Rescued Shepherd Resolved Aggression

It depends on the age of the dog! When we got our German Shepherd, he was already 1 yr old! But with our guidance and consistency, he turned out to be real good , as far as aggression goes! You've got to realize, that the German Shepherd is famous for this aggression, they are very protective, and if not controlled will attack! We had other dogs, and cats, and chickens, around and he would not even dare raise any aggression towards them, but if a stranger came around he sure let him know , that he was on the job! And we wanted it that way, and that's the way it had to be or else, you have to put your foot down! And to get him used to going out in public, you have to do it often, to get him used to it!

Didn't you see that show - It's Me Or The Dog? Basically, all you need to do is have her TRAINED, professionally, get her in to obedience school ASAP - the whole saying - you cant teach an old dog new tricks, is a load of crap! We had a dog that did just as yours did - we had a staffy who attached my MIL's pomeranian & our cats. Chances are she's just very protective but still you can re-program a dog at any age with some simple obedience training. They learn new things & new rules & can adapt! That way she will learn to associate with the other animals in the classes, she'll learn all the basic commands - even the more advanced ones if you continue the training! You wont have to be without her, just get her in to training right away & have all her problems sorted out. She is probably scared of other things, which is why she gets aggressive, it may have been something in her past that has made her be that way but you can fix it all & it might cost you a bit of money but it's definitely worth it if you want to keep her & have her happy & not aggressive towards anything else. I wish you the best & you'll have to let us know how she goes with the training, i don't think she'll change without it. Don't give up!

Is the same dog your mother-in-law talked you into? Sounds like you need to be more cautious about the dog you get. Our animal shelter allows you a few days to bring a dog home to see if it fits into your lifestyle before you adopt. Also, you got to remember, the dog is in a new area and new people with probably different training than where it came from. No matter what the age, the new dog is like a child and will need extra attention to train it to your way of living.. But once trained, the dog can be your best friend...

Have you seen any of the Dog Whisperer shows? He has excellent ways of altering dog behaviours. It is on the Discovery Channel but I do believe he has his own website, too. Ceasar Milan I think is his name. We have seen programs where he works with Shepherds as well as dogs with other animal problems and barking at dogs on walks. Give it a try. You might just be surprised. Good Luck!