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The German Shepherd behavior

With the number of dogs that have been sold over the past year, I’ve begun to see a trend of posts popping up on German Shepherd Dog forums that go something like this:


“I brought my baby home 6 months ago and he’s been the sweetest thing until now. Then yesterday I took him out and just as a stranger was reaching in to pet him he snapped and tried to bite the stranger’s hand. What’s wrong with my baby?! How can I fix this?!”


Inevitably, a bunch of commenters chime in with helpful advice like “give the strangers treats and let them feed your dog before they pet him”, or “oh, you should have redirected to a toy”, or my personal favourite “you should get him neutered”.


Let me make it easier. If you wanted the personality of a golden retriever you should have bought a golden retriever. But that’s not what you brought home. You brought home a large guardian breed that is genetically predisposed to be wary of strangers. That a GSD owner is surprised by their dog’s aggressive reaction to having its personal space invaded by a stranger does not indicate a problem with the dog, it indicates a misunderstanding of the breed. Now there will be some GSD owners who will push back, saying “my boy just loves everyone. All he wants is to meet people and get pats and treats. He wouldn’t hurt a fly”. Those dogs unquestionably exist, but know this: as working line GSD breeders seeking to preserve and advance the breed, this is not a trait we select for.


To be clear, a properly socialized GSD (note that proper socialization does not mean allowing your dog to meet and interact with every strange person and animal it comes across) should not be lunging at the end of its leash at every stranger passing by. Non-reactivity should be a training goal from early in the dog’s life. However this is NOT the same thing as expecting your dog to enjoy - or even tolerate - being touched by strangers.


As owners it is our job to train our dogs to be non-reactive to stimuli outside our control. A dog that does not like being passed by strangers on a sidewalk must be taught to tolerate this stimulus as we do not control who we pass on a sidewalk, or when. However it is also our job to work within the bounds of our dog’s individual personality as it pertains to stimuli that are within our control, and to have enough respect for our dog to not put it in avoidable, uncomfortable situations.


The solution is not to give strangers treats to feed your dog before petting it, or to redirect to a toy, or to spay or neuter your dog. It’s not to try to train your dog to tolerate something it is genetically predisposed not to like. The solution is to stand up for your dog and stop allowing strangers to approach it. Some pet owners may not like having to manage their dog in this way. They should have bought a different breed.


In closing, allow me to leave you with the 5 words every GSD owner should get comfortable saying loudly and firmly: “Please don’t touch my dog.”

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