Social dog - Page 1

Too young.  Thats like asking a 10 year old boy to protect you.  I also don't like what the trainers did, if it is the way you described.  Everything with a pup should be prey, defense shouldn't be brought in till the dog is more mature and along with bitework.  From what I understand (correct me people if I'm wrong) but they should be trying to get him to bark in prey drive first.

You don't want a dog to bark out of insecurity, which also causes excessive unwarranted barking over minor things.   You want him to bark because he's confident and understands the difference between a threat (real or percieved) and a non threat.  My most stable, clear in the head dog, barks the least in my home.  My insecure dogs will bark at the drop of a hat.

 My male for example, he's SchH2 ret. police dog.  He's very clear in the head, confident male, very social when appropriate but civil only when necessary.   He's always quiet in his crate, people/dogs can walk by the back of my truck (with the hatch open) and he's always quiet.  The one day I was "tresspass tracking" on some farmland and was sitting in my truck waiting for my track to age.  Some guy pulls up fast behind me quickly gets out of his car and walks hurriedly around in my direction.  I was like oh crap, he's going to yell at me for being here...hell, it looked like he was going to kick my ass.  Andy goes nuts barking as he quickly walks towards my truck.  It turns out he was just grabbing some empty trash cans aside of my truck and he was just in a hurry, but it dawned on me that Andy felt the same way I did about this guy, he was a percieved threat.  

Regards,

Melanie 

There is a good chance you will ruin your dog working it that way at such a young age.

Do yourself and your dog a favor.....get a helper who knows how to work a young dog properly 

All good advice here - your dog is still a "kid" at that age.  Find a local SchH club, or another dog club with experienced helpers for protection work - Ring, PSA, etc.

Some "trainers" will happily push a young dog into aggression so that they can charge their clients for making a "protective dog" when in fact all they're doing is making him into a nerve bag.

There are some very good replies here.  I would just also like to add the need to understand 'protectiveness'.  If anyone is wanting their GSD to do what they consider natural i.e. growl, bark, snarl and show aggression as a means of suggesting it is 'protecting', they are just nurturing an 'unguided missile'! 

Remember that your dog expects YOU to be the 'Protector', that is YOUR role as Pack Leader.  If you don't appear capable and in control, your dog may bark BUT out of concern, because he will be worried that YOU seem weak so what hope does he have in you!!

Equally, they can also bark/show aggression (where it is NOT necessary) through too much control on their part, i.e. YOU are not demonstrating good well balanced general Pack control.

If someone is using 'Protection work' as part of a learned Sport, than this needs to done carefully, gradually and professionally, with a very knowledgable and experienced Trainer.

If an Owner is not actually really wanting to understand and commit themselves to the whole concept of Shutzhund work, just remember that the mere PRESENCE or SIGHT of a GSD makes many people wary, and particularly someone who might have been a potential threat.

Therefore a GSD that you can rely on to be calm and relaxed in general circumstances (with people, other dogs, traffic etc) is a dog to be proud of.

Vixen