GSP Aggression

[gdahl2]

I have a 6 1/2yr. old GSP. She's been a great dog and have enjoyed my years hunting with her and seeing her make gains every year in the field. She's been a great house dog and is fine with my family, kids and guest's.

My question and/or problem is this. As a puppy and up to the age of about 3 yrs. old, she was great with other dogs. However, over the last 3yrs. she has shown more aggression and/or has become very territorial over our yard at home when other dogs walk by and has charged some out of the blue!! It has been very frustrating, as she is a good dog at heart, but the people walking the dogs have been very startled which is completely understandable. When I take her hunting, it is never a problem with other dogs around, as she know's the hunt is what it is all about.

When friends or neighbors bring their dogs over and I'm there to introduce to my dog, she doesn't show the aggression at all. It's just when walking by our yard.

The only thing I can think of, is it started right around the time I put up a fence at my old house in MPLS. We have since moved to the burbs, of which we can only put in electric fences in our new neighborhood and have done so. However, she has busted through that at the temptation of other dogs walking by.

Sorry to ramble, but am looking for any suggestions on how to break??

[jbdragon17]

My male Red Setter does the same thing. He goes bonkers when another dog is walked by the fence. I have started keeping the e-collar on him while he is outside. When I hear him bark aggressively he gets a zap. I also use a bark collar. I vary them because I have given him a zap when I see him digging too.

[fivebucks]

My last dog did the same thing. She just wanted to be the top b*tch around. She was great with dogs she knew or I introduced her to and show no other aggression other than dogs walking by. After 2 vet bills for other peoples dogs I just couldn't let her loose except in the field. I didn't have a collar then so that might have helped. I feel your pain as that's about the age that my dog started her dominance and she was big enough to back it up. It was almost always with other females. I would try the collar to keep her from running to the street but if that doesn't work you may have to keep her on a leash. I put a cable runner in my yard so she wouldn't have to stay in the kennel when we where outside. Good luck.

[gdahl2]

I appreciate the feedback and looks like something I will just need to continue to monitor closely, as I have been trying to do. It's funny in that as with your dog, it's typically with other females where she get's ornery. With 2 kids that sometimes let her out with out my knowledge, that's typically when the charges have occured (i.e. when I'm not out there with her).

I may have to look at bumping up her electric fence collar a notch to remind her as well.

G.Dahl

[Johnny_Namakan]

My dog is the same way. If any dog is walked by my house she goes nuts. I, myself, do not like it when neighbors dogs are barking and barking, and therfore I try to extend the same in return. So she has an e-collar on her as well when she is in the yard (just got the collar three days ago). I never have to zap her though, she knows what the collar does and once it goes on she becomes a "good girl" and doesn't bark. When my dog does go crazy when people and dogs go by she sounds so mean and vicious. But she wouldn't hurt a fly. I'm sure a lot of people in the neighborhood probably think she is a mean dog and might be a little scared of her, but if she did get out of the fence she would only lick them to death. It's funny, cause like you mentioned earlier it started once the fence was put up. Same here. Before I had the fence I'd be out in the yard with her and if someone walked by she would just run up to them with her tail wagging wanting to play with the other dog. Now the fence is up and she gets aggressive when people/dogs go by. It's almost like she's mad that they can't come play with her and she can't get to them. I think she's just trying to get their attention like she's saying "hey you, over here. Come over here."