How old is this dog?
If not fully mature, you don't know how aloof it may be yet.

And yea, even an ankle biter ought to be an effective alarm.

 Quote: didier jimenez

.... in real life a burglar when he sees a dog, wouldnt dare threaten it, it will even pet it, give some treats by chance even and how can a dog say the person is a threat if it aint even threatening? guess thats reality, no smart burglar will agitate a dog like what decoys do

If a dog is territorial, he won't need agitating from the burglar. He'll bark, enough to send most burglars next door where there is no dog. I feel that a PPD dog should first assume that a stranger IS a threat when coming onto his territory if owners are not there. The burglar shouldn't even want to come through that door to test that dog.

 Quote: didier jimenez

thats why i guess i would prefer a dog which is more aloof than a dog that has good temperament

Generally speaking, a GSD will grow into aloofness so I'd give your dog more time, as Mike said. A GSD being aloof is not the opposite of having a good temperament. I would not want a mature GSD to be friendly to everyone; I would consider that not true to the breed's character.

A sharp dog with good nerves is not a contradiction. It means he's more aware and very likely to react to a true threat. That's what I wanted, that's what I got.

I've had GSDs that were more mellow even though rather protective and always aloof but I never really knew if they would protect me or not (I think they might try). But I have no doubt that my current GSD will protect me if it's needed and that's been confirmed by both trainers he's had.

Are you letting your dog greet anyone he wants to? I think a dog should only greet when you say it's ok. It's my opinion that a dog being trained as a PPD shouldn't be allowed to take the initiative when greeting someone.

 Quote: Mike J Schoonbrood

If I wanted a true PPD I would select a severely dominant and very antisocial dog and control the dog through good training to not bite everyone it sees. Not practical for a family situation, the dog doesn't double very well as a family pet.

Do a search on this forum, this topic has been covered extensively. A dog biting on a sleeve in a field is very different to a dog being a protection dog.

I think that this is the type of PPD I'd want only if I was in a hostile environment where I knew I was a potential target.

IMO, for most people a more balanced PPD works better. It all depends on your personal level of risk assessment.

How many times do you hear about a police dog that didn't bite the first time in the street? It happens alot. The dogs are fine the 2nd or 3rd time, but not the first. As a civilian, if you want a PPD, I would go with the dog that has a temperament most likely to bite someone the first time he needs to bite someone.

Most people however do not need a PPD. For those people a relatively sharp dog that barks and "has a reasonable chance of biting someone" is plenty.

Its all down to what you need, but everybody seems to want Rin Tin Tin.

 Quote: Sandy Moore

 Quote: didier jimenez

.... in real life a burglar when he sees a dog, wouldnt dare threaten it, it will even pet it, give some treats by chance even and how can a dog say the person is a threat if it aint even threatening? guess thats reality, no smart burglar will agitate a dog like what decoys do

If a dog is territorial, he won't need agitating from the burglar. He'll bark, enough to send most burglars next door where there is no dog. I feel that a PPD dog should first assume that a stranger IS a threat when coming onto his territory if owners are not there. The burglar shouldn't even want to come through that door to test that dog.

 Quote: didier jimenez

thats why i guess i would prefer a dog which is more aloof than a dog that has good temperament

Generally speaking, a GSD will grow into aloofness so I'd give your dog more time, as Mike said. A GSD being aloof is not the opposite of having a good temperament. I would not want a mature GSD to be friendly to everyone; I would consider that not true to the breed's character.

A sharp dog with good nerves is not a contradiction. It means he's more aware and very likely to react to a true threat. That's what I wanted, that's what I got.

I've had GSDs that were more mellow even though rather protective and always aloof but I never really knew if they would protect me or not (I think they might try). But I have no doubt that my current GSD will protect me if it's needed and that's been confirmed by both trainers he's had.

Are you letting your dog greet anyone he wants to? I think a dog should only greet when you say it's ok. It's my opinion that a dog being trained as a PPD shouldn't be allowed to take the initiative when greeting someone.

Great post!