I placed a problem in the visitors questions about my 11mth old G.S.D. Bitch, being aggressive towards other dogs. It was a long message, too long to repeat, but I wanted to enter the problem as a user with my e-mail details, so if anyone has read the problem in the visitors section and can advise me either through the forum or by e-mail, it would be much appreciated.

Your email address is hidden.

do you go to any GSD training clubs?

i dont know much about GSDs,but i did have a friend who had quite a few,& we meet quite a few each week at obedience shows.
if you know anybody with a really laid back dog,(i have one that all dogs like for instance!) so you can do abit more socialisation,& gradulally increase the number of dogs shes comftable around?

im wondering if a Bach remedy may help,theres a few different ones but if you go to a health food shop & describe her "weaknesses" then they will be able to advise you on one or too that may help her.

Hi, thanks for your replies. Yes she does go to a G.S.D. training club, it is specifically for her breeding, which is Germanic and the way the Germanic lines are shown, which is a lot of gaiting at the end of a long lead, and needs plenty of enthusiasm and drive. This is why the lines are very 'high drive', and the show pups are chosen for this, but because they are high drive, they are very energetic, hyper dogs, who's energy needs channelling, which is what I am trying to do. I have recently started doing some basic obedience with her, so that her concentration is on me, rather than dogs around her, and learn to trust in me as pack leader, and that I will protect her, so that she wont feel the need to be aggressive around other dogs. As for the Bach flower rememdies, I have tried her on the rescue remedy, and Valerian tablets & tincture. In fact today, I gave her some valerian tincture before and during a show, and her behaviour was far more tolerable. She seemed a lot calmer around other dogs, passing dogs, or standing near dogs without showing aggression. Whether it was a coincidence, or the tincture worked, I don't know, but I will continue with it. Maybe it's the combination of Valerian and the obedience work I have been doing with her.

You might want to consider training her for the UK BH test, in Germany all show dogs have to be trained in & qualified in Schutzhund, they do very little breed training with their dogs the control they have comes from the Schutzhund training.

This is often forgotten by here in the UK as people focus solely on the show side.

I know the BAGSD are involved with developing the BH traning here in the UK

Hi everyone, I had considered doing  Schutzhund training with her, and it has recently been suggested by the son of a friend of ours, who has been involved in Schutzhund for many years. He saw Inka for the first time as I was showing her, and he was greatly impressed with her, but not just as a show dog, but for working. He said she would make an excellent working dog as she is so sharp and on the ball, and watching my every move, and as I mentioned earlier she is quick to learn and eager to please. Her sire is a German Import, and aswell as being in the conformation side of showing, he is also a Sch 111. More and more people involved in the germanic breed showing are getting involved in the Schutzhund/ working side aswell. I would like to do some work with Inka because as I say it would help channel her energy into something positive.

Hi Debbie

I too have a very high drive Germanic GSD and we have done masses of work with him.  Far too much to mention here!!  I also use combinations of Flower remedies rather than the standard mixture (although I am not trained so can't give you 'advice' as such!). 

In short I would say stick with the obedience, start Shutzhund and maybe agility if there is a club near you.

Feel free to mail me if you want to talk further or talk about something specific as I know how depressing it can get sometimes!!!

Jayne

sounds as if we are all thinking along the right/same lines, my local health food shop advises on any mixture of the remedies if the problem is explained,there may be a lesser known one that could really help.