8-month-old Doberman showing redirected aggression toward owners only. Will she grow out of this?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for reassurance, advice, and hopefully some success stories from people who have been through something similar.
I have an 8-month-old female Doberman from a reputable breeder. She has been attending balanced obedience training since she was 11 weeks old and has always been an incredibly fast learner. She loves to work, excels in obedience, and attends weekly group classes as well as private lessons. She has also completed a structured board-and-train program and will be starting daycare soon.
We’re first-time adult dog owners, so we’re definitely still learning. We work closely with our trainer, follow her recommendations as best we can, and are doing everything we can to provide Billie with structure, appropriate exercise, mental enrichment, consistency, and a positive environment.
Our trainer currently has us using either a flat collar or a head halter, depending on the situation. We are not using a prong or e-collar at this time, based on her recommendations, and prong collars are illegal in Québec.
The issue is redirected aggression.
Around 5.5 months of age, she started having episodes where, if she became highly aroused or frustrated (usually when seeing another dog or in another exciting situation), she would redirect onto me or my husband by jumping up and biting our arms, hands, or clothing. These are not puppy nips—they’re intense bites that seem to come from frustration and over-arousal.
What confuses me the most is that she has never done this to anyone else.
Not our trainer.
Not people in obedience class.
Not strangers.
Not visitors.
Only me and my husband.
She’s friendly with people, enjoys meeting strangers, and has never shown aggression toward anyone outside of these redirected episodes.
She also does very well with other dogs. She regularly interacts with familiar dogs, respects social cues, and has never shown aggression toward them.
Because we’ve become much better at recognizing her body language, she now wears a basket muzzle on walks, and we create distance as soon as we notice her escalating. That has significantly reduced the number of incidents because we’re preventing her from reaching that level of arousal.
We’re actively working on engagement, impulse control, and helping her stay below threshold. We are completely committed to continuing her training and doing whatever is necessary. If needed, we’re also open to consulting a veterinary behaviorist.
What I’m really struggling with is the fear that this means she’ll grow into an aggressive adult dog.
Everything I read about adolescent working breeds says that adolescence can be a very challenging period, but it’s hard not to worry when your own dog is redirecting onto you.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have experienced something similar.
Has your adolescent Doberman (or other working breed) gone through redirected aggression?
Did it improve with maturity and continued training?
Did your dog become a stable adult?
Were you ever convinced your dog was becoming aggressive, only to realize it was an adolescent phase combined with poor emotional regulation?
I know there are no guarantees, and I don’t expect a quick fix. We’ll keep putting in the work regardless.
I guess I’m mostly looking for reassurance that redirected aggression during adolescence doesn’t automatically mean she’ll become an aggressive adult, and that if we continue doing the right things, there’s a good chance she’ll mature into the stable dog we know she’s capable of becoming.
Thank you.