Is the GSD right for me? - Page 2

Dave

You used the essential word, "believe", in your first sentence.  Unless this puppy is fully matured, belief and speculation is all you have to go on.  It is very rare to know that a beach dog at early stages will truly protect.   

I guess in my mind, and I have not made light of the poster, giving a dog TRULY capable of REAL protection work (and many police dogs get pretty far before they wash out of this phase, no?-the REAL bad guys often fight back a bit more aggressively than a sport decoy) to someone who has neither the physical nor emotional attributes to deal with this kind of dog is like giving a gun to a 5 year old.  If I could not handle a dog with rank behaviors and participate in bitwork training,  I don't think I would have any business moving around in public with a trained protection dog.  What would she do if the dog "decided" that someone was a threat and attacked?

Any GSD, by virtue of its appearance, size and pointy ears, will be a deterrent ,which is all most people need.   But she would still need to provide an adequate outlet for excercise.

And for any dog, not just GSD.  A young adult temperament tested, and x-rayed with health clearances is the only way to be sure of no health problems.  Good breeding just reduces the odds of having a problem, but does not eliminate them.

I really think that you need to work on why you feel you need a dog that will actually protect you if you are not in a situation where such a dog might actually be a legitimate need.  For example, if I owned a liquor store or a gun shop I may want such a dog.  It is not solving the fundamental problem which is the anxiety.  If you need a companion to give you 'confidence' then any big huggable dog should do that.

Actually,

I think another way to look at what she's asking for is a service dog or a dog with service dog potiential.  Except for the coat, she's described several of the GSD service dogs I know.  Calm, protective, able to think independly, responsive to their owners, well mannered, social, well trained, good in public, etc.  Of course, they didn't start out as puppies being that way, it was decent breeding and excellent training.

Oops,
I think some of you have gotten the wrong impression from my post. The reason for my post was to find out if what I’m looking for is actually attainable in any of the varying types of GSD. I understand that there is a great difference between the types of GSD, specifically between working and non-working lines.

I am not sure if any of these types would be right for my situation as I have heard a great deal of conflicting information. From experience with my daughters GSD's I have found that they have the uncanny ability to adapt to me and understand when its just my anxiety and when there is an actual threat. When they are with my daughter they are different dogs all together. Some may feel this is good, some may feel this is bad. However for me, it is a good thing but I am not sure if it is an actual trait of the GSD or if my daughters dogs are special.

I came onto this board in hopes of getting information as to whether there is a GSD out there or perhaps even a whole bloodline or type, that would suit my needs. I am in love with this breed of dog and It is very important to me that I do my research and get the right one (if I even get a GSD). I do not want to bring a GSD into my home only to find out the breed or type I have chosen is not right for me. There are far too many homeless GSD's for this very reason.

As far as exercise, yes, I have a large yard that the dog would play in everyday as well as light walking and heavy activity 1 time per week. I know that the working GSD is a very active dog, I had heard that not all types of GSD are like this, is this true? I can assure you I did not mean to offend anyone, I am just trying to get my facts straight as information about this breed changes with every person you ask.

The protection aspect is something that is important to me but not at all the reason why I want a GSD. It is just one of the many attributes that I enjoy about them. When I put that I would like a dog that would defend me I should have clarified that I am in no way looking for a proven protection dog or a dog to do sport with. What I meant was, I would like to know that my dog will stand up for me if the situation called for it. Break-ins in my town are increasing and seeing as how I am middle aged, single and live alone I am somewhat of a target. This worries me and having a dog that would “protect” would bring me a huge amount of piece of mind. It isn’t that I cant handle a working GSD as I have no physical disability and I am actually very physically fit. I owned a Mastiff  in the past, so I am very aware of what it takes to handle a large powerful animal.

bsceltic, you are correct in what I am looking for in a GSD. More of a service dog then anything .In my situation I'm not concerned with finding a dog for a low price but I do have a price limit of around $2300

I appreciate all of your comments and respect that you do not sugar-coat anything, its very refreshing.

It may be that there is a better suited breed to me, if this is the case, your input is again appreciated.
Thank you.

Not to be rude but - Adopt a rescue dog and buy a gun. If they are serious and the mere presence of a dog does not deter them and they have a gun or knife the dog isn't going to help you especially if he's a maybe if in the protection department wh/ he would be because you don't want to put the work into training and qualifying him.

" When in crowds or around strangers, my anxiety levels can get very high. Because of this,  I need a dog that will not react  off of my heightend emotions but rather, judge the situation for himself and remain calm and confident . This will in turn help me calm down and provide me with support and make me feel safe. "                      Asking for the impossible.

If you only have 2300 how will you pay to train this "service" dog- tends to be an expensive proposition. Which brings me to  " to be trained as a domestic service dog(example, opening the cupboard..." and  "  I would like her to go everywhere with me"

KEY POINT: You are not looking for a service dog and any dog you get would NOT have access rights no matter how and who trained it. The law is quite specific. The dog must be trained to perform tasks RELATED to the disability. Opening cupboards have nothing to do with Anxiety disorder wh/ is your disability. I have a service dog and have been active in the assistance dog community for some time. What you are telling us you want is what we call "a feel good dog". The law is quite specific that these animals do not qualify as assistance dogs and do NOT have public access rights - thus  could not go everywhere with you.

Please do not put the access rights of those truly partnered with assistance dogs at risk by pursuing this idea.  We face challenges to our access rights EVERY day and folks like you are just making it worse.  Like I said get a pet and buy a gun or get one of those panic buttons that you can call for help with.

I think Don C has it right.

Tammy, I really sincerly think the idea of a dog with no protection training that will have uncanny judgement and protect you when it comes down to it is more a thing of movies, television, dreams, and imagination. 

Certainly there may have been some exceptional dog here and there that did something exceptional like that but look at the other side.  Yes, dogs are incredible readers of human body language and emotion but to rely on their judgement instead of your own is what concerns me.  If break-ins are the issue then  your best bet is a good shotgun. You can't miss. 

The dog is not much use against a burgler with a gun or a knife, particularly if they know how to use it.  Police dogs still get killed in the line of duty.  A dog that will alarm bark, though, will let you know something is going on and give you time to ready yourself. (but make sure it is not a friend or loved one if you have a gun) -under the right circumstances my own dogs will bark at me or my husband and give us a "silly me" look when we walk in the door.

What if, in a crowd, your dog percieves someone out of the norm as a threat - say a homeless person who is panhandling you or someone with a mental illness who is not right.  Could you live with yourself if that dog took it upon themselves to protect you from someone who was harmelss to you?  

I think much of bite training is obedience and about being able to control the dog no matter how heightened a state of arousal he may be in.  It is a skillset you would need to stop a dog if he engaged improperly and, if you are in a state of anxiety, would you be able to make that determination?

Well said Nancy. Very true and a whole lot more polite than I was.

Im sorry, but you are mistaken as to my intentions with the dog.
I am in NO way trying to obtain a dog for use as a registered service dog. I have no intention of misguiding the public and "pretending"  that my dog is a service dog. That is a very serious crime and I am by no stretch of the imagination a criminal.

When I put:

"I would like a dog that, will have the willingness and mental capacity to be able to be trained as a domestic service dog(example, opening the cupboard, turning off the light, help to guide when walking in unfamiliar surroundings...etc)"

I meant, in the future I would like my dog to have the ABILITY to be trained to help me function as I age and my disability worsens. I am a high functioning person with Asperger's Syndrome, as I age it gets much more prominent and limiting. I also have a problem with visual spacial functioning, this has also been determined to get worse with age. My anxeity problem just aggravates my disabilities. I have been told by many people that having a confident stable dog would probably really help me in a social settings by helping to alleviate my anxeity therfore, providing me with confidence.  At this point in my life my disability often goes undetected by the public, it is my anxeity that is more apparent and causes me more issue. 

What I meant by "domestic service dog" was a dog moreso trained to perform tricks(open cupboards, fetch his on leash etc) and provide moral support, not a specialty trained dog.

As far as the money goes, $2300 is the maximum I would like to pay for just the dog, this price in no way includes training and additional costs. That being said, I do not wish to spend an additional $7000 to pay for training but would rather pay for regular/mandatory classes and do as much training on my own as possible.

I would love for my dog to be able to obtain a few OB titles.


I guess all in all I am looking for a tolerant canine, one that will not react aggressive or overly fearful when I get a bit upset for no reason. A dog that can be trained to be a well mannered and calm individual in the house, a dog that I will be able to take everywhere with me. A dog that will be confident and if push comes to shove, attempt to protect.

Perhaps I am looking into the wrong breed, I just figured with the varying types of GSD and overall capabilities of the breed that they might be an option. I appreciate your input.

Thank you.

"What if, in a crowd, your dog percieves someone out of the norm as a threat - say a homeless person who is panhandling you or someone with a mental illness who is not right.  Could you live with yourself if that dog took it upon themselves to protect you from someone who was harmelss to you?  

I think much of bite training is obedience and about being able to control the dog no matter how heightened a state of arousal he may be in.  It is a skillset you would need to stop a dog if he engaged improperly and, if you are in a state of anxiety, would you be able to make that determination?"

I would just like to clarify that I am not looking for a protection dog, by any means. I am not capable of handling or training such a dog, I am fully aware of this. Protection work is not an area I would like to go into at all. I would like to know that my dog will at least attempt to protect me if someone was mugging me, but to have a protection dog is not my ideal. The natural protectiveness of the GSD is one of the reasons why I chose them, but certainly not the only one. The situation you have stated above would be DEVASTATING and is one of the reasons I have made this thread, would this be the common reaction of most well loved/trained GSD's or just protection trained ones?

I would be interested in OB, though.

I am looking for an affectionate obediant and trainable dog.