s demise. Many times the dog is dearly loved, but the owners
can no longer cope with the threat to human safety.
Warning!
Dog aggression toward humans can be roughly divided into aggression toward family members and aggression toward strangers. Aggression toward family members or other people known to the dog tends to be the most troubling. Because of the gravity of this problem, it’s best to seek the counsel of a certified companion animal behaviorist.
Dominance aggression
Much has been made of dominance problems in dogs; they
probably occur less often than people think, but when they do occur, the result
can be aggression toward family members. This aggression most often occurs as a
result of competition over a resource (such as trying to remove food or a toy,
encroaching on sleeping quarters, or trying to step past the dog in a narrow
hall) or during a perceived display of dominance by the owner (such as petting,
grooming, scolding, leading, or bending over the dog). Dogs may act more
aggressively toward family members than strangers and treat the family members
in a dominant way, such as by walking stiffly, staring, standing over them, and
ignoring commands. Punishment usually elicits further aggression.
Dominance aggression is more common in males than in
females; occasionally (but not always), castration can help. Your veterinarian
can give your intact (unneutered) male dog a drug that temporarily causes his
hormonal state to mock that of a neutered dog as a test to see whether
castration might help. Spaying a female does not help cure (and may even
hinder) dominance aggression.
Owners of such dogs inevitably feel guilty and wonder,
“Where did I go wrong?” The fault is not entirely theirs. Although some of the
owner’s actions may have helped create the problem, these same actions would
not have produced dominance aggression in dogs who were not predisposed to the
problem. In a predisposed dog, an owner who acts in ways that foster the dog’s
opinion of himself as king can lead to problems.
Actions such as the following convince a dog that he ranks
over a person:
- Petting the dog on demand
- Feeding the dog before eating your own meal
- Allowing the dog to go first through doorways
- Allowing the dog to win at games
- Allowing the dog to have his way when he acts aggressively
- Fearing the dog
- Not punishing the dog for initial instances of aggression
Treatment consists of putting the dog in his place, without
direct confrontations. Your dog has the ability to win in a serious direct
confrontation with you. If you try to beat him into submission, you will just
as likely end up the loser. At least at first, it’s best to avoid situations
that might lead to a showdown. If, however, your dog only growls and never
bites, you may be able to nip the behavior in the bud before you get nipped
yourself by scolding or physically correcting the dog. If your dog is likely to
bite but you still want to try to correct his behavior, talk to your veterinarian
about temporary drug therapy to calm him sufficiently during initial training,
and consider having your dog wear a muzzle.
You must cease and desist any behaviors that tell the dog he
is the boss. As much pleasure as you may get from petting your dog
absentmindedly as you watch TV, you can’t. From now on, your dog must work for
his petting, his praise, and even his food. The work will be simple — obeying
basic commands from you. He must sit when you tell him to sit and wait for you
to go through doorways first. When your dog thrusts his head into your lap to
be petted, you must ignore him. When you want to pet your dog, you must first
have him obey some simple commands, and then pet him sparingly as a reward.
Yes, it’s tough love — but it may be your dog’s only chance.
Warning!
Do not roll a dominant dog onto his back into a submissive position. Attempting this move with a dominant dog is a good way to get bitten!
Aggression due to fear
Another cause of aggression toward people is fear. If a dog
has come to fear overzealous physical punishment, he may bite his owner, or he
may bite a stranger who approaches and tries to touch him. In both cases, the
dog is biting out of perceived self-defense.
Obviously, punishment for this type of aggression only makes
matters worse. The cure is to refrain from placing the dog in fearful
situations or to try to alleviate the fears. To do so, follow the directions
for working with a shy dog.
Aggression toward strangers
Aggression toward strange humans is not only dangerous, but
also a lawsuit waiting to happen. Some dogs are afraid of strangers and bite
when approached by them. Others actively go after strangers, treating them as
they would intruding dogs. Still others bite visitors to their homes. You must
treat each case differently.
- A dog who bites strangers out of fear must have his fear treated, and never be put in a situation in which a stranger is forced upon him.
- A dog who goes after strangers is very likely being territorial and must be corrected and scolded. When a stranger appears, require the dog to perform a few obedience commands, rewarding with a tidbit for good behavior.
- A dog who attacks visitors should be corrected and required to do some simple obedience moves when visitors come. Shuttling the dog into another room only increases his aggressive tendencies. You want your dog to associate visitors with good times. Eventually, you might even have your visitors give your dog treats.
Remember
Regardless of the cause of the aggression, don’t take chances. Keep your dog on lead at all times around strangers, and keep him muzzled.
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WHEN DIVORCE IS THE BEST COURSE |
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What if you get a German Shepherd and it just doesn’t work
out? The only thing worse than getting a dog and not keeping him for his
entire life is getting a dog and keeping him against your will for his entire
life. If you’ve reached the conclusion that dog ownership is not
for you, try to find a home for your dog while he’s still a cute puppy. If
you got the dog from a breeder, you can contact the breeder and ask if he or
she wants the dog back. This is one of the major advantages of buying from
reputable breeders; they should always take the dog back, no matter what the
dog’s age (although you should not necessarily expect your purchase price to
be returned). Following are other options for divorcing your dog:
Never take your dog to the country and let him go to fend
for himself. Such dogs routinely are shot, are killed by cars, or starve. You are allowed to make one such mistake in your life. Do
not think that things will go better with another dog. In 99 percent of
cases, the owner is the problem. Try a fish next time. |
by D. Caroline Coile, PhD
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