Personal Protection questions - Page 3

I disagree with almost all of your comments. Apparently few have seen naturally hard, correct GSDs with a very strong protective instinct. In training trials I have seen an untrained GSD (of seing eye breeding) take on an anonymous attacker in padded suit with an unending crescendo of full, very hard bites to groin, neck, and gut with no willingness to stop as long as hard stick hits or any aggression by the "attacker" continued. This dog was sane around strangers and children, but was an extremely potent home defender. He was incapable of experiencing any fear in any way. I have seen Sch dogs do the same. I have also seen many GSDs who were overly defensive or aggresive and broke off early when the aggresor got tough. The more solid the GSD the harder they will fight if they have normal, correct GSD temperament. Anyone who knows of the progeny of youth Sieger Eros Luissenstrasses will understand my claims here. He produced progeny which were total and complete man stoppers, proven in real time. For example take V -Lenon du Valz D'anzin, Sch3, KK1a. The dog just had no fear and had the power to take down any attacker. He was a top brevet dog (french ring sport) and could use full body biting in an all out defense of his master. Few criminals, even on drugs can remain fully conscious when a stand up GSD defends his home and master. Most when they receive a full bite immediately go into shock, some are immediately stopped cold by the occurrence of "disabled" joints, if you know what I mean. A GSD who is rock solid and sane and good around visitors will fight the hardest to defend his master from a real and serious attack. I know of some GSDs now who are this correct, sane but potent protectors and a number of kennels in the USA produce GSDs of import West German blood that are reliably like this. There is nothing worse than an unstable vicuious GSD (a great liability), but nothing better for personal protection than a sound, sane, correct GSD. Only the very experienced breeder or fancier usually knows the difference. The second type, the correct GSD, will always fight much harder and is a pleasure to own and manage.

hooligan, if this is for home protection and a firearm is not a direction you're willing to go, the alarm system may be your next best bet. I love the breed, but you are setting yourself up for trouble. Pay close attention to what olskoolgsds says.

I agree with all of you. I would like to add just one thing from another aspect.. Do you have anough time for (another) this type of dog? Dogs that are mostly used for PPD are (very) active, especially those from WORKING LINES( working line gsd, malinois, schnauzer...). They need lots of exercise-mental and physical-they need to WORK! This kind of dogs won't be happy sitting at home in the house, with nothing else to do and waiting for intruder to come. They can easily get bored and that can lead into destructive behaviour. You don't want to know what bored and not anough exercised working gsd or malinois can do:) Even if you buy a trained one, you will still have to be very active with him! So, if you have anough time for active life with your dog, then there will be no problem with having one of this breeds. If you don't have anough time,please think again.

Just about every one has given good advice in one way or another. Preston however thinks any well bred GSD has the instincts of Rin Tin Tin. I wouldn't rely on that. Since you and your wife are neither experienced handlers, I would recomend you get a good bluffer dog. My most intimidating dog to other people is the one who is most harmless. Wouldn't hurt a kid, your wife, or a another innocent person. He is a little dog agressive, but even that is a big act. He is big, sable and just having a mouth full of smiling teeth standing obediantly next to your wife is going to keep 99% of people from even trying annything. You say your neighborhood is not bad, so is it likely someone with a large knife, who is on crack is going to storm your house? Probably not. Your probably more focused on the traveling salesman who notices your wife is alone for the day and decides to come back later that nite, to check for open windows. Having the dog present is going to nix that idea. Find a dog who is not social to strangers, who will sit obediantly next to your wife and give anyone the stare down while they are there. If anyone asks if the dog bites, always say "yes" on command, even if thats not the case. Make him out to be more than he is to strangers and even your neighbors. Chances are nobody is going to ask you to prove it. You will have a safe dog, who will not be a liability yet still a detourant to crime around your house. I'm in the same boat as your wife and yourself. I'm a single mom and I even take a dog with me in my car, if I shop after dark. My child is safe around the dogs I have and nothing has ever been stolen from my home, yard or car and nobody messes with me even when I jog at night. I think you should start out with a dog like this, until you and your wife have handled a big dog and done training with him. When you are confident in your ability and decide another dog with more "power" is what you need, you will have attended at least a basic obedience class and seen a vet in your area, met other dog people and have had plenty of time to research trainers and breeders. Plenty of time also to decide if you need more and how much more. I would hate to see you guys purchase a dog for a large sum, that you cannot handle and end up getting rid of. Worse yet getting you sued. I have been around dogs my whole life and GSD's for 15+ yers now and I still don't have a man eatter. Sometimes I think I need or want one for protection but even the dogs I have that are relativly easy dogs to handle and "keep" can get to be a bit much. Just remember when you are on vactaion, sick, or too busy, the dog is still there and needs to be cared for.

Get A Glock 26 or Glock 27 these pistols are absolutely reliable and most woman can handle them!

hey k9 pass on sch. dog look at the psa or asr dogs levle 1 or 2 they are trained in real life such as p p car jackings personl attacks house search if a freind or foe come over & u tell the dog its ok they are fine if the person gets out of hand you dont have to say nothing the dog will attack by its self these dogs are great they are fine with family & frinds untill needed then watch out but also get some help from a good trainer before you buy any dog

4pack, based on your post above I don't think you have ever had what I would classify as a normal and ideal temperamented GSD. I have had four of such normally temperamented GSDs over the years, three high showline and one working line which were tested in real time (the working line just happened to also to get tested in an actual breakin at our home when I was there-he did the job I can assure you). I also imported a showline dog which unfortnately turned out to be a "gangster dog" which I chose to have "retrained" and placed with someone else who wanted and could handle that. I had one person I trained with whose GSD from seeing eye breeding was the hardest dog I ever saw take down attackers, and he did this over and over again reliably and yet was good around family, friends and kids. Ask anyone who knew about youth Sieger Eros Luissenstrasse or his son V Lenon du Val D'anzin who was imported into the USA. These dogs were total and complete manstoppers and they would never quit before attaining complete control over the aggressor (they were strong and quick and hit hard, usually knocking the helper down). UFO who was imported by Joeseph Kuhn was a total and complete manstopper but was a "gangster dog" not stable or sound and certainly not of normal GSD temperament. Years ago I and some others GSD breedrs and enthusiasts used to test all our dogs at our homes, in cars, in darkened warehouses with unknown stranger agitators, using sleeves and padded suits. The soundest dogs always fought the hardest except for the rare "gangster dogs" who were unacceptable as pets. These gangster dogs may have parietal or temporal lobe psychomotor epilepsy (that would explain their behavior). I know of one working line GSD kennel who has sold a substantial number of GSDs to law enforcement with this type of normal, sound temperament who have excelled in combat situations, attaining quick and complete mastery over the alleged offender who resisted or fought. The key is knowing who has and produces these ideal temperamented GSDs and how to properly evaluate GSDs to be able to acquire them.

Oh OK All Knowing Preston, based one of my rescue dogs descriptions, you know what I have always owned? I'm suggesting to a GSD newbie not to get a dog they neither need or could get them in over their heads. Wouldn't be best for them or the dog. You can go ahead and make a sales pitch now, if thats were your headed though. I'm not a breeder or trying to sell anything, just offering an opinion on what might suit them best. Suggesting they need a PP dog would be like telling them to get a gun, we already know they don't want that.

Im no GSD pro, but reading through your needs, I might suggest a good monitored burglar alarm with a wireless panic pendant your wife can have on her person when you are gone. So a good monitored burglar alarm/wireless pendant, maybe a handgun that she can shoot, and get a good solid puppy to share your life with. These things are what I did, and it works for us. Good luck to the original poster!

k9hooligan email me privately , and I may be able to lend you a hand in your search