environmental stability is genetic - Page 2

Baeren , yes I will 100% .. no need for a bag of nerves , Iam not running a shelter here

A good example of this: when I brought Star, my GSD home as a 12 week old pup, she was nervous of children because she had never been exposed to them.

I found a park near the local schoolyard, and we sat and watched the kids play. When school let out, the kids all wanted to come and say 'hi'. I let them come (one at a time, so as not to overwhelm her) and give her treats.

Two sessions was all it took to get her over her fear.

My Shiloh shepherd, OTOH, went through about 8 weeks of obedience training before she allowed an 8 year old kid to give her a treat. When she first started the training, she was so scared she wouldn't even take a treat from me, not even a high-quality treat like cooked chicken!

Funny thing was, her nerves didn't show up until she was about 8 months old. At 4 months, she was kissing a baby in a stroller, and watching a backhoe dig an excavation, without showing any fear. She did well on the puppy temperament test at 8 weeks too, investigating a noisy can full of pebbles, and showing minimal startle response to a tin being banged loudly. She also heard rifle fire in the fall of that year (deer hunting season) and wasn't bothered by it at all.

Dude, a bit of insecurity doesn't make a nerve bag. If a dog had issues on a shiny floors and has otherwise no issues, and can live in a sport or pet home, than place them. Putting them to sleep over that even goes beyond my principles and I have absolutely no issues to PTS a dog if there is a need like in dogs with fear aggression and that have no issues to bite.

A dog showing some insecurity over going up the stairs does not warrant culling. Pet home on a spay/neuter contract would be more suffice.

I'll put a puppy down for not having tail up and not displaying a dominant disposition as soon as they walk , also overly submissive pups too..much less nervy .. there's too many shitty weak dogs out there and people breeding them .. Iam
Not gonna contribute. 

I know what I like in a dog ( my preference ) Stable nerves , dominant , good bones , possessive .. anything else be a waste of time 

Please do not let the Shawniscus ideas derail a thread. You cannot change his mind so ignore is ideas.

Change or not , that's the way it's gotta be .. otherwise u gonna have people like sisue and hex gonna get their way and mix poodle genetics to every dog and make sure it's born castrated with cotton balls for teeth cause that's how gsd or working dogs are suppose to be I guess

I like you, too...

Susie I like u too believe me but we will always have different beliefs on what a gsd should be , hope u don't take it personally

I have a GSD who has always been insecure. I got her at 8 weeks and did everything I could to socialize her. She has gotten a little better with age (now 5) and loves scent work which has helped with confidence. She is smart and a great pet. She is wonderful with all people, including children and cats and most dogs. I would much rather have a dog like this than one that can't be trusted with visitors or be around people other than family. There is a place for this type of dog in many homes with or without children and no need for culling. There was never any intent to breed her.

shawnicus, how about breeding strong dogs and sell the washouts for pets, so there is no need for breeders to produce pets only to supplie that market