My 15 week old puppy is being raised to be a ppd / security dog. So far I have let everyone he meets fuss over him and feed him treats, as he was a little shy of some strangers when i got him. For the most part he's gotten over this; he's still a little aloof, but he's a bouvier, so it's to be expected.
Is there a time when i should start to limit his socialisation? I don't mean environmentally, I will continue to bring him everywhere with me, but should I stop allowing him to interact with strangers? I do not want a socially aggressive dog, as i plan on using him for event security, and an overly aggressive dog is useless to me. The only reason I am so concerned about his level of socialisation is that already at 15 weeks he is fairly territorial, he barks and growls whenever he sees someone approaching the property, and this seems a bit much considering his age. Any suggestions would be welcome.

I think there may be a few issues at work here.

If he's going to be used in large crowds, he may be telling you now that this is not the right career for him. Just my opinion. But I am not there. I don't think you should limit him socially with strangers, ever. Perhaps I am odd, but you don't want a PPD to be aggressive with strangers, you want a PPD to be alert and responsive to you. You want him to be aware of threatening behavior from a stranger and relay this information back to you, but always wait for you to give him direction and for you to control the situation. Again, this is my opinion. Continue socialization.

As far as the protectiveness over his area at 15 weeks, I will leave that question to someone with more knowledge than I.

Julie

Thanks for the input. Shyness probably isn't the best way I could have described his current attitude; he isn't scared or timid, he just doesn't see any reason to approach people unless he knows them. That being said, he was a little shy when i got him at 9 weeks, and he seems pretty "sharp" (can i still refer to his barking as sharp when he is only 15 weeks old, or is it just a sign of really bad nerves?). The last thing I want to do is raise a fear biter, so if I feel he's too nervous for work down the line, I won't hesitate to stop any work-related training and keep him as yet another pet.

Although I've worked and trained a number of adult dogs, I have very limited experience with puppies. Most of my friends think I have the toughest puppy around, as he's quick to bark and growl at strangers that approach the property or startle him. But shouldn't he be more interested in playing at 4 months old?

Advice from any experienced trainers, especially those experienced with "off-breeds" (Kevin has come through huge for me in the past)would be greatly appreciated. He's a bouvier.

Is his attitude an indication of future nerve problems?

If so, would letting him meet and greet everyone help, or is it most likely genetic? (he has been heavily socialised up until now.)

Will letting him be petted or fed by strangers make it significantly more difficult to train him to alert in civil situations? I'm not interested in a sport dog, I need a dog that can tolerate people nearby, but still be suspicious enough that he will take someone down when the need arises.