Most of my dogs have various levels of personal protection training on them. It varies from the full package to a solid alert on command.

And the dog more then the training is what determines their livablility and how much caution I exercise. I am by nature cautious with my dogs and other people, I believe it is my duty to protect them (the dogs) from idiots.

In order to well in training and be suited for it the dogs do need a certain level of drive and a hardness in their temperament. While I love this type of dog there are not always the easiest ones to live with ....LOL

There is a lot to be said for getting a substantial dark sable(I'm a sucker for that type) put solid ob on him or her and teaching them a bark on command. Easy to do, easy to live with, and in the case of an accidental bite you do not have Personal Protection training on your dog. Big difference liability wise.

A confident German Shepherd, bonded with his or her owner and with solid ob can be very intimadating.

Just my two cents!

Correct...I am definitely going with the obedience route and training in drive is a must. That much I understand. Thanks everyone.

 Quote: Betty Waldron

Most of my dogs have various levels of personal protection training on them. It varies from the full package to a solid alert on command.

And the dog more then the training is what determines their livablility and how much caution I exercise. I am by nature cautious with my dogs and other people, I believe it is my duty to protect them (the dogs) from idiots.

In order to well in training and be suited for it the dogs do need a certain level of drive and a hardness in their temperament. While I love this type of dog there are not always the easiest ones to live with ....LOL

There is a lot to be said for getting a substantial dark sable(I'm a sucker for that type) put solid ob on him or her and teaching them a bark on command. Easy to do, easy to live with, and in the case of an accidental bite you do not have Personal Protection training on your dog. Big difference liability wise.

A confident German Shepherd, bonded with his or her owner and with solid ob can be very intimadating.

Just my two cents!

+1
The visual of a GSD is more of a deterant then a "cute" barking, snarling dog that will honestly bite someone.
I'm also a sucker for the dark sable. It's actually the dominant color in the GSD so that why you see so many with the police, military, etc. working breeders don't give a crap about color. Also, the sables don't win big in the show ring thus the red saddle back, cookie cutter dogs.
I'd still look for good working line dogs. the right breeder can select that "perfect" dog even if it's not for bite work.
As with every pu in a show line litters not all being ring worthy, neither are all the pups in a working line dogs in any given litter all worthy for bite work.

 Quote:

I'm also a sucker for the dark sable. It's actually the dominant color in the GSD so that why you see so many with the police, military, etc. working breeders don't give a crap about color. Also, the sables don't win big in the show ring thus the red saddle back, cookie cutter dogs.

When I think about it, I am just totally floored, that in entire lines of our breed, the dominant color has been bred out.

Selective breeding at it's best.............

Unless you are military, or police, any big dog that defends territory and shows it's teeth at intruders is scary. A dog that stares at a person and growls, flicking it's tongue --who is going to mess with that?



Folks are scared of our english shepherd, he's 80 lbs, he's black, he has a big mouth, and he follows people, watches them. He's just a collie. I would think if you had a big stong GSD "watching" it would be enough in all but the most awful circumstances.

What is the "market" for a true PPD? What circumstances are a good fit for these dogs?

Apparently the Hollywood set will pay many thousands of dollars for a dog they see on a sleeve. "Executive Protection dogs". GAG, CHOKE, CHOKE!

My thoughts are someone with serious threats against them, or possible someone that has a high security level with a big firm and such.
A single woman that has threats against her from a former husband/boyfriend also but it still all boils down to how qualified a person is to handle such a dog. If that isn't the case then it can be more of a serious problem then the X.
Same with a gun. A friend of my son's wanted my son to teach her to handle a pistol for protection in the instance of an ex getting out of prison.
My son realize after the first get together with his friend she had no business handling a gun. She was to fearfull of it and was very reactive when one went off een arouond her.
We hooked her up with a very "threatening" looking big mutt that adored her and also had a lot of barrier aggression in the car, yard and house. You can still only hope this and restraining orders will work though. It has for more then a yr for sure.

I have sold a few with various degrees of training to people involved in our Ocala area horse farms.

Generally it is a husband/wife team where one is ofen on the road with horses and the other one is generally home with the rest of the horses.

Some of these horses are quite valuable and the farms can also be a bit isolated.

I've also placed a couple with business people that carry large amounts of cash or valuable merchandise.

In our area, which I would think resembles the market in many urban areas, we have some single females that like the idea of living with protection dogs. Also, there are a couple of wives in our SchH club that would rather have a dog with them than carry a gun. I know a couple of female IPO trainers in the surrounding parishes that live in rural areas who would not feel safe without their dogs.

I am a gun owner, and I don't depend on my dog to protect me. However, I meet people that are not comfortable carrying a gun to go for a walk in their neighborhood. As much as I don't like to encourage unwitting people to get PPDs, I can understand them feeling that a dog is, at least, some security.

There are 2 guys, I know, in my area (both have done decoy work with my dogs) that sell imported show line dogs from Slovakia to unknowing buyers as PPDs. These dogs will bark at a decoy & bite a sleeve...so they must be bad ass protection dogs that will protect the owner & family from any & all evils of the world....right? Jeezee.

Like good old PT Barnum stated: there is a sucker born every minute & a fool & his money are soon parted. This is true, & with BIG $$$$$s, in the process of giving these poor suckers a sense of false security with these so-called PPDs. I only hope that they never really have to depend on them for a real life threat.

I agree, as a single female and I have traveled ( by car) all over the country by myself having a dog is a big deterrent, my last two dogs had a very good threat display and I never hesitated to walk after dark or in unfamilar areas by myself with them. Amber on the other hand is not security, she's the welcome wagon, I think her breed is somewhat of a deterrent but I have no doubt that after giving kisses to any would be assailant she would throw me under the bus in a heartbeat. I try to be very aware of my surroundings and not look like easy prey, I've even brought my dogs into rest stop bathrooms when I had to stop in the wee hours of the night, it might not stop someone but it will certainly give them pause. jmo