GSD being protective- advice!

[Lintel]

Back here for advice.

I understand fully it is the nature of the breed to protect and guard, there are certain people our 20 month old GSD just WILL not take too, unfortunately one of them being someone we meet frequently.

Part of me trusts his instinct as it isn't with everyone but I would like to curb the behaviour and make him aware that he does not need to protect me at that particular moment. I am not naive there is no doubt in my mind he would bite this particular person if he was given the chance and this is making me tense each time we see this person which clearly he is going to sense and it will make matters worse.

How do you all go about this issue, I cant imagine it is uncommon in the breed?

He has been very well socialised from a young age and is fine with 99% of people.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

This might not help your situation but we have 2 Rottweilers, who are also very well socialised, one can be inclined to 'guard' when on a walk near to home. If we go out in the car they don't worry about who passes us but if we leave home on foot, if we pass someone and say 'Good morning' the 'guard' relaxes and understands that they are 'allowed' to be there.

 

[Blazingsaddles]

Back here for advice.

I understand fully it is the nature of the breed to protect and guard, there are certain people our 20 month old GSD just WILL not take too, unfortunately one of them being someone we meet frequently.

Part of me trusts his instinct as it isn't with everyone but I would like to curb the behaviour and make him aware that he does not need to protect me at that particular moment. I am not naive there is no doubt in my mind he would bite this particular person if he was given the chance and this is making me tense each time we see this person which clearly he is going to sense and it will make matters worse.

How do you all go about this issue, I cant imagine it is uncommon in the breed?

He has been very well socialised from a young age and is fine with 99% of people.

Maybe there is a good reason he dislikes this person so much? Male/female, beard, hat on, tall, short? If not a particular physical feature, has this individuals behaviour towards your dog ever been questionable?

 

[Blazingsaddles]

Maybe there is a good reason he dislikes this person so much? Male/female, beard, hat on, tall, short? If not a particular physical feature, has this individuals behaviour towards your dog ever been questionable?

I’m not saying a tall man with a beard & hat deserves animosity but I had my pup in the summer months when socialised and when winter came she was highly suspicious of people in hats!

 

[Blazingsaddles]

As PAS has said making a ‘thing’ of talking to strangers of differing appearance helps relax the dog. You relaxing will most certainly help the dog.

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's not uncommon and various breeding trends have created a lot of reactivity in the breed.

Most dogs which present with 'protective' behaviour are actually quite insecure and are protecting themselves rather than their owners/handlers.
You just happen to be in the vicinity and as above, your nervousness/unsureness will not help and it's best that you be the lead person in the partnership and be the one to tell the dog that everything is OK.

The best thing to do is not put the dog in the position where he feels threatened in the first place.
If it's someone that comes into your house, put the dog in another room. If it's someone you meet out and about, let the dog have space and don't force an interaction. Be an advocate for your dog.

Some would advocate the person being only associated with positive things, they could throw some food on the floor every time you meet or you could feed the dog. I have mixed feelings about that sort of thing, it depends on the dog.

A little more context would help, but without eyes on the dog, if your timing and reactions are out, you could end up making things worse. The main thing to do is relax.

 

[Lintel]

Context is out on a walk near the house.

The man in question is very forward and chatty- (I on the other hand would rather ignore everyone and get on with my walk.) He is always wishing to be friendly and say hello to the dog, my boy backs away initially and glares at him but if the man comes forward anymore he will lunge toward him and bark. More fool the man really for not backing off... but it's not ideal.

Would it be worthwhile taking biscuits out a walk with me.. to give to strangers we meet?... or is that just odd.?

 

[AmyMay]

Lintel, you don’t have to interact with anyone you don’t want to when out walking - with or without your dog.

My advice generally would be to just keep walking. A quick ‘hello, can’t stop’ will suffice.

You don’t owe conversation or interaction to anyone. Dogs are very perceptive, I’d listen to yours.

 

[tankgirl1]

Lintel, you don’t have to interact with anyone you don’t want to when out walking - with or without your dog.

My advice generally would be to just keep walking. A quick ‘hello, can’t stop’ will suffice.

You don’t owe conversation or interaction to anyone. Dogs are very perceptive, I’d listen to yours.

This

 

[GSD Woman]

I'm with amymay. You don't owe that man a conversation and he shouldn't try and be friends with your dog. Your dog is obviously uncomfortable with this man and the man being pushy isn't helping.

 

[CorvusCorax]

As others, you are under no obligation to allow strangers to approach your dog.
There's no problem to say hello politely and go about your day or if you need to say 'please don't approach my dog, thanks but I'm teaching him to be neutral to people'. Or as I have had to, put myself in front of my dog and say 'please don't do that'. Even something as simple as that sort of body language shows that you are taking care of the situation and he needn't stress.
Better to be thought of as abrupt/rude than something worse happening.

This may, through repetition, be also teaching him that if he doesn't like someone/something, if he lunges and barks, the scary thing retreats (either the man backs off of you bring him away). Which will not be good going forward.
Better not to put him in that situation in the first place.

 

[Lintel]

Thanks all, I may well have to just learn to be a bit more rude.
I'm sure he is probably right tankgirl, there's a very specific handful of people I wouldn't trust him not to bite given the chance and most of those people are ones that I wouldn't readily invite into my life.

 

[Clodagh]

I'm sure the man means well but he sounds like a dick! Why would anyone push themselves on a giant barking GSD?
Be more CC and less nice.
(CC - no offence intended. )

 

[{97702}]

Context is out on a walk near the house.

The man in question is very forward and chatty- (I on the other hand would rather ignore everyone and get on with my walk.) He is always wishing to be friendly and say hello to the dog, my boy backs away initially and glares at him but if the man comes forward anymore he will lunge toward him and bark. More fool the man really for not backing off... but it's not ideal.

Would it be worthwhile taking biscuits out a walk with me.. to give to strangers we meet?... or is that just odd.?

Nobody would dare to do that to my dogs on a walk.... can’t imagine why 🙄

 

[paddy555]

Context is out on a walk near the house.

The man in question is very forward and chatty- (I on the other hand would rather ignore everyone and get on with my walk.) He is always wishing to be friendly and say hello to the dog, my boy backs away initially and glares at him but if the man comes forward anymore he will lunge toward him and bark. More fool the man really for not backing off... but it's not ideal.

Would it be worthwhile taking biscuits out a walk with me.. to give to strangers we meet?... or is that just odd.?

I train the people with my GSD. If I see someone who approaches in the street or comes into the yard I explain to them what I want them to do and what the dog will do and ask if they are happy with that before letting them near him.. Mine is 19 months, large and excitable. (and probably as CC points out nervous unless someone really got too close to me and then I know protection would then take over.)

If strangers want to talk to him I ask them to give him time to sit, wait and then let him go towards them (or whatever I want). I have met a few really nice strangers who do as I ask, tell me all about their dogs (often GSDs) and they are helping me train the dog to meet people by doing as I ask. If they won't co-operate then I just go past. My problem with mine has always been that most strangers just don't have the time to give us a couple of minutes to work through a behaviour. Any that do I use as a training aid.

 

[Limit]

I'm with amymay. You don't owe that man a conversation and he shouldn't try and be friends with your dog. Your dog is obviously uncomfortable with this man and the man being pushy isn't helping.

Your dog maybe more perceptive than you think !

 

[Lintel]

That's a great idea paddy. We did this a lot when he was a pup, taking him round shops and busy areas solely to meet people (his favourite being pets at home) "doggy desensitization" if that's a thing.

We have fallen away from doing that recently because of life things but maybe it's an idea to keep this up through his adolensece too?

 

[cbmcts]

I have a very reactive 'guardy' large breed rescue. When he first came home he was convinced that the world was out to get me (and him) TBH he was lethal and always on edge, he really thought that he had to keep everybody away from me. I demoted him from duty by training him to go behind me if anyone approached us and wait on the grounds that if I need his help, I'll ask for it, thank you!The other advantage of having him behind is that nobody can approach him head on or go to touch his collar which is a particular trigger for him as a dog who came from a home where they attempted to dominance roll (at 55kgs, that was going to go well!) him and when that failed, battered him instead.

I find that it always men, when you are out that insist on trying to touch the dog even when asked not to. These days, they're told to back off and to hell with manners if they keep coming, I will block them and say no, back off now. It works. You have to stay very calm though so you don't worry the dog.

I think the socialisation and training is even more important during adolescence than puppyhood. As they are growing up, large breed dogs especially do seem to suffer an attack of the 'Kevins' and need constant reminding of manners. I know that my Rotties were always dream puppies but despite all the training and work done then, would still revert to obnoxious, ill mannered louts between about 8 and 14 months and as they approached 2 years old would suddenly realise that they were a guarding breed and become standoffish with strangers for a while.