# Too Friendly is Bad?



## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

First time owner, had my dog a year and a half. My male GSD is approximately two and a half years old now. I've read that the breed is supposed to be "aloof" with strangers and if not it is a temperament fault. Mine is an incredible love bug.

Since he turned a year old or so he has shown some Shepherdy behavior. At home he growls and barks if he hears a noise and will be territorial in the yard; he also needs to be introduced to guests outside the house or he will be territorial (although once they are introduced, he is super friendly). He is also protective if large dogs jump on my son or me at the dog park and will chase them away or knock them down. Also, at night, he becomes very "alert" on walks and will not allow people to approach me without barking.

Most of the time, though, he has a "love bug" or "puppy" personality. When we are out on the town, he LOVES meeting new people, getting petted, and giving kisses (restaurants, little league baseball games, dog park, Petco, Lowe's, etc). I'm talking butt-shaking tail wagging/licky excitement with everyone he meets--man, woman, or child. Example: had to go to the vet today and it was a vet he has not seen before. He allowed her feel him all over for his physical while he laid there and made happy grunts/wagged his tail. She even gave him a kiss on the mouth (gross!) and he just licked her face.

I'm not complaining! He is such a good, good boy and I love him just the way he is. But is his sunshine personality really a fault? We got him at the local animal shelter, so I have no idea his breeding background, but I would love to know if:

--He's just a weirdo and most Shepherds are not like him;

or 

--If there's a breed line that is more likely to have a sweet/sociable personality like him?

I'm not in the market for another dog yet, but would love to find a big sweetheart similar to this one again in the future. I have heard a dog trainer I know say he sold a GSD he had for being "too friendly" and wondered if it was a bad quality (for the breed, not for my family) that my dog is so friendly with everyone.


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

If you love him the way he is, then there's nothing "bad" about his temperament even if if wouldn't necessarily be what many breeders are striving for. It sounds like you lucked out and got a really nice family dog from the shelter. 

My Keefer is super people friendly too, and that's fine with me. I'm sure some people would consider him too friendly, but it's nice having a dog you can take anywhere and not worry about. When my MIL went into assisted living a couple of years ago, my husband started bringing Keef to visit her on Sundays when I'm at flyball practice with Halo. He now has many fans among the old folks, and he totally soaks up all the attention. :wub:


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Doesn't sound too friendly to me. My german shepherd would have let a robber come in the house and take him. That's what I consider 'too friendly'.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Stella, my last gsd was not a friendly one. She did not like strangers, other dogs, we could go very few places.. Sort of sad. Fritz, my current boy, loves people, dogs, cats, car rides. I can take him anywhere, its such a joy!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

My boy is good, too, with people of all ages although he is not always good with other dogs. The same sweetness that makes him so good with other people also makes him so loving toward me so I consider it a positive, not a fault.


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

Aww, Keefer sounds like a great guy! I bet he is a big favorite!  

I definitely agree that it's nice to take our dog out and not worry too much. My husband and I feel lucky because we live in a large urban area and so it's good that our dog can be confident and friendly wherever we go.

I just had seen on various GSD sites about "too friendly" vs "aloof", so I wondered if that was a trait breeders were not looking for. I know _I_ love it though! 

I guess it depends on the situation like you say--our guy is a great family pet, very loyal and easily trained, but maybe would not make a good law enforcement dog. He's a city pup for sure: dog parks, doggy daycare, walks, and backyard play. We don't do dog sports, but he seems to be fairly competent at the occasional herding activity (my dad has cows, so he helps grandpa at the ranch when we go home to visit). 

I will definitely be doing some more research in the future, because whether it's a fault or not, I love the outgoing dogs of the GSD community.


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

Syaoransbear-- wow, that IS friendly! No, my Ben would not let someone come in the house and take him. But he would probably let someone walk away with him if he was tied outside a coffee shop (I _never_ do that, but have seen dogs tied outside of shops before). 

Thank you everyone for your comments!


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

My big girl will bring a ball to anyone to throw for her. She has no dignity when it comes to finding someone to play fetch with her. Pup is her shadow outside, and has the same attitude. I can't imagine not being able to take them everywhere.


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

Benny Boo's Mommy said:


> I guess it depends on the situation like you say--our guy is a great family pet, very loyal and easily trained, but maybe would not make a good law enforcement dog. He's a city pup for sure: dog parks, doggy daycare, walks, and backyard play. We don't do dog sports, but he seems to be fairly competent at the occasional herding activity (my dad has cows, so he helps grandpa at the ranch when we go home to visit).


Exactly! Enjoy him for what he is rather than worrying about what he's not, because he sounds perfect _for you. _

I personally love affectionate, people oriented dogs. when it comes time to search for another dog, I would be clear on that point if it's something that's important to you too. A good breeder should be able to pick those puppies out among a litter.

And yes - Keefer is fabulous! He's so wonderful with old people, and they enjoy his visits so much. Before we got him, the breeder said he was outgoing, affectionate, and the first one to the food bowl. And she was absolutely right! When he was a puppy I'd sit on the floor with him and he'd climb right in my lap. when I brush him he leans into me, and he loves hugs, even from strangers. We've never had a dog who loves close physical contact as much as Keefer. Is he "correct" in temperament? No, probably not. But he's very, very easy to love.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Rocky as a "wobbler" dog would have made an excellent service dog...except for the part where he uh does not like people!:blush:

Now my other two guys Boxer and Bull Mastiff/APBT/Lab mix, Halloween was the bestest time of the year for them! Mummies and Zombies and Ghost oh my!


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## Chai (Dec 11, 2014)

Tchai couldn't care less about other humans, people actually get really offended when they get down on their knees and call him and he just ignores them :crazy:

However, he just loves other dogs! It's actually something we're working on as atm other dogs = 0 attention on me  His parents are dog neutral and so I'm hoping he grows out of it with the help of some training.


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## SteelHelix (Mar 25, 2015)

Jaeger is actually quite similar in a lot of ways. Granted, he's dog reactive and has fence aggression, but otherwise he's very affectionate and much more cuddly than any other GSD I've seen. Atleast in his situation, I would say it's mainly due to him being a rescue and knowing how bad he could be living versus how he's being treated now.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I'm with Cassidy's Mom, it sounds like your boy is perfect for you. If he's what you want, then you guys found the right match.

My girl is very social with other dogs. I cannot take her to a pet store without her deciding she is the welcome wagon for all the other dogs. Luckily she's also very gentle with small dogs, and other owners have commented on how friendly and well socialized she seems to be with other dogs.

I have noticed some of the aloofness starting to come in when we encounter adults we don't know. Once she knows you're a friend (family member, friend, nice person at the liquor store or pet store who enjoys giving treats, friendly person we regularly see around the neighborhood), she's all love, but otherwise she reserves her unabashed friendliness for little kids. She adores little kids. She probably creeps parents out because she stares at their kids and wags her tail with such hopefulness.

I don't think that friendliness is a bad thing. It will be a very good thing if I'm able to get her certified for therapy work; it will serve her well if she's friendly and sociable with children and with adults who are familiar. I don't worry about her being too friendly with an inappropriate party; she's shown me her protective side, so I don't think that's a problem.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

If you like your dog's temperament and it fits your lifestyle, then he's not "bad". If you are not raising and training him as a breeding prospect, then they only thing that matters is whether YOU like how he behaves.


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

I'm definitely not training/raising him as a breeding prospect or for sports. He was neutered as a requirement of the animal shelter adoption and of course as a family pet we never expected to breed him at all. Glad to hear there are so many friendlies out there! I love to read their stories!  

I will definitely keep that temperament question in mind when I decide to make a family addition, because my husband and I will probably get an additional dog in the next year or so. 

Thanks again everyone!


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

As I reflect on this conversation, it occurs to me that all this is coming from that interaction I had with that dog trainer who told me that he had gotten rid of his female GSD for being too friendly. To be clear, he wasn't _my_ trainer, just a guy who brings the dogs he is training to the neighborhood dog park that I frequent.

He was very interested in Ben, seemed attracted by his size and his large head (Ben is an 'average-large' sized GSD). But when I said that Ben loved everyone he commented that he'd had to get rid of his girl GSD because she was "too friendly". Maybe she was, for his purposes? 

At any rate, I went looking around online and found out the "breed standard" calls for being aloof or "discerning" and then wondered if it would be difficult to find an additional dog with a personality like my boy's sunny disposition since breeders probably consider it a "fault". Seems like it won't be too difficult to find from the responses I got, which makes me very happy. 

I have so much respect for working-line GSDs and K9 dogs. I am sure they have to be a lot more serious and ready for action than my easygoing boy. And yes, everybody is so right--he is the correct fit for my family and lifestyle, so probably I shouldn't have worried about what that trainer said. But at least I learned a bit more about the breed!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Aww the "mythical" people friendly GSD! 

To this day I have still not seen one?? With my WL OS GSD, I had to do a lot of work to get him from )actively hostile to uh..."everyone") save immediate family! "Aloof" was the goal, got it done but he can't be trusted around kids and he's safe with company at home under supervision! He's safe on walks because he ignores "everyone."

Much different then my past "people" friendly Boxer and BullMastiff/APBT/lab those dogs loved "everybody." My GSD was a shock to the system on a lot of levels! Temperament is key.


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

Benny Boo's Mommy said:


> I have so much respect for working-line GSDs and K9 dogs. I am sure they have to be a lot more serious and ready for action than my easygoing boy.


Halo is a working line girl, and she's definitely more serious and intense than Keefer is, but she can still be quite kissy with people. Unless there's a ball around. And then she couldn't care less about the people. Or other dogs, for that matter. 



Chip18 said:


> Aww the "mythical" people friendly GSD!
> 
> To this day I have still not seen one??


Really? Come visit the Bay Area. Keefer would LOVE to meet you! Or anyone, really. :wub:


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Chip18 said:


> Aww the "mythical" people friendly GSD!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh right. I forgot my dog was a purple sparkly unicorn dressed as a leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.


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## smgs92 (Jun 3, 2014)

My first GSD was police trained and I got him at 18months. He was very friendly immediately with us and my other dogs. We didn't have him long and I was young but I don't remember him having any problems with strangers. However my current GSD(17months) is okay with people but he doesn't really approach people too much but he loves kids. If you come on the property though you'd think he was gonna rip your throat out until I assure him it's ok then 99% of the time he is ok. Perfect on walks though, he pays no attention to other dogs or people even if they're barking and going crazy.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I used to think that all GSD's were friendly except the ones that were protection trained. I grew up at the beach in SoCal and all the beach dogs were just as friendly as could be. They all had balls or frizbees in their mouths ready to go.

Little did I know that we were just Pez Dispensers to them. Could have been robots throwing the stuff, they would not have cared less.... And there was no Santa or Easter Bunny either


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

That's really interesting, smg92. I would have thought the former K9 would be the less outgoing one. Also, Stonevintage, maybe that's why Ben loves people too! He gets affection and random treats a lot of places we go (local pet stores, restaurants, etc). Maybe he just assumes everyone will give him something nice when we are out. LOL


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## smgs92 (Jun 3, 2014)

Yeah he went to my aunts farm but he never was aggressive and pretty friendly that I remember however he did help the police catch a meth maker. Mines been well socialized he just doesn't like many people outside his family.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

Chip18 said:


> Aww the "mythical" people friendly GSD!
> 
> To this day I have still not seen one?? With my WL OS GSD, I had to do a lot of work to get him from )actively hostile to uh..."everyone") save immediate family! "Aloof" was the goal, got it done but he can't be trusted around kids and he's safe with company at home under supervision! He's safe on walks because he ignores "everyone."
> 
> Much different then my past "people" friendly Boxer and BullMastiff/APBT/lab those dogs loved "everybody." My GSD was a shock to the system on a lot of levels! Temperament is key.



"The" constant "quotations" makes your "post" really hard to "read," Chip. They completely detract from everything you're trying to say. 

If you've never met a people-friendly GSD, then you probably haven't met a lot of them. I'm not sure what the fact that your dog is oversized has to do with anything, except that shaky breeding contributes to shaky temperaments.... what you're describing is not the temperament of the breed as a whole. 

Anyways, I'll take my goofy-friendly female any day of the week over my standoffish male. Makes life a whole lot easier at the vet's office, in the case of emergency (which just happened not too long ago, and she had to be handled by strangers). She's a nice, stable dog who is super friendly, but is also watchful. She doesn't go batty to meet people when she's supposed to be focused on other things, but is very enthusiastic to meet people when she gets the go-ahead.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Chip18 said:


> Aww the "mythical" people friendly GSD!
> 
> To this day I have still not seen one?? With my WL OS GSD, I had to do a lot of work to get him from )actively hostile to uh..."everyone") save immediate family! "Aloof" was the goal, got it done but he can't be trusted around kids and he's safe with company at home under supervision! He's safe on walks because he ignores "everyone."


Mythical? GSD's aren't supposed to be "actively hostile" towards everyone. I have two, both are friendly towards people. The older is aloof. She doesn't want everyone in her face but is not aggressive. The other is maturing and we'll see where his aloofness ends up but right now everyone is his new BFF.

I think you need to get out more and meet more German Shepherds.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Aloof doesn't mean dislike to me. Gus does not care about strangers. They can pet him without issue, he just totally ignores their presence. Nothing warm and fuzzy for people he doesn't know. He won't run to or give kisses to strangers he simply ignores. His dimeanor changes with strangers when at home.


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## Katze (Apr 21, 2015)

I'd consider you lucky! Unless of course you are a nomad and rely on your dog to protect your worldly possessions and guard your temporary home and flock.. Then you're SOL. :/

My Kita is a pup still, and she's fear-reactive. I take her for daily walks to socialize but she's got a long way to go. There have been quite a few bad experiences with other dogs, whose owners say "Oh, they are so friendly", and then perhaps the dog senses a weakness or fear in mine and lunges to kill. I've repeatedly had to yank her away or put myself in front of a dog and tell the owner they need to leave. Oddly enough much of her fear is leash based. She tends to be at an elevated state in the home, and the few times i've taken her to my grams she's barked and growled. I sort of wish she'd be a carefree happy pup who bounded in with gobs of confidence, but it was lacking when we rescued her and while better, it's still lacking now. :C


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

Katze--we didn't have our Ben as a puppy, so we never went through the fear stages. He was already 9 mos old or so when we got him; there were health issues (malnourished, emaciated, skin/ear infections) that we dealt with but he didn't seem unsocialized once we got him healthy. I think it will be interesting to see how raising a GSD from a puppy will differ when we get our additional dog. Have you tried taking your puppy on some doggy play dates with dogs you know and trust? I think introductions on-leash tends to make nervous dogs more nervous. (Just what I have noticed.) 


Also, to the larger conversation topic--I also agree that aloof doesn't mean dislike. I have definitely met a lot of shepherds who are not interested in me and don't court or accept as much attention as Ben does. On the whole I much prefer his personality because we live in a dog-centric environment where people see him and just want to hug him. 

I was just looking for more experiences with either "friendly" or "aloof" temperaments. It seems like even though overly-friendly might actually be considered a 'fault', it's not uncommon and there are a lot of dogs that would work great for my situation. This is a great thread for learning (for me anyway). Like I said, we're definitely going to add to our GSD family in the near future and we're figuring out what to look for.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

LoveEcho said:


> .... what you're describing is not the temperament of the breed as a whole.


No...what I am describing are the GSD's "I've" met. I never said GSD's can't be friendly, I never said people friendly GSD's don't exist, I merely said "I've" never met one. So yeah maybe I do need to meet more GSD's.

My dog is OS and it's pretty much "obvious" to anyone that knows GSD's.

And please don't even bother making "snide" remarks about my dogs temperament, nerves or whatever.

Rocky, is on the record here and when the chips were down for me, he had my back unbidden!

Just saying.


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## royals17 (Feb 15, 2015)

Your dog sounds great to me; he's protective of his house, but outside of there he is friendly and nice. My dog is the same, to an extent. He is not tail wagging excited when he meets new people out and about, but he is polite and accepts pets.


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

My guy is still young - 11 mos in a few days - and he's a big goof. He doesn't solicit attention, and he'll happily accept a pet or two and move on. But when he gets the go ahead, he's ALL over people. I'm wondering how that will change as he matures.

My 6.5 yr old female is even friendlier. If allowed, she will go up to people for pets and she gets really excited and happy if they pet her. She is selective about who she goes up to, though.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Everything dogs have in thmselves is inherited "material" out of which the handler molds a character with certain behaviours. Attitude towards people and environments forms in dogs from birth intil they are 5-6 months old. It was the breeder you bought your dog as a puppy who initially made him friendly to visitors, the sheer number of visitors fondling and touching him when he was little made him fear-free. His mother barked at visitors in her own territory then - he barks now becouse he is copying her since that time. Later it was you the matter why your dog started to display himself as friendly to the majority of strangers. Dogs copy their owners as all puppies copy behaviour of their parents. It would mean that your own disposition to people in the street is completely free from any fear of people. At home you might worry about something (maybe you are waiting for some other visitor, or you are simply excited) and your dog picks it from you like he tried to copy his mother. He would be a different dog, if his mother was a trained PPD, and if you were a nervous self-protective individual suspicious of other people true nature.


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## Benny Boo's Mommy (Nov 18, 2013)

Could be, David. We got him from the dog pound when he was already 9 mos old, so I don't know any of his back story except that he was picked up as a starving stray dog (no collar, no microchip, not neutered) and had apparently been injured sometime in the past (knee injury that healed). Just because of the really bad shape he was in, it seemed clear that he had been on the street quite a while. However, it was also clear that someone had done a good bit of training too. After his initial nervousness passed, we could see he knew commands like "sit" and "wait". He waited for permission before he ate his dinner. He wouldn't get on the furniture. He had excellent bite inhibition. And he was housebroken. 

So, somebody either lost or abandoned an amazingly good dog that was most of the way to basic obedience. 

Honestly, I can't imagine someone would invest that much effort into training a dog and then dumping it. He's very beautiful but has one flop ear (which I love). Maybe his flop ear was a disappointment and he got thrown away? Maybe he got lost or something happened to the owner? It's a mystery.

I totally agree with you about the conditioning to behave a certain way--he gets lots of treats and affection most places (tidbits at restaurants, treats at Petco and the vet office, etc), so he probably associates being out in public with all positive experiences. But that's the only part my family can take credit for--we have no idea what his story is before we got him.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

No. It's not bad. Is it correct? Not really. But this day and age, I would prefer too friendly to aggressive. 

For the most part, my dogs like people. But they don't drag me to them. If I tell them "say hi" they approach and wag and give kisses. But they don't drag me. I don't expect true aloofness until 2-3 yo. Puppies should be overtly friendly. Baby puppies should be very friendly. 

Even when that aloofness sets in, I still want an approachable and social dog. I personally want a dog that is well behaved and social that I can take to large public events and not have to be overly concerned. I don't drop my guard totally, but I want a dog that can lay next to me while I sip on wine or chat with friends without having to be constantly on guard. People are unpredictable, so I don't personally want a dog that is looking for a threat in every person. Too stressful for me. But again, I don't want them dragging me to meet people.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

gsdsar said:


> No. It's not bad. Is it correct? Not really. But this day and age, I would prefer too friendly to aggressive.
> 
> For the most part, my dogs like people. But they don't drag me to them. If I tell them "say hi" they approach and wag and give kisses. But they don't drag me. I don't expect true aloofness until 2-3 yo. Puppies should be overtly friendly. Baby puppies should be very friendly.


I think this is spot on. I would be slightly worried to see a lot of aloofness in a baby puppy. I think that speaks more to lack of confidence than good breed temperament. Maybe during fear periods you would see some of it, but in general puppies are pretty care free and friendly. They want to investigate everything new, including people.

For what it's worth, the SO's patrol dog in my town is very friendly. You can walk right up to him in his own home and start playing with him and he'll bow and lick your hands and get all wiggly. But he is a totally different dog when he is working. I'm sure he has learned there are certain scenarios when it is appropriate to be suspicious and certain scenarios where people are not a threat. That kind of social judgment is super valuable to the breed, IMO.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

> Honestly, I can't imagine someone would invest that much effort into training a dog and then dumping it.


Anything could have happened. Very often young puppy runs out of back yard door, somebody takes him home (out of pity), gets bored and frustrated of him after a few days, and... releases back into the street.


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