# Everybody wants to pet him.. i dont like that



## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

Ok he's a 4 month old cute as can be purebred GSD, but whether im walking him along the boardwalk, or if we are at the dog park or dog beach, EVERYONE and their mother thinks its ok to come up and pet my dog , usually without asking?

The reason i post this is because i want him to be my guard dog one day, to protect and honor me, not make friends with the guy breaking into my house and smashing my head in!! 

What do i do? Just be rude about it and say dont pet my dog? Pull him away from them? I understand the importance of sociability but im having a hard time finding the line between letting him know he is not to be so friendly to everyone and needs to watch my back but i also dont want him turned into a viscious animal who bites any human around. Please.help,


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

It's hard to resist a cute gsd puppy

If you don't want people petting him, tell them, or take him places there are no people.

As for guarding you, only time will tell if he will or he won't...They aren't 'born' guarders..

IF me, I'd wouldn't care , it's a part of socializing, however, people 'should' ask first.

With that, maybe you can educate people when they approach, saying one shouldn't just rush up to any dog, a puppy or not, without asking first


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

When my dog is out in public areas he wears a vest that says "in training. Do not pet". Mostly because i don't want to deal with sue happy people if my 5 month old puppy nips somebody. He is getting much better, but he sometimes still puppy nips when he gets excited. 

I wouldn't worry to much about it impacting how he reacts when you are threatened. We had a golden retriever who was a nice dog and could meet anyone in a friendly way, but when he thought I was being threatened he did not hesitate to attack and bite. He was not trained to do that, he just did.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

This:



Ares1 said:


> Ok he's a 4 month old cute as can be purebred GSD, but whether im walking him along the boardwalk, or if we are at the dog park or dog beach, EVERYONE and their mother thinks its ok to come up and pet my dog , usually without asking?


Does not necessarily have anything to do with this:



> The reason i post this is because i want him to be my guard dog one day, to protect and honor me, not make friends with the guy breaking into my house and smashing my head in!!


A 4 month old puppy _should_ be friendly towards people, including benign strangers. That being said, it's certainly up to you if you don't want him to interact with people when you have him out on a walk, and it is rude of them to assume it's okay to pet him without asking. 

I agree with Diane - if it's that important to you, don't take him places where he's likely to be swarmed by strangers wanting to pet him, or let people know as they approach that he's in training and you don't want them to distract him. That gets the point across without having to be rude about it or yanking him away. Smile, be polite but firm.


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## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

It has everything to do with it. And i dont appreciate your sass. The thread is about socialization, which involves other people, but i want him to grow into a guard dog, so i need the advice on where to draw the line. Thanks anyway.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Ares1, if I don't want people to pet my boy I simply say "no thanks" or body block them. Most people have good intentions & just see a cute pup but I always think people should ask first. A lot of times I keep up a pretty good pace & my body language just doesn't invite a conversation. Then there are times where I am ok with him being petted. Just depends. But you have to speak up if you don't want them to touch your pup.

I will say that a GSD is supposed to have natural protective instincts. They will either protect or not.


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## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

Courtney said:


> Ares1, if I don't want people to pet my boy I simply say "no thanks" or body block them. Most people have good intentions & just see a cute pup but I always think people should ask first. A lot of times I keep up a pretty good pace & my body language just doesn't invite a conversation. Then there are times where I am ok with him being petted. Just depends. But you have to speak up if you don't want them to touch your pup.
> 
> I will say that a GSD is supposed to have natural protective instincts. They will either protect or not.


Now this is the advice im after. Thanks.alot. im going to implement those ideas.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I don't see anyone giving you "sass" about what to do and not do with your puppy.

You can not MAKE a dog into a guard dog, you may 'want' him to be, but he will be what he will be unless of course you take him for specialized training.

Dogs are self serving and usually will do what serves them best, so as I said, only time will tell as to whether your dog will let an axe murderer in your house/protect you or protect themselves by avoidance..


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

If you are planning on him being a "guard dog" then surely you are working with a successful, reputable, PPD trainer that will be able to guide you in this area. Especially if the pup was bought from a breeder with strong, stable, working lines, that will be successful in the area of personal protection because it was chosen specifically for this work (believe it or not, nowadays well bred GSD's that have the genes and ability to "protect" are few and far between)....

That being said....dog parks are the last area you should be taking a dog if you don't want anyone to touch him and you want him to learn to be focused solely on you. I am sure the PPD trainer agrees.


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

Socialization is important. Without it, a guard dog will have a very hard time distinguishing between the local Girl Scout selling cookies and a legitimate crook with every intention of breaking and entering.

If you believe that socialization will lessen your dog's ability as your protector, just go ahead and stop taking him out in public. If you play your cards right and make sure that the only thing he knows is your yard, home, and face you'll get exactly what you're after: a dog that will tolerate no one, no new stimulus, and be impossible to provide comprehensive veterinary care to.

A good middle-ground is to take him out but politely ask others not to touch your pup.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Keep your dog off the boardwalk.

Find somewhere isolated to walk your dog if you're that paranoid about contaminating your dog with friendly people.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Ares1 said:


> It has everything to do with it. *And i dont appreciate your sass.* The thread is about socialization, which involves other people, but i want him to grow into a guard dog, so i need the advice on where to draw the line. Thanks anyway.


:thinking: What sass? Having a friendly puppy who enjoys meeting benign strangers has nothing to do with how well that puppy, once grown into an adult, will guard and protect you from an _actual_ threat.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

JakodaCD OA said:


> You can not MAKE a dog into a guard dog, you may 'want' him to be, but he will be what he will be unless of course you take him for specialized training.


Absolutely right.



marbury said:


> Socialization is important. Without it, a guard dog will have a very hard time distinguishing between the local Girl Scout selling cookies and a legitimate crook with every intention of breaking and entering.
> 
> If you believe that socialization will lessen your dog's ability as your protector, just go ahead and stop taking him out in public. If you play your cards right and make sure that the only thing he knows is your yard, home, and face you'll get exactly what you're after: a dog that will tolerate no one, no new stimulus, and be impossible to provide comprehensive veterinary care to.


And this too.


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## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

Some very good advice so far. I like the idea of having that medium of socialization where i can still take him dog parks and walks etc, but i will kindly ask people to keep their hands off him. I live in the suburbs of miami, but we are still only minutes from the packed touristy beaches so ill have to train myself and the pup to limit the petting. Ares' mother was a k9 unit police dog and im sure he will have that protective instinct on genetics alone, and of course being a gsd. 
Appreciative of the advice so far.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

My general rule of thumb is having my puppy pet by at least 100 people of every age, gender and ethnicity possible, by the time it is 16 weeks. After that the interaction with strangers is few and far between. This also depends on the puppy. If it is a super confident and outgoing puppy then it doesn't need people touching it all the time. If it is a shy skittish puppy then this rule gets tossed and everyone needs to pet my puppy. I take my puppies everywhere and expose them to everything I possibly can. If I don't want someone touching my puppy I simply tell them he/she is in training please do not touch. I am always on watch so I can stop people before they decide for themselves that it's okay.


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## Clyde (Feb 13, 2011)

For me it is more important to have my dog out and about around people but not interacting with them. So I took my puppy to super populated areas but did things with him so he learned to ignore people. I think seeing me busy with my puppy and just being very assertive with people who might want to pet him was the best. I really remember it not being a problem. I think I have a pretty expressive face so most people didn't even ask. For him this was particularly important because he does not have any natural aloofness. A different type of puppy will require different type of socialization and handling depending on its temperament so you have to gauge accordingly.

Also I find most strangers who want to pet puppies just teach them bad manners. 

Handling of the puppy is also really important but I wouldn't let strangers do that. For that I use my dog friends, groomer(even though really I can do all that myself), vet visits etc.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Absolutely any stranger, any child without exception can pet my agressive GSD. I trained her from 4 months, I took off her muzzle at one year old forever, and now at 3 years old we are learning to bid "Good bye" ( raising paw above the level of the shoulder and holding it for a minute).
Please, take into your account, that dogs take strangers differently at different age. At 4 months old your puppy should know "Sit" and "Paw" already and you can start training him a ritual of meeting an adult stranger/kid. The ritual should be performed always in a sitting position. Plese, don't forget, that it is you who are the captain of the ship and you have to manage the situation by giving commands not only to your dog, but to the stranger as well. I find children easier than ladies on high heels. Your dog should give his paw prior to any touch, thus the stranger should crouch, or kneel, putting himself on the same level with your puppy. At his young age your puppy needs to be protected, he would feel better if the stranger lows himself down, and have him between your legs.
Later in his age he would turn into protector himself, and the difficult part of training would be to stop him barking at any moment of the ritual, because it scares people. First train "Voice", and train "Quiet" after, introduce these commands into the ritual.
Tell the stranger to stroke ( never tap ) on the side of his neck still crouching. Ask them to avoid touching his head, at least in a few first moments, because dogs take it for a threat.
With time your dog would recognise the ritual as a job, would expect certain commands seing a stranger/group approaching you. The trouble is that sometimes the strangers appear suddenly, it could be better to keep his muzzle on anywhere in public. My dog was turning very agressive at 1 year of with the smell of alcohol. Alcohol raises adrenaline level, and dogs recognise adrenaline as a smell, that's why they tend to attack in other situations those who fear them, or wishes to become a Tarzan in their mind. Nowdays even a casual drunk can pet her, without any muzzle on, she would growl, but still, will take it as a job.
It's still not really known, what dogs recognise as a smell, what sort of world surrounds them. My Lucy exposes sympathy and waggs her tail for some rather rough boys and loud ladies, when I'm all alert she could bite, and casts unkind glances at a very nice and gentle little girl. God knows... Must be some biochemistry. But, on the other hand, would you like it yourself - some man, a stranger come to you and pinch your cheek?


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Ares1 said:


> Ares' mother was a k9 unit police dog and im sure he will have that protective instinct on genetics alone, and of course being a gsd.
> Appreciative of the advice so far.


An intact female K9? AHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHA.

Did she just get 2 months off every 6 months? Sounds like a sweet gig.


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## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

martemchik said:


> An intact female K9? AHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHA.
> 
> Did she just get 2 months off every 6 months? Sounds like a sweet gig.


Yea the breeder had a long line of policedog heritage in his breeding. Ares was one of the pups from a police dogs litter


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Ares1 said:


> Ares' mother was a k9 unit police dog and im sure he will have that protective instinct on genetics alone, and of course being a gsd.
> Appreciative of the advice so far.


I am surprised to learn of an intact K9 female - the females in my area have been spayed and I understood that was standard.

You are aware since you seem to have some knowledge of genetics, that not all pups in a litter will have the same drives. So the fact that mom is a K9 gives you an idea of what is possible for your pup, it doesn't mean that it is a sure thing. 

At this age you want balanced training- obedience, socialization and getting a strong bond formed. Invest the money in a training vest with do not pet on it, but encourage the pup to be social under controlled circumstances. When the pup is at age for evaluating for protection training, have it done and move forward either with training or if he isn't suitable for protection, you won't have a neurotic mess on your hands.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

I agree with the suggested ideas. A "training: do not pet" vest, politely (but firmly) asking people not to pet him, working with Ares in public so people can visibly see you are busy and are less likely to disturb, etc. 

But one thing to be clear on: Making your dog social with strangers will NOT keep him from being a good guard/protection dog. Our local police k9s, for example, can have ANYONE approach them off duty and they are 110% friendly. Super social. They will only attack if told to, or if their officer is under a TRUE threat. Because they were TRAINED that way.
Another thing you need to understand, as other members have already touched on, is that just because he has a parent in personal protection or police work does not mean that he is suited to that work. My female's father was a k9. My female, however, does NOT have the temperament for the training. Her drives and temperament called for a different job. One of her sisters is now a fully trained personal protection dog. But out of the entire litter, that was the only one to really prosper in that area.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Well...since police dogs are rarely registered with a registry, and generally imported from Europe, its kind of difficult to have a "long line of police dogs." And therefore its not common practice to use them as stud dogs since none of the pups can be registered and like gsdlover stated...its rare you'll have a liter of working dogs that go to people who don't care about registering their dogs. Most departments won't allow studding during service because of the risk of passing disease from the female to the male, and most departments will neuter the dog if they place it after its retired.

I can tell you that I'm 99.99% positive no police department would ever have an intact female. They would not be able to work during their heat cycles and therefore would not be very useful to a police department that needs their dogs working 24/7.

Sorry...I am extremely skeptical anytime someone tells me their dog's SIRE was a K9. Most times its almost impossible to prove, and a very good marketing trick for a breeder to use. But a DAM...come on.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

it's good your 4 month old pup is friendly. to me that's an
indication of strong nerves. with the proper training you
can have the type of dog you want.

you have to make sure you protect and honor your dog.
your dog will dog will do his or her part with the proper
training and socializing.

find a trainer.


what do you do for protection now? who watches your back now?



Ares1 said:


> Ok he's a 4 month old cute as can be purebred GSD, but whether im walking him along the boardwalk, or if we are at the dog park or dog beach, EVERYONE and their mother thinks its ok to come up and pet my dog , usually without asking?
> 
> The reason i post this is because
> 
> ...


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## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

Yes he is very social and friendly towards everyone. Although I do notice when i take him for walks if there is somebody or a group of people behind us he stops and stares them down until they pass. Probably just curious. Lol a shotgun watches my back right now. Im 22 and in good shape so i can hold my own with mugging or something, but it is south florida and there are alot of break ins and crime so id like to have him eventually be able to attack on command if someone has a knife to me, but he most likely will if he senses im threatened, i will consider a trainer if need be.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if your dog isn't trained properly don't count on him
to protect you. some GSD's are protective some aren't.
if someone attacks you with a knife what makes you think
your dog can defend you against a knife attack?

unless you know how to train for PPD you definitely
need a trainer.



Ares1 said:


> Yes he is very social and friendly towards everyone. Although I do notice when i take him for walks if there is somebody or a group of people behind us he stops and stares them down until they pass. Probably just curious. Lol a shotgun watches my back right now. Im 22 and in good shape so i can hold my own with mugging or something, but it is south florida and there are alot of break ins and crime so
> 
> >>>>> id like to have him eventually be able to attack on command if someone has a knife to me, but he most likely will if he senses im threatened,
> 
> ...


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## Jaythethird (Jul 1, 2013)

martemchik said:


> Well...since police dogs are rarely registered with a registry, and generally imported from Europe, its kind of difficult to have a "long line of police dogs." And therefore its not common practice to use them as stud dogs since none of the pups can be registered and like gsdlover stated...its rare you'll have a liter of working dogs that go to people who don't care about registering their dogs. Most departments won't allow studding during service because of the risk of passing disease from the female to the male, and most departments will neuter the dog if they place it after its retired.
> 
> I can tell you that I'm 99.99% positive no police department would ever have an intact female. They would not be able to work during their heat cycles and therefore would not be very useful to a police department that needs their dogs working 24/7.
> 
> Sorry...I am extremely skeptical anytime someone tells me their dog's SIRE was a K9. Most times its almost impossible to prove, and a very good marketing trick for a breeder to use. But a DAM...come on.


A handler for my local police department is a registered akc breeder whom sells and distributes litters from his current working dog... Saves a couple for the surrounding areas if need be. Very good marketing ploy. Dam is trained but not active duty. I couldn't imagine an intact female on active duty... Have every mutt in the whole **** County surrounding the k9 cruiser lol. 

This would be my only guess as to an answer to those who say they're breeding from k9 dog lines, more like they have supplied k9s??

But, a nearby town also has a dachshund as one of their sniffer dogs lol. So I don't know how reputable someone saying their dog was a k9 is... I wouldn't drop everything to get a pup dachshund that sire or dam was a k9. Malinois are really coming around though. A lot around here are switching over. And labs are still pretty prevalent for truck rigs

Sent from my N860


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

what will you do if that knife wielding maniac stabs your dog to death? 

I don't count on my dogs to 'protect' me from situations , I count on myself to protect myself and my dog if need be..

I agree that socializing your puppy will not hamper his protective instincts IF he has them.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Diane, good point.

Actually a couple of weeks ago around 2am Rusty jumps up, deep bark & takes off down the hallway...OK he definetly has our attention. My husband gets up, gets his gun, tells me to take Rusty into our daughters room & close the door. He goes to clear the house & investigate.

His take, good boy Rusty for alerting but I got it from here, he doesn't want the dog in the way.

Don't know what he heard & all was ok.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

Ares1 said:


> Yes he is very social and friendly towards everyone. Although I do notice when i take him for walks if there is somebody or a group of people behind us he stops and stares them down until they pass. Probably just curious. Lol a shotgun watches my back right now. Im 22 and in good shape so i can hold my own with mugging or something, but it is south florida and there are alot of break ins and crime so id like to have him eventually be able to attack on command if someone has a knife to me, but he most likely will if he senses im threatened, i will consider a trainer if need be.


 buy a gun, learn to use it.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

Ares1 said:


> Yes he is very social and friendly towards everyone. Although I do notice when i take him for walks if there is somebody or a group of people behind us he stops and stares them down until they pass. Probably just curious. Lol a shotgun watches my back right now. Im 22 and in good shape so i can hold my own with mugging or something, but it is south florida and there are alot of break ins and crime so id like to have him eventually be able to attack on command if someone has a knife to me, but he most likely will if he senses im threatened, i will consider a trainer if need be.


Ah, the "I'm young and invincible" syndrome. Most crimes in Florida involve firearms. Are you in such good shape you can outrun a bullet? Are you in such great shape you can't get hurt being shot? No. I don't think so. I'd like to live in your dreamworld in which I'm Superman.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Ares1 said:


> Yea the breeder had a long line of policedog heritage in his breeding. Ares was one of the pups from a police dogs litter


Who is the breeder?


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Mr. D said:


> Ah, the "I'm young and invincible" syndrome. Most crimes in Florida involve firearms. Are you in such good shape you can outrun a bullet? Are you in such great shape you can't get hurt being shot? No. I don't think so. I'd like to live in your dreamworld in which I'm Superman.



Young and ignorant is more like it.

A female K9? Right.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Why is everyone jumping down this guys throat? Some people actually want their dogs to protect them. Some guy comes at me with a knife/gun you're darn right I want my dog to engage. If my dog loses it's life in the process, that would be a shame but at least my dog gave me the valuable time needed to survive and go on to tell the story of how brave and heroic my dog was. My dogs life is not more valuable than my own sorry.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

mycobraracr said:


> Why is everyone jumping down this guys throat? *Some people actually want their dogs to protect them. Some guy comes at me with a knife/gun you're darn right I want my dog to engage. If my dog loses it's life in the process, that would be a shame but at least my dog gave me the valuable time needed to survive and go on to tell the story of how brave and heroic my dog was. My dogs life is not more valuable than my own sorry*.


This IS true for some. And very possibly true for OP. 
I think the problem most are having is that the op feels that without any training, just because he "comes from a long police-dog lineage," the pup SHOULD without a doubt defend him. This would be great if being a shepherd and having some dogs in their lineage who were protection/police dogs would be enough. However, most of us here know that you have to socialize, and TRAIN. It's not 100% genetics (though they do play a key part). We also know that not all shepherds have the temperament required for protection work. Just my personal view.


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

I let people pet Eko as a puppy and he has grown into a very people friendly AND protective dog. He can absolutely tell when someone is up to no good, he's chased some pretty sketchy people away from my fence line more than once, and he's very social with people on a walk, loves to be petted. So I wouldn't worry about that ruining anything later on, and like other people have said if you want a guard dog, get a trainer so it can be done the right way  I also agree with the do not pet vest if it really bothers you.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

for some reason I think the OP is not a guy...


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

honestly, in my experience, the best thing to do with a "guard dog" is to socialize him with EVERYONE. Have everyone, if not pet him, greet him. Take him everywhere where he will see every type of person imaginable and to learn that strangers are nice and wonderful.
The more he knows people, the easier he will recognize the subtle behavior changes of someone who isn't on the level. 
A dog that alerts or is suspicious of all strangers is fairly worthless as a guard dog because it will react to everyone. It is also more of a liability since the dog won't know any difference between the mailman walking up the front walk and the man sneaking over the back fence. He also won't see any difference in the approach of a girl walking up to say hello and the man skulking behind you in the alley. Without proper socialization and experience meeting a variety of people, you run a great risk of a dog that views all strangers equally. Sometimes, the dog will view them all as a threat and be indiscriminate in who he growls at. Or a dog that is naturally friendly might view them all as friends


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

GsdLoverr729 said:


> This IS true for some. And very possibly true for OP.
> I think the problem most are having is that the op feels that without any training, just because he "comes from a long police-dog lineage," the pup SHOULD without a doubt defend him. This would be great if being a shepherd and having some dogs in their lineage who were protection/police dogs would be enough. However, most of us here know that you have to socialize, and TRAIN. It's not 100% genetics (though they do play a key part). We also know that not all shepherds have the temperament required for protection work. Just my personal view.


This^. 

Because a GSD has a police linage doesn't make that dog automatically a PPD or a guard dog without proper training.


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## Ares1 (Oct 12, 2013)

alexg said:


> for some reason I think the OP is not a guy...


Um wrong.


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## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

buy a vest...most people want to pet a puppy


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

LOL the cuteness of that pup should be a "chick" magnet for ya, let people pet the pup, that way the pup grows up not thinking all people are bad, start the pup into basic training, then go to advanced, the pup may or may not 'naturally" protect you, but training is always best, if you are that concerned about muggings or breakin`s, buy a gun go to class and learn how to use it, if some crack head is intent on breaking into your place or mugging you, they are going to shoot or stab your dog, some of these crooks are not afraid of dogs, or too stoned or stupid to know better, you are also obligated to protect your dog


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

If you want him to be a good guard dog, you'll also have to look into food aversion training. In my part of good ol' Georgia they just toss a piece of meat with rat bait into the yard early in the afternoon. By break-in time the dog is dead and no threat at all.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

mycobraracr said:


> Why is everyone jumping down this guys throat? Some people actually want their dogs to protect them. Some guy comes at me with a knife/gun you're darn right I want my dog to engage. If my dog loses it's life in the process, that would be a shame but at least my dog gave me the valuable time needed to survive and go on to tell the story of how brave and heroic my dog was. My dogs life is not more valuable than my own sorry.


I don't agree with this at all. Our job is to protect the dogs, unless said dog is a police or military dog and trained for that job they should not be expected to die for their owners. I would feel so guilty and sad that I would never tell the story of how I let my dog down. Their lives are just as important as mine.


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## Caitlin (Mar 28, 2005)

Hey now guys, not all young people are ignorant!

I agree with most here. If you want your dog to be protective you need to properly train and socialize him. Genetics mean nothing compared to proper training.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

lyssa62 said:


> buy a vest...most people want to pet a puppy


Actually, buy two vests.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Temperament - German Shepherd Guide

is a good read that might help you a bit


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

llombardo said:


> I don't agree with this at all. Our job is to protect the dogs, unless said dog is a police or military dog and trained for that job they should not be expected to die for their owners. I would feel so guilty and sad that I would never tell the story of how I let my dog down. Their lives are just as important as mine.


 
Okay disagree and feel free to die for your dog :headbang:



People so often confuse socialization and everyone petting. Not the same thing.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Or take responsibility for yourself and defend yourself and your dog.

_Never mind the dog, beware of the owner._


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Caitlin said:


> *Hey now guys, not all young people are ignorant!*
> 
> I agree with most here. If you want your dog to be protective you need to properly train and socialize him. Genetics mean nothing compared to proper training.


 Exactly  I only just turned 19, guys lol.  Not saying I don't have my moments, or that I know everything. But not all of us young people are ignorant/naïve/immature.


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## Jaythethird (Jul 1, 2013)

mycobraracr said:


> Okay disagree and feel free to die for your dog :headbang:
> 
> 
> 
> People so often confuse socialization and everyone petting. Not the same thing.


^^^:thumbup::thumbup:
No one has to touch your dog for it to be a socialized animal. 

Recently I have only been asking children to pet Oliver, as they are most likely to just run up and pet a dog. Not all adults that ask me get to pet him. I want him to realize that he can be calm and collected around people without the need to be petted. Kinda just a stage we are in I guess lol

Sent from my N860


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## nitemares (Dec 15, 2005)

sunflowers said:


> actually, buy two vests.



lol


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