What you’re describing is very common in high drive shepherds, and it doesn’t mean you’ve “failed” or that your dog is aggressive. Redirection is usually a symptom of arousal without an outlet, not intent. You’re already doing one of the biggest pieces right, management. Preventing those situations while you build skills isn’t avoidance, it’s intelligent handling.
A few things that tend to help long-term:
• Lower the overall arousal baseline. A dog who lives at a constant 7–8 has nowhere to go when something spikes. Building calm, boring reps where nothing happens is just as important as drive work.
• Give him a job before the moment. Structured obedience, heel, or place when you see arousal climbing gives him something predictable to fall into instead of leaking energy.
• Outlet the drive cleanly. If he has strong prey or play drive, make sure he gets regular, intentional outlets (tug, ball, scent work) so that energy isn’t spilling over in the wrong moments.
• Handler positioning matters. Many redirect nips happen when the dog is physically blocked or surprised. Being aware of leash tension, crowding, and body pressure can make a huge difference.
• Teach a default behavior under stress. A solid down, middle, or orient-to-handler cue practiced when he’s already excited gives him a familiar path when his brain starts to short-circuit.
And lastly, don’t underestimate the progress you’ve already made. The fact that it’s happening less often and you’re recognizing the precursors means your timing and awareness are improving. That’s the work. This isn’t about “fixing” a bad dog. It’s about teaching a powerful one how to regulate himself with your help.
