When you say frequently take her to the dog park or for walks, what does that mean? How often does your dog get leash walked or get to go to the park?

Again with the walking. Please tell me what walking has to do with stranger aggression?????

I think it isn't a bad thing that your dog reacts to strangers. My old gal does the same thing. I tell every person (stranger) who comes to my house not to put a hand out that she will bite. Actually, I think of it as another layer of security.

You just have to be sure that she never gets the opportunity to actually bite the repairman.

"I would be absolutely shocked if she ever actually bit someone..."

Gate the dog away from visitors until you have her under voice control. Or it will happen.

You need to help her to understand when she should bark and posture and when it's not 'ok.' The fact that she does this only with service people doesn't change the situation. Your dog is not trained and under your control.

As a pedestrian who walks her dogs daily, I am so very tired of people without control of their dogs telling me they 'won't bite.' They will, unless they're trained and under the owner's control. My elderly male dog has the scars to prove it. When, not 'if', your dog attacks someone in your home, it will affect or END your dog's life depending on what state you live in. So please train the dog yourself or work with a trainer. Until then you absolutely MUST keep the dog in a room away from visitors.

Leash walking builds a very stong bond between dog and master/mistress. In addition to exercise, it is the perfect time to practice all the basic obedience commands and it's the easiest way for the master to enforce his status in a relaxed, FUN way. At least that's MY take on it! I notice a lessening of our "connection" when we aren't able to walk on leash regularly because of weather/time constraints.

I have one of those scarey dogs, too. Big, loud, "in your face", but essentially a paper tiger. I'm not particularly bothered by the fact that he presents a formidable display (he's a barker, not a growler). I leash him when people come to the door because it's the simplest way for me to control his enthusiasm and require him to be "polite". We've taken obedience classes (finally have time to do more of them!) and Mr. Leash is our best friend. Really, obedience work and constant adherence to its principles with plenty of praise is what will build your dog's confidence in YOU. So that when you say, "Leave it!", "Sit", "Down", or "Stay" the dog will comply without hesitation and maintain the desired position until released BY YOU.

What you've written tells me your dog does not look to you for leadership, she's assumed it for herself and you've allowed her to by "putting her outside" and allowing the growling/posturing to continue without requiring her STOP IT when you say so! Uncontrolled, her protectiveness could easily escalate to point where the bite inhibition is overcome.

My dog is a shepherd cross, so I understand EXACTLY how protective they can be. I also understand that we will forever be "training" our dog, who is very strong willed and intelligent. Great dog, but totally "high maintenance".

One thing you can do is to react quickly when the dog starts barking when someone comes to the door and try to correct him. And by correct, I mean put/have him quiet down and sit while you get the door and to remain seated while the door opens and the guest enters. You have to be somewhat firm but also calm and in control. Not frustrated. This will take lots and lots of practice and you'll need someone to ring the door. Just have the dog sit and remain there. You can reward the dog for staying in that place. Don't carry on or talk and make eye contact with the dog as you're training just turn off the barking with whatever distraction noise or command you have for that and have the dog sit. You might consult a professional for help. Don't give up, just keep putting the dog back into a quiet sit. If you distract the dog, you need to make sure he snaps out of it quickly and focuses on you. Your instruction takes priority over being the security guard. You have to be totally consistent and do this over and over until sitting quietly becomes habit.

first of all your dog should not be greeting anyone who comes to your door until he has proved himself trust worthy. Check out the link below for how to deal with this problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: greeting manners and dogs

Great link, Cindy!

Rex goes NUTS when he hears someone pull into the yard. I call him to me give him a pat, and say, "Good boy! let's see who's here". We keep a leash at the head of the staircase and another over the newel post by the front door (we have leashes everywhere, lol). He must "sit/stay" while the leash is snapped on (just the way we do it before a "walkie") and wait for me to release him. I open the door, greet the person, and require them to ignore the dog until I say it's OK to acknowledge him.

And it DOES take patience. And more patience. But it does get easier! Until he is calmly under my control nothing "fun" happens. Had he been socialized as a puppy it would be easier... but then, he probably wouldn't have wound up in the pound where we adopted him, huh?

Wow. This was my first time posting a question on this board. I chose to post this here because I've been reading this board for awhile, and people have always seemed friendly and helpful. I understand that this behavior is unacceptable, but my husband and I are really at a loss about what to do.

chelone, cindyxeus,and quirkyquercus, thank you for your responses. That link was very good, and it was good to get some concrete suggestions of what to do. The thing is, we do leash her everytime anyone is coming over (not just service people). When friends or family come over, we always have her greet them outside, but we haven't asked service people to let her greet them outside. I know she would respond better to that, so we may try that, but I don't really think it's fair to ask someone who is obviously afraid of big dogs to make a special effort to greet her.

We can and do put her in a separate room when we know people are coming over, but when a service person tells us he's going to be there sometime between 8 and 12, we're not going to put her in another room for that whole time when we don't know when they are coming. So we still have the problem of her going crazy when the doorbell rings.

mazer and labmomma, I mentioned the walks and dog parks because those are situations in which she frequently encounters strangers, and she does not have a problem with them. I wanted to illustrate that the problem is protectiveness of the house, not stranger aggression in general.

Cynthia, your comment was absolutely not helpful and very harsh. Telling me that my dog will bite someone and then be euthanized is not constructive. For the record, I know what happens when a dog bites someone, and I am trying to do everything I can to prevent it.

If anyone has any more constructive suggestions, I would really like to hear them. We really want to stop this behavior, but we're not sure what else to do.

If you can watch "The Dog Whisperer" on the discovery channel Mr. Millan can certainly help you to learn how to control this behavior. He deals with this very thing quite often.

Some of the advice the others here have suggested is very similar, but if you're like me a "visual" always helps.

This behavior will only escalate if you don't get some help.

Good Luck and let us keep us posted.

Garygirl, Perhaps you and/or your dog have never been attacked by a 'sweet' dog whose owner would be 'shocked if it happened.' That's denial, and frankly it pushed all my buttons! I've heard it too many times before. And I may have lumped you wrongly into a group of dangerous owners. Your initial post did indicate the dog is allowed to wander when service people are in the house. Good to hear you are no longer allowing that. There are many people who are not aware of the ramifications of an attack. If you find that unconstructive, you are being overly sensitive. But I do sincerely apologize, because I think I'm probably oversensitive to people who don't control their dogs because they don't accept that DOGS DO BITE. When people deny the dogs likelihood of attacking, the result is an innocent person or animal being seriously hurt because of that owner's naiveté. Peace.

The reason I asked about the frequency of dog walking is because a dog encouters a number of varies smells and situations on a walk. The walk also allows a dog to break from its environment where it may start to become aggressive in defending if not let out for daily walks. The less space a dog has and the longer it is left there without contact the more likely the dog will become territorial. You want a good guard dog? Start the dog early in its life and leave it tied up on a short chain and give it food and water and a pat on the head twice a day, a dog can become highly territorial within a couple of months. If an owner is leash walking a dog, it serves not only a time for the dog to release pent up frustrations, it helps the dog see the owner as being in charge, I guess labmomma did not read the response I wrote to the question she posed about walkies. Other than basic training, walking your dog for 45 minutes a day can ward off a host of problems. I dont suggest removing the dog from the area when a service person comes to call. I suggest getting this dog into training, by the way, if you walk your dog or take it to the dog park before training your dog will be more tired and easier to train. I suggest you have a couple of friends act as service men to walk into your house. You need to have your dog at a sit and stay. and the very second your dog reacts (ears up, staring, moving at all) you tsk your dog, point at your dog, tell it to leave it. Practice this over and over. Whenever you leave the house, you need to go first, always. Fuzzy does not get to go near the door until it is sitting down. Once calm, head for the door and put your dog in a sitting position, you go through the door first and sit the dog so you can secure your door before heading out, this goes for a gate as well. Even at the dog park. This dog needs basic obedience and it should be pracitced on a regular basis. By the way a good 45 minute walk in the morning is going to help settle your dog for the day. A calm submissive dog is the key to happiness for you, your dog and the service person

We had moved out of state for a few years and then moved back. Went to visit some friends and they had a dog that barked all the time. We stood at door not sure of dog but we got the old come on in he doesn't bite. Husband walked one step and the dog nailed him. In the top thigh no less.
I now never believe a person when they say a dog don't bite. These same people now have a seventy pound boxer. As long as you come in house and greet her and make over her she won't hurt you. If you don't and you turn your back on her she has you. She has gone after several service people and fortunately they have always been able to catch her before she get them. These people are in the early 80's and i know someday they won't be able to hold her back. I have tried to talk to them about her and gave them all kinds of things to read on her behavior but they think it's funny that she goes after people that don't pay attention to her. How do i get across to them how dangerous this is?

> "If you can watch "The Dog Whisperer" on the discovery channel Mr. Millan can certainly help you to learn how to control this behavior. He deals with this very thing quite often."

This is precisely the problem with this show.
Millan can't help you, he's $300 an hour plus travel expenses and booked solid for about the next 20 years. His show might help you identify that you have a problem but it's not an instructional video. It's not meant to teach you techniques. 99% of the time he spends with the dog is edited out for time and commercials and entertainment value.

We are having a similar problem with our 18-month old shepherd cross. She has at times shown the raised hackles and barking when a stranger appears at our door. We too have taken to leashing her and then walking calmly to to door. There has been 2 instances where she has nipped people, (in our family, not strangers) so we are hiring a trainer to come into our home to help with this problem. The 2 incidents I mentioned have occurred when Belle didn't get "her way" so definately she needs reinforcement in the obedience area. My suggestion would be to ask around your friends and family for a positive-reinforcement trainer. It may be expensive, but often you need only a few sessions as long as you are willing to work hard at correcting the problem. We enrolled Belle in a 12-week basic obedience course, and believe me, her independent, shepherd-like "I think I will do this "MY WAY" was a challenge. We still work on her skills every day, and add new things weekly. She is slowly improving. I'm glad you recognize this could be an issue. The people on this forum have great suggestions, I've come here several times for help and am amazed at how much they want to help. Good luck!

Thank you to everyone for the responses.

Cynthia, thank you for your second post. I think I over-reacted because this dog is my baby and I don't want to think that she would ever hurt someone! But, it's hard to deny that she could when she's growling and has her teeth bared. Honestly, I reacted badly to it, but it really was a wake-up call for me. The behavior has always bothered me, but I think I considered it normal shepherd behavior to a certain extent.

We definitely do not let her roam around the house when there are service people inside. The one time that she could have gotten close to a service person was when one walked into our house unexpectedly. That was also the first time I have ever seen behavior like that from her, so I didn't know that she would do that. Now, if anyone is coming over, she is on a leash.

Mazer, we haven't been walking her or taking her to the dog park as much lately because it's been so cold here (single digits). When the weather is nicer, she gets walked 3-4 times a week, and goes to the dog park about once per week (it's not very close, so it's not easy to take her before or after work). She does go to daycare 1-2 times per week year-round, though. She definitely is happier and better-behaved when we walk her more, so maybe we'll just have to bundle up and brave the weather.

Again, thanks to everyone for the responses. I have never had a big dog before, and my husband grew up with a lab who would have happily greeted an axe murderer, so we have never had any experience dealing with this. I decided last night that we are going to call the trainer that we had come over when she was a puppy. This woman was amazing with her, so we'll see if she can help. I would still be happy to hear any more suggestions!

I'm surprised no ones mentioned what I'm thinking. Do YOU get nervous when service people come over?? Do you act timid or shy around them? (especially when you're alone and its a man?) Or do you happily greet them the same way you would with your friends??

My dog KNOWS when Im uncomfortable. He gets a little worked up when friends come over, spikes up, lets out a big deep bark or two but as soon as he sees them he's hyper and happy and not barking. As soon as someone steps into our house because we let them in, he knows theyre okay and he's fine.

However, like yours, he gets overly worked up over service people. Only when I am around. If my boyfriend is home, he's pretty much the same as he is with friends. Its because I'm shy, and I easily get nervous around people I don't know who are going to be in and out of my house. He senses my nerves and he reacts. I don't know if its my body language, they way I talk or what, but he just knows and he gets protective of me and the house. If I'm not sure about the person, HES not sure about the person.

I also don't think he'd ever bite, however, we still keep him in gated in the living room when people come over until we know how he will act around them. When service people do come in, he tries his best to stick right at my side, so unless someone really came at me fast I dont think he'd do a thing. But he is a dog, and they can snap, especially since he's getting older and less tolerant, so it's better safe than sorry.

But if you do get nervous/shy/timid and she's picking up on it, you're going to have trouble doing much of anything with her until you can assert yourself especially well infront of people you aren't comfortable with. Even if you get all the commands and control over her, as soon as she picks up on your nerves and uncomfortableness, her instinct to protect and defend will probably take over.

garysgirl - The old gal I posted about is a lab. She's a fierce guard dog, and I like that about her. She's never been tied to anything in her life. Not a junkyard dog. Of course, that is why I posted that I tell all strangers (servicemen, UPS, meter readers, etc) that she will bite. These people think because she is a lab, she won't do them any harm and I definitely let them know that she could and might do them harm. I don't allow her to go near any stranger. She's a wonderful dog, just doesn't like strangers. She is protecting her home and family. She's not a mean dog, she's doing her job. I want the service people and such to think she will bite them for two reasons: 1. they won't try to pet her; 2. they won't think about coming back at another time and rob me.

As for the dogbiting. I have been attacked as a teen by a Husky. Not a pleasant experience, and had to have 50 stitches to close things up. The dog was loose and I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So I been on the receiving end of a biting animal.

As for euthanizing the dog, I don't think so. Not in the State I live. I would like someone to post in which US State can you be forced to euthanize your dog, save rabid behavior or suspicion of rabies?

OP - I am going to be in the usual minority on this particular forum when I tell you I don't think your dog's reaction to strangers as being such a bad thing. You mentioned that the service person entered the house and you weren't expecting him to do so. Did it raise any intuition feelings on your part? Perhaps your dog's intuition was raised and she reacted.

You can work with your dog, and walk your dog 45 minutes a day until the cows come home, but in my opinion, I don't think it will cure her stranger anxiety. My old gal's had it since she was young. She sees herself as the protector.

Just my $.02.

This brings up a topic that interests me a great deal and that's "breed personality". Some dogs are just genetically programmed to be "mellow". Others are wired to be "in charge".

The trainers we worked with were both quick to point our that our dog had essentially bullyed his way into top dog status and faced with US he wasn't quite sure he wanted to give it up... . They told us it would be a long siege, to expect challenges, and keep at it. Man! were they ever right, lol. They also told us that Shepherds are among the smartest and most loyal of dogs... but it takes a lot "to persuade them" that your way is the best way... they're "thinkers". Trained, directed, "harnessed" it's what makes them so versatile as working animals... left to their own devices, it's what makes them potentially very dangerous.

Contrast this with Cynthia's dogs... retired Greyhounds. Socialized from puppyhood, handled daily by humans... they don't "do" aggression the way an unsocialized Shepherd cross from the pound will. And she has only experienced the receiving end of how "nasty" a dog can be when the owner's fail to assume control. She has no practical knowledge of the nitty-gritty of TRAINING a dog that has had its own way for however long.

It's really, really hard work! and the progress is often glacial. I understand, Garys., just how hard it can be. Also, how rewarding. Do the obedience work and keep after her. If you insist she do it, SHE WILL!

I had a Shepard/Lab, now have a Shepard/Hound. Both display/ed the same behavior. I also have two other dogs.

I never scold the dogs for barking at service people or strangers. I work from home, and the front door is always open for the dogs to look out of the full length storm door. One or more of them is always guarding her territory.

They look very intimidating when they are in full throttle bark and growl. Most of the time, I lock the storm door. Sometimes, I simply forget. All of my service people know about the dogs. I'm not going to say I would be surprised if they ever bit someone. I don't think they would. However, if someone is stupid enough to open my door, come into my house with three large dogs guarding their territory, they are stupid enough to get bitten.

I think you have a good thing. It's one of the things I like about the Shepard personality. Very loyal and guarding. There are a lot of people out there who are afraid of them, just because of their size.

SG

As regards the "Dog Whisperer", it's true that you can't have Cesar himself come to you. But, he has written a few books, which detail his techniques and how to put them into practice.

His suggestions have been invaluable in helping us to keep our three Mastiffs under control. His books are available through Amazon. It's worth the investment to buy one.

Much of what happens when you can't control the dog's behavior is because of what the dog reads from YOUR behavior. When a service man comes in the house, and the dog starts growling, do you get anxious and fearful that something will happen? Do you project this fearfulness onto the dog? Dogs are perceptive creatures and can pick up on these things. Read one of Ceasar's books and you will see what you are doing to help feed this behavior, and how to correct it.

Munkos has hit the nail on the head with his post.

Your dog is nervous around service men because you are nervous. Your dog is more friendly to your friends, because you are friendly.

Best thing for any dog and owner is a local training class!

I think your German Shepard dog (GSD) is being an excellent GSD. They were developed to guard against strangers.

You could get lots of advice from this forum ("in this particular situation, you do this"), but I really think a trainer on the spot in person can best analyse the particular triggers and responses.

This is very important with aggression because just one bite can create big issues.

For $150 or less, the class can teach you and the dog about many triggers and situations.

"As for euthanizing the dog, I don't think so. Not in the State I live. I would like someone to post in which US State can you be forced to euthanize your dog, save rabid behavior or suspicion of rabies? "
Georgia and Florida. I'm sure many more but at least these are where I have lived, it may be a county law not a state law but these bites are on the news all the time and if convicted the dog is put down.

"OP - I am going to be in the usual minority on this particular forum when I tell you I don't think your dog's reaction to strangers as being such a bad thing.
Maybe in the minority but you're not alone.
I actually not only wanted my older dog to bark visciously and growl when someone came to the door but I actually trained him to do it. Cesar Millan would not be so thrilled with this trick. I also trained him to do it on command and he does it well.
Funny thing is he'll do this at the door but he'll do it if something strange comes in the yard but won't attack it. He's afraid of what he's barking or growling at. For instance, the other day it was really windy and I had a tree gator bag blowing all over the yard and he was in the yard barking and growling at it but every time it would shift in the wind, he'd go running in the opposite direction. He wouldn't go near it. His mean bark is all show. He'd take off in the other direction if the visitor was malintentioned.

He's got a different bark when one of the loose neighborhood dogs comes into view. It's the let's play bark. More of a whiny squeaky bark with tail wagging in high gear. Not a mean loud bark/growl combination with upright tail and ears perked.

Anyway, lots of lengthy responses. Sounds like this dog in question needs to learn sit-stay. Nothing out of the ordinary. And I would expose the dog to all the visitors to your home once he's in a calm submissive state and make them good experiences and let him sniff the visitors and get treats. That's how they learn that visitors are cool nothing to be afraid of.

labmama and qq, Here's another one in the minority. Does anyone know that when you are frightened or startled your body gives off certain chemicals that any animal can smell and know exactly what it means. Could that have been what started that beautiful dog off?
be thankful you've got a guard dog just keep him on a leash when a service man is around.

my big old hound dog scares strangers to death also and i tell strangers he'll tear them up.
However he would love them to death if they came in the house.

If a stranger comes into your house without knocking. no court in the land will put him down.

And i can't stand the dog whisperer. I think he is a show off bully. Only my opinion folks.
vickie

And besides, no jurisdiction will confiscate a dog that bites - particularly if it's not a repeat offense.

I had a pit bull that put his head through a fence and really bit the UPS guy just above the knee. I saw the great pain on his face. Animal control called me and made sure the dog was vaccinated for rabies and I never heard another thing.

More recently a dumb, young girl walked through my front gate when I was not home and was bit by my black lab mix.
Animal control called me and again my dog was vaccinated and I never heard another thing.

Dogs are used for personal and home protection. The government recognizes this.

but I digress,
vicky

The cases you hear about on the news with kids getting mauled by dogs, they dogs are put to sleep and the owner is fined. There was a couple of Dog whisper epsidoes, like last week when they talk about mail carriers getting bitten and the owners keep the dogs. Not sure what that's all about but if I get biten while on public property or a sidewalk, that dog's going down and the owners can kiss everything they own goodbye. I have zero tolerance for this kind of stuff. People can say they're protecting their property with attack dogs and thats fine but up a 10' concrete wall around their place and they can go to the post office or ups center to get all of their deliveries.

The stories about the kids on tv are usually a kid walking down the street and loose mean pit takes them to the ground and mauls them severely. Yes, those dogs are usually immediately destroyed. Since the owners usually disappear into the woodwork at the sight of something happening, the authorities need to rule out rabies right away in the event the already severely mutilated victim would need injections. When there is an owner present and he or she can present a current rabies certificate, the dog is not immediately put down. Like it or not, dog owners (even those with biting dogs) have rights too.

My dog protects my property, I want her to. I have good control over my dog. I want the stranger service, delivery and any non-acquaintance to be aware that my dog will bite them. Some are so stupid that despite my warnings, they will still put their hand down and try to make friends with a barking dog??? Dumb in my opinion, but that's their problem if they are bitten. Yes, my homeowners will cover it if they make a claim, but they definitely won't get rich. Old gal won't maul them. The carrier will pay a reasonable settlement. There are beware of dog signs on the property. Any person entering my property needs to use reasonable care that a prudent person entering a property with a "beware of dog" sign present to protect himself from danger. That's how the law reads in the State I reside in.

QQ if you get bitten on private property rest assured that the dog is probably not "going down". As for the owner "kissing everything goodbye". Think again, their homeowners may pay you a reasonable settlement depending on the injuries sustained. With the exception of the pit maulings, dog bites usually aren't that severe and the settlements won't put you into retirement. Take your medical bills and multiply by 3 and that is a very good estimate of the settlement you will receive. Should you be permanently disabled which isn't an often occurrence, you may get a little more.

As for the 10' wall, yeah, I might do that when there is law that I have do so. Until then I will continue to enjoy the view. BTW, my mailman and old gal are good friends. I make it a point to "introduce" the old gal guard to the "safe" people. My mailman brings her a biscuit every day and you can bet that she will get her old decrepited sore a$$ down the long drive to wait for that biscuit:0).

As for the dog whisperer - I am another non-fan. He's full of alot of hot air when you can understand what he's saying. He did do something right, he made a friend of Oprah Winfrey. We have seen how those friends seem to have TV shows materialize soon thereafter - Dr. (idiot) Phil Magraw and wife, Rachel Ray, etc.

I was in an emergency room once when a 5 year old was brought in - he had been attacked by a dog. His face was shredded and bleeding. It was horrifying. I asked the nurse if it happened often. She said "more than you might imagine".

I don't blame the dog, but I DO blame irresponsible owners.

labmomma:
I would like someone to post in which US State can you be forced to euthanize your dog, save rabid behavior or suspicion of rabies?

California - remember the case where two dogs attacked and killed Diane Whipple in San Francisco. One of them was put down the same day. The owners were sentenced to four years in prison.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Diane Whipple Case

The laws will vary from state to state, but generally in most states before an animal is euthanized it needs to be legally determined to be "viscious and dangerous"; which typically involves a hearing to determine the circumstances. Owners of viscious and dangerous animals are subject to special orders and if they do not comply then the animals are confiscated and euthanized.

Minor attacks usually require repeat offenses before eutahanization is ordered. A deadly attack is probably going to result in immediate euthanization.

Animals can be determined to viscious and dangerous if they harm other animals, its not exclusive to human attacks.

This may be of interest to anyone whose dog has bitten someone once.

Here is a link that might be useful: One Bite States

I think that many of these posts are helpful but ya know what...garysgirl03, you are going to have to find out what works best for you and your baby. I'm going to tell you my story to see if this might help you...

Well I have a boxer dog and see is not a dog, she is my baby. Anyways I originally got her for a companion in the car (I lived 2 hours away from my boyfriend at the time, my husband now) and protection. Well I did not 1 time tell her to get somebody, I never told her I was scared, nothing, and she on her own learned to protect mommy. The main thing I suggest is to teach your baby the "sit and stay" command, because this is what made StarLite learn to let me be in control of the situation. She also knows that if somebody comes into our home and Daddy is home, to back off and let him handle it. Its almost like okay, I'm going to relax this time you do it Dad. BUT...it took a while for her to do that and even now sometimes (and yes, its when I get startled or I wasn't expecting somebody over)she gets upset and will get up and bark, but Daddy or I will tell her to "sit and stay" and she will and then we'll tell her "lets see who it is". She is okay with that. That is what has worked for us, but if her and I are in the car together. FORGET IT!!! She won't let anybody come inside if she don't already know them first, which I LOVE!! She has totally felt my feelings (being a small woman, who is a little frightened of threatening situations) and she takes care of me. I thought about trying to make her not bark and stuff and my husband said to me, why would we do that? She is just doing her job. She loves her family and she is just making sure they are okay.

I know that some people won't agree with my post and that's fine. My family situation is not for everybody. Some people in this world just have their dogs be dogs and I don't know how they do that. My dogs and cats are my family. Well I hope I helped a little bit and if you have any other quesitons for me, just let me know. Good Luck!!! Keep us posted!! :-)

Thanks, Elycia

With regard to Cesar Millan...I think the show is worth watching because witnessing a dog who has a bad behavior issue(s) be cured is a real eye opener for most dog owners (including moi), largely because the problem usually stems from the owner's state of mind triggering the dog's bad behavior.

However, I also agree with QQ that behavior issues such as aggression should be handled with the help of a real life trainer. Dog Whisperer is informative and entertaining, but is not a substitute for real-life application.

What is likely going on here is that GarysGirl is anticipating the aggressive behavior when the doorbell rings and the dog is picking up on that nervousness as a cue to protect. It is a vicious circle and exactly what Munkos posted about.

GarysGirl, I would seriously consider taking your dog to a trainer/behaviorist who can work one on one with you to help you determine the cause of your dog's behavior and get this problem under control.

Let us know what you find out!

I just thought I'd add that I also don't want my dog to stop doing what he does. I know that if I ever needed him to protect me, he would. I don't want to teach him not to do that.

Just a month or so ago, we all went to bed. Little one sleeps in her crate, and the big guy sleeps in the loft off our bedroom. He can see out the big bay windows into the front yard, drive way, and across the street. He can also see in the back yard. Just as we started to settle in he FLIPPED. So my boyfriend went rushing outside with the dog on the leash. Didn't see anything. Waited for a bit and a man in dark clothing darted out from the shadows..walked up to a house like he was going to go in, then booked it down a pathway. He didn't take the dog out there to hurt anyone, but to scare them off. Whoever is dumb enough to still come into a house when they've seen theres a big spikey, snarling, teeth baring dog in there, gets what they deserve. If we had taught him not to bark and get upset at strangers, who knows what that man was about to get into. Maybe the house, maybe stealing our cars. Our dog has also scarred someone off in the middle of breaking into our old roommates car, and mine. If it weren't for his behaviour around strangers in and around the house we might be out two vehicles, personal information and maybe our house would have been broken into. I don't want him to bite strangers, but I also don't want him to immediately love anyone who steps on our property.

qq, you probably know by now. I like you and your posts and we usually agree. So i'm not being ugly. I have 6'hog panel fences(to protect my dogs)LOL My mailbox is more than a mile from my house on the hwy. Have the same UPS man for 5yrs. and he ignores my dogs because he knows they would'nt hurt him. My meter reader also knows what loving dogs they are and also know they can't get out of their fence.
I'm sorry for jumping in on thread. just could'nt resist.
Good luck with your dog. I still think you're lucky to have a guard dog. German Shepherds are used alot as police dogs and they have to be very trainable or they would'nt make the grade.

Our two labs are the same way. I put them in a stay up on our stair landing in the entry hall(I ask them to do a down and stay). They know they will get treats if they obey. That has worked very well.

If I know workers are coming I do put them outside or up in my bedroom first.

Another thing you can do is to desensitize her to their appearance. This invloves rewarding her with positive reinforcement when she encounters a person dressed like that so she starts to associate good with that type of person. There are tons of books and articles on that.

I don't discourage my dogs from barking and alerting me, but if I tell them to go lay down on the landing and to stay that is what I expect.

On Halloween they started barking at the door at the kids in costumes, by the end of the night they would hear the doorbell and run to the landing and drool for a dog treat. Dogs are very smart!

Wow, lots of responses! Thank you to everyone.

I should clarify that I actually do like that she is protective of her house and family. When the large serviceman came in without knocking and startled me, I was glad to know that she wouldn't let anyone into our house uninvited (I was also extremely glad that she didn't actually bite him, just warned him). However, I want to have control over her behavior when we have invited a service person in who is supposed to be there.

The real problem is that she continues to go crazy after these people have been invited in and she has been told that it's ok. This is a problem whether both my husband and I are there or one of us is there alone. She will bark, snarl, and growl the entire time the serviceman is there, even while she is on a leash and we are telling her to stop. She does this even if we move her to another part of the house or outside.

So, we need to figure out some way to let her know that WE are in charge of who comes into the house, not her. Incidentally, having a shepherd mix has really been an eye-opening experience for me with regards to inborn breed traits. I used to think that it was all how you raised them and any type of dog would not be a "guard dog" unless you specifically trained it to be one. Wrong!

zone -

we're talking about dog BITES, not KILLINGS. That woman was killed in the hallway by two large dogs while the owners were right there.

I don't believe that any state puts a dog down for a bite - particularly if the bite happens on private property. Dogs bite - everyone knows that and needs to be safety-conscious.

I laugh at the people who rush to the hospital when they get a little dog bite. To them I say, "Butch up". I've been bitten by my own dogs while trying to prevent further fighting between them. Damn, that hurts!! But I don't go to the doctor - what can they do? (and yes, I have plenty of insurance).

Labmomma- Did I say anything about court?
:-)

Let me tell you the nutshell version of a story of how the dog whisper helped probably save our furry little behinds. I told this story on another forum and all the cesar-haters came out and told me how stupid i was so you're getting the short version.
After watching the show, I decided I would make more of an effort to keep the dogs to my side instead of in front of me while on walks. I wouldn't say they had a pulling problem but the one would pee on everything in sight and the pup was starting to learn how that looked like fun so I felt like it was time to see if I can walk the dogs how cesar does on tv. And no I didn't contact a professional before using the technique like it says in the disclaimer! I thought I'd take a chance. Well after some time walks became a lot more enjoyable and didn't need someone to reinsert my arm into it's socket if a squirrel ran by and there's no more pee-mail. So there's something to be said for more structured walks and not letting the dogs go first.

That's only half of it. Ok so we're on a sidewalk where some rednecks keep their pitbull looking dogs out in their yard and never walk them or probably do anything remotely responsible so the dogs had tunnneled under the fence. I didn't know this until a mean looking growling and barking dog ambushes us. My first instinct: soil trousers. My second instinct: must get out of here.* â note there is a "*"
Normally these dogs of mine are very friendly, they think every person and dog is their friend and wants to give them cookies. They are personalities that people would kill for in a dog. The mean dog is circling us and I was trying to act like i didn't notice and wanted the boys to play along like we were all wearing iron clad armour. They stayed with the program, focusing on me and where we were going, not jerking me away to go mess with the mean dog. We managed to evade persuit, not getting bitten.

I credit the dog whisper show for making me aware that perfecting the walk was possible and it paid off big.

Now for that * I was talking about. On a recent episode Cesar talked about what do do in a situation where if you are face to face with a mad dog, you don't turn around and run away. He didn't give instructions on what to do, it was the post office seminar episode, but whatever we're still alive and the dogs did not engage thank god. He also says to be calm and assertive and not show fear. I would be very surprsied if I was not showing or smelling like fear but I'm sure I probably was pretty calm and assertive.

luvdogs
we're talking about dog BITES, not KILLINGS. That woman was killed in the hallway by two large dogs while the owners were right there.

Are you inplying that the dogs did not bite her? What did they do? Lick her to death?

I don't believe that any state puts a dog down for a bite - particularly if the bite happens on private property. Dogs bite - everyone knows that and needs to be safety-conscious
I see that you live in Arizona. I don't know about the county/city laws there, but you CAN be sued if your dog bites someone. They fact that it hasn't happened to you yet, doesn't mean you are immune. You've already stated that you have two dogs that have bitten.

Since you don't seem to care about other people (likely children) being bitten about your dogs, it's good that you have insurance.
"Researchers from the CDC estimated that the direct medical costs of dog bites per year equal $164.9 million in the USA"
"In 2003 dog bites accounted for about one quarter of all homeownerÂs insurance liability claims, costing roughly $321.6 million, down slightly from about $345.5 the previous year. (Insurance Information Institute.) In 2002 (latest data available) liability claims accounted for 6 percent of homeowners claim costs. (Ibid.) The same year the average dog bite claim cost insurers $16,600. (Ibid.) In 1998, one in three homeowner insurance claims pertained to a dog bite but the average insurance payout was $12,000. ("Take the bite out of man's best friend." State Farm Times, 1998;3(5):2.)

If you have to file a claim, you can be sure that your premium will go up (as it should)

This is Arizona law:
Liability for dog bites
A. The owner of a dog which bites a person when the person is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of its viciousness.

There are nips and there are dog bites. The 5 year old child I saw in the emergency room had his faced shredded. You seem to have a cavalier attitute about a serious matter

Here is a link that might be useful: Arizona laws

Zone8Grandma, that's very true. Except in my experience, most insurance companies will outright cancel your homeowner's/renter's insurance if you file such a claim.

If your premiums only go up, consider yourself fortunate.

Cindy,
You are right. After posting, I read that most insurance companies will pay up after the first bite and then cancel the policy leaving the owner to deal with any future bite consequences. Thanks for clarifying.

I do think that the OP is right to be concerned and clearly she/he is a responsible dog owner who will work with her dog to resolve the issue.

I am concerned about some of the cavalier comments I've read on this thread.

"I laugh at the people who rush to the hospital when they get a little dog bite. To them I say, "Butch up". "

Boy, you're something else. Most dog-bite victims who are reported by hospitals are children. Should they "butch up"? for god's sake?

Wow. Just wow.

I will agree that the Whipple case was a little more than a "dog bite" it was a slaughtering done by dogs.

With regard to dog bites - anyone who has received any type of animal bite that has broken the skin needs to receive medical attention.

As the recipient of a rather nasty dog attack as a teen, I will tell you it isn't a pleasant experience. There's no butching up. I needed emergency room attention. Aside from the wounds, I was in shock, which in it of itself can be life threatening left untreated. I received over 50 stitches and still have the scars.

It took me a very long time to even trust, let alone consider owning a dog after the dog bite.

"I laugh at the people who rush to the hospital when they get a little dog bite. To them I say, "Butch up". "

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

"Some are so stupid that despite my warnings, they will still put their hand down and try to make friends with a barking dog??? Dumb in my opinion, but that's their problem if they are bitten".

Labmomma - Your problem too. Your homeowner insurance premiums would go up if a claim is made. Your dog may be discontinued from liability coverage or you might be discontinued period. Your dog gets a bite history record. Harder to find affordable insurance. The bite history gives the authorities ammo to prosecute, to remove or destroy the dog if a bite happens again and can give subsequent bite victims more ability to recover punitive damages. Depending on state/county laws multiple bite history owners might have to register the dog as aggressive and the dog might be required to have restrictions placed on them  such as muzzled in public or X dollars in liability coverage.

Uh, Chelone, just a clarification on greyhounds. I love them dearly and they are sweet dogs, but they are....(nice word here) 'nippy.' In Australia, greyhounds are required to be muzzled when taken out in public. It's manageable with training, muzzleing, containment when there's a risk. This is what I recommend for the orignal poster. The most frequent behavior 'problem' with our placed greys is biting, sad to say. So, yes, I do have experiences on both sides of this issue.

And this: "She has no practical knowledge of the nitty-gritty of TRAINING a dog that has had its own way for however long." Insulting and completely incorrect and parochial You have no idea what dogs and issues I've worked with. And I have indeed worked with many many dogs that have been practically ruined by humans. This is not an issue that is restricted to your particular dog or your particular breed.