Hi, I am new to this group. I am a foster mom to a young 6 month old Keeshond / mix (possibly ACD/Heeler,
Webster, one white german shepherd (pure- male), 1 german shepherd/mix (possibly ACD/chow-female) and 1 two-year old wolfdog-male (my husbands). I have 2 dogs of my own (both female), dobie/mixes

All these babes are under 2 years old. All friendly non-aggressive.

Webster has taken to attacking any of the above while we are all just sitting around, at the computer, watching tv or sometimes while playing outside. He is serious about his attacks, because he intimidates them with lowered head and stares. This is just before plunging forward and grabbing their cheeks or lower jaws, etc always about the head. Most of the time the others just freeze and look away from him before he attacks. He's never drawn blood (still has puppy teeth), but they dog cry out.

Is this behaviour because of the crowd or because of his dominate breed?

How should I correct this behaviour?

I usually smack him on the butt tell him "bad Webster" then put him in a crate for some time out.

Any assistance will be most welcomed.

Teresa Liebenow
Alaskan Malmute Rescue - foster
Anatolian Shepherd Rescue - foster
German Shepherd Central Tx Rescue - foster
miraclerow@grandecom.net

Hi Theresa,

Are you absolutely sure that Webster is fighting? Your description of his attacks where he lowers his head and stares before plunging forward sound exactly the same as what my 8 month old bullmastiff puppy does. She isn't being aggressive, though. She's playing.

When on walks, if she's standing a distance from my male bullmastiff, she'll often lower her head, stare at him fixedly and hold herself very stiffly for a second or two before charging at him and grabbing him by the throat or jaw. That's how she initiates a game. Sometimes my male will join in the game and other times if he's not in the mood, he just turns his head away. If he's not wanting to play and she persists, I tell her firmly to leave him and she usually does. If she does go too far, my male will tell her off himself. He'll grab her roughly by the muzzle which startles her enough to yelp and then she leaves him alone.

I'd say that Webster is behaving like a puppy. But, if he is being too rough and your other dogs aren't willing to put him in his place then telling him off and putting him in his crate for some time out is probably the best thing to do.

Good luck with Webster,

Tracey.

I'd say if he was serious (which is very unlikely given his age and the age/size of the other dogs) then somebody would have needed vet/medical treatment by now..........

What do the other dogs do when he gives the initial signals you've observed? I'm afraid that smacking him is just teaching him that other dogs being around is bad news and likely to exacerbate the behaviour :( Next time you see him start giving the signals you should try distracting him with something very interesting to him, preferably something you keep specially for these occasions.

BTW - that's quite a 'pack' you've got there - and all very young dogs to - must take an AWFUL lot of work?