8 month old barking at strangers - Page 1

My 8 month old working line GSD pup has just begun to bark at strangers who approach us at our Schutzhund training grounds. He stops with a light correction and works in handler focus excercises in a strangers presence, doesn't seem insecure fearing a stranger, but he's aloof and unfriendly where some of the other GSD pups around his age are extremely friendly wanting to jump on and lick strangers more like Labrador pup behavior.

The question I am seeking an opinion from people experienced with raising pups from an ancestory of high civil drives and social aggression, is this aloof behavior expected from the pup genetically, or should he be friendly like some of the others his age???. 

Thanks in advance 

Sounds like a nice dog aloof yet friendly that is what the standard and experts say a GSD should be but I'm not sure at what age he should reach this, mine are too friendly even at a bigger age unless they are really agitated by a complete stranger, like to see what experts will say, good luck with him. Ibrahim

Every dog...German Shepherd or otherwise...All mature at different ages...Some bark at strangers and some don't...
If it were my dog and I was at my SchH club and my young dog barked at someone then I would probably encourage them...then after that person approached closer to us...I would probably calm the dog down...
In SchH or even in personal life...You should teach your dog that they should alert you on strange people approaching...but once you've accepted them...then they should accept them too...
Unless my dog...either young or not...barked in a very aggressive manner then I would encourage them...In SchH you need to teach your dog to bark at an early age...

~Bob~

It's a combination of his age and breeding. He'll probably be more discriminating as he matures, but depending upon his character, it may never go away.  I would think you would want him to alert you to strangers or strangeness as he feels the need...it's a desirable trait to me.

I was having these issues with one of my personal dogs and a German Dog Whisperer told me to go to a coffee shop every morning and have the dog sit under the table and ask that everyone ignore the dog. This dog needed to become desensitized and to realize the people are boring. After a few weeks the dog decided that strange people weren't necessarily "bad" and stopped the behavior. It took allot of time and coffee to get to this point, but it was worth every bit. Now this dog will do focused obedience in busy parking lots, and many other places and situations. Taking the dog in public is much more pleasing now. It will still alert if it feels the need, but not with every stranger, just the ones she feels are acting suspicious.

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

Many people we are involved with have a mindset that a good GSD should be friendly and outgoing with strangers, but I don't believe stranger friendliness to the point of wanting jump up on strangers to lick them with a wagging tail is the behavior that a GSD with good working potential would naturally exhibit. The times my pup has barked at a stranger approaching has been met with comments that he should only display that behavior when threatened and be friendly towards passive strangers and know the difference. I don't see how an 8 month old pup could determine the difference between a threatening or passive stranger. In my way of thinking, the pup has enough sharpness to identify that a stranger is approaching, could be a potential threat and has alerted us of the situation with suspicion. 

Seems like he is maturing very nicely and will have a very nice defence/ civil drive which lacks greatly in many dogs around the world. Good luck with him and keep us updated.

 Waleed, I am from Amman, Jordan.

Ibrahim