"How can I help guide her into being a confident, loyal, alert, & protective dog. I wont know for sure but I believe she is going to be very protective! Her attitude is so "bossy". She is the youngest dog at my house but probably the alpha when it comes down to it. She has a fiesty attitude & she is already starting to bark at strangers. How can I help lead and guide her into being an obedient, confident, loyal, protective dog?"
It helps to start with a pedigree that allows for this , a good start being socialized while still at the breeders, good nutrition, and good management on your part , which includes fair and consistent training and rules of the house.
Confidence comes from the temperament with which she was born -- but you can help by avoiding situations which throw her into self defence . Give her a reason to be confident in you.
You said she is the youngest dog in your house and she is so bossy , probably the alpha . I would tend to say separate her from the "pack" . What you see as bossy is her response to being thrown to the wolves , needing to defend herself , her space -- even if the other dogs are more or less friendly.
An 11 week old barking at strangers ? Don't encourage that , don't praise or reward. She should not be that aroused or suspicious of strangers minding their own business . What do the other dogs do? Does she copy them?
Loyal, easier to be loyal when you have a established a good one on one relationship , a rapport . Training will do that . Time by self and time away from the other dogs will help with that.
Worry about day to day appropriate behaviour and not an assessment by a protection trainer. You need good reliable judgement from her , good reliable obedient response , long long before realistically you would need true protection.
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Carmen
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Carmspack
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