Dealing With German Shepherd Aggression

By Mark Walters

While German Shepherds may not inspire the ill-placed fear of such breeds as Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, they do land on many banned breed lists.

In fact, it is more of a reputation of being aggressive that German Shepherds have acquired. Owners of these dogs will mostly deny that German Shepherd aggression is a concern, but, unfortunately, the number of incidents of these dogs attacking people and other dogs can't be ignored. However, whilst genetics are a factor, the biggest problem is mis-training, or even no training, by their owners.

It is important to point out that not all (not even most) German Shepherds display inappropriate aggressive behavior.It is wholly unfair to let the misdemeanours of the minority result in the entire breed being labeled as "dangerous" or "aggressive".Still, all owners of these dogs should be aware that it may potentially be a problem and, as such, should learn about and try to recognize the signs of German shepherd aggression.

So, what forms can aggression take?Some German Shepherds only act aggressively towards other dogs. Some will display aggression only if they are approached whilst they are chewing a bone or eating. Others are aggressive toward strangers, and others even show aggression to some human members of the household in which they live.

No aggressive behavior should be ignored as it has the potential to escalate to the attack of an animal or person and any time. If you do notice signs of aggression in your dog, proper training and handling can turn the behavior around and, potentially, save your dog's life.

Some owners make the mistake of yelling at or hitting their German Shepherd when he displays aggressive behavior.For the most part, this makes the overall situation worse, as the dog becomes less trusting of humans.By doing so, you are also placing yourself and those around you at immediate risk - it is quite possible that your dog will fight back on being hit and will starting biting and leaping at those nearest to it.

For German Shepherd aggression, the one course of action that should be taken is obedience training. It is best to begin at a young age before any bad habits are formed,however, no matter the age of your dog, obedience training remains the best option. - 29895

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