I don't know... it doesn't seem to me like it should be that much of a challenge to deal with this. One of my dogs did the same ferocious thing but only when left alone in the car. I thought this was really annoying and had zero interest in my dog guarding my car - anyone who would break into a car with two pitbulls in it is welcome to have it, it is just a car.

So what I did was I took the dog to a crowded parking lot and got out and walked away to where she couldn't see me, and when she started up (when someone walked by) I walked up and opened the door and kicked her ass. She knew why I was doing it. It only took once, plus some sharp looks when she forgot herself a little a few more times. She is a real soft dog correction-wise but still. Adjust the strength accordingly.

With my situation, I didn't want to maintain the protective instinct, so it was easier. But I think you could easily teach your dog not to make a peep, while still allowing him to stay alert. He will soon learn, mostly on his own, to tell the difference between a hostile stranger and a pharmacist.

Definitely if he is better during the day, socialize him all the time during the day.

I explained the situation to the training director. She thinks that it is best to just leave it alone and that as he matures he will become more discriminate as to what is a threat or not. I do see the same behavior from several other dogs at the club. With those dogs , one can not get anywhere near the vehicle without setting them off, yet on the field they are calm dogs. I will wait and see what the breeder says before I attempt any modification. As for corrections, this GSD has a strong pain threshold and requires a strong and firm correction.

Ok, Things are now under control. If I give him the command to leave it, he will stop but will continue to watch intensly the teller or person at the drive thru. He will not stop until I give him the leave it command. What I did was make sure he comprehended the leave it command. Once I was sure he understood the command and complied, I started taking him through the drive thru etc. When he would go ballistic, I would give him the leave it command. Surprisingly, I did not even have to give him a correction. It seems that by teaching him the leave it command in other scenerios (such when he would try to pick up something on the ground or whatever), it has made it possible to apply that command in most situations including his agression toward the tellers etc. If he is not given the leave it command he will continue his behavior. I did not necessarily want to stop his being territorial but rather to be able to control his behavior when needed. I am not sure I am explaining myself correctly-too tired has been a long day.

Two nights ago on the news they interviewed an old guy that walked by a parked car and got a huge hunk of his arm torn off by a pit bull. The owner of the dog was in the drivers seat when this happened. He just threw the car in reverse and left the scene. They didn't catch the dog or owner.

Scott,
I would never want that to happen either. if I lower the windows, they are never low enough for him to stick his head out. On the other hand my window would be fully down when going through the drive thru or talking to someone. I also think that the more often I put him in the situation, and give him the leave it command, the more desentisized he is becoming. Another reason I do not roll down his window far enough to put his head through is that in the past and with another GSD, people have actually reached into the vehicle to pet the dog (without asking permission). I also once had a loose dog try and climb through the front passenger window to attack my dog (not this GSD but another). I am not intending to teach him to take a bite out of someone that comes near the vehicle, nor to be completely passive to everything. Giving him the leave it command , as well as well as putting him into the situation often, I hope will teach him that it is OK and that the person at the drive thru or walking by is not a danger. He is now 13 months old and is very sociable with people including strangers that we meet on walks and talk too.

The pit bull is obviously an extreme case of territorial aggression. The owner was probably a stupid kid with more dog than he could handle and no training at all. The owner leaving the scene makes dog owners in general look like shit. It's always the bad behavior and idiots that get the publicity. Taking your Sch3 to a childs cancer ward to give the kids a treat is not newsworthy.