I'm just curious for those of you who have PPD's for various reasons, do you feel safe with these dogs around even if you haven't ever had to put them to use? Are they friendly to other family members? Or just your general opinion about your dog?
All opinions and advice appreciated..

Oh, no, the board went down when I hit the submit button! Anyhow, here we go again...

I haven't had a PPD or trained one, so please take my reply for what it's worth. My old dog was basically a family dog. She was a German Shepherd/Australian Cattle Dog which I got from the pound. I basically lucked out with her. Sound nerves & medium drive. Good family dog, but she was suspicious of people she didn't know. She's basically look them straight in the eye & treat them as equals. Trained up to mock/trial CD standard at the local obedience club, but I didn't know enough to take her further. Anyway, on with the story:

I was taking her for a walk one day when this creepy guy starts bugging me. I basically said that I was walking the dog & couldn't stop to talk. He keeps bugging me & bugging me. I thought what am I going to do to make him stop. As soon as I thought that, the dog jumps up, puts her paws on his shoulders & barks in his face. She read my body language, as I certainly didn't give her a verbal cue to do that, nor had she been trained in PPD. A barking dog was/is all the protection dog I need, plus her size was enough to keep most people away who didn't know us. Also, my grandmother (who lived with us at the time) used to take my dog off-leash with her whenever she went to the shops or wherever, just for that sense of security. The dog would heel beside her & wait at the store for her. Just the fact that my grandmother had this large dog with her was, I'm sure, enough to deter people from doing anything to an 80 yr old lady.

I hope that helps!

Well for me yes, I can say I feel safer with my PPD..I sleep better at night when my husband is at work late.I know no one will crawl through my windows to take one of my children.I also know for a fact that if conflict happens inside my home my dog won't beat me to the front door, he will fight for me.We've also trained him to search the house for any strange smell and any perp hiding in the house. I feel a lot more safe going to the grocery store late at night(cause my dog is in the car)I know for one my car will be there when I get out of the store and 2) NO ONE will be hiding in the car.I'm not saying that he's bullet proof but he sure gives me peace of mind.He loves going everywhere with me.I also train with him for schutzhund, it has been very hard to make him a "sports" dog.He has always been very civil.He takes his job as a PPD very serious but I can pick up my kids from school and have tons of kids running from every direction all around him and he is very comfortable and confident.He is social when he needs to be, I can sit at a cafe shop and he will not lunge to attack any one walking by.He is pretty aware of his surrounding but he is not a crazy biting dog.He's clear headed. But you know a good dog that comes from good pedigree and good genetics should be like that.A good protection bite work foundation with helpers or trainers that know what it takes to make a great PPD is also the key.
I don't have one GSD I have 3 and hopefully adding another.But one has the specific training of a PPD.My female yes she will protect forsure, and my 11 months old well, give him another year and he will be like my 3 year old PPD dog.
I hope that helps you !

Angelique, I'd probably have a PPD if I were in your shoes. Good luck with the pup.

Angelique, I'd probably have a PPD if I were in your shoes. Good luck with the pup.

"I'm just curious for those of you who have PPD's for various reasons, do you feel safe with these dogs around even if you haven't ever had to put them to use?"



Yes, I feel safe with my dogs around. The dogs are safe around my family.



Handler experience, along with good selection and training, will determine how well a dog will do in a family situation.

Yes, I feel safer with my dog around, she lets me know immediately when someone or something is "out of place". Is a sweetheart with my husband and me.

We have no children living in our home so that is of no concern to me. She is allowed around some adults and not others, not because I don't trust her, but, because I don't trust them!


Debbie

I personally love having my dogs with me. So far my older female has stop a person from stealing my radio (I put her in the truck at night and wait for the stupid people to reach in at 2-4 in the morning he he I can let me children play in the back yard - there are two playing/standing guard with them, at night there is one in the living room, one in my son's room, one in my daughter's room , one in my room and two out back. Best alarm system I could ever have.

I love it when alarm companies call me up and say I need "thier" alarm systems. I ask the following questions
Can it be taking in my car? When I go on walks? what about protecting my children out side? What about power failure? What will it do for me if the police can not get here in 1.5 sec? Can I take it to a freinds house? Can I snuggle with it? (that one throws them for a loop) Because my five German shepherds can. My family and I are worth more then any house, computer or what ever.

As far as being friendly to the family yes! My family and close friends but not to the traveling saleman, or even the post man as Ed has put it (and I personally have never forgetten this since I have read it) They are not a petting zoo! they are here for my protection. I don't need the young postman (by chance doing drugs) petting my dog, me telling my dog it is ok by letting the postman pet him , and later that night when I am not at home he breaks in and the dogs remembers his smell from earlier and thinks well, MOM said it was ok then. So, family yes, strangers no.

Barbara, I laugh when my alarm company calls to say we can't get in to check your property, can we walk the perimeter, the dogs
are going nuts and won't let us in.We have both, insurance purposes. Yes I think PPD dogs are a great deterrent, but won't stop a guy with a gun, Mine have been very helpful, when I am home alone,and need an extra pair of eyes and ears. If they have good solid temperaments and raised in a family enviroment, they can be great with kids under supervison of course,as No kids should be left alone with dogs, kids can be weird and dogs can be weird!

I'm still around thanks to a ppd (the knife nicked my skinn befor the dog could crush the guys hand)
Last month i was called, at night, to the company due to a burglar alarm, send the dog in to do a building search. He didn't find anything but if i hadn't had the dog it would have been my job to look.
2 weeks ago i was trying to sell a car when 2 guys tried to bully me in selling it to them for an inferiour price. They almost met my dog up close... ( i like the command "handler defence")
Do i feel safer with my dog at my side? what's your guess?