raising working puppy part 2 - Page 1

sorry about posting twice, I hit a button by mistake. My 6 month old puppy who I am raising to be serious work dog is using her "mean bark" and growling when she see intruders...sometimes people,sometimes deer. All the while wagging tail and looking confident. My question is should I start to attach a word to this behavior that we will use when I want this barking and growling on command or is she too young? how should I approach this?

lover encourage her on her alerts,praise her / develop a word to associate it. Shes lighting up on intruder movement, this will forwardly progress as she gets older, always tell her good girl

a word like "watch him"? a guard word of some sort? Even if it's a deer?

i would thwart the previous advise ?? gsdlvr .... i don't think that there is enough info to comment --- i would first state : look at the how , when , why and where your 6 month is barking ?? what is your dog thinking and feeling ... that is the substanve of the behavior -- what makes me ponder is you description of a mean bark and growling -- and at 6 months !! -- also what was the growth and development of your pup i.e. the past histroy too ?? thisa is not specifically meant to your dog -- but dogs that bark and growl can to be insecure ,. sure the GSD has watcvh intincts , some guard and some protect -- -- toher GSD have only some of these triats -- but a dog wag it's tale because it is just purely stimulated or excited , and when a dog growls it feels threatened /defensive/ -- i teach all my dogs to bark --- but in a very very happy way ..not associated with aggression ---- perhaps unsure at time or insecure at times -- -- personally even my personal prtection dog .. i do not desire the growling .. rather a good watchful alert bark.i listen for a nice comfortable cadenced bark .. not an erradic high pitch / nervy bark -- i teach a bark that is fun -- if my dog barks in the presence of someone on my cue -- beleive me the other person is quite watchful -- -- that will be reinforced .. not a response from fear -- and additionally .. a bark in a dog most often is a call for help -- to muster up the troops to sort of speak - what i am trying top say : not all behaviors displayed is just palin 'ol good -- we must understand our dogs / what they feel / what they are saying /their emotiuon /intention -- then selectively reinforce for those behaviors we want from them and also extinguish those that we don't want from them -- if you do Sch -- i do not teach a bark and hold -- quite often the stimulation makes the dog crazed or non-clear headed -- i teah a sit, quiet andguard-- dog doesn't even blink and eye -- if the helper should even twitch -- my dogs are on him !! so if you desire to teach a bark -- teach it in only that context -- FUN- one last word !! the BIGGEST -- i MEAN THE BIGGEST mistake a GSD owner makes : expecting to much to fast from the dog !!** --- let you dog matur physically/emoptionally/ pschologically before you ask of it certain behaviors !! 6 mos is the equivalent to a a 6 year old boy ... would you ask your son that old to be watchful of the house -- expect it to be mean and show that he can growl and take care of himself ??? -- so personally i would not place my dog in that context you described -- you may think by reinforcing that barking behavior you are stregnthening your dog but inn reality you possibly pending the temperament be makng it quite insecure !! rather channel the behavior

Thank you Alphapup, This is a secure, I want to go get him bark, my first pup so I don't know if this is young or not for this. Past history,I have the parents, she was pick of the litter.The wag of the tail not fast,not like over excited. Very calm and secure bark and growl from my opinion.Not one of those Sch excited bark and hold kind of bark. More of serious "I want to go get him". Basing my opinion on my personal protection dog and how he sounds .This is a low bark,not high. I like how you teach for the dog to be quiet until the helper blinks....nice! I don't do Sch..at this point...puppy has promise for personal protection, I am not expecting too much from my dog,I hope. i did not put her in the situation to teach the barking ,I found this out by accident when she was out in the run for a time. This is what I want to know, is she too young to encourage this behaviour .Thank you for your comments

One more thing,Alphapup, the cadence of the barking not fast,not slow, some pauses and looking and growling again, thank you

the other comment : IMO i feel that as a dog progresses as such the more self control -- not control -- but self control--- you will have to have the GSD establish for itself -- and i am still concearned about the growl __ personally i would thank the dog for the alert .. and then make it known that i take the situation from here --especially if someone comes to your home's door -- and about saying ' watch him ' or 'guard' .. at 6 months -- --personally i would not -- first i purposely no not raise/make my dogs suspious at such a young age -- i would not raise thier suspicion level at this point in time -- [ for personal protection - later at maturity ] - be very very careful how you use your voice -- again you may putting to much responsibility on the dog -- even a very confident dog this may not be good at this point in time -- --secondly , if you train this behavior ... and it become a repitoire for behavior .. t do you wish your dog to do this for everyone coming ... even your friends ??-- not checked thisd behavior could escalate -- so my adice -- be careful --

No I do not want this to escalate to some nut case dog who can't distinguish. {sorry,what is IMO?} why does the growl a concern? It is in part not the whole time. I am holding back on how much I put into her until I feel I have the best input.She has alot of natural ability, I am slow because I don't want to ruin her. SO,also when do I start mature work? 1 yr? Right now I don't put any responsibility on her at all,I am observing. Want to know if this is a moment to capture or wait til she grows more? the growl was only outside 2 times in the run lately. In the house she has no clue but no bad guys either,she is calm. puppies should not be made suspicious until 2 yrs or so

IMO = In My Opinion....