Is this a good dog? - Page 2

I think that recognizing and exerting control over fearful “ subordinates “ may have been a behavior that had an evolutionary advantage in the herding instinct “ skill set”.

Astrovan, this is exactly how my female acts. Except for vet visits: she is muzzled out of respect for the vet, but she is very cooperative, then again she hadn't your female's vet experience.

in the past the dog were considered to be social if that dog was mainly indifferent in surrounding if there aren't indication of threats .
now seems dog would be considered social only if dog actively demonstrate acceptance of anyone in that dog's proximity.

Just dropped our male off at vet to have his hips and elbows X-rayed (he turned two a week ago). He was fine until a male
Pit bull walked past him. My male (still intact) did not immediately respond to pit bull, but when pit bull turned his head to bark at my male, my male growled and barked in return. Then when a vet tech came out to take him, he growled at her. Since he was just there three days ago for a checkup, I guess he remembered that they muzzled him which he did not like.

K9L1...I found your post on DDR and Czech bloodlines interesting since our current male gsd has a few DDR dogs and other Eastern European WL dogs in his lineage on his dam’s side.

Ggturner, when you take your dog to the vet do you go with him into the examination room or there he is all alone with the vet and the vet tech?
When at the vet, I always stay beside my dogs, talk to them, tell them to stay calm, pet them and, unless sedated, they were never alone in a room with strangers. They don't like to be muzzled either, but accept it peacefully because it is always me who puts the muzzle on them, not the vet or other stranger. Never had a growl or a bark inside a vet's office unless provoked by another barking dog.
However, when at a show with my female there was one judge who wanted to put his hand into her mouth and examine the teeth. She pulled back besides me and bark at him. And although I told her to be good and let him, she did not let him touch her. I told the judge that I would present him her teeth and he could watch but not touch. He accepted, but my female qualified as last. Maybe that judge didn't know the saying that you don't put your hand into the wolf's ( or GSD's) mouth.

We always stay with our dogs during exams.

K9L1 That is a good question that many people ask . But it is problematic in the sense that the word ' good' is subjective. what is good for one person's need and defintion is not god by another's need or defintion.

For examole good could mean : Is this a nrmal dog , is tjis dog suitable for certain purposes ot taks. Or what should be most imoortant is the question : is this dog of normal temperament . The dificulty is that there is a range of normality in temperament.

Social quota as was previously referenced. The dog can be social in normalcy in respects but that range goes from low to low/moderate , to moderate, to moderately/high , and to highly social. Also there is a difference in a dog that bit anitsocial , and one that is indifferent. Each , PP , police , sport , S&R etc , whatever is the dog's purpose , is best suited in current day by one of these aspects of normal temperment as it relates to it's social quotient. i.e stres level , hardenss , aggression , etc etc The conversation can be applicable to all the other features that compromise temperament.

For example , my Personal Protection dog that I had trained : as a pup he was socialized to all people : different races , sexes , ages , people with disabiltiies [ e,g wheelchairs , crutches , walikng canes , scooters etc] . After a certain point in his development only once in a great while did I ever let anyone say hello to him , approach him [ except he always was to say hello to children if they approached and to accept children , for my purposes ] . So two comments : first of all it was my responsibility to have the dog with me and not allow anyone to approach him . That is to say I never ever put him into a position that any 'ol person could just walk up to him to take him away ! [ my household comoanion now was an entirely differnt dog that was USA'a best friend] ] . Having stated that , if someone was to come near me and be friendly he wa' turned off' anyone that came near me threatening he automaticallywithout my cue , ' turned on' - i.e. he would act first and ask questions later , get the point. to me this was good because he had the temperament and conducted himself for the task and role in life given to him.

For better conversation it is better to be specific with well definded objective terms and questions rather than ill defined subjective terms in a question .