I'd like to share with this board an experience I had and would appreciate your input as well as any stories of your own.

I own a nearly 4 yr. old male, GSD that is protection trained and is, I believe, a very stable PP dog and companion.

A year or so ago a couple of friends of mine were watching a ball game with me on my back patio. The beer was flowing and a good time was being had by all. And then my friend, who was petting my dog, did a stupid thing. Knowing that my dog is a PP dog he raised his arms, made a menacing face and made a threatening "monster" like sound to him. My dog fired up on him big time. Fortunately my dog is such that he did not bite him. My friend backed off in a milisecond, much to the laughter of my other friend. I told my friend that if he had taken it a step further by, let's say, trying to swat him on the head, he would have been severely bitten.

So what's the lesson here?

My thinking is it's ok for the dog to greet my friends and after that he's to go to his "place" or otherwise stay away. My friends are not there to pet him nor is my dog there to be their pet. If my friend had gotten really stupid and my dog had bitten him, whose fault would it have been? That's right, my fault.

People do stupid things all the time. I'm trying to recognize where it might occur (everywhere?) and avoid it. I think I've anticipated a lot of it. Anticipating my friend to act like a bafoon is one I missed.

After reading your post, your friends that visit you a lot might benefit from a small demonstration of what a trained PP dog can do. Put on the sleve and have the dog tag you once or twice and I'm sure your friends will garner much more respect for the dog and be a little more careful in the future. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Better yey, Put the sleeve on them.
Ron

A loose PPD in a situation with beer flowing equals law suit.
You were right in that you would have been found at fault if something bad had happened. Never under estimate the power of stupidity - it's the force that drives the universe.

My dog is only out when my fellow trainer's are over my house - they know his behavior well and won't do dumb things like slap me on the back, which my dog would see as an attack and respond.
I'd like to have him out more often when the In-laws visit.....it might cut down on their returning so soon. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for sharing the experience, Mike. Other people can learn and save themselves a hassle !

Michael - This was not a mistake that your friend made it was a handler mistake. You dodged a bullet or should I say YOU DODGED AN ATTORNEY AND A LAW SUIT !!

If your dog was indeed PP trained then you had no business having the dog out when you have company and certainly not when the company and YOU have been drinking.

If there had been a dog bite do you know how long it would take an attorney to eat your lunch when he got you on the witness stand? About 5 minutes and your council would be asking for a recess - so he could settle the case.

NO ONE PETS MY DOG - not my girlfriend not my son not my friends and especially not strangers. There is no reason on earth to allow another person to pet your dog (much less a personal protection dog). That translates into SERIOSU HANDLER MISTAKE otherwise known as SHIT HAPPENS and attorneys get rich!!!

If you are going to own a PP dog you need to learn to become a responsible dog handler. Learning the hard way is not fun.

I'd like to have him out more often when the In-laws visit.....it might cut down on their returning so soon.
I DO have mine out when the inlaws are over. The dogs herd them into the living room very nicely. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
As far as my friends are concerned, I don't have my dogs free around company in general. I don't want them getting to comfortable with people other than my family nor do I want someone bit. Just the other day at a training session a fellow handler (a woman) aproached my dog (who was in a down) and started patting and fawning over him. This was O.K. until she pulled a move that she does with her own dog which is kind of hugging and crouching over the top of the dog real close. The dog started growling and luckily the situation was defused imeadiately. Some dogs don't tolerate fools well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

NO ONE PETS MY DOG - not my girlfriend not my son
Ed, you don't want your family to socialize with your dog? I could understand a PSD but I don't understand why you would not want a PPD well socialized with the family. Please clear this up. I'm not looking for trouble just trying to understand.

I'm just a regular fun of the mill and have no professional training of some kind and my dogs are pets that knows the no, come, stay, sit and down in that order...and the odd get in the car, but i know for a fact that NO ONE except my hudsband and kids - in case something happens to me - touches my dogs, when people comes to my house he's allowed (has to) go to his mat (go to your (BED)in the livingroom and IF drinking starts, I tell him (MY BED)there is a mat for him in my office where i keep all my valuables ans shut the door if it gets to roudy...

Being a trainer an all, you should have known this, i hate to say this, but what if your dog did indeed bite him, i can just hear from here...

TRAINED GSD ATTACKS WITH NO REASON ECT..ECT..you know the rest.

I sure got a lesson out of that one and i will be more aware from now on....i'm pretty sure you did to..

for the record, I do not own PPD's either. My dogs are sport dogs that are territorial by nature. I am more concerned with prey drive kicking in when I'm not looking and finding my dog hanging off someones butt. I do plan on cross training them to PP after they have titles and proven clear heads.

Scott,
Why not a PSD socialized? Mine spends regular time with fellow officers and the brass. They are also taken to schools as Public relations effortss. We specifically choose dogs for this because we understand what will be asked of them. Nothing worse than bad press when a PSD bites another cop or innocent person just because they havent been properly socialized. This is not to say that I go out of my way to have strangers interact with him in a friendly manner on a regular basis. BTW, Im not looking for trouble either <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />