Any advise on my aggressive dog attacking my other dog?

[Shellie and Jeff]

My german shepard is dominant aggressive. She has been alot work for my husband and I and we have come a long way with her. Our lab is another story. She could care less of the rank in our family and just wants to be a part of it. There was alot of fights between the two and we have been pretty structered with thier routines and constant training to live in harmony.

Lately if our lab lays up against the couch or the recliner chair while were in it my shepard will walk over with her head down, ears back and have that stance about her and if my lab even glances at her it will provoke her to attack. We are baffled by this because we don't have to be eating something or even paying attention to them we could be watching tv. I cannot figure out what this represents to her and why she feels threatened and I am hoping someone can shed some light so I can understand this problem in order to fix it...

[Tenderheart 1]

Hi Guys, it sounds to me like your Shepherd needs to be shown her proper position in your pack. For some reason I think that she believes that you are her property and she is trying to show your Lab that she does not want her closer to you than she is. I suggest putting a leash and choke collar on her, re-creating the situation and taking immediate control as soon as the shepherd begins to exhibit any dominant behaviour ie: stiffening, staring, straight and unwagging tail. A short quick snap on the choke chain and a sharp "NO" should do the trick. You may have to correct other dominant behaviours such as pulling on the lead, pushing past you through doorways, jumping up etc. When your shepherd realizes that she does not have the status within the pack for this kind of behaviour I think that you will see an improvement. You may also have to do these things with your Lab as you do not want he to think that she is Alpha either, as long as they both realize that you are the two Alphas in the pack I think that they will stop trying to do a job that is not theirs.

Hope this helps!! Good Luck!

[Lisbeth Mønsted Larsen]

There are other methods that work just as well and in the long run better than chokechains and sharp comands. Have you ever heard about Jan Fennel? Her two books are called The dog whisperer and the second is called The Dog Whisperer in Practice. They teach you how to use asertive leadership without harsh words and harsh methods. It will take time and hard work but I can tell you it works wonders. If you are persistant enough you can have results in a week. It is all about taking the power of Alpha away from your dog and taking over the leadership. You go out the door first you Lab second you GS last same at feeding time ect. Best wishes and good luck with your Gs. The first method works well for some dogs if done correctly. However the other method works just as well even better however it might take a lot longer. Positive reenforcement is key. It works a charm. Best wishes and good luck. Make up your own mind however do read up on training methods to get the best results.