# more aloof as time goes by?



## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

hey when i got my gsd she was still over a year old i picked her up at the airport she came out of the crate wagging her tail and acted like i was her best friend that night she slept on my bed at the airport

anyways as time goes by she becomes more and more aloof with strangers shes going to be 15 months soon

like one day i was walking her and a kid came up and put his bike in front of us asked if he could pet her i looked at her reaction to see if she was interested in maybe sniffing the boy so he could pet her but she totally ignored him wasnt interested so i didnt wanna force her.

Today i met a friend while walking he asked if he could pet her so i said yes just put ur hand out so she could sniff you she looked at his hand then ignored him like he was a tree or something

do a lot of gsd's get like this more and more as they bond with 1 peron or as they age?

she has never bonded to anyone as she was a kennel dog in training before i got her

sometimes she will sniff and then someone can pet her but if she doesnt sniff someone or make an effort to sniff someone then i wont let that person pet her she sees and walks close to hundreds of people every week so thats good now she is super comfortable around every kind of person while walking day or night 

today we had bikers and joggers running and biking by a few feet from us didnt phase her at all she totally ignored them also 

i dont mind the aloof behaviour i was just curious why she never did it to me when i got her she acted like she always knew me?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Dont know - had the same experience when I met my dog and he was two. Within two days he was mine and only mine. Same behavior totally polite but aloof.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

sounds like a good dog .
neutral to strangers, neither friendly nor hostile , nor fearful -- 
She was obviously well socialized . When you picked her up she had no one , she attached herself to you, transferred her loyalty. She was so stable and safe you had her in your bed the first night you met her.
You have her just about everywhere and she always seems to show confidence . I think you have a good dog.
what is her pedigree -- 
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

Yes, that's normal, my dogs went through the same thing. My youngest dog is just getting to that stage where strange people we encounter aren't as exciting as they used to be. My older dog doesn't care, but will sniff people and allow them to pet him, while he looks around etc., obviously interested in other things.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

the aloofness comes with the maturity. Shasta is hitting it earlier. She's 11 months old and will sniff at people and watch them but could care less if they notice her. She often seems to pretend they dont exist when they acknowledge shes there.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I agree, it is a very nice trait, much better than reactivity.
Today I walked Karlo on a busy trail with people/dogs all sorts of noise levels. He wasn't concerned with any of them, but watchful and alert. We walked side by side with another intact young male and the boys were great together(hadn't seen each other since November) 
Karlo is very happy and wiggly if he chooses to be, and pack drive with him is very high. 
After having two reactive females, he is a breath of fresh air, and I enjoy his attitude instead of dread what may be coming around the corner.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

this is her ped Aisa Malakaj - German shepherd dog

i have working videos of her on this site 

yeah her reaction to dogs is also turning into aloof before she was getting snappy when it was during the early period of me getting her not at all now she is quiet. She does not bark much but will get defensive in a second if someone threatens her or me by talking loud or acting aggressive. 

I thought the aloofness also might have to do with her bonding to a family i notice she is not aloof with my parents when she first met them the first week i had her. She still shows a lot of affection towards them if she sees them. Also one of my friends she likes.

If someone has a ball though that aloofness goes out the window and she becomes so interested in the ball doesnt matter who is holding it! for those of you with high drive aloof dogs if they see some people playing ball will they take a keen interest in the ball? even if a stranger holds it?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

My dog will play with a toy with anyone. He will not, however "out" for them readily with the tug. With me the out is lightning fast.

My dog is not easy to go into defense. I have only once seem him perceive anything as a threat (we think it was a bear) and he kept his wits about him and just moved slowly by my side past it.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

KZoppa said:


> the aloofness comes with the maturity. .


Does it always? At 4 months, Kopper will willingly let anyone pet him, but he doesn't voluntarily go up and solicit attention from people who aren't his friends or family. It's kind of embarrassing actually, people will kneel down and try to call him over in a high-pitched, squeaky voice and he looks at them like they've lost their minds. He'll let them come up to him and let them pet him with no problems; he just doesn't care anything about them..


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Emoore said:


> Does it always? At 4 months, Kopper will willingly let anyone pet him, but he doesn't voluntarily go up and solicit attention from people who aren't his friends or family. It's kind of embarrassing actually, people will kneel down and try to call him over in a high-pitched, squeaky voice and he looks at them like they've lost their minds. He'll let them come up to him and let them pet him with no problems; he just doesn't care anything about them..


 
lol not always. but every dog is different. MOST, i've learned the aloof attitude comes with maturity. some pups go through phases where they're like Kopper is now and then all kinds of friendly and then back again to being I dont care as long as you dont cause trouble. Course if people were talking to me in high squeaky voices i'd look at them like they were nuts too. lol


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## stolibaby (Mar 6, 2011)

Stoli has gone from being very skittish/shy to curious/nosy and now I notice he is also getting more aloof as he tends to now NOT go over when people call him over...they have to be very special in his world for him to go over (like my mom and my roommate) otherwise he honestly doesn't care too much if adults are there...which I am def ok with considering he was so scared of ppl as a puppy I was afraid he'd become aggressive but thank god for socializing!!
as for hte ball thing Stoli again really only cares if I have it or a few special people who he has decided are ok and even then it's only when we're at home vs being at the dog park (this one guy tries so hard to get stoli to play with him I kinda get embarrassed when stoli repeatedly blows him off :blush


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

i was also just wondering when does the teenage part end? 

After they hit 2 do they even become more mature and aloof? maybe the point of just not even wanting to sniff or be curious about people? Socialiing might have to do with it, when a dog walks by and sees hundreds of new people each week people seem harmless and probably very boring to the dog.

I kinda like the aloofness actually makes me feel more special lol with me she just shows so much affection recently head rubs into my stomach etc.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Kopper is a typical DDR pup. Did he start spitting out treats that people give him? Talk about embarrassing


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## jova1251 (Apr 4, 2010)

*Aloof dog*

Heidi ignores everyone unless they are in our yard or house. Then she is all over them! She loves people - but only on her own territory. I think this is a good trait and one that should be applauded!!!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Masi is also a very aloof dog with strangers and other dogs, unless "maybe" you've got a frisbee, it's all about the frisbee with her. If you come into my house tho, (a stranger) she's usually all over them like a wet noodle

Her and Dodge were the most 'aloof' gsd's I've had/have. It IS flattering that life with them is all about me 

She's always been pretty stand offish with people she doesn't know, watchful, but no real interest in interacting with them, and YES, strangers give her a treat, she'll spit them out like they are poisoning her)..

Fine by me, she is what she is.

This is Masi's ped danger danger vom kleinen hain - German shepherd dog


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

Odin recently turned 2 and i've noticed he has become more aloof as he matures. He's social and polite, but generally when we're out in public passing people he'll watch quietly, but lately more often than not if someone stops to pet him he seems uninterested. He'll tolerate petting pet by strangers, but doesn't get all wiggly and excited to approach people. The employees at a local pet store will hand him treats when we go in and he'll hold it for a minute before dropping it on the floor. If I take the same treat and bring it out with me and then give it to him he's happy to eat it.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

jova1251 said:


> Heidi ignores everyone unless they are in our yard or house. Then she is all over them! She loves people - but only on her own territory. I think this is a good trait and one that should be applauded!!!


Abby is the same, but she will warm up to outsiders after a (LOOONG) while if she has seen them a number of times. Where we walk daily there are 3 old ladies (my age) who walk their dogs and for a year they have been trying to get Abby do more than ignore them. In the past couple of weeks she started by allowing them to pet her and then after a few days she allowed tummy rubs. Now when she sees them she approaches them on her own even from a distance and presents her butt for a rub or lays down for a tummy rub.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

i really like your dog jakoda is she all c slovakian ? I never seen my dog all over someone like a wet noodle otehr than me tho lol I have not had much friends over t hough the last little while because i am so busy maybe she will and i have just not seen it yet lol 

I notice you have heelers also are they more aloof then your gsd?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

no, her mother was an import from eurosport she is from slovakia, Masi's father is probably 3/4 ddr and 1/4 czech I believe was bred here in the us.

Actually I have australian shepherds,,they don't know the meaning of 'aloof',,my female is friendly with all, hasn't got a serious bone in her body, my male is either likes you and he doesn't, but is not people aggressive. The aussies are all about "what's in it for me? preferably FOOD!",,where my gsd's have always been "what can I DO FOR YOU?" which I like better


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

did eurosport have anything to do with your girls breeding or was it just their dog that was involved in it? i really love your girls lines and her look

is she a pet? any work she do?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

No, she was purchased by someone in the states and my breeder (kleinenhain) had her and bred her to her male..I believe she now is at Schraderhaus kennel in WA state 

I got her because I liked her lines, and my previous one was out of von hena c lines. My intention was to do agility with her, but alas, she really has no interest in it..She loooooovees to track, so I do alot of fun tracking with her right now, since I can't seem to find anything "serious" in my area..

She's basically my 24/7 companion, goes with me everywhere, I do alot of hiking (just came off a 5 miler and she's still ready to go!), I feel very safe with her tho I've never been in a situation where I felt 'unsafe' and don't know really what she'd do if I were being attacked or something.. My other gsd's that have passed, were wonderful dogs, but I don't think I ever felt truly 'safe' with them with her I do. 

This is her mother SchraderhausK9.com - +1.253.843.1123 PST - German Shepherd Working Dogs

If you read her bio, her brother Hulk listed at the bottom , click into that, he has some pretty impressive videos of his work


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