Bitework and Socialization - Page 1

 Hi. I'm very new to the whole GSD world.  I'm confused about something.  If you socialize a GSD constantly and encourage him to interact with strangers and visitors, will he still respond to a threat from a stranger?  Are dogs that do schutzhund and serious bitework friendly to people?

Thanks so much, like I said, I'm very new to this.
Cam

1st Schh isnt an indication  of serious bite work. there are some serious and or civil dogs competing in schh but just because a dog is competing in schh doesnt mean they are a civil dog.


to answer your question- does socialization prevent a dog from protecting? NO.

if appropriate genetics are present and proper training follows then the dog should develope the ability to discriminate friend from foe.

Some will also train simply to only engage when told to do so and can escalate to direct whom to bite/gaurd.

But this all depends on the dog- his ability- and the ability of your trainer- and most importantly the ability of yourself!

My dog takes his cues from me.  If I'm friendly and accepting of an individual, he is more than friendly.  If the hair on the back of my neck is up, so is his.  He has been started in bitework but stalled due to my life changes, but that is his temperament, with or without training.

Welcome to the GSD world!

I think that well-socialized dogs (of any breed) are more stable and, because they are well socilized, are less likely to make mistakes:  they know the difference between a genuine non-threat and when a person is a real threat.  Therefore the socialization and exposure to all kinds of people, all kinds of situations, is extremely beneficial training.

All dogs are different, and I'm sure there are Schutzhund sport dogs that are not friendly to people because their handlers like them that way.  IMO this is a huge minority of people.

Remember all SchH dogs must first pass a temperment test before they are allowed to try for a SchH title.  The founding dogs of Therapy Dogs International were SchH3 German Shepherd Dogs, so I would say that the answer to your question "Are dogs that do schutzhund and serious bitework friendly to people?" is a resounding YES!
 

Let me give you an example:  I do not train Sch dogs but train for other areas of service work.  All of my areas require the dogs to be social however, when they are young dogs I introduce them to bitework. 

This is done so that when they complete their training and are maturing and their natural protectiveness kicks in.  I have discovered if they know how to bite they will not become nervy like a dog that has never been allowed to bite. Also, howcan you successfully train a dog the "bite" command if you have not traind the bite? 

After that brief bitework then the rest of the life of the dog is spent socializing in its chosen field.  Does the Bitework philosophy ever backfire, yep, but those dogs were gonna wash out anyway.  So, we simply divert them somewhere else.

Socialization + Bitework = Success (If Done Correctly)

TUFF

Been in schutzhund for many years, now, and the schutzhund dogs I have seen that are unapproachable are so few and far between that I can count them on one hand. With only one exception, the non-friendly ones had been as isolated from people (i.e, UNsocialized)as possible by design of their owner/handler. Sadly, there are a few people who actually want their dogs unapproachable.

My dogs all do Schutzhund. I never start bitework (going beyond the rag) until they are one. The early socialization and obedience are an excellent foundation for Schutzhund. GSDs love to bite and biting the leather or the sleeve is the reward for them. It gives the dogs both defensive and prey drive not just agression and builds their confidence. A confident dog doesn't fear bite. I would be more afraid of a dog that strikes out in fear than a dog that has been trained to bite on command. Building a bond with your dog is important, he will naturally protect you. Does training Schutzhund make your dog mean? Quite the opposite!