Is this worrying puppy behaviour? - Page 2

robinhuerta · 02-28-2010, 02:12 PM

I'm referring to "aloof" (to strangers, confident, independent puppies)......and they have always turned out very sound.... Scared, un-socialized puppies are not the same thing.......puppies that are "afraid" of strangers, are different than puppies that "could care less" about strangers......
Aloof is a term that often misunderstood & misused.......aloof, should never mean afraid.
Respectfully,
Robin

**MaggieRoseLee** · 02-28-2010, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSD07

The breed standard describes adult GSDs. With all due respect, all puppies I've ever seen that were described as aloof in reality were insecure puppies.

I also read the standard the same way. And my GSD's have been this way. Puppies are puppies, happy, joyful, playful and ENGAGING with people.

It's as they are adults that they start figuring out 'their' people from everyone else and being a bit more discriminating.

You saw the other puppies in the litter and how they acted. If you prefer that temperment (and only the one you may be getting was standoffish????) then that's what you should wait for.

**JakodaCD OA** · 02-28-2010, 04:56 PM

I agree with Robin's assessment, when I got Dodge, and I visited ALOT, he could have cared less about me, I held him the whole way home and he was squirmy , "i wanna get away from you",,however, after getting him home, that puppy became the most bonded 'up my butt' dog I ever could have asked for.

He was very aloof, could have cared less about people/kids/other dogs, if he didn't know them, but a stranger could go over him and he would allow it no problem.

He was my siamese twin for 13 years, and I never regretted once taking him..

HOWEVER, I think what would bother me some, is if this puppy was disinterested in the breeder? All puppies usually few their breeders as part of the pack and as far as 'people' go, I would expect to see them follow their 'leader' so to speak

))

In the end, if you have any reservations, I would pass.

Minnieski · 02-28-2010, 05:05 PM

I wouldn't ignore the results of the temperament test if it was performed correctly. I think that our pup turned out exactly how the test predicted.

We had a similar experience to yours a few years ago, with a lab puppy. She was the last one left, and although both parents had great hips and were titled in retrieving events, the pup could care less about us. She would have made a great hunting companion for someone who wanted a very independent dog, but we wanted a dog that wanted to be with us, and she didn't. It was just us, it was her independent personality. I'm glad we didn't end up buy the pup, because even though we were excited about her she wasn't what we were looking for.

Remember, this is going to be your companion for the next 13 years, so choose the best dog for you.

robinhuerta · 02-28-2010, 05:31 PM

I'm going to present a modern day scenario.....2 of my own dogs.
1 male puppy out of a litter of 4 (A-litter)....all 4 very social, however;..1male "aloof" to strangers (outsiders)...not scared, just not interested.
1 male puppy out of litter of 5 (C-litter)....all 5 very social...all liked and welcomed ANYBODY.
Puppy male from A litter, we kept and competed in German Conformation shows...did extremely well. Strong character, independent & confident. He is now ScH3, kkl1 V-rated.....and still LOVES his family, social to all people but is not a "shmooze" towards strangers.
Puppy male from C litter, kept and competed with the same, also has done well. He is strong, confident & VERY social to strangers. He is a shmooze!
He will be titled this year.
BOTH dogs are wonderful! Both dogs are confident, social and very good in character.
This is the "aloof" temperament I am explaining in confident, social puppies.
You should always get the puppy that fits your requirements......it should be a commitment that one takes seriously.
Best wishes,
Robin

codmaster · 02-28-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSD07

The breed standard describes adult GSDs. With all due respect, all puppies I've ever seen that were described as aloof in reality were insecure puppies.

Amen! Puppies at that age should be friendly and out going to everyone!

I think you should really do some thinking about the puppy and only take him home if you are really happy with him.

BTW that test or one like it is generally considered to be a pretty good indicater of the adult dog. not perfect because obvilusly environment, experience and training all play a large roll; but it certainly gives a good view of the dog's potential. BUT realize that a lot of the results are a matter of interpretation also!

Dainerra · 02-28-2010, 07:45 PM

I believe, though, that the test is most accurate when administered by an experienced person.

Does the breeder do any type of temperament testing?

IllinoisNative · 02-28-2010, 07:50 PM

I went with my aunt and uncle to look at Golden Retriever puppies when I was a teen. They had 3 males left and one female. My aunt and uncle wanted a female. Now, my family was going to be looking for a Golden's as well and we also wanted a female. However, on that trip I was supposed to be just an observer.

Now, these were Golden's mind you. Friendly to everyone. However, the female was sniffing the yard and interested in EVERYTHING but us. So my aunt and uncle ended up getting a male who interacted with them. Now, there was one female left. And in my wise teenage mind, that was dog for me. It was Golden, it was female, and it was ready to go. *I weep for myself at that age* So I dragged my mom down and we got her. You know what? She stayed independent for the rest of her life. She was fine on her own which was a plus but she wasn't a dog who wanted constant attention which is what *I* wanted.

She was perfectly content to dig out of the yard and take off. When you threw a ball, she'd go get it but had no intention of bringing it back to you. She was also afraid of water but that's a different topic...lol.

Now that was over 15 years ago. I took this dog with me when I moved out. She was mine and I loved her. When she died, since I lived alone, I knew I wanted a German Shephard. I went to the shelter and got a German Shephard mix. It looked like a pure bred as a puppy. I learned a valuable lesson. I interacted with this dog and it interacted with me. When I threw a ball, he not only went after it, he returned it. He wanted to interact with me. Now, I still wanted a female but he was a male as I had never had a male before. But I knew his personality was a better fit for me. He's been my heart dog. He's a velcro dog like nobody's business.

In conclusion, I would wait and get the dog you feel right about. In my case, the independence didn't change.

To this day, when I look at puppies, I do the fetch test. I have a chow mix who won't go get ball to save his life and he's been the most difficult to train because he has no desire to please me - at all. My Golden went after the ball and didn't bring it back. She was average to train. My German Shepherd from nine weeks would go after the ball and bring it back. He was scary smart to train. He had a desire to work with me.

When I look for a dog, I want a dog that wants to interact with me right from the get go. This puppy may bond to you or it may not. But I like to stack the odds in my favor.

**JKlatsky** · 02-28-2010, 08:04 PM

Argos was an aloof puppy. I wouldn't say he was anti-social, bt he visited for a few minutes and then decided he had better things to do and went off to explore the yard. Almost all the pictures I have of him at 7 weeks are of his butt walking away from me or him squirming to be let go. He's grown out of most of it, and with training is pretty compliant and obedient. However, I will say that some of that "there is better stuff to do" still exists in his personality at times. He likes to find things to do, and if you're not it...well he can do it somewhere else.

Josiebear · 02-28-2010, 08:25 PM

Josie was pretty independent as a young pup still is sometimes and was the only female out of the litter. When i first got her she could care less about humans. Her main focus were other dogs. The breeder did socialize her with many people and children but for some reason she rather play with dogs, she was very bonded with the breeder though. However her one brother clung onto me like glue I would have taken him just because of the fact he picked me but he was already taken.

She did let me put her on her back and mess with her but preferably she rather play with other dogs. For awhile i had to take her out by herself without my other dog and play with her and do little puppy basic obedience ( sit, downs etc). I'd play ball with her and would have her chase the ball on a rope around. As she aged she is now having better focus on me and our bond is definitely growing the more i spend time with her. It's almost like getting to know eachother for the first time. Even though Josie was an independent puppy my gut feeling says she'll be a great adult dog just because she's so un-shakeable. So far i have been very pleased with her. She is still social with strangers even though she's independent. If a stranger has a dog she'd rather check the dog out. If it's just the stranger she'll check the stranger out.... lol

So the only thing i can say is go with your gut feeling, if you're having 2nd thoughts then it's best to look somewhere else. An independent puppy isn't always necessarily a bad thing imo. Especially when he/she barely knows you.

02-28-2010, 02:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
robinhuerta Knighted Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 2,917	I'm referring to "aloof" (to strangers, confident, independent puppies)......and they have always turned out very sound.... Scared, un-socialized puppies are not the same thing.......puppies that are "afraid" of strangers, are different than puppies that "could care less" about strangers...... Aloof is a term that often misunderstood & misused.......aloof, should never mean afraid. Respectfully, Robin __________________ Huerta Hof German Shepherds www.teamhuertahof.com ....where breeding is still considered an art.... Last edited by robinhuerta; 02-28-2010 at 02:14 PM. Reason: wrong spelling

02-28-2010, 04:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
JakodaCD OA Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Location: Old Lyme, CT USA Posts: 13,094	I agree with Robin's assessment, when I got Dodge, and I visited ALOT, he could have cared less about me, I held him the whole way home and he was squirmy , "i wanna get away from you",,however, after getting him home, that puppy became the most bonded 'up my butt' dog I ever could have asked for. He was very aloof, could have cared less about people/kids/other dogs, if he didn't know them, but a stranger could go over him and he would allow it no problem. He was my siamese twin for 13 years, and I never regretted once taking him.. HOWEVER, I think what would bother me some, is if this puppy was disinterested in the breeder? All puppies usually few their breeders as part of the pack and as far as 'people' go, I would expect to see them follow their 'leader' so to speak )) In the end, if you have any reservations, I would pass. __________________ Diane Danger Danger vom Kleinen Hain aka Masi "Angel" Jakoda's Bewitchen Sami CD OA OAJ OAC NGC OJC RS-O GS-N JS-O TT HIC CGC "Angel" Steinwald's Four x Four CGC HIC TT Harmonyhill's Hy Jynx NA NAJ NAC NJC RS-N JS-N HIC Jakoda's Jagged Edge

02-28-2010, 05:05 PM	#14 (permalink)
Minnieski Master Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 989	I wouldn't ignore the results of the temperament test if it was performed correctly. I think that our pup turned out exactly how the test predicted. We had a similar experience to yours a few years ago, with a lab puppy. She was the last one left, and although both parents had great hips and were titled in retrieving events, the pup could care less about us. She would have made a great hunting companion for someone who wanted a very independent dog, but we wanted a dog that wanted to be with us, and she didn't. It was just us, it was her independent personality. I'm glad we didn't end up buy the pup, because even though we were excited about her she wasn't what we were looking for. Remember, this is going to be your companion for the next 13 years, so choose the best dog for you. __________________ Minnie - CGC Tanner

02-28-2010, 05:31 PM	#15 (permalink)
robinhuerta Knighted Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 2,917	I'm going to present a modern day scenario.....2 of my own dogs. 1 male puppy out of a litter of 4 (A-litter)....all 4 very social, however;..1male "aloof" to strangers (outsiders)...not scared, just not interested. 1 male puppy out of litter of 5 (C-litter)....all 5 very social...all liked and welcomed ANYBODY. Puppy male from A litter, we kept and competed in German Conformation shows...did extremely well. Strong character, independent & confident. He is now ScH3, kkl1 V-rated.....and still LOVES his family, social to all people but is not a "shmooze" towards strangers. Puppy male from C litter, kept and competed with the same, also has done well. He is strong, confident & VERY social to strangers. He is a shmooze! He will be titled this year. BOTH dogs are wonderful! Both dogs are confident, social and very good in character. This is the "aloof" temperament I am explaining in confident, social puppies. You should always get the puppy that fits your requirements......it should be a commitment that one takes seriously. Best wishes, Robin __________________ Huerta Hof German Shepherds www.teamhuertahof.com ....where breeding is still considered an art....

02-28-2010, 08:04 PM	#19 (permalink)
JKlatsky Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Riverview, FL Posts: 2,985	Argos was an aloof puppy. I wouldn't say he was anti-social, bt he visited for a few minutes and then decided he had better things to do and went off to explore the yard. Almost all the pictures I have of him at 7 weeks are of his butt walking away from me or him squirming to be let go. He's grown out of most of it, and with training is pretty compliant and obedient. However, I will say that some of that "there is better stuff to do" still exists in his personality at times. He likes to find things to do, and if you're not it...well he can do it somewhere else. __________________ Argos vom Eisernen Loewen VPG1, CGC, TC 3-3-07 Bianka vom Eisernen Loewen BH, CGC, TC 1-3-08 Cade vom Eisernen Loewen CGC 3-25-09 D'Artagnan (Tag) vom Eisernen Loewen 2-2-10 G Aiko von Burkndeiros SchH 3, IPO3, FH, TC, KKL2 9-17-02

02-28-2010, 07:45 PM	#17 (permalink)
Dainerra Crowned Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: N. Central Arkansas Posts: 4,306	I believe, though, that the test is most accurate when administered by an experienced person. Does the breeder do any type of temperament testing?

02-28-2010, 07:50 PM	#18 (permalink)
IllinoisNative Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Illinois Posts: 390	I went with my aunt and uncle to look at Golden Retriever puppies when I was a teen. They had 3 males left and one female. My aunt and uncle wanted a female. Now, my family was going to be looking for a Golden's as well and we also wanted a female. However, on that trip I was supposed to be just an observer. Now, these were Golden's mind you. Friendly to everyone. However, the female was sniffing the yard and interested in EVERYTHING but us. So my aunt and uncle ended up getting a male who interacted with them. Now, there was one female left. And in my wise teenage mind, that was dog for me. It was Golden, it was female, and it was ready to go. I weep for myself at that age So I dragged my mom down and we got her. You know what? She stayed independent for the rest of her life. She was fine on her own which was a plus but she wasn't a dog who wanted constant attention which is what I wanted. She was perfectly content to dig out of the yard and take off. When you threw a ball, she'd go get it but had no intention of bringing it back to you. She was also afraid of water but that's a different topic...lol. Now that was over 15 years ago. I took this dog with me when I moved out. She was mine and I loved her. When she died, since I lived alone, I knew I wanted a German Shephard. I went to the shelter and got a German Shephard mix. It looked like a pure bred as a puppy. I learned a valuable lesson. I interacted with this dog and it interacted with me. When I threw a ball, he not only went after it, he returned it. He wanted to interact with me. Now, I still wanted a female but he was a male as I had never had a male before. But I knew his personality was a better fit for me. He's been my heart dog. He's a velcro dog like nobody's business. In conclusion, I would wait and get the dog you feel right about. In my case, the independence didn't change. To this day, when I look at puppies, I do the fetch test. I have a chow mix who won't go get ball to save his life and he's been the most difficult to train because he has no desire to please me - at all. My Golden went after the ball and didn't bring it back. She was average to train. My German Shepherd from nine weeks would go after the ball and bring it back. He was scary smart to train. He had a desire to work with me. When I look for a dog, I want a dog that wants to interact with me right from the get go. This puppy may bond to you or it may not. But I like to stack the odds in my favor.

02-28-2010, 08:25 PM	#20 (permalink)
Josiebear Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 458	Josie was pretty independent as a young pup still is sometimes and was the only female out of the litter. When i first got her she could care less about humans. Her main focus were other dogs. The breeder did socialize her with many people and children but for some reason she rather play with dogs, she was very bonded with the breeder though. However her one brother clung onto me like glue I would have taken him just because of the fact he picked me but he was already taken. She did let me put her on her back and mess with her but preferably she rather play with other dogs. For awhile i had to take her out by herself without my other dog and play with her and do little puppy basic obedience ( sit, downs etc). I'd play ball with her and would have her chase the ball on a rope around. As she aged she is now having better focus on me and our bond is definitely growing the more i spend time with her. It's almost like getting to know eachother for the first time. Even though Josie was an independent puppy my gut feeling says she'll be a great adult dog just because she's so un-shakeable. So far i have been very pleased with her. She is still social with strangers even though she's independent. If a stranger has a dog she'd rather check the dog out. If it's just the stranger she'll check the stranger out.... lol So the only thing i can say is go with your gut feeling, if you're having 2nd thoughts then it's best to look somewhere else. An independent puppy isn't always necessarily a bad thing imo. Especially when he/she barely knows you.

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