# Has your dog ever..



## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

Been a deterrent to a home invasion? Police dog/ schutzhund/ good ol' GSD family dog. Doesnt matter which.

I ask because I have been fearing for my safety lately while staying home with my young children. If you've read any of my previous posts in the 'welcome mat' thread you'll see that we are expecting our first GSD which would have been today.. inclement weather has pushed his arrival until Monday (hopefully). :gsdbeggin:

I can't sleep.. I jump at every sound in my house. And just to make a long story short, this is all because for the last 3 weeks our home is being cased by the same guy(s) and woman nearly every day. They've tapped on our door late at night.. the middle of the day the woman knew i was looking out my windows and WAVED at me...only ringing random peoples door bells.

To answer your question, Yes, I have already called the police numerous times, they actually passed right by the car yesterday but did not stop him because one detail in their report was not in perfect comparison with the vehicle infront of him... idiots. 

Basically, I sit in my house in my front room with my gun up on the mantle and just wait for something to happen, I can't live like this, Im a nervous wreck. Deep down I hope that Phantom, our new dog, will help to give me a sense of added security. I am so scared.

Sorry that turned into a long rant, but Im just looking for reassurance. Thanks for reading..


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I'm sorry Phantom wont be delivered as planned.
Wow, you must be on edge constantly, but...
I hope you don't let your anxiety go down the leash to your new pup. Your new puppy will NOT solve your fear. 
He needs about 2 yrs to gain the mental maturity to defend you, and in the meantime, it is your job to raise him with confidence and security in knowing you will be there for him!
I would seriously try to talk to a professional who can help you. Your new pup won't be able to.
Can you borrow some GSD's vocals(maybe from your breeder) barking viciously to make a tape and play it randomly?
I hope these stalkers will be stopped asap!


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

Sorry! I should also add that he is 8 1/2 months old and fully obedience trained, on and off leash.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Even an 8 month old won't be much more of a deterrant other than the bark. And I still believe you need to instill confidence and security in an 8 month old as well. 
I would be very cautious leaving him outside unsupervised, the whackos could throw a piece of tainted food to him...


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

Mandalay just turned 2. About 3 months ago she woke me up pacing back and forth whining and growling and looking out the window. Then she'd come back to me and nose me and go back to the window.

I got up and saw someone walking across the backyard. Not toward the house, just as if they cut through. But our yard is completely fenced, so they had to hop a fence to get in. My first reaction, and thinking after the fact I would not have done it this way, was to open the door and let Mandi out. She barely touched the steps on the way down and caught up with the guy at the back fence as he was jumping over. She got him as I heard him yell but I dont how how badly. Police never showed up, so I doubt she broke skin.

I dont know what the guy was doing. Since he was not walking toward my house I really think he was just cutting through, but at least he wont do that again.

So yes, I think that if these dogs think something is wrong, they will do what they need to in order to show people that they _could_ hurt them if they wanted to...even if they wouldn't.

At 8 months old I dont think you are going to get much protection. He is still a baby and you need to protect him.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Wow I would be scared too, but as Onyx says you are still the defender of your property not the dog. The dog should only be viewed as a disuassive tool. I hope you keep at the police and hope the neighbors keep at them too.


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

Mandalay said:


> Mandalay just turned 2. About 3 months ago she woke me up pacing back and forth whining and growling and looking out the window. Then she'd come back to me and nose me and go back to the window.
> 
> I got up and saw someone walking across the backyard. Not toward the house, just as if they cut through. But our yard is completely fenced, so they had to hop a fence to get in. My first reaction, and thinking after the fact I would not have done it this way, was to open the door and let Mandi out. She barely touched the steps on the way down and caught up with the guy at the back fence as he was jumping over. She got him as I heard him yell but I dont how how badly. Police never showed up, so I doubt she broke skin.
> 
> ...


Is this purely based on her basic protective instincts? Or was she trained at all for anything like this? I think its great she woke you up, what a good girl.

At this point and with him still being an older 'pup', I'd just like the first deterrent to be a bark, that would be great. I understand it will be after he becomes accustomed to our family and home a bit... I just want him to get here so he CAN start learning to be protective of his home. Such anxiety I have.... :crazy: 

We plan on keeping him next to us and involved with us at all times. I don't even want him to become familiar with anyone outside our immediate family/people including my husband, myself, our children, brother in law, my parents, house cleaners and babysitter...when it comes to our HOME. Outside our home its fine for him to interact with people/dogs with permission. I just want him to learn 'HOME means NO strangers'. Hope that makes sense. I can't wait to see how he grows up and matures with us. I really feel like Im having a new baby! I'm even nesting before he gets here! haha!


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Wow...that's creepy!! 

Onyx is right...even though I know one of my dogs would fight for me, it's actually MY job to protect him. Most times, just a barking dog (even a little yappy one) is enough deterent because it takes away the element of suprise. 

Our shep/mix/mutt awoke me one night when I was alone (DH is a fireman and works 24s) to someone outside our bedroom window...he went BALISTIC from a dead sleep...throwing himself against the door and ready, IMHO, to attack. It was enough to cause the person to run. Even now as a senior, I know he'd do the same thing.

But, I want my dogs to accept strangers at our home...you never know when a new friend or coworker will come by. It's our job to let our dogs know when it's okay. Trust me, if something is amiss, they will know, they just do. But if they wake up, barking and alerting, I use it just as that, an alert system. I'll get the gun and if feel really freaky, call the police. 

Anna is 16 months, and she'll big girl bark if she hears anything, but she's a big scardy cat. But it doesn't SOUND like that. I would think if someone heard her and Duncan they'd get the heck out of dodge. If not, I've had enough time to get my gun and, well, you know, take care of things if need be. I will not put them in harms way.

Dogs, IMHO are the best alarm systems you can get. They alert you allowing you to make the appropriate decisions from there, they shouldn't be used at the _enforcement _of that alarm. 

I'd have roving police patrols at all time in my neighborhood...they will do that here free of charge. We had them do that after the aforementioned bedroom incident. Good luck!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

None of my GSDs (that I know of). 

Nor has my parents' GSD, Cujo -- that we know of. 

But my parents' little English Setter -- a little hunting line llewelyn Setter they are called now. Well, the family was several miles away celebrating my brother's step child's graduation, and the burglars broke the basement window, and the back door in. But they never gained entry. Pip, English Setter Extrordinair, saved the day. (He probably Rhoo'd at them, happy to see someone when the whole family was gone. 

But it scared them enough to give it up.


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Oh wow, I would be a nervous wreck too! Maybe you can get a picture of them driving past or waving at you. Just turn the flash off on the camera so it doesn't draw too much attention. That is frightening, I am sorry you are dealing with that. And I do think a bark will be a great deterrant.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Burns0716 said:


> Sorry! I should also add that he is 8 1/2 months old and fully obedience trained, on and off leash.


aside from what others have said I wanted to add that even if the dog is fully OB trained you are not. Your dog will need to bond with you and time to learn what is expected of him by you and your family. You will need to learn how to lead him. He should bark to alert but look to you before he decides to do anything. I have an 8 month old he is "fully ob trained" we're in advanced class now working towards a cgc..but OMG he's such a puppy. Sure he has a big bark and looks scary but he is such a baby. His presence is a deterrant but I don't expect him to be any more than that. Right now its my job to teach him whats okay and what isn't, that means training with him, socializing with him, etc.. You don't want a dog that won't allow strangers in your house. You want a dog that knows when its unwelcomed and when it isn't.


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## gsds_are_the_best (Feb 17, 2009)

Short answer yes several times, including 1 capture. Although, like Mandalay I would now handle that particular situation a bit differently to better protect the dog and us. 

Our dogs are always trained but not Schutzhund.

Sounds like a nerve racking experience. 

If your new dog turns out anything like any of ours past or present you'll sleep soundly. I know that's little consolation right now.

You're lucky that you're in Texas. Gun rights there are some of the best in the country to allow you to protect yourself, family and property and not end up in prison or sued by the criminals like you could be in other states. I hope it doesn't get to that point and all turns out well.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

My beloved Boxer Samurai saved our lives one night. Actually broke a window trying to get to the guy.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Rayden has more than once. 
It involved nothing more than him making his presence known. But, the key is socialization, socialization, socialization. Rayden loves everyone. He is fine with anyone coming and going. We rent, so repairmen, the landlord, whomever may stop by. (We do have a rule that we are to be notified by management so no one stops by unannounced) 
Once was when a guy grabbed my arm while I was walking down a dark street. Rayden just jumped up, feet on the guy's shoulder and looked him in the eye. Then he dropped to the ground. The guy meant no harm and Rayden knew it in a split second. But the guy had scared the CRAP out of his Mama and that wasn't acceptable. So, case of someone scaring me and thinking I was someone else, he simply made his presence known and didn't even bark, let alone growl.

We had a problem with the in-laws neighbors over their roaming Akita (neighbor's dog) The Akita was less than a year old, but becoming people aggressive because all the other neighbors would throw rocks/whatever at her to chase her away. She charged after the kids who were playing outside and Rayden tackled her. He instantly called off when I told him and she ran away screaming and yelping. Then we saw that their beagle pup had followed her, so my father in-law picked it up. Of course, the poor thing was scared so started yelping. The neighbors were outside screaming from the other side of the cove about us "killing" their dog. So two guys jumped in their car and drove over. The owner of the dog came down and was talking to DH and his father. But Rayden kept acting strangely, so I walked up there. We were approaching them when Rayden jerked out of my hands and ran toward the other side of the house. The second guy from the car was there and Rayden was crouched and snarling at the guy who was frozen in place. The guy made a move and that's when I realized that he had been sneaking up behind them with a tire iron. Rayden has never acted like that before or sense.

The last time was when someone was trying to get into our house. There had been a string of random break-ins. I was at home with 2 small kids and woke up suddenly. Rayden wasn't barking/growling, just listening intently. He walked to the bedroom door and stopped/listened. His hackles were up and his whole posture said that something wasn't right. I grabbed the gun and followed him into the front of the house. I rounded the corner in time to see him shove his head under the blinds on the back door and give a HUGE snarling bark. I heard someone fall down the stairs and then a car peeled out of our driveway. 

Seeing as it was 45 mins before the cops showed up, I had already gone outside with the dog and the Glock and knew that the area was clear. 

But, I'll say it again. The reason Rayden is like this is because he has been our family since the day he came home. We have socialized him with every kind of person under the sun. For a while, he worked as my service dog. He has seen people react in every kind of way, be it scared, nervous or crazy. He will let anyone into the house that we invite in. Though he still thinks that the garbage men are stealing our stuff


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

Right now I doubt the dog will do much to deter or protect.When he is grown it all depends on the bad guy.One of our members here had his wife involved in a home invasion and he has 3 GSD,at least one is SchH trained.They guy had a gun and told her to put the dogs away or he would take care of them himself.According to the poilice, had she not put the dogs away they all would have been dead.After this happening I no longer expect my dog to protect me.I lock things up and have guns handy.My hope is that the dog deters and if not it gives me time to get the gun to protect both of us..
Sorry your going through this.I hope the police can get the couple that are terrorizing the neighborhood.Maybe you need to go to a higher up to get this taken care of.I would think they would be able to watch your area better and be able to catch these people.I would be making constant calls if I have any thoughts these people are close by.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Start video taping these people. Do it every time you see them and let them see you doing it, too. Not at night, of course, but if you see them in the daytime. Log and identify all the videos. If that doesn't deter them, then go to the police again. Keep the videos in a safe place. You can upload them to a video server so they can't be stolen. 

What do you think they want? Do you have a nice house with a lot of expensive electronics? Could they just be having fun messing with your mind? Some people are weird that way.

If they are really that disturbed, they'll probably poison your dog.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

this doesn't sound close to right to me. your house
is being cased (during the day). the people doing
the casing wave at you, ummm. the police drive by them
but you don't point them out to the police. the casers are
walking down the street during the day randomly ringing
doorbells and no one is calling the police. you're sitting in the house
with a gun on the mantle because you're afraid, umm.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

actually, that is the normal way that people case a neighborhood. If someone answers the doorbell they have a ready story as to why they are there. After a few days, they know who is home at what times. They wave to anyone that sees them because they are masters of looking like they belong. 

Also, she said that the cops didn't pull over the car because it wasn't a perfect match. I worked at a gas station with a bad history of drive-offs. I called the police with an exact description of the car and its driver, the car had no license plate. They refused to even come out to look for the car because there was no license plate #. Hello, it's a gold car with NO license plate isn't that a description? but, they said no.


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

Im sorry, but a puppy is NOT going to help you in that situation.
Get yourself some protection.
And your dog NEEDS to be socialized.
You cant just have the dog "know" your family. That will be a very dangerous animal.
BUT you can train him to know your house is only for you guys.
My dog loves everyone, but if you come knocking on your door, FORGET IT. You are NOT comming in my house unless I tell Kilo "Its ok."
He is now 13 months & has always been like that. Even since a pup.
I think your dog will just pick it up as he gets older.
Good luck.


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> this doesn't sound close to right to me. your house
> is being cased (during the day). the people doing
> the casing wave at you, ummm. the police drive by them
> but you don't point them out to the police. the casers are
> ...


Thanks for your deep insight, but Im going to just ignore this.


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

I really appreciate the insight the rest of you have given me, and I think Im understanding what you mean by socialization. I'll give that a second thought as to the dog knowing JUST my family.. I see now that he needs to know the difference between it just being the pizza guy and being a burglar. We'll def. 'introduce' him to good people coming into our home who are not JUST immediate family, thanks for that.

Also, an update: My neighbors daughter came over to our house yesterday evening to tell us that they had seen the woman sitting outside our house for a few minutes yesterday in her car (pretty daring if you ask me). But, the girl got their license plate and I was very grateful. So I put a call into our NPO (neighborhood police officer) and he looked up the plates and told me that the car was suspect in a NUMBER of car thefts, one particularly 2 blocks away. We don't leave our cars outside..... so Im praying thats all this would ever be and they wont escalate their crime to a home invasion. Hey, people are crazy, you never know what they will do, especially in todays economy.

Im glad to know this is definitely a potential criminal and Im not just imagining things.

Like I said, I can't wait to get Phantom and use him for his bark. If his alerting us gives us just 10 extra seconds, that's enough time for us to ready our guns.


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## heather122 (Nov 6, 2009)

Like everyone has said, your new arrival wont be instant protection, but will help you. I am like you are. Prior to Sadie we had a min pin- 12 pounds of momma protection. As we did every night, my husband let him out to potty before crate time. He didn't go out the back door- just stood there. Husband looks around and sees man in my car. Typically, he would bark, but didn't. His behavior gave hubby a chance to hold the guy till cops arrived. Min pin got hit by car one night. I was already terrified by all the strange walkers, door knockers and the break in. Got Sadie. 

I socialized her like crazy and when someone came to the house, I told her "listen" She now knows what frequent visitors cars sound like and associates them in a good way. She does a happy bark when she hears those cars. When someone knocks on the door, she goes crazy. She knows. Just does. 

I also have my gun ready at all times now and just having her bark to alert me makes me feel more secure. I dont think she would protect me, but I feel better knowing that she is trying to help keep our family safe.

Good luck with your new addition. And be careful with your stalkers! Hope things get better for you and you can feel safe in your home soon!


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## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

At the end of the day you are getting a GSD and he will deter people. Getting a GSD will scare people away. They are natural protectors and most people will not enter a home with a dog. It is a proven fact that intruders will skip a house with a dog due the the noise alone, nevermind a scary dog. The only problem is that your problem is happening NOW and your puppy will not even attempt to protect you or look scary for at least a year. Dozer is scary to strangers now but as a puppy he was adorable. He protects the car and the house (and my protect I mean guard), that is what they do natural. I did not train Dozer to do this, in fact it is the opposite. That dog is so babied and can be a big scardy cat BUT when it comes to his pack or him territory he just does it.

True FACT: A small country town near where I live had a HORRIBLE murder recently. The mother was 45 and murdered with a macede (sp?) and her daughter was stabbed and sliced at the throat (she survived) by 4 teenagers that picked out a random house b/c of it remote location. The kids admitted to doing and they also ADMITTED that was the second house they went to, the first one had a DOG that barked so they left, it was a small terrier, maybe 20lbs. That proves that they deter people, NO MATTER THE SIZE. 

Dogs make great alarm systems, better than the ones you have installed. They alert you before they enter your house and it gives YOU time to react.

Dozer can tell if someone is welcome at my house or on my property and he knows the difference in my reaction. Door to door sales person knocked on my door one day, I opened the door holding his collar, he didn't make a noise but he stared. He could tell I was uncomfortable, b/c I was and he could sense it. I only opened the door about a foot, the man took a step up closer to hand me something and his reaction was to stand up, growl/brak and show his teeth. I told the man he should leave and he agreed. That was the day I felt a little more confident being alone. 

I live on 13 acres in the middle of no where and I am home alone a lot. I do not have an alarm BUT I do have 1 German Shepherd who is loud, confident and scary looking as **** and I have 2 Cairn Terriers that bark at a leaf that blows by and I have a 9mm. They will give me the time I need to shoot someone. My dogs sleep on the first floor and will not hesitate to warn me if something is wrong in the middle of the night. 
Would Dozer "fight" for m? Absolutley. Would I allow him to fight alone? Abosolutely NOT. I do not feel I could stop him from fighting for me but you couldn't stop me from fighting for him either.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

the insight is all yours. i'm just repeating what
you wrote. i'm not taking your post at face value.



Burns0716 said:


> Thanks for your deep insight, but Im going to just ignore this.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Everyone said it so much better than I could have. I live alone, and my dogs tend to be a bit attached at the hip to me anyway. But frankly, I would rather my dogs let the burglars come in and steal the TV and broken VCR, and my computer the take a chunk out of the meter reader. 

I can get a new TV and a working VCR. I can replace my computer and could even reload most of my pictures into the new one. But if my dog sinks its teeth into the wrong person, I might lose my dog, and possibly my other dogs as well. Who cares about a bunch of photographs? You cannot hug photos. 

If you had posted considering getting a pup for protection, I would suggest a security system as it is a whole lot cheaper to maintain. But as you have the dog already, the size alone will deter the majority of fiends. A healthy bark is always nice. Socialize the heck out of the pup, and when and if something nasty happens, it is highly probable your dog will make a good decision. Hopefully, the dog will survive it. 

Giving the dog a wealth of experiences actually gives him the tools he needs to know that what is going on is ok or not ok. The chances of him biting your kid's friend or a visitor go way down. 

Will the dog protect the family, and household goods? For what it is worth, this is my opinion:

1. The size, breed, and bark of the dog will deter the majority of would-be robbers.
2. If someone wants bad enough to attack you or rob you, they will, dog or no dog.
3. I think that in guarding breeds such as our own, there is a fear smell or something that they understand quite well, and they have a sense of understanding when something is not right. How they respond to this will depend on some internal traits. I mean, I had my dog on a stay and I was across the room. The BRT next to Babs broke his stay and wento over sniffing her unmentionables. Babs broke her stay and moved away from him before the fellow could control his dog. Am I happy, not really, but I am not too upset either. Another dog might have whirled around and sunk its teeth in the other dog. That would be worse in my opinion. If this was a show I was at, Babs would have NQ'd, but a dog who would bite a dog invading its space might have been disqualified from showing and might need to be reinstated. 

So, I think that many of our dogs would growl, snarl, snap, and even bite an intruder, others might just watch. If the intruder hits the dog with a something, some of our dogs will go into full attack mode, others of our dogs will be cowed. I only hope that our dogs and ourselves come away in one piece.


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

Most dogs will not attack a person coming into your home when you are there, even fewer will when you are not.

Most will bark and look mean and threatening at least though, which is normally enough.

Personally if someone was parking and casing out stuff in my neighborhood, I'd be walking out to ask then "can I help you?" and asking what they are doing here, telling them I was going to call the cops if they didn't give a good answer, and visibly writing down their license plate number.


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

TxRider said:


> Most dogs will not attack a person coming into your home when you are there, even fewer will when you are not.
> 
> Most will bark and look mean and threatening at least though, which is normally enough.
> 
> Personally if someone was parking and casing out stuff in my neighborhood, I'd be walking out to ask then "can I help you?" and asking what they are doing here, telling them I was going to call the cops if they didn't give a good answer, and visibly writing down their license plate number.


Right, like I said, A bark will be deterrant enough for me. Im just asking for experiences.

Secondly, Im not going to run outside my home while i have two VERY young children, by myself. Seriously? ONE instance has happened while my husband has been home, the others are while Im here with my babies BY MYSELF during the day. In hindsight, If my husband had known it was going to continue, he would have gone outside and confronted. We're not the type to sit back. Besides, the law specifies that I have to wait until someone breaks entry in my home before I can shoot someone with a cause. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We HAVE a security system. When our NPO passed by the car and didn't pull him over, I DID run outside to wave him down. I cannot help that he was oblivious to my arm flailing. Good Lord. The only thing I can do is keep calling the police...I can do no more.

If I have answered the 'keyboard warriors'' questions, I'd like to just get back to the story end of it, I just would like to hear experiences, It helps ease my mind. Im extremely frazzled. If you were in my situation, you might understand, but, I don't expect you to.

Like I said, I truly appreciate the constructive criticism that most of you are providing, I don't claim to be an expert at this, this is our first GSD, and this is why I'm asking. I want to be familiar with characteristics of this breed. You have to start somewhere! 

Thanks again.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

One thing you may want to think about is introducing your new pup to the family and what the first week of him in your new home will bring. He will be a bit stressed, I'm sure in his new digs, so that should be your focus right now.
Do you know how you'll handle it? 
The first impression and bonding is so very important, especially at his age.
Not to overwhelm you, but I would ask the breeder or trainer that you are purchasing him from explicit questions on the training techniques used, what he has been exposed to, his complete personality traits(updated, hopefully) and anything you can think of to ease his transition. You may already have that list, but just in case...


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> One thing you may want to think about is introducing your new pup to the family and what the first week of him in your new home will bring. He will be a bit stressed, I'm sure in his new digs, so that should be your focus right now.
> Do you know how you'll handle it?
> The first impression and bonding is so very important, especially at his age.
> Not to overwhelm you, but I would ask the breeder or trainer that you are purchasing him from explicit questions on the training techniques used, what he has been exposed to, his complete personality traits(updated, hopefully) and anything you can think of to ease his transition. You may already have that list, but just in case...


For sure! Yes, I've wondered about this, our breeder has already told us some key tips and what to possibly expect should we have to go somewhere in the days after he gets to us.. how he might become uncomfortable and try to 'find us'.. Im hoping to avoid that if at all possible for a little while.. by keeping him near us and keeping things calm. I hope he loves affection because our little girls will be sure to give it to him. I want him to feel as comfortable as he possibly can when coming into a new environment.. We are all so excited and happy to welcome him into our home. I cannot WAIT to get him, I already feel a bond with this dog and this is rare for me, I feel so attached. I honestly hope he bonds with me more than he does my husband  hahaha... Kidding, not really. 

But yeah, I'll welcome any tips about this as well, its always helpful to hear different perspectives and experiences on welcoming a new dog into the home and how to make the transition as stress free as we can.

Our


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Short answer, no. Bianca does bark loudly at the windows when people come too close to the house (unless I tell her to stop) and I'd like to think people would think twice before trying to come into a house with a large Shepherd doing that inside, but who knows. 

Actually someone stole a (chained) bike out of my backyard last summer in the middle of the night. Bianca was in the house and I think she probably barked but no one paid any attention. She always barks if people pass by the house at night so they probably just thought it was that. I was out of town at the time though, my family members were home... The thief left the gate open on the way out and Bianca got out of the yard the next morning (my family didn't notice the missing bike so did not know to check the gate.) They didn't know the gate was open until someone heard her barking on the front porch! Luckily she did not wander off.


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## Bennett (Nov 17, 2009)

I'm so glad Bianca went to your front porch--how scary! 

Rachel, I hope you don't mind some additional advice, since you seem to have some weird people near your property. *Check your gates*. 

Someone--maybe a meter reader--left our side gate unlatched and open last week. I hadn't even realized someone had been in our yard during the day, since this gate is not visible from our doors. I let Hildie out after dinner and when I called, she didn't come running. I went out to look for her--no Hildie! Then I saw the side gate. I started yelling for my husband and ran in to get the flashlight to go hunt for her, but she must have heard me then, because she came from the front yard and back through the gate. What a relief, but how scary.

I do think your pup's voice will be a good early warning system for you and a possible deterrent for anyone else. On Hildie's third night with us (at 9 weeks old) she was just settling down to sleep beside our bed when she heard something she didn't like. She stood up, looking pretty alert, and walked to the end of the bed and growled. It was almost comical to see such a little pup acting like a big tough dog, but at the same time, I was proud of her. But I do agree that your dog's safety and well-being is your ultimate responsibility. As he grows and you grow in your relationship, you'll be mutually protective of one another, but you'll always have the main responsibility for ensuring his safety. 

I hope the police take away those ill-intentioned people so you can enjoy bonding with your new family member! Keep us posted.


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

Burns0716 said:


> If I have answered the 'keyboard warriors'' questions, I'd like to just get back to the story end of it, I just would like to hear experiences, It helps ease my mind. Im extremely frazzled. If you were in my situation, you might understand, but, I don't expect you to.
> 
> Like I said, I truly appreciate the constructive criticism that most of you are providing, I don't claim to be an expert at this, this is our first GSD, and this is why I'm asking. I want to be familiar with characteristics of this breed. You have to start somewhere!
> 
> Thanks again.


I don't have experiences with intruders with my GSD, nobody has broken into my house since I got them.

I do have experiences with another dog, a Lab border collie mix.

One was an old man who walked into the house thinking it was someone elses house. My dog, about 45lbs, chased him out quite violently. I think if she was going to bite him she could have, but it was hard to tell.

Next was when two guys actually did come in my house at about 2-3am, and I was awoken by the bedroom door opening and a flashlight panning across the room toward me. The dog was asleep in the corner, and woke up as I did, and got quite loud and aggressive and chased them out of the house. She did not bite them however.

I loaned her to my sister when she was living alone in Houston, and she did the same job for her. She had a guy reach for her in her car through the window, and he was lucky to get his hand away in time to keep his fingers.

I have no doubt whatsoever my GSDs would do that much or more, and be quite effective doing it, they are much scarier sounding and looking. Anyone coming in that I did not open the door and let in they would be all over and challenging them with some pretty ferocious attitude, even if they weren't intending to bite.

Especially if I was acting alarmed, they do watch your reaction and act accordingly quite naturally. If you are scared or alarmed, the dog will see the person as a threat and act like it.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Bennett said:


> I'm so glad Bianca went to your front porch--how scary!
> 
> Rachel, I hope you don't mind some additional advice, since you seem to have some weird people near your property. *Check your gates*.
> 
> Someone--maybe a meter reader--left our side gate unlatched and open last week. I hadn't even realized someone had been in our yard during the day, since this gate is not visible from our doors.


Yes very scary! Especially since I was out of town at the time so my family members were taking care of her... We have the same issue, the front gate is not visible from the doors.
I used to put a padlock on the gates but the locks didn't hold up to our extreme Chicago weather and started to rust even though they were supposed to be weather-proof. So I had been leaving the locks on the gates but not actually closing them (I was afraid they'd get stuck locked.) After that incident with the gate and my bike, I bought some U-lock style bike locks and I have been keeping the gates locked with those ever since. So far they are holding up well.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Burns0716 said:


> I hope he loves affection because our little girls will be sure to give it to him. I want him to feel as comfortable as he possibly can when coming into a new environment.. We are all so excited and happy to welcome him into our home. I cannot WAIT to get him, I already feel a bond with this dog and this is rare for me, I feel so attached. I honestly hope he bonds with me more than he does my husband  hahaha... Kidding, not really.
> 
> But yeah, I'll welcome any tips about this as well, its always helpful to hear different perspectives and experiences on welcoming a new dog into the home and how to make the transition as stress free as we can.
> 
> Our


wanted to bring something up. I know the kids are excited, but make sure that they don't overwhelm him. Make sure he has a quiet place (such as his crate) that he can go whenever he wants and that the kids know from day 1 that they aren't to bother him in there. That way, when things become too much for him, he has a quiet place to unwind.
Is he used to living with young kids? 

Rayden was bought as my husband's dog. DH now refers to him as "that Momma's boy" Which loosely translates to "nobody better mess with Momma...." Rayden is also super-protective of the kids. No one had better EVER mess with his babies. I'm not 110% sure he would actually bite someone to save me, but I know that he would for the kids!

Which reminded me of an important thing that he had to learn. He was still a baby, maybe 6 months old?, and DH was having a tickle fight with my youngest. She was screaming, but that hysterical laughing scream. Rayden came flying through the house on the first scream, all ready to protect her. I really think he was going to bite DH. I grabbed his collar and DH started tickling her again, but after a couple seconds of watching, you saw the light click on in Rayden's brain.
It definitely didn't affect him wanting to protect them, just him learning the difference between kids screaming in play and screaming for real. 
He is such a lover. When he worked as my service dogs, that was the only thing that distracted him - crying babies. He wanted to go check on all of them! The only time he ever growled at a "non-threatening" stranger? A guy at a kid's soccer game slapped his daughter in the face....


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## Bennett (Nov 17, 2009)

_The only time he ever growled at a "non-threatening" stranger? A guy at a kid's soccer game slapped his daughter in the face.... _

I don't blame Rayden for growling!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax has gone off in a couple different situations.

last summer we had a bad storm come thru with straight line winds. It took out half of a maple tree. One 1/4 went on a car and 1/4 went on the phone line. DD calls me whispering "There is someone outside the house. What do I do?" Wellllll....look out the window and tell me what you see....a white van and guys looking at the tree. Ok...phone company..but Jax was at the window barking because it was out of the ordinary.

The second was at the local shelter when a guy apparently jumped off a train. he came to a dead stop when he saw two german shepherds standing 10 feet from him. I think if he had kept walking she would not have reacted but when he froze it was wierd to her...and definitely wierd to us that he was even there. She started barking and lunging at him so my ob instructor took her and walked right by him but she kept barking and lunging at him.

She's great with people in general but she is definitely a dog to watch body signals.


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

Ok, no overwhelming, check. Makes plenty of sense! He will definitely be crated for a while, especially while we are gone, so that he learns that we DO come home (does that sound like the correct way to approach this?)... and once he becomes comfortable staying in the home by himself, he will be allowed to be outside his crate (although it will still be available for him to retreat to). 

I really am fascinated by the intelligence this breed has, I think it's going to be an eye-opening experience for all of us.


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## sweetliberty (Dec 25, 2007)

Hi, My DH and I along with my GS, Liberty, and Choc Lab live in the boondocks where my neighbors are not close by, but since sharing my home with my GS I have never worried about anyone getting in. Even as a pup, Liberty would warn us if she heard anything she didn't like. I hope nobody gets all hot and bothered if I say that we are also well armed. There have been a few times when unsavory looking characters have come on the lawn univited and Liberty gets within 10 feet of them and tells them not to move. ( Liberty is a big female, about 100 pounds, her back up unit, Lucy the Lab weighs about 100 pounds too.) I call her off when I feel the time is right and also display my little "friend". Now everybody knows not to mess with the crazy lady and her dog. Word among the scumbags will travel real fast if they should glimpse of your "friend" on the mantle. We live about 15 miles from a State Police Station so we kind of have to keep problems from becoming too big. We call Liberty our state of the art security system, more sophisticated than anything man can invent, can never fall into the wrong hands, and knows friend from foe in the dark.


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## sweetliberty (Dec 25, 2007)

Just wanted to add something - these dogs are so smart it's scary. I am astounded everyday at Liberty's intelligence.


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

It's good that you have the gun, just be careful with it. I hope you have some type of training with it and don't jump the gun, so to speak, LOL.... Relax! Probably just some punk kids toying with you or maybe you are being paranoid? It happens to the best of us in stressful times. If you have a pistol and the police are watching your house, you should be able to sleep fine and comfortable. Not sure why someone would be casing your house and letting you know it? Like I said, probably just kids messing with you if your not being over paraniod.


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## MansBestFriend (Jan 24, 2010)

GermanPrinceHero said:


> It's good that you have the gun, just be careful with it. I hope you have some type of training with it and don't jump the gun, so to speak, LOL.... Relax! Probably just some punk kids toying with you or maybe you are being paranoid? It happens to the best of us in stressful times. If you have a pistol and the police are watching your house, you should be able to sleep fine and comfortable. Not sure why someone would be casing your house and letting you know it? Like I said, probably just kids messing with you if your not being over paraniod.


While generally I agree with you..people are crazy these days. Unemployment is running rampid and alot of people are falling on hard times. Hard times can make good people do bad things. I dont believe her concerns are unjustified. I've always been a gut-feeling kind of person. If something doesnt feel right, its usually not. 

A relatively short story from my teenage years. A friend (so-called) stops by my house after school with his recently paroled older brother. We had been friends for about 7 years and this was the first time I had ever seen his brother outside of photos. We talked for a short time and I mistakenly mentioned that my parents and I are going out of town for my dads business seminar. All the while his creepy brother is looking around our den (casing the place) without speaking. He simply gets up and walks out the door telling my friend its time to go. At this point my friend says he needs to use the restroom. Of course I stay in the den and he walks past, waves goodbye and heads out the door. This bathroom trip was FAST. I'm talking 20-30 seconds at most. I just had an uneasy feeling. I walk into the restroom and find that he had raised the blinds, left the window cracked, and then lowered the blinds.

Of course I had to tell my Vietnam veteran dad. He simply canceled the trip and sent my mother to my sister's house. He was all too eager to let the town know how far he would go to defend his home and family. He, myself, and my brother in law stayed hidden in the house and sure enough, when night came so did my old friend..through the window with his brother. With shotguns in hand, my crazy arse dad and 6'4 brother in law lead (gonna leave out the aggressive description of how exactly) them out out into the yard and laid them face down until the cops arrived. 

Never go against your gut feelings. Its your own personal "spidey-sense" people.


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

Just so you all don't think Im a grazy gun-toting Texas... haha. Well, I am crazy, but not while toting a gun... 

These people are not the typical of our neighborhood, and that's all I will say. Its a fact. 100%. 

On a side note, Im REALLY excited to be getting my concealed license. Laura Croft tomb-raider, here I come.


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## reader1965 (Dec 17, 2009)

The more she lets out the more disturbing her story becomes. The line (These people are not the typical of our neighborhood, and that's all I will say. Its a fact. 100%. ) is very disturbing. That is racist code speak. I feel sorry for the GSD.


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## MansBestFriend (Jan 24, 2010)

reader1965 said:


> The more she lets out the more disturbing her story becomes. The line (These people are not the typical of our neighborhood, and that's all I will say. Its a fact. 100%. ) is very disturbing. That is racist code speak. I feel sorry for the GSD.


Racist code speak? She didnt mention race in any code. Lets say for instance she means that she leaves in a middle class neighborhood and there are people that look like gang members (regardless of race) in her neighborhood..is that not cause for alarm? I'm politically incorrect though and usually speak my mind. I dont have time to beat around the bush when it comes to the truth. I think mincing words does everyone a disservice and referring to someone as a racist or bigot on an assumption only shows your own lack of knowledge. Whats next, calling a GSD a "shepherd dog" because the word German refers to Nazis?


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## sweetliberty (Dec 25, 2007)

I agree with MansBestFriend. I feel sorry for narrow minded people who have to bring the racist card into this topic. Political correctness is leading this nation into a pasture of sheep afraid of saying anything that might resemble the truth. Are we still allowed to say black ice?


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## Burns0716 (Feb 4, 2010)

Wow. I never knew it was such a bad thing to be aware of your surroundings!

hahahahahaha... SO ANYWAYS!


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Let's keep it on topic please. 
Jean
Admin

I guess I am used to a law enforcement response to things like this. I can't imagine having this situation not being addressed. If it were not, I would do the home security system, including video, the guns, and have some friends come around at different times, but I would not count on my dogs. I am still stuck on the idea that my troopers, sheriff deputies and police wouldn't be there for me! 

With my dogs, I am there to protect them, not the other way around. Yes, their barking would be a deterrent. And yes with a pack, who knows what would happen, but that's not what I would count on.


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