My GSP clamped down on another dog's neck Behaviour

Hello All,

I apologize but am new to this type of thing... I have a 7 month old German Shorthaired pointer named Cholo. Pics to come..

I have a question and wondering if anyone has dealt with or experienced this before... Cholo is a lovable, very sociable puppy. He has been to daycare many times and plays with all the dogs there very well. I also have some good friends with dogs, some bird dogs and some other breeds that he also plays very well with. He goes to the dog park and again loves playing with friends. However, my parents own a Mini Schnauzer who is 8 or 9 years old and they have issues. Some days they get along fine but yesterday they got into it so intensely that Cholo had clamped down on Jack's (schnauzer) neck and would not release until I pushed back on his gums for him to release. (Jack, generally instigates everything from taking his toys or nipping first) I have never seen that side of him before...he has been around small children, other small dogs...lets them all drink and eat out of his bowls at the same time and chews on toys with them at the same time and plays great. I'm concerned because I don't want this to get progressively worse....

has anyone ever experienced something like this? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply Azz.
I do not have video of those two playing. They don't see each other very often. I guess I don't understand why it reached that level between them... I've seen Cholo interact with plenty of dogs and almost always in a positive manner. If there was ever an incident, it was merely someone would let them know hey this is enough with their body language and that was it...The vet said, he would recommend getting him neutered within the next month or so but I just cant comprehend out off all the situations and scenarios he has been in why that one with that dog would push it over the edge

Yes just keep a close eye on them. Sophie used to be fine with other dogs except min pins for some reason. Unfortunately she became very DA as she's aged. It's hard to tell with some dogs.

Well I would guess Cholo was fed up with Jack pushing his buttons and decided enough was enough. I wouldn't allow these two to interact at all without supervision and in the mean time would practice a command with Cholo that he reacts to instantly whether that be OFF, LEAVE IT, or whatever. and tbh if all you had to do was push back on his gums his intent was not to harm. I've had to resort to chucking two of mine in the pond when they were going hammer and tongs. They got past it and now live happily together so it is resolvable.

At 7 months your pup could be coming in to it's true temperament, so I would keep a very close eye on your pup, and work as AZZ stated to help curb any aggression issues that may arise from maturing.

I appreciate all the feedback! It seems to be only Jack he has issues with and since they don't see each other that often, so when they do I plan to keep them separated or under close supervision.

LMOST that's what I was afraid of, he hasn't shown any type of aggression like this before and I understand he is still developing but was hoping it was just a breaking point like Trouble said and that he can move past it with some guidance of course

It's not a very practical solution to have to spend whatever time you're with your parents having to keep the two dogs separate or under close supervision. I would suggest, if it's agreeable to you and your parents you meet on neutral ground and take both dogs for a long walk, so they get used to each other without constantly being in others face. Jack is an older dog and it's quite natural for him to find a young dog overwhelming. At 7 months old Cholo still has a lot to learn about doggy social behaviour which only time will resolve.

I don't know much about GSP's .but I do have a Miniature Schnauzer and I rather suspect that part of the problem is that they both are fairly quick tempered. I remember one occasion when 9 month old Gwylim took a dislike to a very large Tibetan Mastiff and tried to bite his nose and nearly ended up as the TM's mid morning snack. At 15 months old he's now learnt that taking on a larger dog is not a wise thing to do!

I agree with all that Shirley and Barbara have suggested.
However, I would just like to add that I do not agree with having a large breed castrated as young as 7 months. He has a lot of bone growth and muscle development to come yet. Although the practice of juvenile neutering is common in rescue kennels, please read all you can around this subject before deciding to take your vet's advice.

Correct a large breed should never be spay or neutered prior to 18 months, and it changing aggression is a myth.

Yep I'm anti neutering tbh too, most of what it's said to help is a myth and it's now believed early neutering causes bone cancer. so unless you have a really strong belief in it yourself don't do it.

I'm against neutering not only because of the potential health problems but also because evidence seems to show that neutering can increase a dog's aggression. Male dogs in Hungary are only neutered for medical reasons. In the village where I live there are around 20 dogs of which only two or three are female. They're all allowed to roam around and mix freely with each other and in the 8 years I've lived here I've never seen a single case of aggressive behaviour between them.

I too was against neutering, after speaking with others and all your insight I think this was just a case of old vs young and it happens (not that you'd like to condone it but can still correct it). I was taking the vet advice with a grain of salt because of the research I've done about the subject. I want him to fully develop and not cause any harm to him.