Protective behavior - Page 1

When I was a kid I used to pass in front of the house of a Coronel (CEL) just to look his German Shepherds. He had many, in all collors, sables, blacks, bicollors and also Black and tan. The dogs were very brave and famous in the neighbohood, they jumped from one side to the other showing respect to all people that were passing at the street. Today I dont see that kind of protective and territorialist dogs, maybe that is because I am in Brazil, were almost 100% of the dogs came from Showline and the old and brave stock were not valued, and therefore not breeded. Does this temperament existis in the West Germany Working line and in the DDRs dogs? or is it just lost in the past?

How often have I heard that the show lines are useless for work or protection, just try one of mine, I have bred for looks and utility for a number of years and have had considerable success in both sections my dogs have been service dogs, Police serving dogs pets etc and winners in the show ring, Breeding for work and avoiding show lines will produce animals that have perhaps a more natural gusto but an experienced trainer can produce a worker from show lines, and look how much handsomer the show lines are

My most docile, quiet, always-a-lady,seemingly soft 20 month old German showline female with NO protection training, nearly took the face off an highly questionable/dishonorable man who was approaching a family member. Don't ever doubt the protective instincts of the German showline dogs. All the right instinct is perfectly intact!!!

Good you care Southwesterner! If you are breeding with showline, just like I am, and you care about temperament, even when it is necessary not to choose the better in structure (the winner!), but you choose the better temperament, chances are that you can have dogs that can work! evn coming from showline stock, after all they all came from the same root. What I am trying here is to know if the "working line" conserved that old temperament wich was not only to perform a task at the show, but to protect the family. I breed showline dogs, just like you, and I care about the temperament of my dogs, and sometimes I just dont breed my females just because there is no dog that I admire near the estate I live. As I told you, I live in Brazil and here we dont have many working line dogs, the showline are doing what they can, but some people just turn to Rotweiller (which I dont like) and now to Belgians Malinois (which I saw working and became impress). I love GERMAN SHEPHERD, they are much more stable and I would never change, so I really consider to cross my females with working line dogs, if they existed in my area. I am sure they will reach here and thats why I want to know, are they relly protective? How about the territorialism?

I've told this story before, please forgive if you've already read it. My first GSD was a gentle soul, never met a man he didn't adore. Never barked at anyone, was trustworthy with all people young and old. He was sired by a West German showline, his dam 100% American showlines. He had lymphosarcoma and between his chemo treatments, we took him on a camping trip to a national forest in VA. He loved to go camping and we knew this might be his last trip. I was walking this usually docile, friendly dog in our campsite when a man suddenly appeared walking into our site swinging a knife. This docile dog turned into Cujo and had he not been on a leash, I am sure he would have done his best to take this intruder to the ground even in his weakened state of health. That man ran from the site and we never saw him again. To this day I believe that dog saved me from being attacked. I never heard him bark at another human before that day. He's gone now, died just a few months later, but he will always be with me in spirit. Had any of you met this dog, you'd have probably labeled him as too docile to ever be protective. However, he rose to the occasion. Sometimes looks are deceiving.

The good instincts of the German Shepherd come in many formats. My first GSD I got in 1974. She was actually from working (police dog) stock. When she was still quite young, I was babysitting a 2 year old. This kid was playing in the front fenced yard and my dog (about 1 1/2 years) was with her. This was a very docile dog, as sweet and quiet as you would ever see. The child stepped up on the wrought iron fence and was really in no danger, but this gentle dog felt that she might be and stepped broadside behind her and leaned on her that she would not fall. Then, some years later, (she was about 6 years old) a prowler was skulking around my house deep in the countryside. He had a flashlight and just kept going around the house. I was very much afraid as I called out numerous times and there was no answer. My dog sensed my fear and turned into an animal I had never seen. I know without a doubt that if I had let her loose she would have either torn him limb from limb or laid down her life. I was never in this kind of danger again and never saw her like this again. She died the day before she turned 12 years and I was devastated. There are many other good stories about this wonderful (but never formally trained) German Shepherd. She was a once in a lifetime dog.

My mother had a female GSD out of American show and West German show lines. She was a fabulous pet and never had any formal training either. We lived on a busy street in West Seattle (very bad neighborhood, lots of crime). One day Nikki (the dog) was making such a racket at the window snarling and barking up a storm. I looked out the window to see a woman being beaten by a man, he was holding her by her hair and slapping her. I opened a window a couple inches and Nikki continued to bark and growl while I called the police. No doubt the dog would have gone out and bitten this man. The man stopped the assault when he heard Nikki as I don't think he knew where she was. One another note this same dog bit our neighbor's adult son who came over our fence after he dropped something into our yard from his deck. She was a proven protetive dog out of show lines.

Jose to answer your specific Question, NO I do not beleive so, In fact the "working" lines in my opinion have gone over the top and over the edge, and did not preserve the standard of Temperament that you are speaking of. "working" lines today are hard to manage over the top on drive and hard to live with hard to be the Working Partner, Family dog the founder had originally developed. NO I do not beleive the "working" line posess this temperament you are asking about, However saying that I don't beleive that the "showline" has it exclusively eighther, But I do beleive that getting back to the basics and finding "DOGS" with the right temperament and then crossing out for better drive or better structure while maintaining that "Perfect Temperament" is what many of us who want the "Complete GSD" are breeding for. We are not breeding extreme "showline" nor extreme "workingline" We are the "Temperament, Structure, and Drive" well mixed with a cup love breeders. These are the dogs I beleive that you are speaking of and Yes I do beleive THEY exist. But I don't think that any particular breed line holds the patent on it, I think it's being bred for by good consistent breeders who keep BALANCE IN MIND. Hope that helps.

Echo, I have raised three working line shepherds in the house and they have all been fine pets and fine Schutzhund dogs. Where do you get this idea that working lines today are over the top drive and hard to live with?

Changer, Not all working lines are hard to live with, Mine are not. They are in my home, But many "Working line Breeders" are going over the top and to extremes with drives, NOT ALL Working line breeders, But many. No insult was intended toward anyone. sorry if I did so. just my opinion that I offered to Jose.