I was questioned by some assoicates that obviosously are not use to a dog like this. I'll set up what they saw.

My GSD sometimes when its close to feeding time will move his metal feeding bowl close to the sliding patio door and look inside, for confirmation. Usually I'll ignore him until actually feeding time.

What these vistiors saw, was as I go outside to get the bowl, the GSD will run up to me and stand on his hind feet (about 2 feet away), run around me sniffing and placing his head under my hand. I have to tell him to move away to bend down and get the food bowl, because he is jumping and spinning I don't want him to accidently scracht my face or hit me with his tail. Then I issue a sit and he does. I get the bowl fill it and return place him in a down and he then gets to eat, after I release him.

One Fi-fe owner told me that my you have a out of controled dog, I would be terrifed. A dog that big needs to be under better control. Another said he would tie him up before feeding him or going out. With jaws that strong you really have to watch him. They saw us playing fetch with a fire place log. He brought the log to me, he initate play. Maybe I should have, well its spilled milk, now.

Personally I like to see fire in a dog, I like that they greets me with "Hi dad, I'm so glad to see ya, oh yeah what you got to eat or do you want to play".

Is this a out of control or Dominant behaivor? I know if he was a Fi-Fe they would have thought it was cute. He sits when told to sit and down when told to.

Is it control that a dog mops up to the owner with his head down and rolls over on his back to waiting to eat?

I like fire and I feel safe as one could be with 90lbs GSD dancing around him.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
I could check this, but I like seeing that fire.

Sounds like he's just excited! He responds to your commands, despite his excitement. That's great.

I agree. He has a ton of drive. That dog sounds very nice...I see nothing that you described as dominance.

Sounds like a nice happy, hungry dog! If he is complying with your commands he is in control - so the fi-fi owners are nuts. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks I agree that as long as he obeys, it doesn't matter if he initates play or ask to be fed. He is not bossing me around he is inter-reacting with me. I think that is what a smart dog would do, he knows when its time things should happen and prepares for it. If a dogs gets his leash to be walked is that dominance? No, its smart.

The moving his head under my hand, says he want to be patted sometimes I will, sometimes I won't, I tell him to go play and its over or I let him lay all over me (if I'm on the couch or carpet/ground). I'm still the deciding factor. He does not go out of the door before I do and when he tries he backs up and wait for me to exit and motion for him to follow, if I want.

I understand that someone else's big dog may scares some people, and that is what I've tried to work hard to change that big dogs are aggressive for no reason and frightening. Their only aggressive if told to be or if they feel you are a threat(any dog).

I feel dominant is when the dog tries to force you to do or not to do something you feel he should do.

I also feel that little dogs can be and are dominate too. I remember watching this lady, chasing her little fi-fe down the street, she was calling its name, it would stop wait until she got maybe six feet away and take off again. This little scramble egg eating character was running the show, I could not imagine this happening to me. And if it was that dog, I could not imagine me running after it.