Hi

i am a newbie and i happen to own two workinglines gsds with bloodlines which are famous in this site or other workingline gsd sites,i would just like to know an honest opinion with regards to sharpness and the ability to protect,well for starters my dog is already 18months old and he happens to just let people in and out of the house strangers just sniffing them and i doubt very much if he will protect if the need arises,strangers are not common to my household though but whta i am conncerned about is yes hes got drives but for me in my own opinion it wouldnt differentiate him from other dogs like the retievers for instance without his sharpness..how do we get this trait in him?or is it either hes got it or he doesnt?inborn.. and secondly my dog was scampering when he heard a gunfire,do you train for him to be gunfire insensitive or maybe he just doesnt have the nerves??pls tell me what your honest opinions are,coz i myself now am havin doubts whether i just got into a fad of so called workingline gsds,czech,ddr etc or what,..maybe all gsds arent that much diff but the way they are marketed perhaps tnx very much

Every dog is an individual with it's own temperament.

Your dog is only 18 months old. What training are you doing to bring out his drive? Are you training with an experienced trainer (schutzhund, French Ring, etc.)? Have you had the dog evaluated by someone familiar with the lines and how and when they mature?

You have to train a dog to tolerate gunfire. I don't know how it's done today but I do remember a friend and hunting partner of my Dad's training his Elhew Pointer. I remember that he started out with things like the kids' cap guns and at a distance from the dog gradually moving closer and then did the same thing with various hand guns, rifles and finally his shotgun. Mind you now this was many years ago and I'm sure there are probably better methods now. And, some dogs will always be gun shy. Our Springer Spaniel was. But she made up for it by bringing in birds on her own. LOL

I'm sure others will be able to help you with more specific suggestions and advice.

the method with the cap guns and guns from far getting closer itsnt too bad..
the dogs used in the navy are accustomed to load noises and gunfire in a similar fashion...when puppies they are allowed to start bite with with a rag on horsewhip...and when the whip is snapped it makes a loud noise sinc ethe pup is really interested in the rag he tolerates the noise after a while then goes for the rag...there is also the method Ed uses with the bamboo stick thats makes a noise...u could try that...it sound real cool and has to work!

This topic could be written about for years every body having an opinion. Some of it is what the dog brings from genitic, some of it is what the breeders do to the pup to build a good enviromental attitude, like droping the feed pan aroud the dogs as pups things of this nature. What you need to do is take the dog to a GOOD trainer who has titled dogs and or works with police dog training. Does your dog recover fast or slow from loud noises????? you can't get the right opinion from a web board. A trainer with a special ability to read dogs should evaluate your dog in person. Do you really want a dog that will protect U.... That means having a dog that will fight a human and not let go until he is told..... There are some benifits to having a dog that just smells people. I very seldom let my dogs run loose in public, There are some responsibilities to having such a dog. It can be tiresome. Good luck finding a GOOD trainer to evaluate your dog in person. P S what part of the contry do you live?

Didier,

I would take the dog to a reputable trainer and have him evaluated for temperament, drive and nerves.

I would forget about gunfire, loud noises and everything else and start from the groundwork to see if the dog has what it takes.
Since you stated you are new at this, that would be your best course of action.

Anything different could end up disasterous for the dog and you. Like the dog biting you or someone else.
If loud noises make him run away then there is an issue with how it was presented.