Does your dog guard ..?

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Megibo

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Just wondering really, and what breed is your dog?

my 9 month old rott is beginning to display some guard-like behaviour when out walking, specially today with an aggressive dog behind a fence. i'd like not to encourage the behaviour, especially after that rottie attack in the news. they really do not need the bad rep!
 
One of my creatures was doing what the vet called guarding behaviour. I have trained and trained until he's bored! He's not allowed to meet other dogs until he's tired and certainly not on lead. I've had to do this with people, too.

It can be done, but as you obviously are thinking, tackle it now so it's not an issue in future. Rotties are fabulous dogs but some perceive them as scary.
 
Oh hell yeah. GSDs. They were designed to guard the flock in vast unfenced areas, keeping the line by running up and down all day, discouraging predators and keeping the sheep out of the crops.
Latterly for Schutzhund/protection/service and civilian work, they were expected to detain a crim, real or decoy, and guard both the crim until he is apprehended/disarmed and the handler from the crim.
In other sports, there is a section called the 'object guard' where the dog has to stop the 'crim' from touching an object.
So in a lot of them, it is in their DNA.
Not to be confused with 'aggression' - an aggressive dog doesn't automatically make a good guard dog. But a degree of natural, and most importantly stable/sensible suspicion.

TBH he is a Rott, there will be a bit of that guarding instinct in a lot of them - think about their origin, they were a drover's dog, meant to look after cattle and farms.

I'd prefer working breeds *didn't* have all of their traits bred out of them, it's what they're meant to do and why they're here.

If he is guarding *you* and you don't need him to, then you have to be very firm in you're 'I'm the mummy' body language, act calm, don't tense up, walk on briskly and calmly and try to keep his attention on you. If you show any fear or uncertainty, he is likely to step into that role of 'looking after' you.
I learned the hard way that my reactions were making my dog 'protect' me from something I didn't need protecting from and I mistook it for just plain badness/dominance/aggression.
 
I wish my Chocolate Labrador was more protective of his owners and had a bit of guarding behaviour because he loves people and goes up to anyone even if they don't particularly want to see him!

When someone does want to see him he just licks them in the face and wags his tail like he will never be able to again!
 
my rottie boy is 9 months,he approaches everybody/thing with a waggy tail.

when he hears the gate/door he has quite a scarey bark which then turns into waggyness when he sees who it is.
 
Fred does . . . he HATES the post coming through the letterbox b/c it's invading HIS home and he "protects" us from the evil post (by guarding it). If anyone broke in, I have no doubt that Fred would scare them off (at the very least). Daisy, on the other hand, would invite them in, show them where all the valuables are and ask them (ever so politely) if they wouldn't mind rubbing her belly.

I actually like the fact that Fred sounds scary from the other side of the front door (if we're with him, he's fine) . . . he makes a super guard dog.

P

Edited to say: Forgot to say . . . both Fred and Daisy are collie crosses . . . Fred is a collie/jack russell cross (which probably accounts for his (ahem) feistyness and Daisy is a collie/springer cross (which is probably why she's so darned soft)
 
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I can understand where you are coming from having a guarding breed myself, what I would do when you see your dog looking just distract and walk away. Work on your obedience and look at me, my 2 dogs are just over 2yrs old and Ive found Dobes are slow to mature but seemed to have a knack of telling when things are not quite right and will come and stand by me.

A couple of weeks ago about 3am in the morning my daughters boyfriends vehicles alarm went off he and I raced down stairs and let the dogs out they raced to the vehicle and ran around it. I called them to me and it looked like someone had try to break in but ran away when the alarm went off. My point is these breeds of dogs have the inert instinct to react to a situation but you have to have put in the training to be able to have control.
 
Yes, my lab guards his people but couldn't care less about stuff/other dogs...

Other dog, sheep etc, dog hiding behind my legs. Suspicious noise in house at night, woofs like a huge dog. Funniest time was when friend and I went moonlit sledging, OH came to join us, dog didn't recognise him, tore off barking, and was massively embarassed to realise who it was...

In the car, if we're there "suspicious" people get barked at. If we're not, it's all fine - OH can send anyone to get something from his car with the dog in it and not a peep...
 
CaveCanem said:
Oh hell yeah. GSDs. They were designed to guard the flock in vast unfenced areas, keeping the line by running up and down all day, discouraging predators and keeping the sheep out of the crops.
Latterly for Schutzhund/protection/service and civilian work, they were expected to detain a crim, real or decoy, and guard both the crim until he is apprehended/disarmed and the handler from the crim.
In other sports, there is a section called the 'object guard' where the dog has to stop the 'crim' from touching an object.
So in a lot of them, it is in their DNA.
Not to be confused with 'aggression' - an aggressive dog doesn't automatically make a good guard dog. But a degree of natural, and most importantly stable/sensible suspicion.

TBH he is a Rott, there will be a bit of that guarding instinct in a lot of them - think about their origin, they were a drover's dog, meant to look after cattle and farms.

I'd prefer working breeds *didn't* have all of their traits bred out of them, it's what they're meant to do and why they're here.

If he is guarding *you* and you don't need him to, then you have to be very firm in you're 'I'm the mummy' body language, act calm, don't tense up, walk on briskly and calmly and try to keep his attention on you. If you show any fear or uncertainty, he is likely to step into that role of 'looking after' you.
I learned the hard way that my reactions were making my dog 'protect' me from something I didn't need protecting from and I mistook it for just plain badness/dominance/aggression.
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huh, i did wonder if GSD's guarded...my mum had one up till i was 5 and she was my best mate let me do anything to her, lol :D

what would you describe as guarding behaviour exactly?
i think admittedly he didn't listen to me telling him to ignore the aggressive dog because i tensed up and got a bit nervous and he did push into my legs which then moved me away from the fence. usually he will listen if i say no ignore the dog, i think it may have been because i had my younger sister (7) and a tiny 4 year old with me because he was very concerned about where they were too and they definitely got worried by the dog snarling and barking at them. he was much less worried when i made them come next to me so i was between them and the dog.
however it's my job to protect him as 'pack leader' so i'd like him not to feel it's his job and become aggressive :/

he's fine with people, all kisses and waggles of the tail but he wouldn't listen when i told him to ignore the other dog.
 
Yes- more so since he seems to have relaxed, which is very annoying. Mostly at people at the door/walking past the house- even if I am there putting him behind me being calm- still woofy woof woof woof. Seriously gotta get this bark/quiet thing cracked, before the neightbours shoot him.

The dog on the other side of the fence you keep calling aggressive- was actually just guarding his property......
 
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Dobiegirl said:
I can understand where you are coming from having a guarding breed myself, what I would do when you see your dog looking just distract and walk away. Work on your obedience and look at me, my 2 dogs are just over 2yrs old and Ive found Dobes are slow to mature but seemed to have a knack of telling when things are not quite right and will come and stand by me.

A couple of weeks ago about 3am in the morning my daughters boyfriends vehicles alarm went off he and I raced down stairs and let the dogs out they raced to the vehicle and ran around it. I called them to me and it looked like someone had try to break in but ran away when the alarm went off. My point is these breeds of dogs have the inert instinct to react to a situation but you have to have put in the training to be able to have control.
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Do your dobies guard then or show such behaviour? I'd love to have a dobie when i'm a bit older (i love rotts and dobes, but not cause they're seen as hard dogs) but heard they have a stronger instinct to guard than rotties :confused:
would still consider it with lots of research done, as it's the owner not the dog :D
 
My rotti guards like her lif depends on it, but only if she is behind something, like a door, in the car, in a kennel:) afterall thats her job and she does it well, I work lone nigh shifts and I very much appreciate her guarding me and the building im in:) outside, unless someone went to hit or hurt me, then she is the loveliest dog you could wish to meet. She would never lunge, growl, bark on or off her lead, I would not allow that.

The Wirehaired pointer boy is by far and very strangely the most avid guarder I own, he looks like a savage beast, again on lead or out and about he is lovely, locked up or behind something, he is a beast:D the shaggy lurcher is also a very good guarder, the rest are pretty laid back, my akita shows no guarding at all, even worse, she looks angelic and teddy bear like until you are to close to escape, she is by far the most silent and deadly:p you would have to be a stranger mind you she loves those she knows.
 
Tazhazzamoose said:
huh, i did wonder if GSD's guarded...my mum had one up till i was 5 and she was my best mate let me do anything to her, lol :D

what would you describe as guarding behaviour exactly?
i think admittedly he didn't listen to me telling him to ignore the aggressive dog because i tensed up and got a bit nervous and he did push into my legs which then moved me away from the fence. usually he will listen if i say no ignore the dog, i think it may have been because i had my younger sister (7) and a tiny 4 year old with me because he was very concerned about where they were too and they definitely got worried by the dog snarling and barking at them. he was much less worried when i made them come next to me so i was between them and the dog.
however it's my job to protect him as 'pack leader' so i'd like him not to feel it's his job and become aggressive :/

he's fine with people, all kisses and waggles of the tail but he wouldn't listen when i told him to ignore the other dog.
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Yeah, it just sounds like a natural reaction in that situation. Protecting his flock and all that. I wouldn't overly panic about it, it doesn't sound like aggression. Placing yourself calmly in front of him/between him and the scary thing is actually a good thing (unless he is properly kicking off) as you are physically telling him that you are in the lead - this thing will not hurt us.
As mentioned, just bear in mind our fears/nervousness/body language can be a huge trigger for defensive behaviour, but like I say, I don't think this particular incident was anything you need to majorly stress over :)
Re listening, I've said this before but there is nothing wrong with taking food or a ball out with you on a walk if you need to engage him/get his attention :)
 
CaveCanem said:
Yeah, it just sounds like a natural reaction in that situation. Protecting his flock and all that. I wouldn't overly panic about it, it doesn't sound like aggression. Placing yourself calmly in front of him/between him and the scary thing is actually a good thing (unless he is properly kicking off) as you are physically telling him that you are in the lead - this thing will not hurt us.
As mentioned, just bear in mind our fears/nervousness/body language can be a huge trigger for defensive behaviour, but like I say, I don't think this particular incident was anything you need to majorly stress over :)
Re listening, I've said this before but there is nothing wrong with taking food or a ball out with you on a walk if you need to engage him/get his attention :)
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Ok-thanks :)
is there a point where if you train and train needless guarding behaviour out of them, they wouldn't do it at all even when it was needed ?

I hope I don't sound like I want a guard dog to look big or anything, but I'm trying to find out as much about it as I can so I can recognise real guarding if the dog is genuinely protecting family members etc
I shan't worry too much; he's friendly to everyone he meets but i think that dog being aggressive and trying to come through the fence at us today didn't go down too well with him.
as an example of what i mean (not sure how else to explain) if i taught him not to react to other dogs or similar and we were out walking and a dog did come out and bite me or attack somebody i was walking with would he stand by thinking that was the correct thing to do ?
Would your GSD's react in that situation?

sorry i've lot of questions :o
 
It really does depend on the dog. I personally wouldn't want to train every iota of protection out of my dogs and I didn't think you wanted to look well 'ard :D

If he's friendly the rest of the time and has an on and an off switch, then fine.

Stable dogs with clear guidance do tend to know when things are 'for real' or not.

For instance, if my OH pretended to punch me and I said 'ow, stop it, you muppet' the dogs would probably not react because there is a light-hearted atmosphere, if a man they don't know walks up to us suddenly and aggressively, they would be much more wary.

As mentioned (again!) body language is key - if I am relaxed, the dog is relaxed, if I am fearful or scared, the dog is more likely to be defensive. I would say that if you have your commands in place like 'watch' or 'follow' or 'leave it', fine, if a dog comes at you out of nowhere and you do not give those commands and you are genuinely frightened then yes, your dog will probably step up.
 
my old rottie was the softest-softy ever,but if any1 came to the gate/field gate she would place herself EXACTLEY half way between me and them,bark and look menacing.
if i said `be nice` she would back off.
there was 1 occasion when there was a dodgy man in my neighbours front,she was on the lead and fiercely barked at him,i could hardly hold her,he legged it.

i think `leave it ` is a good command to practice.



edit....she was never taught this,it was natural. agree with CC,taking vibes off the owner.
 
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Cahill said:
my old rottie was the softest-softy ever,but if any1 came to the gate/field gate she would place herself EXACTLEY half way between me and them,bark and look menacing.
if i said `be nice` she would back off.
there was 1 occasion when there was a dodgy man in my neighbours front,she was on the lead and fiercely barked at him,i could hardly hold her,he legged it.

i think `leave it ` is a good command to practice.



edit....she was never taught this,it was natural. agree with CC,taking vibes off the owner.
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i feel abit of an idiot, Nico knows leave it etc and most commands he will usually adhere to however i didn't think to use them earlier :confused:
we had a similar issue before and i said 'come on! let's go!" and he dropped all behaviour and carried on after me. i was worried about the girls mainly so he must have picked that up :o
 
My Dobes do guard to a certain extent ie b-i-l walks up our drive and they stand on the window seat and bark, he bangs on the window and tells them to shut up:eek: and they kick off.

They love our post lady who always gives them a biscuit and will wait by the garden gate for her but we dont always get post.:(

Years ago when I had the Lancashire Heelers and my daughter was about 5 we were walking across a field when a man started to march up towards us(our fields) .They ran up and stopped him from getting any closer. They just got between him and us and stopped him by their aggressive barking. Luckily it was someone I knew but I was scared until I knew who it was and he just wanted to give me a message for my husband. But those dogs were guarding and protecting that day and that mans purposeful march towards us had set their alarms bells off.
 
If you walked through my garden and the dogs were out Dylan would mob you with kisses!!


Teal, hackles up, barks and howls at your feet and then comes and finds me. Hes the same with people who walk past the horse field (hes a springer x lab). We do have a issue with meeting strangers with or without dogs on walks when hes off lead as he does the same thing. Never bites, might air snap at dog. But I am at the point that I can either turn around/hide and he backs away from situation very quickly or get him to Heel
 
If i am at home you would be lucky to rouse a woof from my two:rolleyes:

When I am out however Max turns into a big shouty gaurd dog and will not let people through the front gate - or if they get in they may have to be rescued from the porch by the YO/farmer:o His exceptions are for the postie Steve who brings chewy sticks and pats and people he 'knows' (SPudlet and the Hooligan Henry being examples:rolleyes:) those he will let in and take them to the Crown Jewels :rolleyes::D:D:D

Cayla Reagan also does a good job or gaurding bacon and sausages.......:p:D:D she wasn't going to make it easy for anyone to get a butty:D:D
 
My two are brilliant watchdogs, especially Stella. However, anyone coming into our home, whether anonymous workman or mother-in-law, is automatically a best friend, and duly assaulted with squeaky toys, kisses and demands for belly rubs.
 
My GSDs have always guarded in that they would bark if they heard the front gate open, and make a lot of noise if anyone came to the door. They would always be fine if I introduced them to people, but on a couple of occasions friends who knew the dogs, but not well, have told me they tried to come through the gate and no way were the dogs going to let them.
Latterly my 2 didn't bark much, Buffy couldn't really hear or see people coming and Evie took a lead from her. Since we lost Buffy Evie has actually been pretty useless, as those at the bbq can vouch she will let people walk into the house and only barks if they knock at the door, which most burglars tend not to do. In the few days since we got the pup she has reacted more and twice dashed out barking when she has heard a car on the drive,which has pleased me.
Because she can be slightly dog aggressive (or in fairness to her just mouthy at other dogs) I do correct her if she barks at dogs we meet when walking, including ones in their own grounds, but if a dog is totally in her face and she has a go I don't usually tell her off.
 
I'm a pensioner living alone on a reasonably isolated farm. A few years ago I got a visit from a couple of lads obviously intent on burglary (long story!). I've been around a lot of working dogs all my life (a dozen in the kennel as I write) and always wanted a GSD, so I researched the subject thoroughly and bought myself a pup off Czech/Polish working lines.

The dog I have now is incredible, but I won't be breeding from her! She is an absolute softy with everyone I know, play fights with my bare feet in the house in the evening and is mortified if I pretend to be hurt! She's led around at shows by a 14 year old boy and was boarded by a family with an eight year old daughter when I had to go into hospital. BUT neither of these kids are allowed near the Landrover when she is on board and I'm not around. She patrols my 30 acres in search of rabbits and mice when I'm working, has stopped foxes killing my free range hens (which they used to eliminate every year), and warns of unscheduled visitors. Vicious? Yes -- she attacks the vacuum cleaner with a vengeance, but only in self defence:D.

A Transit pickup arrived at my door one day with a load of scrap in the back. She was first out the door and I never saw anyone move as fast in my life! No undesirables have been back as I told the driver I train these dogs for the police and I'm hoping the word is out there. I think if I did have a burglar, they'd be in serious trouble. Would I recommend this (working) breed to others? Definitely not! These dogs are tools for a specific job, not pets, and my dog is very thoroughly trained and well socialised. I can imagine what she would be like if she wasn't. So, yes, she does guard and does it very well. If calling, please make an appointment....;)

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Exactly how a working GSD should be! But you are right the czech lines are generally not suitable for pet homes with those who arent used to the breed. I saw a pup of obviously working lines in our local town last year, I went to talk to the owners, who were amazed I could tell he was a working line just from his looks ;), they had not had any real advice from the breeder and were already struggling with the pup at 12 weeks old, I recommended a couple of decent trainers and hope they took my advice .
 
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She's looks and sounds great, Dry Rot.
As MM and yourself, I have a workingline youngster (mostly East German) and while I love him to bits, the show line was a dawdle in comparison :o
 
Oh yes, let them show those guarding tendancies!

We have an australian cattle dog and she is a FAB guard dog. I have a big sign saying 'The Dog Bites'.....(she never has done) and she barks alot when people go by.

Neighbours don't complain because she alerts them too, late at night, if anyone is about.

Too many scum bags about at the moment, I'd rather fight my dogs case in court, someone she has savaged for tresspassing and nicking, than allow some low-life to run off with my tractor.....

**********......

I have zero-tolerance at the moment for thieving gits. God help anyone who thinks they can wander onto the yard if I don't tell my dog 'it's OK'.....

And yet....perfect family dog. Love her to bits.
 
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