what is the meaning of a serious dog? - Page 1

Hi, just wondering what is people meaning by a serious dog?  can this be seen by their level of aggression?

Can you tell if you puppy is going to be a serious dog since they are young or this can only be said once they mature and how can you tell?


Thanks for the help, there is a lot to learn about dogs...

Regards

confidence and enviromental/civil stability can be seen in puppies,and these are things that i like to see,but at a young age,there are things/situations that will "shake" even the best pup,hopefully they'll be resilent enough to overcome stressfull situations,the ones that do tend to grow up to be "serious dogs"....aggression is not the only key,as some fearfull dogs can be overly aggressive(in a bad way).some "PREY/SLEEVE MONKEYS"can look serious to an uneducated eye! the dogs that are tuff enough to get thru rigorous training,working anytime,day or night,take corrections and comply with out holding a grudge or dropping in drive,these to me are the "serious dogs",they live for the work,and no level of corrections nor bad handeling can deter them from their goals....these dogs are driven and focused,sport,police,military,farm work......it doesn;t make any difference to this particular type dog...i've seen some great dogs that would go to sleep on a schutzhund helper...it was very hard to impress these dogs...but when the right switch was flipped..look out! a real dog will have aggression in abundance,but he won't brandish it like some young thug with an uzi...

good question.
Would like to see more answers.

Thanks 'vom ost see' for your reply...  very intersting

Ace952 I see a lot of people talking about it, but no many people truly explaining it... I wonder if some actually know what they are truely talking about?

Would also love to see more answers, to see if everyone has the same view on regards to serious dogs..

To me a serious dog is "all out" in whatever he is doing and the attitude in which he/she does it is not happy but more intense in nature.   Their commitment to action is 100%. This type of dog (IMHO) usually has a "hair trigger" when it comes to aggression, but is not always aggressive. Many times they tend to be the ones to watch a situation intently and then suddenly make the choice to join in or try to stop what is going on. Even their "play" is serious and intense.  The kind that will take your hand off if you don't give them the ball quick enough. They would not be the type to solicit affection and "kisses" are rare. I believe you can tell when they are puppies. Mostly by their interactions with the other puppies and their serious possesive tendencies with toys. They also tend to be aloof to humans in general even as puppies. 
I do agree that sometimes people mistakenly identify a dog as serious when they are just plain aggressive. Like the previous post says, aggression can stem from fear. Many dog's take a pro-active stance when they are afraid and lash out before anything has a chance to "get them". It takes an experienced eye to know the difference. A dog that is confidant does not feel the need to be aggressive all the time unless something happens to make him suspicious. 
All just my opinion.
Hope that helps some!
Debby 

Nice description Debby!

Yes, Debbie, I agree.  I love that kind of a dog.

Vom ost see and Debby pretty much summed it up. All I would add is, the serious dog gives 100% on off days.

I guess I have a different idea than you guys. Some of you get pretty damn deep! I'm gonna have to steal some of Slamdunk's confiscated weed to get on your level. the question on the other thread was serious dogs in SchH. To me it is simple. Not too complicated. Its a dog that isn't out there playing frisbee with the helper. Not a game.

My definition of a "serious" dog may not be the same as that of others.  A serious dog, while usually confident, does not necesarily have to exude confidence, he is just a dog that is not playing in protection/aggression phase.  He engages the helper and responds to the perceived threat seriously and clear headed and not in a "happy" and playful manner.  They usually "bring a lot to the party" when they engage the helper.  A lot of dogs that fall in this category may also be considered "Civil" in that they are also more likely to engage the man than the sleeve, refuse to release on command or release the sleeve to engage the man and thus may not be a helper's favorite.  Many sports guys deem these types of dogs too serious for SchH when in reality the sport is really not serious enough for a dog that takes the threat with all the seriousness that real life threats deserve.  These are not "points dogs", but may impress the public with the intensity of its bitework if you can channel its drives into biting the sleeve.

In my experience, these can also be dominant and hard dogs and require knowledgeable and experienced helpers and trainers.