# Drive in New Protection Dog



## Neil Rodin (Jun 22, 2006)

Vic just turned 2 male GSD we have had him a month He has been trained in obedience and has done bitework. He seems to have high prey drive for balls and smaller animals. However does not bark at strangers or show any sign of aggression i know i dont really want him to be that way but how can i tell if he is ready for action? Is this just calm temperment or plain calm? I had some guys at my house working and he was calm as can be (he was with me) What kind of work do i need to do with him? How can i tell?


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

could it be that he just needs some time to connect with you for a bit? if i got a 2 yr old dog, i would be working on that thru OB, "quality" time, and certainly wouldn't expect him to feel too "protective" after just 4 weeks w/me. 

but that's just me--what's the turn-around time on these types of dogs (to the MWD/PSD people)? and it seems to me that whoever you purchased him from could've given you an idea about this issue as it's got to be common for PPD/PSD vendors... 

now the disclaimer: i am not a professional trainer, my opinions are simply based on having a few rescue/shelter dogs in my (short--i'm still young, i swear i am :lol: ) lifetime. there are a lot of smarter dog-trainers on this forum than me, THAT'S for sure :wink: .


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## Sarah Hall (Apr 12, 2006)

Haha, I agree that there must be a waiting time for bonding. If you try to put too much pressure on him right away to resume his normal activities, it may cause him to distrust/dislike you. Now I know there are some that say "the dog doesn't have to like you, but he does HAVE to respect you" and I agree on most levels. However, I think a dog will take more risks/be more protective of someone that he likes, trusts, AND respects. Give him a little bit more time to sort out this new living condition, but if this goes on for 2 or 3 more weeks with no pressure, I'd retrain/work out the issues. Also, give the person/facility you bought him from a call. Perhaps they forgot to tell you a certain "trigger" word? Hopefully this dog wasn't sold as a lie!


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## Doug Wendling (Apr 1, 2006)

Neil
I don't want to sound unhelpful, but if you bought this dog as a "protection dog" then I would contact who you bought him from. A 2 year old male if he has what it takes to be a "protection dog" doesn't need to be handled like a puppy.
Do you have someone experienced to work with?
That is a huge problem I see when I read over these boards, people buying dogs or puppies and thinking they can do all of this bite work stuff with the dogs by themselves. It does not work that way unfortunatly, especially if you are talking about a personal protection dog. If that is what he was sold as then the people that sold him should have had a long talk with you about how things need to be done. From the basic training to maintenance training and lots of things in between. 

Doug


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## Neil Rodin (Jun 22, 2006)

I may be overly critical of him he is obediant and when they brought him to me they did tell me he is a shell of himself compared to what he will be in 3-6 months. Then in Jan sometime they will come back and work with him a little more because he will now be "your dog" Also they want him to be a family/protection dog not a true working dog in the sense. I agree maybe it takes time to continue to bond with him and build a relationship. I am going to get with a local trainer who can help me as he develops. The only thing I have been working on with him is heel, sit, down, and the recall (German commands) he does very well with that. is there anything else i should work with him on... For now?


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Neil you say that you have had him a month. Short amount of time, in that time I would do "walk and talks" with him. Go anyplace and just talk on low tones to get him use to your voice. Use lots of praise and treats in obedience. Temperament...at two you may be seeing a low key dog. Not a bad thing. What can you do? If he is prey focused, agility, herding , or tracking. Do he show interest in the sleeve or tug? What are the lines? DDR?


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

i would assume the issue has been resolved by now (15 months later)


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