# What age did your puppy become protective?



## 4TheLoveOfSheps

Out of curiosity I was just wondering what age do German Shepherds become really protective? I'm in the process of becoming a firefighter so I will be working for a full 24 hours straight... My woman hates being left alone so I'm trying to assure her that everything will be okay and that I'm sure our puppy will have natural guarding instincts. When did your puppy become wary of strangers? Thanks in advance for all answers!


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## Gretchen

When they become adolescents - so not really puppies anymore. At this age, their protection is not really mature and refined, it may be inappropriate.

If you get a working line GSD, it will naturally have guarding instincts and I think the females are more protective than the males.


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## Jax08

It 100% depends on the dog as to whether they have "natural guarding instincts". The best dog I ever had for that was a Collie. In fact, both my male Collie's would have torn a person apart for us. 

My GSD male is 2 and has started picking up on odd behavior with people. He's starting to take exception to anyone to close to the car. Definitely was not happy when a friend reached in to the car to hug me.

But, regardless of lines, your dog may never become naturally protective. Or may be great as he matures. It all depends on the genetics. The best advice is get a trainer and train your dog. They still need to be taught when it's appropriate to be "naturally on guard".


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## wolfy dog

Deja is almost 2 years old. Yesterday in the store a guy walked passed us and she sensed something off. She was not aggressive but I saw how she kept a super close eye on him. Never seen that in her before. The other people who passed her, she never reacted like that. So her on-guard instinct is surfacing but she still takes her cues from me and I plan to keep it that way.


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## Findlay

At about 10 months Finn started barking like a mad man when people knocked on the door. 
That's probably the behavior that you want?? Something that your pup will do naturally when someone is near your door or too close to your property. 
Finn will also bark when he hears someone open our gate.
What I'm trying to do now is to say Good Boy for the initial warning and then if it goes on too long (cuz he likes to hear himself) I say Enough.

My son and my son-in-law are firefighters. They work two 24 hrs shifts each week. 
So, I understand you need to go to work with a clear head, without worrying about home.

GSDs are naturally protective of their families and property. The sound of a GSDs bark lets people know that their dealing with a dog that will protect his house and family. 
Good luck, be safe and take care.
And...Thank you!


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## Stonevintage

4TheLoveOfSheps said:


> Out of curiosity I was just wondering what age do German Shepherds become really protective? I'm in the process of becoming a firefighter so I will be working for a full 24 hours straight... My woman hates being left alone so I'm trying to assure her that everything will be okay and that I'm sure our puppy will have natural guarding instincts. When did your puppy become wary of strangers? Thanks in advance for all answers!


It takes a while. Unless you have your pup professionally protection trained, few people depend on them to be anything but early warning if something is amiss.

Even though it is comforting to have a barking GSD at your side when you are a woman home alone, you need to have a weapon or mace and a safe room just in case. LE recommends a good dog to deter crime but they also remind us that is not enough... All of these things together build confidence. Door and window alarms are pretty affordable now too and that also brings peace of mind. 

In the meantime - while your pup is growing and learning you can give your SO this - Teach the pup to "Speak" make it fun and reward until she will do this on command at any time - have your SO participate in this training. If I wake up at night and hear a strange noise or some drunks are stumbling past my house again - I just say "who's that!" in kind of a fast whisper and she breaks out in a volley of big dog barks at the door. Works outside too if she's in the yard and any creepo's walk by.

Just a warning, be careful how much you let your dog get "tuned up" when her protection does come in. It is much easier to keep a cap on it from the beginning than to try to reverse behavior in a dog that barks at everything and can't be trusted in day to day situations. Sometimes, you can't.


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## carmspack

you don't want a dog that is wary of strangers.

this is too reactive 
"At about 10 months Finn started barking like a mad man when people knocked on the door. 
That's probably the behavior that you want?? Something that your pup will do naturally when someone is near your door or too close to your property."

soon this becomes a nuisance and no one pays attention because it is the dog-that-cried-wolf .

get a good strong self-confident dog, no environmental issues, do some good training for control , get a bond through working with the dog, walking with the dog with obedience , and playing with the dog -- become the centre of the dog's life -- not other dogs


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## Sabis mom

4TheLoveOfSheps said:


> Out of curiosity I was just wondering what age do German Shepherds become really protective? I'm in the process of becoming a firefighter so I will be working for a full 24 hours straight... My woman hates being left alone so I'm trying to assure her that everything will be okay and that I'm sure our puppy will have natural guarding instincts. When did your puppy become wary of strangers? Thanks in advance for all answers!


 My old female showed a strong protective nature from an extremely young age, around 4 months, and it was concerning. She was in for assessment/training the second time I observed it. She turned out fine, but anytime a puppy shows anything like that it should be carefully monitored. What most people see as guarding/protective is really fear/startle responses. 
As Carmen said it gets annoying.


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## dogfaeries

wolfy dog said:


> Deja is almost 2 years old. Yesterday in the store a guy walked passed us and she sensed something off. She was not aggressive but I saw how she kept a super close eye on him. Never seen that in her before. The other people who passed her, she never reacted like that. So her on-guard instinct is surfacing but she still takes her cues from me and I plan to keep it that way.



Russell is about 2 and a half, and he also takes his cues from me when we are out and about. He trusts my judgement, which I love. He's never barked at anyone when we've been out walking. He pays attention to his environment, yes, but he's also paying attention to me. If someone approaches and I think it's ok, I tell him it's okay and he's fine. If someone approaches and I'm not sure, Russ gives them a hard stare. I haven't had him growl at anyone in those situations, but then again, sketchy characters don't come closer either.

I didn't actively train for this, it just seems to be his temperament.


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## llombardo

Out of the three GSDs, I feel they are all about the same. Apollo still doesn't bark at the door and he is a year, the other two will bark on occasion and I always check it out because it doesn't happen often. None of them bark in the car, on walks, or even in the yard. They are all very alert and they all stare people down they are not sure of. They silently stare, which is very unnerving for people. On Multiple occasions I've watched them keep turning around because they must feel the stare. They don't bark at delivery people, mailman and stuff like that. Last time I got a pizza the kid was in love with GSDs and they all met him at the door. I have a small window in my living room and I was getting furniture delivered, Midnite was outside and all of the sudden all you see is a big head in the window--watching everything. The guy was like is that a German shepherd. I said yes a big one, now I put them in the bathroom with a gate when I get deliveries. I feel safer with them watching over me and most people don't want to see what they would do if they did something bad.


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## dogfaeries

As far as barking goes, mine will bark if they hear anything in the field behind my house. That's fine with me. One of us will go out and check it out. There is a 6 foot stockade fence gate that you have to open to get to the front of my house. When my dogs hear that gate open, they will bark if it's not one of us (my dogs know the sounds of our cars), but they don't keep barking and barking. I think they do appropriate alert barking.


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## wolfy dog

dogfaeries said:


> If someone approaches and I think it's ok, I tell him it's okay and he's fine. If someone approaches and I'm not sure, Russ gives them a hard stare. I haven't had him growl at anyone in those situations, but then again, sketchy characters don't come closer either.
> 
> I didn't actively train for this, it just seems to be his temperament.


I admire that so in my dog too. She only accepts that it OK once she knows and sees that I have checked it out as well.


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## kiwixlshepherd

I have read that temperament traits surface at about 8 weeks. What do you look for in a 8 week old pup if wanting a dog with natural guarding instincts ?


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## Coleen

That's one of the many reasons I got a gsd. I don't have her with me yet, she's only 5 weeks. I'm not to worried about the protection thing because just the fact of the dog being a gsd is usually enough to deter anyone with bad "intentions".


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## srfwheat

My male German Shepherd, Sarge, became extremely protection around the age of 1 1/2 years of age of the house and property we live on. As he gets older (almost three) he has become very observant of anything out of the ordinary around our home. I take him most everywhere I go, except church. When taken to soccer and pee wee football games he will wag his tail, play and kiss children. He just absolutely adores them. He is very standoffish when approached by adults. He is a natural protector and if anyone approaches me that he doesn't feel good about he will warn him/her with a growl. I really do think he would protect me if he needed to.


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## car2ner

My pup always alerted me to anomalies. If something had changed he would woof until we checked it out. At nearly two years old he is big and has a huge deep bark. He isn't really a body guard but he sure looks like he could be, and people give us plenty of space as we go walking.


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## Backwoods_Shepherd

Brox just turned 5 months and showed a new reaction tonight. We walked out to the dog's kennel to get dog food in the dark together, me holding a flashlight. I think he saw a shadow as I moved the flashlight around and he let out a big bark and started running toward the area he thought he saw something, barking as he ran.

That's the first time I've seen that behavior. Prior to this he would stay quietly near me looking to me for reassurance when he saw anything out of the ordinary. I believe some of this is learned behavior from our other dog.

Kevin


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## zyppi

All they have to do is 'be there.' Most folks are afraid of the breed. Intruders will avoid a house with a dog.


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## cdwoodcox

Rosko started barking when someone would knock or ding the doorbell around 4 months. However he learned this behavior from my wife's toy poodle. Just yesterday he's now 6 months old. me and rosko were at my parents and rosko was playing with my 3 year old great nephew. I had my brother walk out the back door to front door and ring door bell to see if he would bark without the poodle around. Once doorbell rang he immediately stood between the 3 yr old and door barking with the hair on the back of his neck standing up. Once he seen who was there he was immediately back in play mode.


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## lrodptl

What people might think is protective is usually a dog that is nervous and protecting itself. I'm on my 5th GSD and 2 couldn't care less and they were very confident dogs. One is fearful and goes crazy when someone comes to the house or gate. One was mean as can be and the other was somewhere in the middle. Don't know what any of them would do if I was attacked,maybe bark,maybe bite,maybe run.


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## Shefali

Jax08 said:


> It 100% depends on the dog as to whether they have "natural guarding instincts". The best dog I ever had for that was a Collie. In fact, both my male Collie's would have torn a person apart for us.
> 
> My GSD male is 2 and has started picking up on odd behavior with people. He's starting to take exception to anyone to close to the car. Definitely was not happy when a friend reached in to the car to hug me.
> 
> But, regardless of lines, your dog may never become naturally protective. Or may be great as he matures. It all depends on the genetics. The best advice is get a trainer and train your dog. They still need to be taught when it's appropriate to be "naturally on guard".


I had a collie that really surprised me, since I always thought of collies as "Lassie dogs" and not ferocious. But she was actually very protective of anyone in her family.


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