Dogs being attacked by GSDs?!

[chocolateicefan]

The number of people who won't let their dog say hello to my GSD because their dog was 'previously attacked by one' is alarming. Where and how are these attacks happening?

My one was attacked by a Husky when only 6-7 months and since then can't deal with Huskies or GSDs which is a shame as they are so beautiful and the ones we see are so well behaved as well

@Rollaroundtheclock

I’d like to know what had happened before/in the run up to the ‘attack’. We have a larger dog and quite often lots of small dogs run up, nip, bite and become aggressive whether she’s on or off lead. She never retaliates. The owners all laugh it off saying something along the lines of it having a small dog complex, no attempt to correct the behaviour. Not once have I come home declaring how our dog has been attacked by a terrier/dachshund/toy breed etc….

Exactly this! Our GSD was badly attacked as a puppy by a small terrier and the owner took it seriously and actually kicked his dog in the stomach until it released its jaw. But it left our puppy watery of small terriers. As our GSD got older people let small dogs run up and jump at him and even nip him but if he retaliated with a nip back they freaked out despite not calling their dog off. In my experience many small dogs are untrained and allowed to behave badly to bigger dogs, whose owners are shocked if a larger dog retaliates.

I love my GSD but as @leonberger says they can be on the dramatic side. We are lucky as our chap is a bundle of love, devotion and fun.

I agree with all remarks about small dog owners. Small dogs always go for our dog - barking, nipping etc. The owners laugh it off as "small dog complex" etc but it bothers the big dog. I worry about it as he may get fed up some day and surprise me (and them!).

I have a GSD X and she is slightly reactive and I only walk her on my own land as people are terrified of her. Shes all balck so more imposing. So much about this breed is great but they are a restricted breed and should be on leash & muzzled where I live. If they dont have super socialisation early they can be an issue. I would not walk mine in public now. People are rightfully a bit afraid of them because of incidents like above an poor recall/ training.

@Leonberger

I own a GSD (and have worked with GSD rescue for years) and don’t like meeting them out My own was also attacked by a GSD bitch of the same size and it was pretty scary, luckily they were evenly matched. I always avoid them now because she hates dogs of her own kind! I also get the my dog hates GSD thing a lot but I generally just shrug it off

I think the major issue with shepherds is that they are so so sensitive. Some other dogs can take a negative experience and shrug it off whereas I’ve found GSD are really effected by any negative experiences and this is probably why lots of them are aggressive. They need very careful handling and training IMO more than your average pet dog owner can manage unless you are lucky and get a really sound one. Weak and nervy temperaments are also very common in the breed and it can mean they tend to be nervous aggressive towards strange dogs running up to them. If you’ve got a sound one your very lucky because I would say the majority have some sort of reactivity issue!

I do think it’s also the play style and being quite vocal that puts people and other dogs off too. My bitch is smaller but wrestles my leonberger boys to the floor and they weigh almost 80kgs. She’s also very growly and loud when playing which puts other dogs off. Her instinct is to run up to anything new barking her head off which understandably is not acceptable to people or dogs and so she is not allowed to greet anyone.

I do absolutely love GSD and working with them though I just wish they were a little less dramatic at times

@LeonbergerSounds like my experience with them. They are super sensitive and I agree they really take anything negative to heart and remember it forever. Careful, controlled, incremental and managed positive interactions with people and dogs an really help them be sociable but they really are an introverts dog I think! That said I would not trade mine for anything.

I'm a dog walker and have this said to me a lot when I'm out walking with one of my GSDs. I find it a bit bizzare and I'm not sure everyone is completely truthful when they say it, I think some are saying it as a 'nicer' way of saying that they are afraid of the breed. I've personally never met an aggressive GSD. I was surprised how many people crossed the road to avoid us when I first started walking the GSD, I never get the same response with the other breeds that I walk, many of whom are quite reactive on the lead, unlike the GSD who is very chilled out

I live in a fairly small village. Three GSD's over the last few years also live here. All 3 were reactive and unfriendly with other dogs. One was a rescue and was like that unfortunately due to previous owner. The other 2 I suspect were like that because of their owner.

My whippet ended up with 10 staples in her side due to a GSD and she and our other dog bark furiously at the breed (and huskies) now. I find it very embarrassing. I have tried very hard to praise them if they are quiet, I have tried distracting them, I have tried scolding them but I cannot prevent it. I apologise to the owner of the dog and try to heap praise on their animal. I know that GSD are a beautiful breed but I can't convince my pets.

I’m sorry to say but I was walking a dog on a lead and was attacked by a German shepherd. He would not be recalled and the owner instead of coming to get him walked away! So I had to put the dog I was walking to sit between my legs and keep turning around with it still between my legs so we were always facing the German Shepard.

I can honestly say it was one of the most frightening experiences in my life :(

I was also attacked by numerous chihuahuas but it was a lot less frightening hahaha….

I used to dog walk. And also have my own dog now. And I’m sorry but I am wary of most large breeds … unfortunately…. I know it’s down to the owner but I would take a chihuahua attack over a German shepherd anyday…

Two GSD near where we live. One is aggressive towards humans and dogs and the other just focuses on dog aggression.
Can't for the life of me think why, but both owners have lead off and no muzzle.
I'm absolutely terrified of them. Owner #2 was apologetic at least when it bit my mum's dog's bum but owner #1 with the human/dog aggressive is a twat and won't be told to recall it and put it on a lead. It is a serious incident waiting to happen.
I am now really wary/afraid of unknown dogs as a result.

I love them but my mum’s dog has been attacked once in 6 years - by a GSD. Dog is understandably afraid of them ever since.

My small dog was picked up by a GSD & thrown years ago.

Don't see many GSDs anymore though thinking about it.

My mastiff was nipped by a GSD.

Mastiff walking beside me on lead, trundeling along nicely. GSD approaches stalking behaviour off lead. I look for the owner and shout "call him back he's stalking."

Then in a flash, he jumped at mastiff and nipped him. Mastiff entered full guarding mode, me stuck in the middle at 10 stone and 5ft3, mastiff barking deafening me and GSD growling. I command mastiff to "down" and "leave it" and he does but the GSD was just Barking and growling at us, owner was still walking over casually 🤦🏻‍♀️

I have a GSD and people cross the road when they see her. She is dog reactive but I don’t blame her. In the year we’ve had her, she’s been attacked four separate times by small dogs. Each time she’s barked but hidden behind me…she’s all noise but nothing to back it up.
We have a lot of GSDs in my area…I can think of 5 offhand in this area, and a good few huskies too.
I grew up with GSDs and have no fear of them. I just treat them with the same healthy respect as any other breed.

All the GSD's local to us are dog-reactive to the point of biting and putting other dogs in the vets.

I'm not sure whether it's a breed-trait or something caused by them being attacked but it does make me wary of them. I deliberately avoid them when we're out and will make sure the dogs I have with me are on leads.

I have a GSD and I have the problem that other dogs HATE him. He was attacked as a puppy and as an adult in completely unprovoked situations (I.e, a dog charged at us from miles away just went for him) and as a result is terrified of other dogs.
He’s so sensitive that I’m not sure we will ever undo his dog reactivity despite weekly behaviourist sessions for the last 2 years. We have got to the point where he can ignore other dogs but he can’t cope if he gets rushed at.
The pointy ears and the long fur, plus he is all white. People tell me that makes other dogs hate him! It’s a shame because he is so sweet with people and I just love him so much.

I've had GSD's for 30 years, as many as 3 at a time and never had an aggressive one, I've spent time training them from puppies though.

The comment about "my dog hates gsds because he was attacked by one" is something I've heard literally hundreds of times yet in my many walks over the years, lots of them with fellow shepherd owners I've never seen one attack another dog.

Some can be pretty mouthy towards dogs though and perhaps a lot of people see the barking and then think the gsd has 'gone for' their dog whereas if a little dog was yapping they wouldn't think twice about it.

They can also play pretty rough, my current one is a big, delicate softy and we've had to stop walking with two local ones because they bark, shoulder charge and chew each others necks when they play and mine takes it all very personally and jumps up me as if she wants me to pick her up.

On the flip side though I get a lot of smiles and people stopping me to fuss her, much moreso than when I walk my lurcher.
They're definitely marmite breed.

I love GSD’s but my dog is very nervous of them but he’s also very scared of greyhounds (which is odd as he’s a lurcher!)

The only GSD he’s ever met off lead was a bit of a bully. For some reason even with many other dogs around he seemed to lock on to mine and wouldn’t leave him be. Not many dogs can keep up with ddog’s speed but this bugger could!

Unfortunately his owner was a bit of a twat and just used to laugh and say “ahh well they’ve all got the same number of teeth they can sort it out between themselves” 🙄

Superior breed - those little yappy things can't hack being in the presence of such magnificence.

My male lab has been bitten twice by female GSDs - in one case on lead meet as puppies; second case by the local bully. But he still wags his tail at them.
My female lab just hates the look of them and growls whenever we pass a GSD. Not aware of any incident but she’s a rescue so goodness knows what went before.
We have several who are trainee guide dogs near us and are lovely, but they need good owners in my experience.

My greyhound had a lovely meeting with an off-lead young GSD but she mostly wants to avoid them and there's a local one who needs to be held back any time we pass by. I think it's the body language and ear position (and I know, that's ironic coming from a weirdo greyhound). She's also wary of huskies but I'm probably feeding into that as a friend's grey was mauled by one. The only dog that has actually attacked mine was a black lab but my grey does not hold a grudge against labs.

@chocolateicefan

The number of people who won't let their dog say hello to my GSD because their dog was 'previously attacked by one' is alarming. Where and how are these attacks happening?

Actually my lab has a "thing" for GSD because unfortunately a neighbours GSD charged the fence agressively everyday twice a day as we walked past until he died (the GSD). It took over a year for my dog to not expect the GSD to be there. He has also been attacked by a GSD while out walking. He's only had one positive (ish) experience with a GSD where a young dog bounded a couple of hundred metres (walking on a race course) to us - owners never followed. Thankfully he was friendly and young and interested in play but unfortunately at this stage my dog automatically becomes more defensive and almost expecting attack with GSDs.

I think with huskies - is it not the tail up stance and the fluff that some dogs read as aggression??

Tbh our Husky's facial expressions are difficult to read. As opposed to our other ddogs. Maybe this puts other ddogs on the defence and gives off bad vibes? Cue husky then acting aggressive
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Does this face appear nice /not nice?