How can I know whether or not my German Shepard would protect my wife if needed?
Jayme D asked:
My wife and I both travel to other countries for work on a regular basis, but we usually do so separately. We got our German Shepard when we got married 3 years ago, she was just a 10 month old puppy at the time. She is a big dog, about 70 pounds. She is very playfully aggressive, she likes to wrestle and play fight with me and our Yorkie.
We have never been in a situation though where we needed her for protection and we were wondering if she would be able to protect the house if needed. My wife and I live in a nice area, but recently there have been a few break ins locally and I have been worried about my wife when I have had to leave. We do have a home security system, but I worry that it wouldn’t be enough if someone actually broke in.
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My wife and I both travel to other countries for work on a regular basis, but we usually do so separately. We got our German Shepard when we got married 3 years ago, she was just a 10 month old puppy at the time. She is a big dog, about 70 pounds. She is very playfully aggressive, she likes to wrestle and play fight with me and our Yorkie.
We have never been in a situation though where we needed her for protection and we were wondering if she would be able to protect the house if needed. My wife and I live in a nice area, but recently there have been a few break ins locally and I have been worried about my wife when I have had to leave. We do have a home security system, but I worry that it wouldn’t be enough if someone actually broke in.
And to be fair, I often feel a little creeped out alone in the house and she often is the only thing that makes me feel safe.
How can I know i she would protect us?
I live in the suburbs and when I take her for a walk it is usually late at night, so there aren’t usually others around.
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 am
How does she act when you walk her? I am confident my dog would protect me because he becomes very defensive if someone tries to approach me, at least until I greet the person and tell him it’s okay.
October 4th, 2009 at 8:26 am
hire a hitman lol get some one your dog dosent know to come in through youre window at night and check if the dog starts barking then it will protect you if it stays quiet then iguess no it wont protect you a person from work would be good for the job
October 7th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Dogs first instinct is to survive. You as her pack leader ensure her survival. When she feels fearful energy coming from you due to someone in your house, she will protect you.
Please be aware that if you do not have “no tresspassing” signs on your property and your dog injures someone depending on your state you may be liable for damages if she attacks someone breaking into your house. “Beware of Dog” is acknowledging you have an aggressive dog on the premisis, but “No Tresspassing” generally releases you from liability when it comes to someone you did not invite onto your property getting hurt.
…wow. Typing that makes it seem even more ridiculous than saying it, but it’s true. Someone robbing your house can sue if your dog bit them.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Pick your bravest friend and tell them to try and get in your yard/house in the middle of the night on a specific time and date. Wait and see how your dog reacts. You will know after that!
October 11th, 2009 at 8:22 am
You probably won’t unless you find yourself in that position. If you want her to be a protection dog, you can investigate getting her trained in that, but I don’t know that I would go that far.
most of the time, just having a dog that sounds big and barks when someone comes near the house is enough to dissuade break ins. Make sure that you don’t reprimand her for barking, but teach her to stop on command. that way, when you aren’t home, she will continue to bark if someone is trying to get in.
October 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
How does she act when strangers come to the door or when she see’s them outside?
But you really cant tell unless there are signs she protects the house like with barking when she sees someone.
Because if she sees a stranger at the door and wags her tail (before you say it’s ok) then I doubt she’s a protective dog
B/c my dog will growl and bark at strangers, but they’ll stop if I say it’s okay..
October 13th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I also have a gsd! He is 5 months old. And when he was about 3 months old I was walking him and a retared guy (srry but true) came a little to close into our “private bubble” and he was like ready to attack! No joke if I didn’t grab him he woulda knawed the dudes leg off lol. Gsd will die for you….they know when somethings up. She will protect you when needed hopefully you never have to find out tho…..
October 13th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Oh gosh, Shepards are some of the most loyal and intelligent dogs out there. They know if something’s wrong or out of place and they’ll always defend you.
I remember when I was little we had a Shepard named Lady and one night someone tried to break into our house while we were sleeping. Lady woke up, saw this guy and backed him into a corner and just started barking like crazy until my Dad got up and called the police. Lady never budged an inch and just kept barking and barking. It was very cool LOL! She was police dog for a night!
October 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Most dogs will protect their owners, German Sheps are in the extreme field when it comes to protection. I am sure that your dog would take someone out if they tried to attack either of you.
What to you want to to do to prove her loyalty to you? Not much is more loyal than a dog
October 18th, 2009 at 7:04 am
protection . . . I know some may disagree but, it is my opinion, that the only time is it a good idea to get a dog for the purpose of protection is in professional or agricultural situations and only when the owner/trainer is humane and knowledgeable of dog behavior and dominant dog training/handling. In all other situations – probably 99.9% – an alarm system, security fence, or other measures are much more appropriate and effective.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:51 am
If she senses danger, she’ll protect you, so long as a perpetrator doesn’t kill her with a gun. One bullet to the head, and your dog will be useless to protect. My advice to you is if you want protection, learn Karate and how to use a gun.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:21 am
Most dogs will alert you if anything out of the ordinary disturbs their surroundings. They are pack animals and you are their pack.
My Rotts sense if I am uncomfortable with someone and stand in between them and me. But if the truth be known I have no idea what, if anything they would do on there own unless I was able to give a command and I only have one that is Schutzhund trained. The other 2 would probably grab a toy and hand it to a burglar.
Most studies conclude that a barking dog (even the yorkie) is one of the best deterrents against intruders. A german Shepherd is a large strong loyal breed and I am sure he would at the very least alert you in time to react.
If the dog is well trained you can teach it to bark on command which works great for strangers at the door. I use hand signals behid my back if I want to get rid of someone.
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:45 am
Well, I guess you can assume that she (and any dog) would. Or you could test it, with a stranger that has a bit protective suit. I’ve sometimes wonderered that about our GSD too. But I think they really key in well on our emotions. They sense what we sense. So I think they would protect us…
October 24th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
You can’t really know until it needs to happen. Let’s hope you never need the dog to protect you. However, any dog is better for home protection than no dog at all, and German Shepherds have a reputation for guarding. Many perfectly innocent people feel a little apprehensive when they are near one. GSDs usually have a nice authoritative bark, too. I’ve read many times that someone breaking into a house will pick a house with no dog over one with any sort of dog at all, and you’ve got two to sound the alarm. Most burglars have no wish to encounter the residents; they want to get in, take some stuff, and get out with no trouble. A barking dog means that the residents may well be awake and calling 911, or loading the gun in some countries and neighbourhoods.
I have always had Lab crosses, but a few times lately I’ve taken a friend’s young GSD out for walks. She’s still a puppy, though large, and it’s been interesting to see how differently people re-act to the Shepherd. They hold back a bit until they see she’s friendly, which they don’t do with my dogs.