I am sure this topic caught your eyes so here it goes. My male GSD is 17 months we had issue's awhile back with his training vs play time but advice from others has resolved this problem and I thank you!!

When I take it out at night he acts strange as I usally use my flashlight and he acts nervous around it I have showed him that it is not going to hurt him and he is okay with it as we are walking along doing our thing he will just stop and wont go any further until I call him and he just looks at me and has an expression as to say "What the hell" there is a stretch of lawn across from my house that I walk him in allot and I have just recently noticed that these spots where he stops are where I have been having him do the sit and down. When he stops he does not sit or down just stands and looks at me. Is he anticipating a command?

He is very protective! this evening as I was taking him out I had him on his leash and my girlfriends mother came buy to visit and he has seen her before many times and she pets him on a regular basis, But tonight the way he was acting bothered me, maybe it just me but the look he gave her brought concern to me as he watched every move I asked her to move out of the way before I could take him out the door. Normally he walks up to her, but he sat right by my side and would not move. I was afraid he was going to lunge at her and try to bite her. There was no growling and he did not act like he was going to attack. but I could tell in his rigidness that something was bothering him.

Also can dogs be afraid of the dark? I have concerns about this also as sometimes he acts this way outside at night. There is alot of wildlife in the area where I live and was wondering if he is sensing the coyotes

Any constructive help would be most appreciated

Thanks

Plum - The things that you are talking about really just sounds like a young dog feeling his way around, its hard to say without being there.
But it seems that a lot of things and people thaT are a part of his life, thats good if he can settled down and get use to them. Anticipating a Ob commands is common for dogs when they got to a training area. Just call him or give the training/play time over command.

I started this with the ball thing, were fetching and all of a sudden I give the "Enough", I'll get a maybe one jump up and snap at the ball then he's through I can drop the ball or put in my pocket and we are ready for something else.

The flash light when it first comes on could startle a young dog, but if its something that you do everytime you walk him, he should be use to it. Some dogs prey drive is so strong they will chase lasers or FL beams, but their not afraid of it.

Again with your GF mother without being there its hard to tell except for tense body, it doesn't sound like he was being aggressive. I mean if she had just eat a hambuger he coudl smell or felt is there a treat for me?

Again you need a command to tell him all is well. After intense civil bite work with flanking some trainers will have the decoy approach (slowly) with the dog in a sit and pet the dog.

He used a "He's Ok", the dog need to know that you determine who to alert on or go after. The dog may watch the guy but he does it in a more relax state if he doesn't just ignore him, after the command. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />