will my untrained dog protect me?

[kelina]

Originally Posted by Lauri & The Gang

That's the big difference between training for sport and training for personal protection.

In sport training it's a game. While the helper does fight the dog somewhat, it's never realistic.

In protection training they will eventually come at the dog with everything they can. This teaches the dog to fight back no matter what. They will kick and punch the dog and they except the dog to keep fighting. That's what they are training the dog to do.

Me? I'm happy with my GSD just being a visual deterrent. At home my dogs "job" is to act as an early warning system - giving me enough time to get my guns and take care of any intruders myself.

Awe thankyou! It sounds good and also sounds like it will work.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Check out this post in Chat - it has a video that is very enlightening:

What would YOUR dog do?

[ozzymama]

I wonder if this thread is too far gone, or if we can turn this to a what can a 5.5 month old do. What can we look at in such age to determine what niche our dog will fill.
When I got Oz at 6 months, bundle of nerves, but potential, he picked up czech commands and hand signals, his leash manners, they took time, was he a protection dog, no, the rescue I was working with had a Schutzhnd person who trained us a bit, took us to the club, first gun shot - long before dh, the dog pissed himself. Now I had my TWH at home, we cut cattle this year, put him in at one point and you know what, the dog could herd, he needed work, but I did some work with him and when I took him home, he helped cut the mares away from the foals/weanlings (we're a bit old school, we turn all out together until they wean, we had one issue with mares kicking a foal, but at the end of the day, without medical and chemical intervention, she would never make a race horse, sometimes a mare knows) then we all know the story of Oz's back. But at that time, I was working on a niche for him and was looking seriously at herding, he was also an excellent frisbee dog - nothing he could not catch - probably what exasperated his back. I have a wealth of info on rehab for back problems, info on diseases, MRI's etc., but he's a bit chubby, retired 8 year old dog now.
So early on, during training, I had a handle on his natural instincts, which lets face it, with a dog as versatile as the GSD is daunting. It did take me until 2, but I had a clear line what he would do and what he wouldn't.
Maybe other members can weigh in here and say what they discovered early on, what they knew was not happening early on and explain to the OP, how we, with experience from beginner to advanced, start to evaluate and train a versatile dog breed.

[kelina]

Originally Posted by Lauri & The Gang

Check out this post in Chat - it has a video that is very enlightening:

What would YOUR dog do?

Thankyou!

[arizona]

i would like to think kodak would protect me but to be honest i think he might just sit and watch but im going to go with he would to make myself feel better lol .although i agree with i dont think anyone will mess with anyone with a german shepherd at there side.but to clear up the aggression thing you were worried about (and i dont know maybe someone else answered you on that, i have not read all the posts) protection work is not to make a mean dog,yes it will make one that will bite but only as trained,and maybe not even off the sleeve you dont know,most of them do it just to get the toy (reward) anyway .it is rare to find a dog that the training actually made it mean...if you really want your dog to help protect you most of the time a simple bark and hold will do fine to change someones mind lol...if you want your dog to have protection training i can almost guarantee he will not become aggressive ,just make sure you have a good trainer

[kelina]

Aweee.. I didnt know he was that old. :/ so let me get this straight- he got kicked?!
-is oz a full black shep?

[kelina]

Originally Posted by arizona

i would like to think kodak would protect me but to be honest i think he might just sit and watch but im going to go with he would to make myself feel better lol .although i agree with i dont think anyone will mess with anyone with a german shepherd at there side.but to clear up the aggression thing you were worried about (and i dont know maybe someone else answered you on that, i have not read all the posts) protection work is not to make a mean dog,yes it will make one that will bite but only as trained,and maybe not even off the sleeve you dont know,most of them do it just to get the toy (reward) anyway .it is rare to find a dog that the training actually made it mean...if you really want your dog to help protect you most of the time a simple bark and hold will do fine to change someones mind lol...if you want your dog to have protection training i can almost guarantee he will not become aggressive ,just make sure you have a good trainer

Thanks! And haha!!! I am trying to make myself feel good as well hahaha

[arizona]

no problem! i have done a LOT of research on protection work and want to start it just dont have the funds for it now,i do however have a guy here in el paso that i know that trains the border patrol handlers and k9 to go to if i need to..i thought i knew alot tell i met this guy lol

[kelina]

Originally Posted by arizona

no problem! i have done a LOT of research on protection work and want to start it just dont have the funds for it now,i do however have a guy here in el paso that i know that trains the border patrol handlers and k9 to go to if i need to..i thought i knew alot tell i met this guy lol

Lol! Well hope all is well ! Why are you interested in k9 protection?

[ozzymama]

Originally Posted by kelina

Aweee.. I didnt know he was that old. :/ so let me get this straight- he got kicked?!
-is oz a full black shep?

My Oz? His breeding, it's a guessing game, in the past his picture has been here for critique as well as other boards. I have heard everything from shep/lab, shep/kelpie, shep/beaceron, shep/rottie to just a very poorly bred shep. My dogs are rescues, I rely on experts to determine their breeding, Oz, guessing game, Dolly, well she's either a pure but poorly bred Saint - too Beethoven like or a SaintXMastiff to get the height.

Oz has a disease called lumbo sacral disease, it is a progressive degenerative disease that hit him at 4, we manage it with chiropractic, aqua therapy and acupuncture as well as diet and exercise.
Hence why I say, with dogs it is a guessing game. I know there are other members here with dogs with the same disease who showed signs of the disease, I came home from work one day to find Oz crippled, best guess, we had hardwood, the mailman insisted on walking right by our bay window, he leapt off the couch, twisted in a way to incite a flare-up and we got the diagnosis. Now we were lucky, our vet, his wife worked at Guelph Vet hospital, we had the X-Rays evaluated there, we had the MRI, the only true way to make the diagnosis and here we are. A washed out, though great dog.

At 4, very high hopes, he matured very slowly, painfully LOL, but he had potential to work in some way. Genetics had other ideas. Love your 5.5 month old, enjoy him/her, when the time comes, the dog will show you what his/her job should be. In the meantime, get some mace, carry a stick, protect both of you and enjoy your pup.