Please explain this. - Page 1

I am new on this site I am a first time GSD owner. I have a 14 month unaltered DDR male. We love doing obediance work, and he has been HIGHLY socialized since I got him at seven weeks. Thanks for this great website I have learned so much! We have recently moved to a new neighborhood. My dog and I were going on our usual evening walk and when we returned to our driveway, I unleashed him as usual. (He likes to trot and run and play before we go in the house.) When I unhooked him, he bolted full throotle, NO BARKING OR GROWLING, straight twords the treeline. I called him and he ran a giant circle straight back to me, hair standing on his back and then he sat down by me. It all happened so quick, but he was on a mission! I quickly leashed him wondering what the heck was going on that made him bolt, and the more we walked up the drive-way, I saw my neighbor had been picking up some branches on the property line. Is my big puppy becoming protective? Could you explain what he did?

He is being Protective and he is just doing his job... Me, I had an experience while jogging the whole morning and while resting, an old man carrying a levelled stick on the shoulders with bundles of hay on both ends of the STICK to feed to cows passed by my back without me knowning it (he's old and walks slow) ... I wondered why my dog who never barks suddenly barked one loud one and if I not had GRAP her by the collar // she may have grip the old man arm (I had good reflexes // my dog thought the old man was to hit me with that LONG STICK...

Awwww sounds like you have a big protective puppy. That's really cool. :)

Not sure I understand the whole picture here. "He ran a giant circle straight back to me"? How far away was the neighbor and was the pup going straight for him? Also , what was your first impression on the pup's mental state? Aggression, nervous, anxious etc?

It sounds like his instincts are kicking in and he could smell that the scent was different in his area. I would think this good if was not hackling and nervous.

Hey desert ranger, he took off running twords the treeline, I couldnt see the neighbor at this point. As soon as he shot off and I realized he wasnt playing, I called for him, and he circle rigt back to me with his hair up on his back. The neighbor was VERY far away and about 40ft in the woods, I obviously had no idea the man was even around. And yes the dog was running straight at him at one point. His mental state I imagine was he seems alert and excited, ears up and very forward. When he returned to me and I put the leash back on him, he was watching the neighbor and pulling twords him, but he relxed soon enough on leash with me, hair laid back down.

If it was my dog and I not detect any fear or anxiety then I would feel fairly confident that he was going to have very strong protective instincts. What I am thinking is that he detected by either sound or scent someone was in the woods and he took off to find out and his senses were raised causing his "hackles" to raise, about the same time you called him back. Regardless, it was positive he went direct to the "discovery" and retuned when called. Again, it is easy to detect if the dog was scared,nervous or not. It is important you be able to read your dog and how he reacts and responds to stress. This is just a guess on my part without being there to actually see...

Well thanks guys, this is what I wanted to hear! I did my very best raising him and exposing him, and he is a very confident dog. This incedent was the very first, thank god for obediance training! Thanks for such a informative website.

I was told by a behaviorist and have read in several books that some dogs simply raise their hackels quicker than others and it's not always the result of fear or aggression, it can be just the excitement of an event that causes it to happen. As Desert Ranger said, it happens when a dog's senses are raised. It was compared to humans and blushing, some of us blush more fequently and easier than others. Blitz used to "hackle up" very easily when he was a young dog, even the excitement of chasing a ball would cause him to raise his hackels.