Please tell me if this is odd behavior for an 8 mo. old gsd pup. When dozing off in the evening, he will suddenly jump up and begin to bark. The tone of his barking sounds fairly defensive. Often there is a noise outside that startles him, or even something on the TV - sometimes nothing, at least that I can hear. It began just a few weeks ago, randomly and not that often, and I've done nothing to correct him. He usually runs to wherever he heard the noise, and I'll follow to see what it was, but I just act normal and he follows me back and goes back to sleep.

The last few days, though, this has gotten worse, and his barking seems more defensive (sometimes accompanied with a low growl and raised hackles), so I'm getting concerned. To date, he's never shown any sign of being fearful to anything and is otherwise very happy and confident.

This started about the same time I began working from home, so I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. Before then, he was always crated during the day. Should I be concerned about this, or just be happy that his protective side is coming out? Should I correct him? Comfort him?

Jeff
Kade vom Leerburg (Mika)

I think it's normal for an 8 month old. They are getting older and somewhat feeling "in charge". Many many times Xena will growl low or go to the side door of our home and I will look out and see nothing, but then 5 minutes later some guy will be walking down our sidewalk. Makes me feel good that she hears them and alerts me.

Thanks Diane,

It isn't so much the barking as it is him getting startled so easily that has me wondering. Most of the noises he's reacting to are ones that he pays no attention to whatsoever when he's awake. My wife told me today that he does this all the time when I'm away travelling.

What I really want to know is if this could be a sign of some weak nerves that I need to keep aware of once he begins his schutzhund training.

Jeff
Kade vom Leerburg (Mika)

If this pup is the Leerburg pup listed in your signature....I highly doubt it would be weak nerves. If you read his puppy testimonies, alot of his pups sit around and "man the entryway" and let out low growls in the night.
If not, then I don't know. Like today, the cats knocked down a stack of boxes down two flights of stairs which sounded like someone was running down them and even my male who I call "cool hand luke" 'cause he NEVER barks jumped up and barked several times. This was when they were both alseep. My male does this when he is alseep. My male just is incredible. He is very very loving, calm, steady and quiet, but absolutely takes no crap from anything. He refuses to back down when growled at. He refuses to be stared down and forced to do something, he will actually get hackled at someone trying to rough him up, but give him a toddler to hang around and he will succumb. Many many times he actually walked up to my niece to be batted in the head with soft toys, to be a rock as she was learning to stand and to be a blanket to play on. If she hurt him or he got annoyed, he would get up and let her slide off of him and he would go somewhere else.

He was trained for the k9 unit, but didn't make the grade due to his hesitancy to bark, but he will when he thinks something is up. Once, we were at the park and I kid you not, a car backfired right beside him going about 10 miles per hour and his tail wagged, he barked and his ears went up. He even wiggled he was so happy. So I guess you have to look at the circumstances. If your pup was asleep, then it may just be his subconcious telling him, "hey this is important! check it out!" kinda like when you sleep through the alarm clock and it is going off to beat the band? Maybe that's it, I don't know, but maybe I have given you some thoughts or ideas....?

I admit, he gives us so little to worry about that I tend to obsess over little things like this. Thanks for the advice.

I also saw earlier that he does this more often when you are away...well my two do that as well. My husband had to do some trainer for three weeks, and for three weeks all day and all night...*startle*!! bonk head on bed frame WOOOOOF!! WOO! GRRRRRLLL! WOOOF! BOOOF! GRRRLL! *scratch/slide* on the wood floors slid into the door head first of course. When he got home they were lazy toads again.