Chicken Dog - Page 1

This is my first post here. I have a 5 yo GSD. She is a great pet, tons of energy wont tolorate any other animal approching her fence line. But when it comes to people, she is to freindly and submisive. If confronted hard enough I believe she would back down. What can I do about this ?
I am looking for a second dog, half the reason for getting her was security, on that front she is a real disapointment. She is about 65 lbs.

SOMETIMES AFTER A FEW BEERS CERTAIN DOGS BECOME MUCH MORE COURAGEOUS.

That's quite a load there Ronnie...What happens if there's a fire...

Me Likes Chicken...!

Ronnie-  Had a few beers?   That guy is on here asking a question and  you're the only one who replied so far and just basically blew him off!  I thought that's what this message board was here for, to possibly find the answers to our questions.  Not to ask a question then get made fun of for it of made to feel like your question is not worth anything but funny reply.   I like what I've learned on this board and will probably still come back maybe for certain things but somehow it seems this has turned into just another chat room.

Jen

Jen... nothing wrong with a joke here or there... I don't think he meant to blow her off...

As far as the submissive female...  will quote the trainer who worked with me in protection... he said a couple things... the 1st being that some dog's reaction to stress/pain is  "OWWWW why'd ya do that to me" and they sulk... others stand up and say "You SOB..." and address the stress directly.  Seems like yours is the first kind... enjoy hear and don't expect for her to ever be godzilla.     The second was that it's possible to make any dog bite... but only certain dogs can be taught when not to.  Putting your gal into the kind of stress it might take for her to show protection mode might be more than she could handle.   You could do some tugg play with her to  encourage her to bark and wrestle against you, then connect it with a command.  I had one dog who wasn't at all aggressive who learned to bark repeatedly on command, and to bark when he found someone around.  It wasn't true protective behavior, but it passed in many situations.  If you get a 2nd dog who is a bit harder temperment you may find that your current dog will "back her up", and learn from her....

Or as Ronnie says get her a couple beers...   (joking)

Foxtrot, have you had her all her life or did you get her as an adult? 

Is your dog a confident dog?  Has she been rebuked for jumping up on people or for barking at them?  She might be convinced that ANY such action is a huge NO.  Does she always "win" in playing tug or other games?

A lot of things besides her own nature may have taught her to be as she is now, and it's important that you figure this out before raising a second dog.

Remember, though, that pet dogs often know when it's a real emergency and when it's not.  In a real-deal crisis, don't be surprised if she lays down her life for you.  Did you see the article awhile back where some guy broke into a house and the young shepherd saved the woman?  No training, no nothing, just a nice friendly housepet, but when this guy came after the woman, the dog went for him, guy grabbed the dog and threw it across the room and that dog came right back at him and saved his owner.

So - all that to say don't be too hard on your dog.  I believe that they know when we think they are disappointments.  Not that you consciously treat her in a lesser manner, but THEY KNOW when in your heart you are disappointed in them, and that may be making her extra submissive and trying to please everyone.

I'm sure others on here will have lots of good suggestions.  Welcome to the board!

Foxtrot,  your submissive female will probably always be this way. It's temperament and it's genetic. If she barks at strangers on your property and looks like a German Shepherd, that's usually enough to deter the average bad guy. After all, he doesn't know what kind of temperament your dog has and he doesn't usually want to find out. So enjoy your sweet female. Yes, you can do tug play with her and encourage her to bark on command. Don't call her a chicken. She's a sweet girl who just doesn't have it in her to be a big, bad alpha dog.

When you get another GSD, look for a "harder" temperament, that is, a puppy who is resilient to mild correction, who is confident in strange surroundings and explores everything, who chases anything that moves, who likes people and goes right up to them (a GSD puppy should be interested in people. A mature GSD should be reserved.) The dog you want could be either sex, but keep in mind that you are more likely to have fights with two dogs of the same sex.

The first poster who posted a response is known for never saying anything useful about dogs. So consider the source.

OK a little more about her. Ive had her since she was 8 weeks. I was a little hard on her when she peed in the house.
She has a pretty good bark, she ambushes the mail person everyday. If I put my heavy coat on and wave my arms around she will clamp on and growl and make other noises untill i make her to stop, usually when it starts to hurt, she likes that game. She does not like being home alone, has tore throgh her kennel, jumped a 5 foot fence to many times, gotten off her chain by spinning round and round and round untill the chain link on her collar unscrews. But last week when I was not there she let someone walk in the back yard and then the back door.
You right that many people stay away just because she is a GSD. She listens very well, I can stop her in a flat out run, unless she is after another animal. That has never resulted in a fight, maybe the other did not want to fight or maybe she was just talking sh#!.

Foxtrot,
Teaching your dog to be cautious of strangers is easy, but trying to make her into something she is not would be a waste of time and more over unkind to your dog.
Under the right circumstances she may very well step up to the plate and defend you or your family but I doubt she'd ever become anything other than a pet at her age going on what little you have said about her.
There are ways to test her.
Before you buy another dog I believe you need to know a lot more about German Shepherds and their training.
Do you already have questions?
Moons.