Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hi,

I'm Leo from the Philippines.Bought a 9 months DS last January 2,he's 11 months now and our relationship is getting better.However,he's highly territorial and has beaten my nephew and my niece who visited me . We walk almost an hour everyday except for a very busy day. Can somebody help me reduce his aggressiveness when at home.

Welcome to the forum. Pease take a minute to add a signature to your profile.

What are your plans for your dog? Exercise alone does not meet the needs of this breed. They need mental stimulation or a job as well. Do some searches on this site and you'll see some good advice.

Basic obedience is also key to managing your dog.

Hi and welcome!

what do you mean he has "beaten " your nephew and niece? How is his obedience? Do you have a trainer? that would be my first order of business as we cannot really asses his behavior from behind the computer. If you have a specific question, that would be a better start.

My nephew and my niece was attacked on a different occasions.First,he was freely walking in the house when my nephew visited and was attacked.Second,the leash failed and attacked a visiting niece. He's doing good in basic obedience but the territorial side of him always dominate whenever i have a visitor.I don't have a trainer. Having your dog trained by a professional here is expensive.

WARNING THE 1ST AND LAST PICTURES ARE GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF SEVERE DOG BITES

Dam that some nasty bites. Dog is not a pet, he needs proper training and work.

WOW, that is not good at all !!!

He should not be free in the house until his manners are under control 100%. Find a trainer asap and get into classes at least once a week. He is to be on a leash attached to you at all times unless you are the only one in the house. He is not allowed near others and they cannot approach him.

Crate him if you cannot control him while others are in the house. That is not just a nip, that will scar and I hope it does not get infected. This is not something to take lightly.

This is why I say they are not family pets.

You bought him at 9 months. We're you able to talk to the previous owner or did you buy from a third party? Just wondering if you knew what you were getting. One of my concerns would be preventing future bites and also liability I'm not an attorney but I think your responsibility increases now that you know you have an agressive dog... at least here in US. I researched people getting hurt on my horses ... if I put a beginner rider on a horse I know has bolted and dumped a rider, I'm liable. Just seems like dog ownership, your dog's agressiveness, and how you let the dog interact with people would be a big deal here. I hope the physical scars heal ... and the mental scars your niece and nephew may have also.

He's not free in the house anymore.Many say he needs to be put to sleep but i don't want to do it I'm already attached to my DS. As an action I don't let anyone get near him anymore.We do the regular walk as always but with a muzzle. I'm now trying to look for a trainer. The only responsibility that we have when a dog bites here is that the owner needs to cover all the necessary expenses for the hospital and medications. He is not a family pet any anymore. Thanks for the concern and advice fellow DS owners.

Yes, you have a dangerous dog and if it happens again and the dog warden gets wind of it, he WILL be put to sleep.

These dogs are no joke!

They never should be Pets

You need to find a GOOD trainer.

Im glad you are keeping him away from everyone, until this gets resolved, if ever, he should never be around others at all.

Yes, you have a dangerous dog and if it happens again and the dog warden gets wind of it, he WILL be put to sleep.

Lisa, he is in the Philippines where, from what I understand, they don't have this law like in the US. I think - haven't seen anything when I google.

To the OP, you're going to have a very tough choice. I understand that knowledgable trainers may not be in your area, but seeking one out is at the top of the priority list. Understanding the behavior is foremost and that will tell you if it is something you can change or something that is unchangeable and the dog needs to be put down.

DS are very territorial, so it may be that a formal introduction while on leash and warm up time is needed before people can come into the home and he can roam freely with them in the house. Or he may never accept anyone into the house. There are also certain rules that guests must abide by and the dog as well; these are not your average household pets and people need to understand that. He also needs a job and to be worked mentally and physically every single day, busy or not, sick or not, or lazy or not. The fact that he bit two children tells me that either the kids were doing something they should not have and he reacted, he was territorial with them being on "his" property, or he's just not good around kids. Either way, the fact he has two severe bites under his belt shows me he is a serious dog and needs proper training and structure and dedication, or else he's a ticking time bomb for another bite.

Euthanizing is a decision I would approach if 1) he cannot be controlled, 2) there is something genetically off about him, throwing unpredictable behavior that gets worse, or 3) you cannot handle him. I would not rehome him unless it is to a trainer who understands the breed and can provide the proper environment for him. I would never rehome a dog that has bitten twice to a family, single person, or anyone with zero experience with the breed. I know it sucks but these are cases where things are out of your control and the steps needed to protect yourself and the public would mean a miserable life for him.

Good luck.

If the dog can apply that aggression to the right target then you have a keeper. A dog like this is only dangerous in the wrong environment.

For some this is a potentially great dog due to his lack of bite inhibition. Most /some of us go to great lengths to have a dog like this.

Can you handle this safely without getting innocents hurt is the question.

In the right environment you have struck gold. If you really want to you can do this, it's up to you. Get a bite suit and train a decoy yourself if you have to.

I would definitely ensure your place is dog proof so it can't escape.

Could be a great dog.

I agree with you Dawg that this dog would be great for Ring sport and The trainers and people I used to Trial with had some tough hard biting dog..

But I still would not allow this type of training with this dog unless it was with a highly seasoned handler with this breed.

I would suggest finding such handler to give this dog to. I would not advocate the OP doing it with this dog.

Just goes to show there is no such thing as a good or bad dog, just wrong or right fits. Unfortunately the wrong fit and it ends up bad for the dog.

Sounds like the OP is trying to do good.

dawg wrote:Just goes to show there is no such thing as a good or bad dog, just wrong or right fits. Unfortunately the wrong fit and it ends up bad for the dog.

Sounds like the OP is trying to do good.

I agree 100%. Trying to do good with a dog like this would be to find someone who does Ring sport or something where they really, and I mean really, knows how to handle this type of dog and can put the energy of this dog to good use on a bite suite.

Are there even any ring sport clubs in the Philippines??

I dont know, the OP would have to check and see.

Dutchringgirl wrote:Yes, you have a dangerous dog and if it happens again and the dog warden gets wind of it, he WILL be put to sleep.

These dogs are no joke!

They never should be Pets

You need to find a GOOD trainer.

Im glad you are keeping him away from everyone, until this gets resolved, if ever, he should never be around others at all.

They make great pets for the right owner- but that is the key there, the right owner. Someone who doesn't want to socialize them or invest in training is waiting for a disaster as we see here. Frankly this is a good reminder of exactly why you socialize the hell out of them and get training right away.

Mark77 wrote:


They make great pets for the right owner- but that is the key there, the right owner. Someone who doesn't want to socialize them or invest in training is waiting for a disaster as we see here. Frankly this is a good reminder of exactly why you socialize the hell out of them and get training right away.

I agree Mark, but where I get my pants in a bunch is people who rescue these dogs and have no idea what they are getting into. They are cute and pretty and then they get home and this happens. Go to the shelter, see what is there then go home and research the breed if its a breed you have never heard of.

I have spoken to many people who want these dogs because they are _________ fill in the blank, but have no clue what damage they can do. I have flat out told people NOT to get one, there are plenty of other breeds that will satisfy what they want.

If one works out from a shelter, its a mix and just has the looks of the DS but the temperament of the other breed. Or the human knows what to do.

It works with us because we know how to handle them.

My dog Asia wasn't exactly a rescue but she was an older dog, supposedly at the time 18 months old when I got her. The story was that somehow she wasn't large enough for the needs of some airport police force. They wanted a larger male for taking someone down and for bomb sniffing or something like that. After spending a year training her they traded her to a broker of these dogs and that's how I got her. I took her to obedience class for over a year with one trainer then later for a very short while with another trainer, and took her out with me to as many social places as possible along with my other dog Riddick. She's now a great dog that I can take her into any crowded place and complete strangers can pet her. Point being even with an older rescue dog socializing and training is absolutely crucial with these breeds.

OP you need to make a decision, either decide to give the dog up before it kills someone or decide to start training/socializing your dog. I can tell just by the photo with the dog pulling, you have zero control over that animal. It's a fear biter also, biting people coming in the home because it's not socialized at all.