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treating GSD like a baby

3K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  blackshep 
#1 ·
Hi.
So my husband and I bought our GSD for family protection and a good dog to grow up with my two boys.
My husband was the one who brought the dog idea to me, and insisted we do protection training etc.
Well, our GSD female is now 18weeks, as done her basic puppy training and is house broken. she sits when people walk in the door, she alerts when people approach and is doing very well WITH ME. she listens to my commands, doesn't beg for my food, in fact sits on her bed when I eat. However, she whines to my husband, hardly even follows a sit command with him and jumps all over him when he walks in the room. BUT I feel it is because he babys her. He rough houses on the floor, making her think hes a littermate, he feeds her from his plate, and he holds her in his arms like a baby. Am I wrong in thinking that this behavior will not only cause her to be too people friendly but that it will cause her to be a poor protective training candidate? Advice on what to do so that he doesn't single handedly mess up our chances to make her a reliable GSD? Literature I can send him? At this point I feel as though I may be her "alpha" if its possible for a female to be the alpha in the canine world.
Also, is it true that if the dog does a "wrong" you firmly tell them not to that and use "dog" in place of their name, as their name should only be used as a positive?
 
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#2 ·
Simple answer to all your questions...no.

If you're truly interested in "protection work," find a trainer and get working with them.

The chances your 18 week old knows the difference between her name and "dog" is very slim. And there should not be any positive/negative connotation with her name.
 
#3 ·
Your husband is playing with the puppy. That's fine. It will not make your dog to people-friendly. In fact, if you want to do protection with your pup, then you will want a dog that is not leery of all people, and will only react to a true threat. So the pup has to have stellar nerves to do protection training.

If the dog has stellar nerves, all the playing and roughhousing your husband does will not be a problem at all.

And, if you train the dog to pay attention and whine when you are eating, the puppy will do so. Your husband has trained the dog to do so. It is a lot easier to train a dog what to do from the get go, than to go about working a bad habit out of her. It seems like your husband is not concerned with meal-time etiquette. Sometimes we are not all on the same page in training.
 
#4 · (Edited)
You husband is doing a great job of bonding with the dog. with that kind of love, your GSD will be devoted to him and naturally protect him (as long as she does not come from terrible genetics).

My daughter and I act like girly girls and have doted on our female GSD, some may look at it as babying her, but she is a working line GSD, it is in her genetics to protect. Our car will never be carjacked with her inside or our business robbed with me inside unless someone is willing to actually shoot. She never had protection training, just really got the obedience training down.
 
#5 ·
"......too people friendly......"

That's a new one....never heard anyone being concerned about a GSD that might be too friendly to humans. I suppose however, I have never really pursued having a GSD which was intentionally trained to be "people unfriendly"....sounds like a handful to me.

I have this notion about GSDs...many of them anyway....they should be capable (intelligent enough) to be "people friendly" and then turn it on when they need not be "people friendly" per the instruction of the handler/owner....I could be wrong as all my GSDs have been cupcakes when it comes to people BUT...when my hackles get raised by an individual, so does my dog's. I imagine once they are trained for protection, the dog will be able to discern and be guided when to be protective versus "people friendly".

Since I know nothing about training a dog for personal protection...this is all my speculation excepting my observations....but I'll bet those in here with experience in training personal protection dogs can give you the inside line...and perhaps one poster already has.

SuperG
 
#6 ·
Stick around, this is, unfortunately, a common concern of many people who by a dog based on its potential ability to protect.

What happens is they generally isolate the dog, and encourage any signs of fear reaction, and then their dog bites a non-threat, and they come on hear wondering how to rehome it.

"......too people friendly......"

That's a new one....never heard anyone being concerned about a GSD that might be too friendly to humans. I suppose however, I have never really pursued having a GSD which was intentionally trained to be "people unfriendly"....sounds like a handful to me.

I have this notion about GSDs...many of them anyway....they should be capable (intelligent enough) to be "people friendly" and then turn it on when they need not be "people friendly" per the instruction of the handler/owner....I could be wrong as all my GSDs have been cupcakes when it comes to people BUT...when my hackles get raised by an individual, so does my dog's. I imagine once they are trained for protection, the dog will be able to discern and be guided when to be protective versus "people friendly".

Since I know nothing about training a dog for personal protection...this is all my speculation excepting my observations....but I'll bet those in here with experience in training personal protection dogs can give you the inside line...and perhaps one poster already has.

SuperG
 
#7 ·
When I read "people friendly" I interpret that as seeking attention from people aka strangers.

GSD's are to be aloof, to me that is neutral to people they don't know therefore not seeking attention but cautious to strangers.

Therefore a GSD should not be too friendly to humans. If I wanted a dog to be excited about and eager to meet and interact with strangers I would get a golden or lab.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#8 ·
send the man to the dog house ---

the dog is smart enough to play you off each other --- and that will create confusion and difficulty in training.

you seem to like order , the dog listens , doesn't beg , allows herself to be guided

your husband is one of the littermates? encourages her to beg for food , breaks all the rules you have made to make for a peaceful house with a dog in it.

I would curb an 18 week old from alerting on people .

People like to keep dog as "baby" or fur kid -- but the dog sure does not regard you as mommy or daddy .

this "The chances your 18 week old knows the difference between her name and "dog" is very slim" is not so.
I name my pups at the beginning of the social stage -- any name , even if it doesn't stay with them in their new homes. It lets me deal with them as distinct individuals -- gives them an indentity, which they respond to.

So if 3 pups are on the lawn and I want Kade to come to me , only that dog will come . Or Mercer, or Case -- starts the bond and partnership.
 
#9 ·
She's smart enough to know Daddy isn't going to enforce the rules LOL. He's just playing with her, bonding, she's a puppy and should be experiencing all things that she can in a positive way.

I have a dog who was very outgoing as a pup, so much so that he encouraged my older female to be more accepting of friendly strangers. As an adult, he's very capable of discerning between friendly stranger and stranger danger. He no longer has to say hello to everyone he meets, saves his attention for true friends and his family.
 
#11 ·
However, she whines to my husband, hardly even follows a sit command with him and jumps all over him when he walks in the room. BUT I feel it is because he babys her. He rough houses on the floor, making her think hes a littermate, he feeds her from his plate, and he holds her in his arms like a baby.
I do not call this bonding. I call it lack of leadership.
It's not going to be cute when that dog is an adult.
 
#13 ·
You're right on the lack of leadership part. My husband bonded with our dogs that way. His dog was not reliable with him in crisis mode (Gideon, get that Bishon out of your mouth!) I wouldn't let him take Luther or Morgan out of the yard without me. Idiotic yes but you can't say that because he's dead now and I'm the only one who can say bad things about him.
 
#12 ·
I can sorta relate, my SO treats shiloh like a baby..we are not on the same page when it comes to her and just her. I dont know what it is but he treats her like a baby too, down on the ground snuggling, feeding her off of his plate similiar stuff only shiloh is over 3. I dont think she has any respect for him honestly, its going on 2 years and she growls at him occasionally. It can be very very upsetting when i make a rule that makes sense, like DO NOT feed her or the other 2 at the table, and he goes on to feed her at the table, but the difference is he will pick a fight with me if i say something, he is in a rush to defend his actions and hers like when she growls at him, its "poor baby doesnt want a snuggle hug", makes me sick. Yesterday he had to call her for 15 minutes straight to get her to come to him, i had no words for that one, i just stood there and watched as he made a total ass out of himself., served him right.
 
#14 ·
rules and consistency are great, but pups also need fun. You can train a pup and enjoy them too.
 
#15 ·
Hi.
Advice on what to do so that he doesn't single handedly mess up our chances to make her a reliable GSD? Literature I can send him? At this point I feel as though I may be her "alpha" if its possible for a female to be the alpha in the canine world.
Take some advice from an old married lady (32 years this coming Tuesday). Your husband won't 'mess' up your pup. He'll make things a bit more difficult for you, may cause some conflicts in training, but if you have a stable pup, it'll figure it out.

Your husband will find out on his own how to earn respect from your pup. When your pup blows him off and he finds himself nagging, "comeherecomeherecomeherecomehere", your hubby will start paying attention to what YOU are doing. Much easier to have him learn that on his own, then for me to correct him.

I am not the 'alpha' in my pack. I am the leader.
 
#18 ·
Don't worry, when your dog reaches the 70+ lbs mark, he won't be carrying it around like a baby or letting it jump up anymore ;)

I don't think he'll ruin it, but I do think the dog will do better with more consistency.

If you are to do protection work with your dog, it need to be able to tell the difference between a friendly stranger/normal life and a real threat.
 
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