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I recently adopted a 2 year old male GSD whom I love to bits and pieces. I've had him a little over four months now and have noticed that he resource guards. So, I've read up on how to correct his behavior.
The issue is that everything that I've read refers to dogs who resource guard with their caregivers and/or family members. However, my fella doesn't resource guard with me; rather, he does so with other dogs and people.
I first noticed it at the dog park. If we chance upon someone walking with a dog with whom he gets along and begins playing, he sometimes growls if another dog comes up and tries to join in the fun--sort of like, "He's my friend and I'm playing with him! Go away!"
He then started to resource guard with my neighbor. Now, he loves my neighbor; she sees him regularly and showers him with treats and affection. However, one day, I gave him a bone, which he took outside, and he actually growled at her as she tried to walk by him. Yet I was able to walk right up to him and take it away. Then, he did it the other day when we were outside playing with his favorite toy. He growled at her in a similar manner as with unwelcome interlopers at the park: "We're playing, go away!" Again, I was able to take the toy away without incident. I wonder if he would have growled if I hadn't been there....
Just wondering if anyone has any training suggestions. He has done basic obedience and I am definitely thinking of enlisting a trainer but I would love to hear your thoughts first.
*FYI, my GSD is not really food motivated, although he does respond well to praise and petting.
Congratulations for adopting this dog!
Anyway, as you understand resource guarding is a natural instinct. The dog is "selfish" and that's how animals in nature (I would say humans too) are.
First, I'm not sure about the dog park. Maybe that's not the best place for your GSD.
Second, I would keep it on a leash all time. He went outside chewing a bone when the neighbor approached: he should have been leashed.
On leash you basically tell him: I'm in charge now. There is no need for you to guard everything. Even better if you have a subsititute for the bone and let the neighbor offer him that substitute if you take the bone away.
Other than that, you can consult a dog behaviorist. They can evaluate the dog in person and recommend appropriate training.
Not 'training'... just situational. Try abundance.
With several toys, bones, etc available each one has less significance.
I've tried this--when I first brought him home, he had three stuffed toys to choose from as well as an antler. However, I noticed quickly that he has a tendency to fixate. For example, if I take him for a walk, he has very little recall if he sees anything that interests him (i.e. person, dog, bunny, squirrel, etc.)
He does the same with his toys: he has many to choose from but prefers ONE. And I actually have duplicates of his favorite toy.
I've tried this--when I first brought him home, he had three stuffed toys to choose from as well as an antler. However, I noticed quickly that he has a tendency to fixate. For example, if I take him for a walk, he has very little recall if he sees anything that interests him (i.e. person, dog, bunny, squirrel, etc.)
He does the same with his toys: he has many to choose from but prefers ONE. And I actually have duplicates of his favorite toy.
We know dogs go through several weeks of settling in a new home when they need down time. His behavior "when you first brought him home" was different than it is now. Everything was new...the toys, chews, you. He didn't really have any control over anything. Now they are "his", so his behavior reflects the change. Does that make sense?
Thank you for rescuing. GSDs are great dogs but they're not like owning a lab. You need to be very aware of what's going on around them, especially with a dog you've only had for a few months.
Most dogs don't like to share. Sharing is not really a concept that they have, it's more of a human thing.
At the park he may have been unsure about the new dog coming up to join the group. I'm pretty sure the growling had nothing to do with wanting to "share" his friend. IMO he wasn't resource guarding at all. It's been my experience (20+ years) that generally GSDs are not that great with other dogs (there are always exceptions). I can also tell you that if there is a fight, it will be the GSDs "fault" even if it was not actually his fault at all. GSDs will never get the benefit of the doubt. There is a huge amount of breed prejudice out there. Even if my GSDs played well with others (which they don't) I would never take them (or any GSD I will own in the future) to the dog park. Did the rescue you adopted him from say he was good at a dog park? Not all dogs do well at dog parks and personally I'm not sure a dog park is the best thing for him. If you do decide to take him, for your dog's sake, you need to keep a very close eye on what the other dogs are doing and how he's responding. Watch some YouTube videos about dog language so you can be proactive if necessary.
As far as toys go, it doesn't matter if you have identical toys. I usually buy 2 of everything but if my male GSD has a toy, that's the one my female wants. Even though she has the exact same toy 6 inches away. They almost always have a favorite toy even if you have multiples of the same toy.
If you have guests over and he tends to guard what he considers high-value items, I'd put the high-value item away. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he growled at her even if you weren't around. Mine never have bones when there are guests in the house.
I'm not sure what you mean by "fixate" when walking him. What you describe sounds totally normal to me. If mine see a squirrel, they're very interested in it. It takes a lot of training (more than just basic obedience usually) for a dog to have a recall when there is something very desirable near by. If my dogs see a human, they will watch them. Their natural instinct is to protect. Mine are fine if someone walks up and I'm relaxed but until I signal the person is OK, they're watchful. If we see other dogs while on a walk, I don't let other dogs near mine while mine are on a leash. Even if your dog is good off leash with other dogs, it may be a different story when he is leashed.
I'd definitely consult a trainer and look for one that is used to working with GSDs, rottweilers etc.
Thank you for rescuing. GSDs are great dogs but they're not like owning a lab. You need to be very aware of what's going on around them, especially with a dog you've only had for a few months.
Most dogs don't like to share. Sharing is not really a concept that they have, it's more of a human thing.
At the park he may have been unsure about the new dog coming up to join the group. I'm pretty sure the growling had nothing to do with wanting to "share" his friend. IMO he wasn't resource guarding at all. It's been my experience (20+ years) that generally GSDs are not that great with other dogs (there are always exceptions). I can also tell you that if there is a fight, it will be the GSDs "fault" even if it was not actually his fault at all. GSDs will never get the benefit of the doubt. There is a huge amount of breed prejudice out there. Even if my GSDs played well with others (which they don't) I would never take them (or any GSD I will own in the future) to the dog park. Did the rescue you adopted him from say he was good at a dog park? Not all dogs do well at dog parks and personally I'm not sure a dog park is the best thing for him. If you do decide to take him, for your dog's sake, you need to keep a very close eye on what the other dogs are doing and how he's responding. Watch some YouTube videos about dog language so you can be proactive if necessary.
As far as toys go, it doesn't matter if you have identical toys. I usually buy 2 of everything but if my male GSD has a toy, that's the one my female wants. Even though she has the exact same toy 6 inches away. They almost always have a favorite toy even if you have multiples of the same toy.
If you have guests over and he tends to guard what he considers high-value items, I'd put the high-value item away. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he growled at her even if you weren't around. Mine never have bones when there are guests in the house.
I'm not sure what you mean by "fixate" when walking him. What you describe sounds totally normal to me. If mine see a squirrel, they're very interested in it. It takes a lot of training (more than just basic obedience usually) for a dog to have a recall when there is something very desirable near by. If my dogs see a human, they will watch them. Their natural instinct is to protect. Mine are fine if someone walks up and I'm relaxed but until I signal the person is OK, they're watchful. If we see other dogs while on a walk, I don't let other dogs near mine while mine are on a leash. Even if your dog is good off leash with other dogs, it may be a different story when he is leashed.
I'd definitely consult a trainer and look for one that is used to working with GSDs, rottweilers etc.
Good luck!
Thanks for the post.
The rescue didn't have a lot of info on him, as they had only had him a couple of weeks when I adopted him. So, we've just been figuring it out as we go.
I am a previous GSD owner, so I have some experience with the breed, but this dog is a challenge. My other GSD had a high prey drive but this GSD's prey drive seems much higher. And he is WAY more sociable--loves people and, especially, kids, so he will run up to them without a care in the world, scaring the bejesus out of most people (who are really very nice once they realize that he is motivated by love rather than hunger ).
When I say "fixate," I mean that he will stop and stare on-leash if he sees an animal or person (to the point where I'm like, "C'mon, let's go" and he won't budge). And if he is off-leash, he has NO recall if he picks up a scent, sees a squirrel (or other animal), person or anything else desirable. Again, this wasn't the case with my other GSD. But then, I raised her from a puppy and this guy is already about 2.
I am going to continue working with him on recall but thank you for telling me that it takes a lot of work; I see people recalling their dogs like it's the easiest thing in the world, so I wonder what I'm doing wrong. Part of the issue is that he isn't treat motivated. So, I just have to shower him with love when obeys . I think the best thing to do is to continue to work with him at home and work towards recalling him off-leash.
Re: the dog park, it is hit-or-miss. We don't go every day--maybe every other day--but I would never consider not taking him there, as it is his FAVORITE place. But you are absolutely right, I have to watch him like a hawk. And the last time we went, I kept him on-leash b/c he growled at a husky when they met (he was on-leash, she was not). He was very interested in her and he might have been better meeting her off-leash but I didn't want to risk it, as I found that his growl--especially with a dog his size or larger--is a precursor to a neckover and, then, a possible skirmish or just general bullying behavior. However, I don't think that the solution is to not allow him to run and play with other dogs off-leash at the park, as our experiences have been generally positive; I just have to discern which dogs he can be off-leash with and which ones he can't at the park.
Re: not meeting other dogs on-leash, I will consider this when walking him. At the park, I have had success introducing him on-leash and watching his and the other dog's reaction to determine if I can let him off, so I think that I will continue with this.
I'll also add that I have only had him four months, so I think that he is doing well considering I've had him for such a short time. But I think that your post has made me realize that I have asked A LOT of him in a very short amount of time and that many of his behaviors re: high-value items are normal. Of course, as you also pointed out, he's a GSD, so people, unfortunately, will rarely give him a pass, which sucks.
And I will definitely consult a breed-specific trainer, which I didn't even think of--thank you.
Based on your pronouns it sounds as though your previous GSD was female and this one is male. And it sounds to me like a lot of the differences you describe are the general differences between male and female German shepherds. I don't want to link to any specific breeder but you can google 'difference between male and female German shepherd' and see for yourself as from what I see they all make the same point.
I had two German shepherds, the male is still living. He resource guarded (not with me) in a way that my female German shepherd did not. My male is also way more sociable than my female was but I have to watch him more closely than my female in his interactions. He doesn't like to be touched by strangers. My female's main interest was ME. She was great with children, did not care who petted her but she had no particular interest in them. Her heart always seems to be with making sure she knew where I was. I never ever saw any sign of aggression from her to any human. I haven't with my male either except I know he does not like to be touched by strangers in a familiar way. He gets a look in his eye. He is more territorial than my female was. I live on a farm and he sees himself as the overseer of the entire farm. My female saw herself as the overseer of me. I really, really miss her
First let me say, I love all dogs and appreciate the nuances of all of the different breeds and what their different traits have brought to the human race to enhance our lives.
That said, my father was a police officer and we used to see the GSD police dogs at the police family picnics. I learned that they were chosen for their ferocious natures, but were also good, loyal family members.
There is a reason this breed is the chosen breed for police work. They are aggressive, assertive, able to act without hesitation, etc.
Other than having labs in my family as bird hunting dogs, I have always had terrier type dogs, weighing around 20 - 25 lbs. I like this size dog because I am able to pick them up if necessary, hold them if necessary by myself, and I just like terriers because they're smart and not wimpy and not normally yappers.
But, the only breed I've ever had trouble with, as far as attacking my terriers, has been GSDs. I've had three different terriers bitten by another dog, while the terrier was minding it's own business, by a dog that went out of its way to come to my dog and attack it - and it has been three different GSDs. Three different terriers attacked by three different GSD, while the terriers were digging, walking by a property, playing on a beach - where the GSD had to move towards my dog, at least 20 feet and up to around 40 feet, with the sole purpose to attack.
So, I'm not surprised that you are having problems with this dog. It would be like being surprised that my rat terrier was digging up my yard, if I had gophers LOL.
It's doing what it was bred to do. It's always the GSDs that cause problems at the dog parks I've ever visited. Not the pit bulls. The GSDs, and the Rottweilers. GSDs are like hyper control freaks at the dog park. They are not able to let other dogs just play with each other or whatever. They have some innate need to control other dogs' behavior. And, I suppose, that can also translate to other humans. They're smart, they form opinions and act quickly on them. This makes them awesome police dogs - but not great play dates.
So, I think the easiest thing to do is just not take your dog where it will be around other dogs it may take issue with, and never leave it where it can attack neighbors, except or unless its under your control and that's what you want.
I think it's not fair of us to expect different behavior from our dogs than what they were bred to do. I couldn't get mad at my rat terrier when she caught and killed a squirrel in the park. She was bred to do that. if I don't want her to kill rodents (I never thought she'd actually catch one), I need to keep her away from them. Not stress her out by getting mad at her when she does what she was made to do.
Since this dog allows you to take its food away and otherwise is a great addition to your family, I think you just need to keep it away from people and animals it may not play nice with.
The only other thing I can think of, would be to implement some kind of training that is used for attack dogs which must also respond immediately to their owner's commands.
I know people love them, but I'd never own a GSD. They're just too unpredictable, worse than pit bulls by far, and so many of them have hip dysplasia. I only say that for people who may read this thread who are thinking about getting one, and don't already have one they are committed to keeping.
Based on your pronouns it sounds as though your previous GSD was female and this one is male. And it sounds to me like a lot of the differences you describe are the general differences between male and female German shepherds. I don't want to link to any specific breeder but you can google 'difference between male and female German shepherd' and see for yourself as from what I see they all make the same point.
I had two German shepherds, the male is still living. He resource guarded (not with me) in a way that my female German shepherd did not. My male is also way more sociable than my female was but I have to watch him more closely than my female in his interactions. He doesn't like to be touched by strangers. My female's main interest was ME. She was great with children, did not care who petted her but she had no particular interest in them. Her heart always seems to be with making sure she knew where I was. I never ever saw any sign of aggression from her to any human. I haven't with my male either except I know he does not like to be touched by strangers in a familiar way. He gets a look in his eye. He is more territorial than my female was. I live on a farm and he sees himself as the overseer of the entire farm. My female saw herself as the overseer of me. I really, really miss her
I was just thinking this when we were out on our morning walk this morning! My female was SO laid back: my cats LOVED her, even with her high prey drive, and she was notoriously chill when meeting other dogs and people.
I never took her to a dog park but we did go to the dog beach quite often. She was always fine there with other dogs, even when playing. But I do remember her getting into skirmishes with some dogs when playing at non-beach locales; she was definitely toy aggressive.
She also had much better recall: I could walk her off-leash with very few problems; even when she would spot a deer and give chase, she always came back promptly (within 5-10 minutes). My male is NOT like that; he does come back but it takes him, like, 20-40 minutes.
I wonder if the differences are due to male/female differences or the fact that I raised my female from 8 weeks, or a combination of both ....
I'm so sorry that you miss your dog but I totally get it. I lost my female GSD to cancer in 2012 and it has taken me 5 years to be able to get another dog. I love my male--I mean, he will be lying on my bed and I will just look at him and realize that I LOVE him. Despite his differences in personality in relation to my female, he reminds me a lot of my female, especially in terms of his loyalty, his exuberance and enthusiasm and just wanting to please in order to be loved and accepted.
I just love this breed.
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).
. I think the best thing to do is to continue to work with him at home and work towards recalling him off-leash. 
but I totally get it. I lost my female GSD to cancer in 2012 and it has taken me 5 years to be able to get another dog. I love my male--I mean, he will be lying on my bed and I will just look at him and realize that I LOVE him. Despite his differences in personality in relation to my female, he reminds me a lot of my female, especially in terms of his loyalty, his exuberance and enthusiasm and just wanting to please in order to be loved and accepted.
