What can I do with an aggressive pit/german shepherd mix?

Question

I currently have a puppy who is a GSD and a Pit Bull mix. I adopted him when he was 8 weeks old at my local humane society. He was neuteured when I adopted him.

I began to socialize my pup around 12 weeks by taking him to doggy parks and he has done well. He plays well with other dogs and has shown no aggression to other dogs.

However, recently, he has begun to show aggression by growling, baring his teeth and barking. Specifically, he will show aggression when he is under my futon or my bed. When I try to reach under and grab him to take him out he growls and barks and attempts to bite me. He has also tried to bite me when I was teaching him to sit. It almost seems as if he is showing that he doesn't want to listen. I have gone to the extent of using the PetSafe shock collars and spanking him with newspapers but that hasn't show any progress since he continues to show aggression.

Does anyone know what to do--I've heard puppy obedeince, but I doubt they will help.

Answer 1

pitbulls and german shepards are agressive by nature. they like to be dominant, the one in charge. just take ur time with him n b firm ut gentle. dont frighten him to the point that he wants to agress more, just let him know that u mean business. no hitting, just a firm "i mean it" voice.

Answer 2

First of all shock collars and hitting are making him even more aggressive think about it, if you did that to me I would wait till your asleep then I would go for your throat Those things should be band from this earth. Look in the newspaper don't use it as a weapon. You may be able to find a trainer there or in the phone book. I really hate to say it but some times dogs are over breed and they are just bad dogs. I hope you find help but if not I'm sorry to say he may need to go to doggy heaven. I had a friend who was the most loving kind person I had ever met. Her pup pit mix tryed to eat her grand kids. Sad to say for NO REASON so she needed to put him down, boy that was a very sad day. Now only pure breeds she will buy and that is why you just really don't know what problems the dogs may have.

Answer 3

I for one abhor shock collars, especially when they are used on untrained dogs. The only thing I can compare it to is an adult seeing a three-year-old child for the first time ever using a crayon to color on the walls. The adult walks up behind the child and lashes him with a belt and then walks away. Does the child have any clue as to what happened? Why they were suddenly dealt pain? No.

Neither does a dog understand the jolt to his neck delivered by an owner who hasn't taken the time to take the dog through an obedience course, or to spend 5 minutes three times a day working on lessons, or to read a book on training or anything else. The owner simply thinks the dog will get the jolt and suddenly understand all the facts of life.

Rant over.

Find a good trainer or behaviorist in your area. Get one-on-one advice from an expert in training and dog aggression. Call your vet, friends or local pet supply stores and ask for names of qualified people to help you with this situation.

Obviously dealing pain out to this pup as punishment isn't working. You have to change your methods of instruction before it is too late.

Almost always, dogs will meet aggression with aggression. Your pup knows you will be hurting him, so he gets defensive. You hurt him, he gets more aggressive. A never-ending circle.

You, as the human, the supposed higher-intelligence being, should be the one to figure out a new way to communicate with this dog. Get help in the form of a professional dog person.

You haven't indicated this is a possibility, but should you decide to rehome this pup, PLEASE be sure to let the adoptor know just why you are giving him up. Let the person who is interested in him know just what flaws this boy has so they are prepared to work through them.

Good luck, and PLEASE throw away that shock collar...or if you can, return the thing for your $150. (An obedience course in my area runs about $50 less than the collar!)

Answer 4

Sounds more like you have taught him to be afraid of you, especially if you have been whacking him with newspapers and using a shock collar. For some breeds of dogs, such as pits and GSDs, the best defense is a good offence. They will behave aggressively when scared.

Puppy Kindergarten, if he's not too old, can help a lot. It can teach you and him the same vocabulary so he can understand what it is you are asking of him. Right now, he's so confused because you have sent mixed signals: you want him to come, but you are also a source of pain.

When you can reestablish his trust in you and he understands the rules and the consequences (he does something good he gets a reward, he does something negative and gets ignored, etc) his behavior should shift around.

Answer 5

Why play with fire by wanting to deliberately train a dog to attack for no genuine reason? The dog is not going to be used in security work, as a special services dog but as a home pet. There are enough dogs out there that are aggressive and all it does is give particular breeds a bad name. Have you asked your grand parents if they want an aggressive dog around that they may not be able to handle, and one that may turn on them? The dog is still immature and will remain playful for some time. A dog of this size should be enough of a visual deterrent without deliberately setting out on a path that could be lethal. If you are really worried about your grandparents house being robbed, get them an alarm system! I own three large breed dogs that I am glad that I can walk in public safely and that people can interact with.

Answer 6

You need to work one on one with a behavioral trainer.
You need to learn how to approach the dog and get him do listen to you and do what you are asking of him.
You are not going to get that by dragging him out from under things. When you reach for them under something or in a crate they tend to get very aggressive about being forceablly dragged out. You need to use a slightly differnt approach.
See if you can find a trainer in your area who works on behavior modification and has some experience with assertive breeds of dogs. Get help. They can give you tips and ideas on how to work with him with less stress to him and to you. And do it safely.
Pitt Bulls often do not show aggression until they are over 1 year. They may at 16 months or older get aggressive to either humans or other dogs. So if you dog is showing sings now you should get started in some obedience work now before the problems get worse.

Answer 7

I took my puppy to obedience class because he was biting too much and being really bratty and hard to handle. The trainer worked with me personally for a few minutes showing me how to make the proper correction for the exact things that my dog did wrong. It took work on my part and the cost and time in class but now this dog is and has been a wonderful pet for me for years. I called that trainer over various little problems in raising this dog and he was always there for me helping me keep the upper hand with this really strong willed dog.
I doubted that puppy obedience class would help me too. But it really did. So go now! You will be so happy that you did.
But go to a good one, with this dog, go to a pro. not just at petco.
My dog was so bad I wanted the trainer to take him for a few days to get the situation under control, but he didn't take him for me. The trainer said it was better that I get control of this dog right now once and for all. And I did and the dog was happier right away. Because he wasn't the boss anymore, he could relax.
Good luck!

Answer 8

Both breeds are prone to aggression.
Hitting a dog is never ok, but to hit an already aggressive dog is just encouraging it to be even more aggressive.
I have a German Shepherd myself that was very aggressive when she was younger. I tried everything to change her behaviour, but when it comes right down to it, aggression can be dangerous and it's best left to the professionals. My only recommendation is to find a private trainer in your area that specializes in aggression. Expensive? Definately. But what part of responsible pet ownership isn't?
Speaking from experience, please get your dog help before he hurts you or someone else and has to be euthanized!
Wishing you the best of luck!

Answer 9

There is a big difference between fear and respect. Paper smacking and things of that nature often simple make them fear the paper and not respect you.
There are aggression specific trainers that are amazing, I work at a pet shop and I've seen the results.
The Dog Whisperer, Ceasar Milan, actually is amazing at this and has his own show. His website recommends people that will help you work with your dog to get him out of that aggressive behavior.

Go here to find someone to help: http://www.dogpro.org/
GOOD LUCK!