Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hello,

I would like input/advice from members here who have owned DS longer than I have. My partner and I recently adopted a DS pup from a local rescue. Ginger was 9 months old when we brought her home and an amazing dog from the start. She is deferent to humans, hasn't met anyone she doesn't like, and meets other dogs very well, on the leash or off.

For the first month and a half she and our 7 yr old Aussie/English shepherd dog Charlie got along amazingly. They played tug together, wrestled in the yard and had fun running around. They both appeared very comfortable with each other and she tended to defer to him. About 2 weeks ago I noticed her starting to raise her hackles sometimes while playing tug with Charlie, I kept an eye on things and stopped play if I felt either Charlie or Ginger were getting too heated. This past weekend while they were playing with my partner Ginger got overly excited which, presented itself in an aggressive way and without much warning, she lunged and bit down on Charlie's back upper leg. The scary part was that she didn't let go until forced to. I have seen dogs in a disagreement but this was the first time I have had a dog that wouldn't break it off when told. Charlie got a visit to the emergency vet and 2 staples.

Since then I haven't noticed any animosity between the two other than the fact that sometimes she will raise her hackles when going to meet him after being in the kennel while we're at work. No growling or bearing of teeth...but I want to prevent something like this happening again. I understand part of this has to do with her age and figuring out pack order...however I'd prefer that happen without further visits to the vet. What commands/training do I need to work on with her for a release command as well as reinforcing positive play?

I am worried about her seeming chill one minute and missing the signs that a threshold has been crossed for her.

Besides this incident...she is an amazing pup. She is catching on to commands very quickly and really seems to want to please.

Any advice or direction to resources is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Kelley

Welcome to the forum. You own a Dutch Shepherd so they tend to be a little tough. I've owned three of these dogs at the same time up until earlier this year but lost one due to illness. The females can be very aggressive at times with the males. I think it's instinctual because in nature the females have to be tougher to defend the den against other dogs when she's there alone. Can't train out instinct essentially.

What triggers these dogs very easily is their prey drive. They will grab anything that moves or chase anything. They have to be watched at all times when they are in arousal mode.

Are you working with a professional trainer? If not, that would be the first step for me.

A pro can help you determine if this is aggression, or just play that got out of control. Bramble and Casper used to play VERY rough, until they both figured out the "rules". Bramble was young, Casper (not DS) had been kept in a kennel most of his life and we suspect abused as well as neglected. They just didn't know the boundaries, and frankly I wasn't great at reading their body language. The trainer really helped on that front.

Thank you for this helpful response. We found a trainer (who has experience with DS's) and have our first meeting this Sun. I am hoping that it is a boundaries issue that can be redirected in a positive way!

Great. I am sure you will see a lot of progress:)

What Tim said. When they're playing, and intensity gets high, you might need to step in and give a break in the form of a redirection.