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German Shepherd Dogs

@germanshepherddogs / germanshepherddogs.tumblr.com

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Anonymous asked:

Does he calm down once he says hi to the other dog(s)? My Shepherd is a little over a year now, and she has this bark that you can't always tell whether or not she's friendly, but she actually is. It was rather nerve racking for a while, but now I just tell people that she's just noisy. You're definitely entering doggie puberty though. My girl was a basketcase from about 6 to 9 months old. She did eventually start calming down though, the challenge has always been keeping her from getting bored.

It depends on the dog. Sometimes he goes into play mode and seems happy. Other times, he’ll stare and them, then turn and run to hide next to me. Sometimes, if the dog is smaller than him, he starts acting like the bully. There’s one big dog who is regularly at the dog park and he plays very nicely with Gendry. I try to give them as much time together as I can because he behaves so well and I want Gendry to “learn” from him. 

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I think I messed up with Gendry

Hi guys, 

So, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed Gendry begin to bark at other dogs. The fur on his back stands straight up and it’s a huge challenge to get his attention back on me. I suspect he’s behaving this way out of fear because I made the mistake of letting him interact with “bullies” at the dog bark. (Note: I’m not talking about bully breeds, just dogs that have a very rough play style and don’t know when to give the other dog a break). I was too busy being socially awkward with the other owners to get up and leave when I noticed things were getting a little out of hand. This lead Gendry to get scared and act more aggressive in an attempt to tell the other dog to leave him alone. And now, I’m worried Gendry will begin to develop more extreme reactivity to other dogs if I don’t help him work through it now. 

So, I’ve made a commitment to only let him play with gentle dogs and to take him away from the situation whenever I see it getting rough. But, is there anything else I can do to help his reactivity? He’s getting so big now that I’ve started to notice owners get a little nervous when he starts barking at their dogs. Also, some people have suggested that it might just be his age right now. He just hit 6 months two days ago. Is this just doggie puberty?  Is it possible that it could get a little better on his own?

#another plea for help#Gendry doesnt like other dogs
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