My 4 month old GSD is a joy. He is housebroken, healthy, energetic, and all his instincts seem to be in place. The problem is, though I have never intended to have him trained in protection, I did hope he would be a little protective of his home. He wags his tail and nearly jumps with delight at the approach of ANY stranger. He knows NO strangers. He is neither afraid, nor protective; just filled with the joy of life. He never barks at ANYTHING except when he thinks he's been out in the outside kennel long enough, or to let me know he wants out of the crate to go out. I though I bought a good German bloodline, and that some degree of protection instinct would be a natural thing. I don't want him to be mean, but I would like some degree of awareness and acknowledgement that there are strangers around. Am I wrong here?
John,
Your dog is a PUPPY. Would you expect a four year old child (a rough equivalent) to be suspicious of strangers or show you that he's going to defend your house when he's all grown up? My (now 6 year old) protection trained Leerburg dog didn't even get out a good bark until he was about 9 months old. (First one scared the hell out of me, he was sitting next to me in the front seat of my truck and did it for no apparent reason)
The socialization with strangers thing is good. I'd be concerned if he was acting any differently than you describe.
Bottom line, read the website, get a couple of tapes and relax and enjoy having a puppy.
Reg: 04-08-2002
Posts: 91
Loc: Valencia, Spain, EU
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John,
Yes, you are absolutely wrong.
You have a perfect dog. A 4 months old puppy should be doing exactly what your dog is doing. Otherwise it wouldn't be normal.
Be glad you have a dog with no temperament problems, they are not easy to find.
Your dog will be protective when he matures (at about 2 years of age) No dog in this world will protect you with 4 months. Like Ed says, it's like asking your 4 year old boy to protect your house from burglars.
There are many articles on Ed's site that will teach you many things about dogs you need to learn if you have a GSD. Make sure you read them.
You have a fantastic dog and one you should be proud of. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Your dog is a normal, confident puppy with every chance to develop into the sort of the dog you want. At any age, it is neither normal nor good for a dog to be overly suspicious of strangers who are not posing a direct threat. Puppies, who should be exploring their world, should not be afraid of people. Any reserve or suspicion will develop with time and a dog that hasn't been afraid to meet people will be better able to distinguish between what's harmless and what's not.
Enjoy your dog. And if you're hoping for a protection dog, join a good club and train your dog appropriately. Protection doesn't come out of the blue, no matter what assurances you may have heard to the contrary.
Once again I have had my fears about my pup put to rest by you kind folks here on the forum. I thank you so much for your help...If I ever do gain any wisdom, I'll surely tru to help others with it...
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