We sent our dog to a guard dog trainer. I think he created some problems. Can you offer any advise?

I really enjoyed reading your site, & like everyone else, have a few questions. (I hope you don't mind) I had my GSD obedience & protection trained at the Guard Dog Training center, Berkshire Park, NSW Australia, by Fred & Lewana Osmani. When I first approached them Lewana talked to us about dog training, but every question I asked she seemed to cut me off & asked me to buy their video showing what you get. We did & were impressed with what we seen. After 2 weeks (in which they said it would take three) they rang & told us he was ready. When we returned they said he had pat the "test" for protection work, but would need more lessons with us present, he was fretting. They showed us how he would walk etc. but he looked like he was crawling on his belly so to speak. When challenged he would bark in a high pitched tone at the other trainers. We took him home & could not get him to do a thing, we returned him (as they say they guarantee the training) & he would walk OK etc. for them. What they didn't tell us or the video didn't show was that you have to jerk the neck off the dog to make him respond! Also, his protection training was poor. We have since attended approx. 7 lessons, with admittedly better results. He attacks the trainer well now but when at home or on the street he is not as ready to defend. I think his protection work is "environmental" he sees the trainer from 50 meters away & starts growling, barking & even shaking. He attacks him well though.

He still doesn't do all of the things that they show in their video, such as bark & hold, off the lead attack, not eat food from the hand etc. One other thing that irks me is that at the end of each lesson they say a few more lessons will do him, then when I ring up in a couple of weeks they say he's finished? I suspect they are so busy they don't remember what they tell you.

All in all, I'm not sure what drives my dog has, his obedience is sloppy & protection work inconsistent, sometimes when he is chained in my work use & someone walks by he will bark & growl at them in any area, & other times he will do nothing? I don't know why. People come to the house & he will run at the door-barking etc., we put him outside & every time he catches a glimpse of them through the curtain he goes crazy again. The slightest noise sets him off barking (sometimes) making him an excellent guard dog, but the inconsistency is what ruins him. I can't be sure what he'll do & when. Its like a car that won't start, you never know when though. I feel he has the potential, we never hit him, he was easily house trained, and he will pull very hard on the tug for ages (longer than I can) he's not nervous etc., when he attacks the trainer he gives a fully bite on the sleeve, unlike others I have seen just nipping. The trainers say he's good but is not a hard dog, they want to sell us a female to toughen him up.

I am saving to buy some of your videos on obedience etc. but I would like to know where he is at & where to go from here. Do you think he is trained? Maybe I'm expecting too much? I don't trust them to do any more training, I've never heard them speak of drives or defense. Their method is jumping around at him agitating him with a stick with a piece of nylon cord on it, whipping him on the leg whilst he goes for them? He chases a tug really well & has a firm bite, would it be O.K. to work on his defense more or go back through bite work?

Thanks,
Darrel