Hi everyone!
    Well to start it off I have a 3 month old German Shepherd puppy. I've had him for quiet a while already and hes a great little guy. I named him Boomer. He's very smart. I've already taught him a lot of tricks like sit, stay, shake, and hes learning lay. I know that might sound like I'm over teaching him but I don't see any harm in starting his training early.. He's getting pretty good on the leash too. He's my dog and I asked for him so he's my responsibility. Im ready for the gsd puppy that I've always wanted. I'm just afraid that he might become agrresive.
   
     Sometimes when I'm in the pool and hes outside he gets close to the edge and looks really mad. He starts barking and even showing teeth. I've paid attention to his body language and his tail is always wagging but if i try and pet him during all of this he'll try and bite me. I don't understand why he does this. He mainly only does it to me and I'm the one who plays with him the most and pretty much gives him the most time and love. It really is dissapointing because I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep him afterall (if he continues this sort of behavior) going based on the fact that im only 19 and my mom would be doing the right thing by saying we shouldn't keep an agressive gsd around the family and younger bro's and sisters. He's also growled at me in a sort of mean tone when I'm correcting him and I've learned he hates to be held. I wanted an affectionate german shepherd puppy that will grow into a great member of the family. I dont want to give up on him. He's very smart and he can be a really good boy for the most part. I just don't know what I've done wrong or what I can do to fix this.Please help

hi there
It's great to hear that you're spending so much time with your GSP. But remember as well as learning all his basic sit, come, lay commands; he also needs to learn that he can not always have your undivided attention.Sounds a little like he' almost a little jealous of you having fun that he can't join in with. At 3 months he's far to young to give up on he's still finding his place in your familly home.

Could it not just be over excitement, half mad an hour kind of thing, at 12 weeks he is too young for being aggressive as such.  I remember when my pup was a year old we went to the seaside and swam, she got mad at us as she didn't want to go in herself, she was scared of water at that time. 

I think his behaviour seems to be anxiety. German Shepherd's were bred to guard sheep from predators, rather than as herding dogs. He seems to be regarding you as his 'flock' and as such, is trying to dominate and protect you. He is getting anxious when you are in the pool because he thinks you are in danger and considers your safety to be his responsibility. He is very confused because he is very young to have such a responsibility. You need to gradually take away any feeling of responsibility from him and become the dominant member of the partnership. Never let him get higher than you, for example, never sit on the floor with the dog on the sofa. If he jumps up, don't touch him, fold your arms and turn your body away from him, then when he has all four legs on the ground, pat him. When you are playing with him, if he shows the slightest signs of aggression or dominance, IMMEDIATELY cut the game short and walk away from him. When you feed him, pretend to eat from the bowl yourself before giving it to him. When you come into the house, don't fling your arms round him overjoyed to see him, behave like a pack leader and let him come to you, overjoyed to see YOU.You really need to take him to some training classes, preferably with somebody who understands German Shepherds. It's very important to sort this out now as in a few months he will be entering his 'teenage' phase. From about 7 months to 9 or 10 months, all your training will go out of the window and he will become an obnoxious, wilful teenager. You need to be prepared for this and grit your teeth until this phase passes. It's this stage in a dogs development that results in hundreds of unwanted dogs ending up in rescue centres. Also, you must bear in mind that he may be starting to teethe. Teething is as uncomfortable for dogs as it is for babies and pain could be making him grouchy. Above all, whilst he is developing his personality and testing his powers, you MUST behave like a pack leader.

Thank you so much for all the responses. I will take your words of advice into consideration. Saxon you sound like you know your stuff and as you mentioned all the things I can do to show him who the pack leader is I recall doing the opposite. So I will follow your advice and I did hear from a friend that me being in the water may make him really feel jealous or think I am really in danger. I will continue to be the pack leader in every sense. The only thing that bothers me is if this sort of thing is just a puppy phase that can be passed as long as it is worked on than why go to training classes? I personally feel that I the owner should and can be the one to teach him all the fundamentals of being an obedient pet. The teenage phase--- Thats new to me. Can you explain what happens to a dog that makes him disregard everything that has been taught to him? ayayai you got me scared now. Can it really be that bad?

Training classes are very good for socialising him with other dogs, and also teaching him to be obedient even whilst there are other dogs about. I'm assuming you will eventually want to be able to walk him in places where he may come into contact with other dogs, also, an experienced trainer will be able to tell you if your own body language is contributing to any problems you may be having and assess if you are assertive enough, something we obviously can't gauge on this site. Basic puppy training classes are usually once a week for 7 weeks and are not expensive. All animals, including humans, go through this awful 'teenage phase', it coincides with puberty. I'm sure you went through a rebellious period, though usually males are worse then females. If you have a little brother... watch out. It's all about testing the boundaries of the rules laid down by the 'pack', and assessing if, some time in the future, you can make a bid to be pack leader. In all litters of puppies there are a dog and a bitch who would, if they lived in the wild as a pack,eventually become an alpha male and an alpha female, (that is to say, top dog and top bitch). These are always the most dominant puppies and an experienced breeder can spot them and home them accordingly. It sounds as if you may have a potential alpha. Although, even if he wasn't the potential alpha he will still try his luck as in the wild, only the alpha male and alphs female are allowed , by the pack, to reproduce. To your puppy, you and your family are his pack and the fact that he appears to be very protective of you shows that he considers you to be below him in the pecking order. You need to up your status in the ways I explained in my previous post.You seem to be a very sensible young lady and you are not burying your head in the sand and trying to pretend you don't potentially have a problem. You obviously want to do everything properly and be a responsible dog owner. Well done.

a gsd is a demanding challenging breed but that does not mean its impossible! you must be prepared to be open minded and learn all along the way.
it sounds to me like perfectly normal excited behavior and if you dont want him to do it put him inside while you are in the pool, when he is older(over 2) he will have calmed down so much he wont even look at the vacuum, broom,jogger etc etc but only with guidance from you along the way.guidance doesnt mean shouting, hitting, nagging.. it means giving him an alternative choice of behaviour that pleases you which means that you reward him hugely.
they are fantastic dogs which many people give up on because they come in big packages and are full of life and this doesnt fit nicely in with the image people have of a nice calm impressive faithful GSD. you have to go through a lot of work and dedication to arrive at that point.
i have been through all that(mine is 5 now)and apart from a small fear issue i now have the dog i wanted, when he was under 1 was beside myself a lot of the time.
i think your biggest problem will be convincing your family that him behaviour is not aggression but high spirits.
definitely get along to training classes and make the commitment to go every week for as long as it takes, whether you like it or not, you will be doing it for your dogs wellbeing. have fun with him he sounds great. x

Hi I have a 14month old gsd and he is my second gsd.  I agree with what Saxon is saying, definitely get you and him to training classes and preferrable with a trainer who understands the breed, apart for socilaistion for you pup they are great fun meeting others. He sounds like a normal gsd at this moment and I am sure that with patience and guidance from people who know shepherds will turn out to be the dog you want. They are hard work at the beginng but it is worth it. I personally use treat training rather than shouting and telling off and Whispa certainly responeds mind we still have a way to g. Good luck

GSDs were(& still are)bred to "shepherd" stock ie act in place of the shepherd, they are used to move stock & to keep them in an area in pasture designated by the shepherd, they were not used as flock guards their presence alone was(is)enough to deter intruders from the pasture(the dogs are usually worked in pairs in day to day shepherding)

They do need socializing & training  as soon as they leave the breeder & you need to go to training classes now, using positive reinforcement methods

hmmm it seems like everyone is talking about these training classes ay. lol well i guess it wont hurt to give one of these guys a call and look into it. Do you guys know where I can find  a trainer in my area who has experience with German Shepherds?

Sorry Sushi but I am in London England so cant help you there. I dont know how things work in the states but you could try your local vet or animal charity, alternativley if you see anyone when you are out who has a shepherd have a chat with them. I am sure people are the same all over get them talking about our dogs and we cant stop particulaly if you are admiring their well trained animal. Is your puppy long or short coat there are gsd forums atl least for longcoats as I belong to one its great to share and gain info.

Hi,

In the original post sushi said that her GSD growls at her on occassions. My Boxer is almost 15 wks and he sometimes has a growl and bark at me when I'm telling him to do something. I am the one who spends the most time with him and I do most of his training, other half reinforces it but I do most of the actual teaching. I believe that my boistrious lad is just pushing the boundaries with me, he doesn't growl aggressively, it's more like he's seeing how I will react. When he does this I am firm with him and let him know who's boss but I do worry about him doing this when he's bigger in much the same way Sushi probably does. Any words of advice?