How do I raise a confident dog - Page 1

I finally got my new 8 week old GSD.  Now I need advice.  I don't want to do anything wrong in raising him.  Are there any videos etc that could be recommended to tell me how to raise a confident dog.  I will not be competing in any schutzhund and don't need a true personal protection dog.  I just want him to be confident and not afraid of anything.  I know how to train basic obedience but would be interested in training him for the bark & hold etc.  My last GSD was a retired american line show dog we got at 5 yrs old and he was skittish of almost everything.  So this time I did research and I have good puppy.  Just don't want to do anything wrong and mess him up...  Thank you!!!!

Some of the confidence comes from genetics. Look through his pedigree and see the nerves on the dogs for a couple generations back. Then socialization is key. He needs to get super socialized, which the prime time is form now until he's 16 weeks. Expose him to everything. Take him places, a lot allow dogs (pet stores, lowes, home depot, tractor supply, some restaurants, some parks). Let him meet people and other animals. And when you're playing with him, always let him win. The socialization helps to minimize fear. But make sure he has a good time doing it. Bring treats, and a toy, and let him have a good experience. If it's a bad experience, it's worse than him not getting the experience at all. If you play tug or whatever, make sure he ends up with the rope in the end. Let him win. If he's super emotional and a soft dog, use softer corrections. Some dogs are extremely hard and need harder corrections (most of these aren't this young). A firm "no" will do the trick.

Raising a puppy to be confident is making sure you get the right kind of socialization, always setting him up for success, always let him be a winner and not being a heavy handed handler....  I personally don't think corrections -even a stern "no" sets him up for success to be a confident dog.

You are the maker of the dogs environment.........  Positive reinforcement of behavior - rather than negative repercussion is in my opinion the key to success......

Just a question to the poster - why would you want to teach the bark/hold, ETC  - if you don't want to do schutzhund?  

Just my opinion - if you want to teach bark/hold, etc - you need to study schutzhund and how to raise a schutzhund dog - there is a difference you know from raising a pet vs a schutzhund puppy.....

Yogie

Confidence is 90% socialization and 10% genetics. IMHO  Maybe 80/20..... Socialize as much and as often as you can. Be creative and think up new places to go. Be very careful when approaching strange dogs. Unless you know them or are in a class situation don't take a chance in your puppy getting hurt or being traumatized by an unknown dog. Don't even trust the owner of another dog telling you it's OK, because most of them can't read a dog's body language. The other posters are correct in saying this is the most important thing until 4 months old.

Your puppy will most likely be afraid of something along the way, but don't let that discourage you. How you handle the fear/lack of confidence is what counts. #1 rule for handling fear, is NEVER never never comfort or do anything similar to comfort. Don't tell them "it's ok", don't pet them or pick them up, don't feel sorry for them. Instead either change their focus to something they love, like a toy or food and turn it into a happy time. OR ignore the behavior and walk right by. OR using food, entice/lead the puppy to come up to whatever it is, and feed when they come up to it on their own.  Remember they are learning and at this stage what they learn, be it good or bad they will remember their whole lives. By comforting a fearful dog/puppy you are actually reinforcing that fear. Because in a dog's mind comfort is affirmation. In other words you are telling them they are behaving correctly. 

Make the puppy's life full of fun, love and positive reinforcement. Save the major corrections for when they are older and even then a correction should be fast and be over just as fast, continuing on with the fun immediately after the correction. Most "corrections" with a young puppy can be avoided by just distracting and focusing on something other than what they are doing. Save major obedience training for after 4 months old and even then all should be kept as motivational and positive as possible. Make training like playtime!

Hope that helps some.
Debby

The two key components are genetics and socialization. The stronger the genetic, the less socialization you need. They all benefit from socialization, but if the genetics are strong you can have a confident pup with much less need for extensive socialization. If the genetics are not as strong, then you need extensive socialization and in some case that still won't produce a confident dog. Good Luck!

Again I agree with Gustav. 
If you have the genetics, it is very easy to raise a confident dog. 
It's more like 80/20 in favour of genetics, IMO.   If you have a genetically strong nerved dog, you'll see what I mean.

"Confidence is 90% socialization and 10% genetics"

I disagree.

It is more the other way around.  A genetically hard and strong dog will be
confident. 

Socialization is absolutely necessary and good.  Not so much to build
confidence, but to direct it.  The strong dog can become confident that
he can intimidate any other dog or person and become difficult to live
with and manage. Confidence has been directed toward seeing every
new situation as a confrontation and winning it.  Usually not good.

Or he can become confident that in neutral situations he can remain
neutral and deal with eventualities according to your command or
responding only to an actual direct threat.

Most confidence is genetic, the behavior that is exhibited by the
mature dog reflects socialization and training.

I also disagree.  I have raised confident dogs with no socialization that adjust to novel situations very easily, and I have raised less confident dogs where no amount of socialization could sufficiently conceal it's genetic predispositions.

Thank you for the advice.  I guess my main concern on the socialization is I am paranoid about taking him anywhere public until he is fully vaccinated.  Is this a valid concern or am I being over protective? He is almost 9 weeks so he's only had 1 puppy shot.

Get him another shot - he is old enough.......then can be 2 weeks apart.............

But to me - people are putting a little to much in to you taking him everywhere..........

Your question was about confidence - you taking him everywhere isn't going to be the deal breaker in this situation -  your handling skills however is what is going to be difference between confidence or cowardiness........

Just my opinion though.

Yogie