German Shepherds have been considered to be the best guard and protective family dogs in the United States of America. They are friendly and loyal to their owners but it does not change the fact that they can be aggressive if they are provoked or feel any danger near them. But you must be worried about their temperament, are they an aggressive breed?
So are German Shepherds aggressive? German Shepherds are the descendants of wolves and the nature of aggressiveness is quite natural among them. They can become aggressive due to many reasons, even though it is dependent on the breed, age, and, of course, training history. The interesting thing to know is that they can be easily trained for managing their anger as they are a highly intelligent breed.
German Shepherds have a reputation for being incredibly devoted and protective, making them great watchdogs for both their owners and their loved ones. Because of their protection skills, they even become aggressive under certain circumstances.
But what’s the actual reason behind their aggressive nature, are they naturally aggressive? We need to gather all relevant information about German Shepherd’s temperament.
This particular post is all about the German Shepherd’s aggressive nature, why they become aggressive, how we can manage their anger, whether Can they attack their owners, and many more.
Let’s go through the topic and discuss it in detail:
Table of Contents
Why Are German Shepherds Aggressive?
All dog breeds are of different temperaments, some remain calm while some easily become aggressive. However, the temperament depends on the situation and it also depends on the dog breed. But the main query is why are German Shepherds aggressive?
German Shepherds do not become aggressive without any reason. They may become aggressive because of boredom, being provoked, or being threatened. They may be upset or have any type of health issue that is triggering their behavior.
Aggression in German Shepherds involves a wide range of mood swings and bad temperaments. Though German Shepherds are naturally protective and energetic breeds that can let to be aggressive.
At the same time, they are highly intelligent breeds and are easy to train. Proper training allows them to behave well and manage their anger. If not trained well then they can even become more dangerous and may harm their owners too.
So it’s important to learn the temperament of your dog breed at the very initial stage as there are some signs that only we have to notice.
Here are some signs that can help you observe their behavior before their aggression:
- When German Shepherds use to bark at you regularly and after being stopped barking they even bark louder.
- When German Shepherds bites furniture or chew something, seeing them you give them the command to stop and they start growling at you.
- When German Shepherds try to snap at you if you tell them to stop doing any unwanted things.
- When your pet German Shepherd bites your hand with full force.
- When German Shepherds breed sees any other animals in your compound they start chasing them with continuous barking.
- When German Shepherds dog starts growling if your try to touch them.
Also Read: Are German Shepherds Good With Babies? Helpful Guides For Parents!!!
Are German Shepherds Aggressive To Their Owners?
German Shepherds can be protective of their owners, but aggression towards them is rare. These dogs are usually very loyal and devoted to their families, making them a great choice for households with children or other pets.
However, German Shepherds will typically become territorial if they feel threatened or intimidated by someone. This can lead to aggressive behavior if not managed properly.
To prevent this from occurring, it is important to provide proper socialization and training as early as possible so that the dog understands boundaries and commands.
Additionally, it’s advised that owners avoid provoking the dog in any way such as through loud shouting or physical discipline.
With proper care and attention, the majority of German Shepherd owners should have no problem living peacefully with their canine companion.
What Makes German Shepherds Aggressive?
All we know is that German Shepherds have been the descendants of wolves and the behavior of aggressiveness is quite natural for them. However no breed becomes aggressive without any reason, there must be a genuine factor that forces them to behave badly or become aggressive.
Though German Shepherds have been the most loving dog breeds and are the 2nd most popular dog in the USA. They become aggressive more often due to certain circumstances which you should also know.
Here are certain things that can make any German Shepherd aggressive:
Not Getting Enough Exercise
One of the factors behind the aggressive nature of our German Shepherds may be that they do not get enough physical exercise. As they are a highly active breed they like to spend their time running or moving around. They do need exercise or they become bored which can lead them to become aggressive.
German Shepherds do not prefer to be kept indoors all the time. The condition can also worsen when you are living in an apartment and not letting your dog go outside. In such a situation, one German Shepherd’s aggressiveness can be triggered easily.
You need to take your canine for a regular walk and if you are not able to make them walk daily try at least once every two days. You can try going to the park, hiking or swimming as it will let them be physically active and they will also remain happy.
Boredom
German Shepherd dogs may become bored when they are left alone for a longer period and no one pays attention to them. Of course, leaving them alone for a longer period allows them to become more aggressive.
Being a loving breed they do need special care and attention from their owners. When you are not able to give them sufficient time there is a change in their behavior. They can start barking at you, biting your furniture or foot to grab your attention.
However, changing this type of behavior can be prevented when you spend most of your time with them as leaving them alone for a longer time may trigger their aggression which can lead you to face a huge problem.
Lack of Socialization
Lack of socialization may be a contributing role in German Shepherd’s aggressive behavior, as socialization teaches dogs how to behave nicely and make ideal companions for their owners.
If your dog is not properly socialized then it’s hard for them to handle new things, people, or animals as the presence can make them anxious.
Seeing all the new people or other dogs can let them become either afraid or fearful as a result they may show aggressive behavior.
It should also be noted that a well-socialized dog breed is always easy to handle, they will have less aggressive tendencies as it will be easy for them to adjust to new people or other breeds.
Sickness
Sickness is one of the common causes that let the dogs for their aggressive behavior. When you see a change of behavior in your dog all of a sudden then illness can also be a reason.
You need to observe your dog properly if they are in discomfort by any means of sickness then you should not waste your time and meet your vet as soon as possible.
Ignoring German Shepherd’s health problems may lead to major problems and it may become hard for you to handle them.
Overprotectiveness
Excessive protection or overprotectiveness may also give birth to aggressive nature among German Shepherds. This problem mainly arises when you try to keep your dog inside your house most of the time to protect them from external dangers.
However, this change of behavior can be avoided among German Shepherds by letting your dog be free most of the time.
Try not to give them an overdose of love as it may irritate them and even bite them. So it’s important to provide some space to them as we all know excess of anything is bad.
Inadequate Training
Providing poor training to German Shepherds may be a responsible factor that can make any German Shepherd aggressive. If they are not trained to be socialized they will misbehave with unknown persons or animals.
German Shepherds have protective and territorial instincts as they were originally bred for doing such work as a result they always want to protect their beloved ones by any means. If trained well they can act very beneficial for you. They can be good with your family members, friends, and children.
However inadequate training could let German Shepherds to become even more aggressive under certain circumstances. Sometimes they can become uncontrollable, which puts you and your family members at risk.
German Shepherd needs proper training to behave well and it also allows them to interact with unknown persons well. They can also handle odd situations with more sense if they are provided with proper training.
Imbalanced Diet
Diet can also act as an important factor that can make your dog aggressive. If German Shepherds do not get proper food they can become irritated and act wild on you.
If they remain hungry for a longer time they may show some signs like excessive barking which is the initial stage of anger.
You need to provide a full nutritional diet as we all know that German Shepherds have been the most energetic breed and they need proper food to remain active. A nutritional diet not only lets them satiate their hunger but also lets them be healthy.
Are German Shepherds Dangerous?
German Shepherds come in the category of the most lovable dog breeds and they may be the first choice among other dogs. However, there may be one question in the mind of every German Shepherd owner, are German Shepherds dangerous?
No, German Shepherds are not dangerous by nature. They are generally friendly and loyal animals that form strong bonds with their owners. However, like any breed of dog, German Shepherds can become aggressive if they are not properly trained and socialized from a young age.
As a GSD owner, you must be aware that aggressive German Shepherds will always be hard to handle.
Like all dogs, it’s important to remember that German Shepherds require patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement when it comes to training and socializing them. This will help ensure a healthy relationship between the canine and its human family members.
Ultimately, with proper care and obedience training, German Shepherds can make an excellent companion animal for your home and family members.
How To Manage German Shepherd’s Anger?
There are several odd situations where our German Shepherds deal with their anger but we should not encourage their aggressive behavior.
It’s always difficult to handle German Shepherd aggression so we should try to take desirable steps to make them calm and behave well as aggressive dogs can be hazardous most of the time so it’s always important to provide proper dog training and take important steps to calm them but again what are these steps that can let our dogs be calm?
Let’s discuss them one by one:
Providing Proper Behavior Training
As a dog owner, it’s always frustrating to manage German Shepherd aggression so the best thing you can do to manage any German Shepherd’s aggression and behave well is to start training them at a very early age.
As they are not fully grown up, it’s easy to control them as they are smaller in size and are easy to train. While adult GSDs are difficult to train and they can even become more aggressive when they do not follow your command.
If you are trying to train them yourself at the initial stage then your should not get frustrated and give them some time to learn. Apart from this, you can hire some professionals as they are experts to provide them with adequate training.
Providing Early Socialization
Seeing other animals or new persons your dog starts barking then it’s obvious that they must not be socialized properly or trained. Early socialization is highly beneficial for German Shepherds, it not only provides safety to your children but for you also.
As they are dominant they see new persons or strangers or animals as a threat. So it’s important to bring them to the socialization period when they are pups. You can try exposing your GSD puppy to new persons, friends, or animals gradually to let them socialize with them.
Once they become familiar with them it becomes easy for them to trust or they never bark at them. However, you can also meet some professionals for providing them with early training as this will make your work easier and your dog will also be well-behaved.
Final Thoughts:
I feel very proud to see my German Shepherd dog being highly friendly with my friends. German Shepherds are highly protective and loyal to their owners but we can’t ignore their dominant behavior which may lead to aggression.
The nature of aggression in German Shepherds is natural as they are the descendants of wolves. However, their aggression can be managed by providing them with adequate training or making them socialized.
You should always manage your aggressive German Shepherd with much ease and patience as aggressive behaviors include growling, excessive barking, or howling.
You should learn your dog’s body language and the circumstance that lets your dog’s aggression triggers.
You should provide them with proper training or hire some professional so that they could get the proper training to behave well with strangers or with your family members.
German Shepherds are good companions and good family dogs if handled properly and you will never regret having them as your pet.
Related Questions:
At What age do German Shepherds become aggressive?
German Shepherds are the descendants of wolves and they can be aggressive. They become aggressive when they are around 3 to 6 months old. However, their nature of aggression can be accelerated when they go to the age of 6 months to 2 years because of their sexual maturity and hormones increment.
Are German Shepherds on the aggressive dog list?
No, German Shepherds are typically not considered an aggressive breed. They are loyal, intelligent, easy to train, and the best guard dogs that make great family companions.
However, like any other dog, they can become aggressive if not properly trained or socialized. It is important to start early training with German Shepherds so they understand their owners’ expectations and learn how to properly interact with other people and animals.
Can German Shepherds attack their owners?
Yeah, of course, there is a higher possibility for them to attack their owners. Many possible reasons can let them attack their owners like inadequate training, health issues, boredom, separation anxiety, etc.
Can You Trust A German Shepherd?
Absolutely! German Shepherds are loyal, and dependable, and make great family dogs. They are highly trainable and intelligent, making them the perfect canine companion for most families.
They are also protective of their owners, so they can be great guard dogs if properly trained. When you bring home a dog, you’re bringing home a friend for life.