Do German Shepherds Attack Other Dogs? (Explained) 2022

You love to keep different dog breeds under the same roof, but it is getting difficult because one brat is a German Shepherd.

Do German shepherds attack other dogs? The answer is quite obvious YES, German Shepherds attack other dogs. We always hear about the German Shepherd’s chasing and dominant nature and wonder whether the behavior is the same towards the other dogs, or they can get along with them.

Table of Contents

Even at the time of adopting a German shepherd while having other dogs at home, the first question popup in our mind does German Shepherds attack other dogs? Obviously, the reason for this confusion is the popularity of their aggressive nature.

Going out with a German shepherd may put you in an embarrassing situation because it may start attacking other dogs in the park. German Shepherds are social dogs but aggressive at the same time, and in this aggression, they may attack other dogs.

German shepherds are known as the most aggressive dog breeds with a lot of strength in them. This nature of German shepherds makes them the strongest guard dogs.

But it never means that you should encourage their aggressive behavior because it is pretty dangerous not for people but for other dogs.

You want a German shepherd to guard you, your family, and other animals at home, but what’s that a Shepherd is attacking other dogs of the family, and it is pretty unacceptable.

Commonly, German shepherds are pretty friendly with other dogs, but in case of less exposure to other dogs, they may attack them.

Therefore, if you are planning to adopt a German shepherd and have some other breeds at home, or vice versa, the following points should be clear to you.

Are German shepherds good with other dogs?

You won’t believe that German Shepherds include themselves into a social breed which means they can’t leave alone and prefer to spend quality time with family and even with other dogs.

Most dog parents want their German Shepherd to be attached with some other dog so that they will not get behavioral problems or separation anxiety.

Luckily German Shepherds are pretty good and friendly with other dogs. However, because of the dominant nature, the breed may encounter other dogs at the very first introduction.

But once your German Shepherd starts to trust other dogs, you will notice a quick friendship.

From all of this discussion, it is pretty clear that if we want our German Shepherd to be good with other dogs, we will have to train it and arrange the introduction under control situations.

But still, if your German Shepherd is not getting comfortable with other dogs, there can be some reasons such as fear or some bad memory and protective nature.

Do German Shepherds kill other dogs?

The answer to the question is sometimes yes, and most of the time, it is a big no.

In some situations, like if your German Shepherd is not trained enough to be friendly with other dogs, it may attack and even kill them.

Mostly all of this happens when the other breed is small and not strong enough to fight back with a German shepherd. But you may not find German Shepherds attacking or killing dogs of the same height and breathing because of the same strength.

While on the other hand, if your German Shepherd is friendly and calm, it will not even chase other dogs.

But unfortunately, the dominant nature and strong prey drive in German shepherds forces them to attack other dogs. Have a look at the detailed reasons why German Shepherds attack and even kill other dogs.

Why does my German shepherd attack other dogs?

What are the triggers of your German Shepherd? Why is it not mixing up with the other dogs?

Why your German Shepherd attacks other dogs?  All of these questions are mostly asked when you adopt a new puppy while having a German shepherd.

Lack of exposure

There is a possibility that your German Shepherd is living alone after birth, so there is a lack of exposure to other dogs.

German Shepherds are puppies that should interact with other animals and especially with dogs, even on a regular basis. In this way, they will learn about controlling their biting nature, and we’ll be good friends with other dogs.

But if you are not introducing your puppy German Shepherd with other dogs, it will always be aggressive and may attack other dogs throughout life.

Dominant nature

As mentioned above that German shepherds are pretty dominant in nature, and this is the reason due to which they attack other dogs.

In this case, you will notice that the German Shepherd is being unresponsive to the commands and is trying to position itself at some higher positions than the other dogs.

Controlling this nature is relatively easy just by introducing your German Shepherd to other dogs in puppyhood.

Overly enthusiastic plays

There is a possibility that your darling German Shepherd is trying to be over-enthusiastic while playing around with the other dogs.

The condition causes sudden aggression and hence biting other dogs and sometimes growling on them. Dog parents can quickly stop and control this nature in the pups just by the proper training at the right time.

Protecting territory or owner

German shepherds may ignore you for once but don’t touch their owner or territory. The breed is possessive in nature, and for the owner, it’s more than selfish. Whenever they feel some threat or suspicious dog, a German shepherd will attack it.

Separation anxiety can be the reason if your dog is behaving aggressively and showing a possessive nature. Try to spend quality time with your German Shepherd and socialize with some other dogs.

Lack of training

All of the mentioned reasons why German Shepherd attacks other dogs can be due to lack of training. If you are not socializing your dog, not introducing it with other dogs, and not teaching it to behave well, then breed will attack dogs.

For the parents raising a German shepherd is a huge responsibility because the breed is more prone to get behavioral issues and especially aggression.

Anti-bark Collars and Muzzles Specially Designed for GSD are a good option to familiarise with your dog with overtime to make sure of any happening situations.

Try to bring your Shepherd out for walks when it’s a tiny furball, so it will know about other people and even about other breeds.

Medical problem

You are putting your German Shepherd in different behavioral training but have you consulted any vet?

Most of the owners take their German Shepherd to the vet in order to know why their pup is aggressive towards other dogs. It is an excellent approach to consult an experienced person rather than putting your dog in different training sessions.

There is a possibility that your German Shepherd is sweet and well-mannered but becomes aggressive at some specific conditions.

In most cases, German Shepherds are not aggressive, but they are facing some sort of irritation, and any habit of other dogs is provoking it to bark or chase.

Also, there is a possibility that your darling German Shepherd is suffering from some medical complications that you are not noticing.

Knowing about other reasons why your German Shepherd attacks dogs is not the end of the story. You must train them about self-control and behaving well.

For this purpose, you must professionally introduce dogs if you want two or more breeds to live happily under the same roof.

To wrap it up

You are enjoying a fresh morning walk with your German Shepherd, but suddenly there comes another dog, and now your furball is behaving like a Fireball and wants to chase other dogs.

Holding back a giant German Shepherd who is full of energy and trying to attack other dogs is quite complicated for parents.

Therefore you must know the reasons why your dog is attacking other dogs. After this, you can reverse the possible causes or reasons to teach your dog about self-control.

Yes, I agree that German Shepherds are dominant, but still, you can control their aggression through proper training sessions or by behavioral training.

While on the other hand, serve your German Shepherd with exposure to other dogs from puppyhood so it will not react weirdly after watching dogs.

There are numerous families who are raising German Shepherd with other dog breeds, and all of these are living happily without creating any mess. The only reason for this success is the professional introduction of all dogs.

Reference

https://germanshepherdsowner.com/why-your-german-shepherd-attacks-other-dogs/

https://www.shepherdsense.com/why-your-german-shepherd-attacks-other-dogs/