# My German Shepherd is not aggresive!



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

Hello.

I have a problem with my German Shepherd, he's a year and 6 months old, and i don't know much about dogs, but i think he isn't a puppy anymore, and he is NOT aggressive! Just 2 days ago (Saturday 18 July, 2015) a burglar broke into my neighbors house (The house is right next to ours, and he is on the outside) and he didn't bark or act aggressive at all!!


And he never barks when someone is close to us, like right in the front door, he never does anything, just stays there listening. The only time i hear him bark (More like growling since he gives me a vibe that he's kinda crying when he does this) is when a cat walks past him.


Since someone broke into my neighbors house, i'm afraid our house could be a target, and my dog seems like wouldn't be of help.

I even had another dog that he was a mutt and he was a REALLY good guardian, he would bark anytime he would see, hear or smell someone that wasn't part of the family, and albeit he was not very kind, the trade off was acceptable. And this mutt i just mentioned lived with Buddy (My german Shepherd) until his death around a month and a half ago. (Mention this because i thought that maybe that would give him like a parent figure of sorts since he came to our house when he was like 3 or 2 months old and could teach him something about barking)


:help::help:

(Sorry if my english is not very good, not my first language)

Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

I'll trade you for my dog & stranger fear aggressive dog who has to take baby steps in socialization & be fed like a pound of high value treats every time he meets a stranger or dog. You are lucky!


----------



## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

glowingtoadfly said:


> I'll trade you for my dog & stranger fear aggressive dog who has to take baby steps in socialization & be fed like a pound of high value treats every time he meets a stranger or dog. You are lucky!


I won't trade dogs, but the op can take these personality traits for free!!


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

glowingtoadfly said:


> I'll trade you for my dog & stranger fear aggressive dog who has to take baby steps in socialization & be fed like a pound of high value treats every time he meets a stranger or dog. You are lucky!


I don't think i'm lucky! I mean come on, some broke into the house next door and my dog didn't do anything! If anything, i'm scared i'm next! I don't live in USA, i live in Dominican Republic, and the crime here is crazy high.


----------



## jschrest (Jun 16, 2015)

glowingtoadfly said:


> I'll trade you for my dog & stranger fear aggressive dog who has to take baby steps in socialization & be fed like a pound of high value treats every time he meets a stranger or dog. You are lucky!


I second this! I'll trade you for my fear aggressive dog that barks nonstop at anything passing the window, including leaves....


----------



## jschrest (Jun 16, 2015)

Churraso4 said:


> I don't think i'm lucky! I mean come on, some broke into the house next door and my dog didn't do anything! If anything, i'm scared i'm next! I don't live in USA, i live in Dominican Republic, and the crime here is crazy high.


I would recommend a security alarm and a course in gun safety, then a gun for protection.


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

I do have an alarm, but someone can enter the property, like the garden and yard and parking space without tripping the alarm. I'm a minor, can't have guns.


----------



## jschrest (Jun 16, 2015)

Sorry to hear that, and I'm sorry you're afraid. I was making light of the situation because so many of us have dogs we wished DIDN'T bark.


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

I do get you, since if you live in Usa you are safe (Or at least safer than here), but here, may god have mercy on your soul.

Like the way i see it , in Usa is that dogs are more like friends than guardians.


----------



## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

Not every dog has what it takes to be a guard dog, no matter the breed. Can you find a trainer that is knowledgeable with German Shepherds and have your dog evaluated? Maybe with the help of a professional, your dog could learn to alert you when someone is on your property.


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

I don't have the final say, my mom does, and we hope it doesn't come to that, since it could be expensive and there are probabilities that we are moving out next year and he is too big to come with us, which means that next summer we could give him away to one of our neighbors.


----------



## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

Sorry to hear that, I used to live in a high crime area too.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Your English is excellent


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

You might try to teach your dog to "speak" on command using any word you want. Once this is learned it was easier (for me anyway) to have her bark at things or situations that I want her to bark at.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

~sigh~ Why don't you train your dog? They don't come out of the womb knowing to guard. And your dog is not even mentally and hormonally mature yet. You are essentially asking a 10 yr old child to protect your home.


----------



## Augustine (Nov 22, 2014)

Second the above. I believe it takes quite awhile (i.e. around full maturity) for that typical aloof personality to kick in. And, as others have said, not all GSDs will make good guard dogs.

Also, aggressive =/= protective. You shouldn't want your dog to be aggressive.


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> You might try to teach your dog to "speak" on command using any word you want. Once this is learned it was easier (for me anyway) to have her bark at things or situations that I want her to bark at.


How did you manage to do that?

Augustine and Jax: When is my dog going to be mature enough to be protective? When he is 2 years old or more?


----------



## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

Churraso4 said:


> Stonevintage said:
> 
> 
> > You might try to teach your dog to "speak" on command using any word you want. Once this is learned it was easier (for me anyway) to have her bark at things or situations that I want her to bark at.
> ...


Bella at three months 
http://youtu.be/BA2n52UlB4s


----------



## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

Churraso4 said:


> Stonevintage said:
> 
> 
> > You might try to teach your dog to "speak" on command using any word you want. Once this is learned it was easier (for me anyway) to have her bark at things or situations that I want her to bark at.
> ...


This is when my friend was standing at my gate and she was 5 months
http://youtu.be/ahgd1u9mAeo


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Churraso4 said:


> How did you manage to do that?
> 
> Augustine and Jax: When is my dog going to be mature enough to be protective? When he is 2 years old or more?


Here is a link to the closest method I could find that I used. 

dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2007/02/dog_tell_me_speak

Once, she had this trick learned in the house, I transferred it to outside with her at night. My word was "who's that". When a stranger would come close to our yard I would say "who's that" and she would bark at them and get a treat and "good dog".


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Churraso4 said:


> Augustine and Jax: When is my dog going to be mature enough to be protective? When he is 2 years old or more?



You will see so many changes in the next year. Let me ask you this...does your dog show any natural suspicion? When he sees something new does he look at it warily? Like he's trying to figure it if it's ok or not?

I never thought my dog, who comes from good bloodlines with nice suspicion and aggression, had it in him to "guard" in a real situation. He thinks everyone is his new best friend. But he's 22 months now and I'm seeing him grow mentality in leaps and bounds. 

We were at a hotel a couple weeks ago and a guy said something to me as I walked in. I didn't hear him and asked him to repeat. He said "those dogs! They have a history!" I did not see this guy as a threat. I just thought he was a person making dumb comments. I responded with "oh he's wonderful" and went on my way to get coffee in the lobby. The man was following us into the building about 15 feet behind. I had to pull Seger thru the door. He was turned looking at the guy. He never took his eyes off the guy. I put him in a down so I could get my coffee and didn't dare drop the leash like I usually do because he would NOT stop intently watching this guy. I've never seen that level of suspicion in him just in general life. It was that one person he didn't like.

So yes, you'll see him mature over the next two years. Do he really like to play with balls? You can easily teach him to bark with a ball. Once he's barking at the ball, then you transfer that to a person so he's barking at a person on command. If he does, remind me and I'll make a short video for you this weekend on how to do it.


----------



## WolfsOwner (Jan 16, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> You might try to teach your dog to "speak" on command using any word you want. Once this is learned it was easier (for me anyway) to have her bark at things or situations that I want her to bark at.


This can be really useful. Wolf naturally didn't like anyone at our front door, so she barks if anyone comes up, which I like. However, I taught her the speak command and this could be useful for you. Once Wolf was rewarded for speaking she seems more apt to do so even when not treated :wub:


----------



## brandydan (May 7, 2015)

Just because your dog is a German Shepherd does not mean that he will necessarily grow up into a protective dog. I have a shetland sheepdog (small, pretty little thing) that took on a lab mix that had wandered down our block. Meanwhile, the rottweiler next door just wanted to play. 

But like dobermans, a german shepherd has a distinctive 'look', so you really don't need an aggressive dog, though your dog will one day also have that 'look'. Your puppy is still that - a puppy. And until he grows into his adult size, I doubt that anyone will look at your dog and keep away.


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> You will see so many changes in the next year. Let me ask you this...does your dog show any natural suspicion? When he sees something new does he look at it warily? Like he's trying to figure it if it's ok or not?
> 
> I never thought my dog, who comes from good bloodlines with nice suspicion and aggression, had it in him to "guard" in a real situation. He thinks everyone is his new best friend. But he's 22 months now and I'm seeing him grow mentality in leaps and bounds.
> 
> ...


Ok thank you for answering.

I do think that when he sees someone he looks at them carefully, although he does this more this with other animals than with people.

I might teach him to bark at command to see how that goes.

Thanks to everyone who answered


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

So this is how you do that...

Tease him with a ball, take his collar and toss the ball in front of him out of reach to create frustration. When he makes a sound, no matter what the sound even if it's a whine, move towards the ball with him but do not let him get it. Kick the ball away again. As he makes a sound move forward. As soon as he barks at the ball, release him to get it and tug with him. Build that drive for that ball. If you have a hard time getting him to bark then release him when he's whining but make sure you build that drive and frustration by moving towards the ball and kicking it away a couple times first.

Make sense?

When he is barking consistently at the ball, give it a command. When you get that far, let me know and you can work on transferring it to a person.


----------



## IronhorseRomo (Jul 20, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> So this is how you do that...
> 
> Tease him with a ball, take his collar and toss the ball in front of him out of reach to create frustration. When he makes a sound, no matter what the sound even if it's a whine, move towards the ball with him but do not let him get it. Kick the ball away again. As he makes a sound move forward. As soon as he barks at the ball, release him to get it and tug with him. Build that drive for that ball. If you have a hard time getting him to bark then release him when he's whining but make sure you build that drive and frustration by moving towards the ball and kicking it away a couple times first.
> 
> ...



Awesome advice. At what age do you want to do this?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Mine was started young, maybe 6 months, at a seminar with a world level trainer/helper.


----------



## Churraso4 (Jul 20, 2015)

I have another question, what kind of reaction would happen if he spent most of the time tied to a chain?

Would that be negative to him?

(Just asking, he is free and has barely been tied, only when he is going to get a vaccine)


----------



## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

My dog (15 months) isn't overtly protective. She will bark the house down if someone knocks on the door (this is a fun one we're working on toning down), but I class that under alerting us to someone announcing their presence. When I've seen her serious about something, she went totally silent and businesslike and planted herself between me and the front door. Nothing happened, but her whole approach was entirely different. She wasn't sounding an alarm, but her watchfulness told me she'd have my back if anything did happen.


----------

