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So the wife wants a Shephard...
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You get a GSD as a puppy and bring him/her up with the kids, that dog will take on the devil himself to protect them. Good friend has one, she instinctivly started herding his 3 year old away from the road (lives in the country) and whenever anyone not family is around, she always has an eye on the person. Especially around the kids.
GSD is a great choice.
We've had 6 now. Raised them with the kids and never had any doubt that they would defend the kids, my wife, me and our property to the death. They were all great with kids, shed like crazy (year round) and very intelligent. The basic - advanced obedience training is a must, the guard dog / attack training is something I would not do myself. I would see that as more of a liability than it would be worth. The basics would probably cover your needs. Go for it but be ready for:
fur, lots of exercise, fur, food bills, fur, vet bills, fur, unending loyalty, fur, big wet slobbery kisses, fur, lots of love and last but not least fur.
The other stuff makes up for all the fur.
We've had 6 now. Raised them with the kids and never had any doubt that they would defend the kids, my wife, me and our property to the death. They were all great with kids, shed like crazy (year round) and very intelligent. The basic - advanced obedience training is a must, the guard dog / attack training is something I would not do myself. I would see that as more of a liability than it would be worth. The basics would probably cover your needs. Go for it but be ready for:
fur, lots of exercise, fur, food bills, fur, vet bills, fur, unending loyalty, fur, big wet slobbery kisses, fur, lots of love and last but not least fur.
The other stuff makes up for all the fur.
So true...no training needed, and they are excellent with kids. I have had GSDs for 15 years and have kids...best dog you will ever own. Might I suggest these fine people, there dogs are A1 dogs.
ALLE STERNE GERMAN SHEPHERDS FORMERLY TORI &
I recommend Bruce at First Friend K-9 Training
Purchased/trained Scout at First Friend
Baro Pet-Keram ("Barrett")
AD, SchH III AD, KKL I, SG* (100 points in SchH III protection)
Wella z Jihomoravskeho kraje ("Vera")
BH, ZVV1
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I would suggest you speak with Torri Kollar. She specializes in family protection GSD placements and also working line Shepherds.
Home Contact - A WebsiteBuilder Website
Look at her "Our Philosophy" page.
She is highly experienced with puppy testing for disposition, prey drive and home placement is her strength.
Her more highly driven pups have been trained for work with IMPD, Dept. of Corrections, drug search and search and rescue.
She is also an advanced GSD trainer with very reasonable prices.
Two suggestions:
Bring home the swaddling cloths from you child's birthing and freeze them until you have your puppy home. Put them in the crate at night for a few days and your new pup will protect that child for life.
Research raw food diets for your new GSD. Raw chicken, organ meats, raw sweet potato, carrots, peas etc. can give you a GSD with lifelong health and vitality.
I would also forewarn you from searching out large boned heavy weight specialty bred GSD's. This is an ego driven fad and for every 10 pounds over 90 lbs as an adult it will shorten your new family members life by about 11 to 12 months.
Home Contact - A WebsiteBuilder Website
Look at her "Our Philosophy" page.
She is highly experienced with puppy testing for disposition, prey drive and home placement is her strength.
Her more highly driven pups have been trained for work with IMPD, Dept. of Corrections, drug search and search and rescue.
She is also an advanced GSD trainer with very reasonable prices.
Two suggestions:
Bring home the swaddling cloths from you child's birthing and freeze them until you have your puppy home. Put them in the crate at night for a few days and your new pup will protect that child for life.
Research raw food diets for your new GSD. Raw chicken, organ meats, raw sweet potato, carrots, peas etc. can give you a GSD with lifelong health and vitality.
I would also forewarn you from searching out large boned heavy weight specialty bred GSD's. This is an ego driven fad and for every 10 pounds over 90 lbs as an adult it will shorten your new family members life by about 11 to 12 months.
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Willow Valley German Shepherds - Pet Services - Mineral City, OH | Facebook
We got our "puppy" from this breeder/lady. This dog does not have a mean bone in herbody and for being a 9 month old puppy is very gentle.
Here's a pic of her last weekend with the other two:
She specializes in long haired shepherds and they run on the large side. Males are usually over 120-150lbs and females in the 80-110lbs. The nice thing with the long haired is they only shed once to twice a year unlike our other two hair factories that never stop shedding.
We got our "puppy" from this breeder/lady. This dog does not have a mean bone in herbody and for being a 9 month old puppy is very gentle.
Here's a pic of her last weekend with the other two:
She specializes in long haired shepherds and they run on the large side. Males are usually over 120-150lbs and females in the 80-110lbs. The nice thing with the long haired is they only shed once to twice a year unlike our other two hair factories that never stop shedding.
netsecurity
Shooter
I believe that defensive training might not be required, especially if the dog is a male, but I just want to point out that all dogs require obedience training to become good citizens, just like a child requires school. Definitely even an inexperienced dog owner with proper training CAN raise an excellent pet, but it takes time and commitment.
I'll say it again, a GSD will take more commitment from their masters than a calmer breed. That's definitely not a bad thing, if you want to spend a lot of time working with the dog. Consider your expectations thoroughly when picking a breed, so that another dog doesn't end up abandoned in a shelter or tied to a tree. A dog is a lifetime commitment, at least for the entirety of the dog's life I mean. I suggest finding a real dog school nearby, and sitting in on a class to observe some breeds and talk to the staff about the breed ideally, before making any decisions.
netsecurity
Shooter
I recommend Bruce at First Friend K-9 Training
Purchased/trained Scout at First Friend
Baro Pet-Keram ("Barrett")
AD, SchH III AD, KKL I, SG* (100 points in SchH III protection)
Wella z Jihomoravskeho kraje ("Vera")
BH, ZVV1
I second that! They are the GSD pros. I spent three years at that place, with three dogs.
First Friend K-9 Training
I've had multiple Shepherds and have never had to have specialized training for any of them. Did basic obedience training with them. The fact is that GSDs, especially the females, bond with children, especially young ones. They see them as their own, and are very protective of them. I actually used to have one that would walk up when I would go to spank one of the kids and lay her head on their bottom. She wouldn't growl or anything, just sit there with her head on their butt. GSDs are GREAT dogs, just be warned, they're also called German Shedders cause there will be hair all over your house lol.
Get the Puppy about 2 months before the Child's birth. By the time the new born here, you will be over the hump with a large amount of the development training of the Pup. Puppies are almost as much work as Babies for their first 2-3 months.
How much to spend, depends on how capable you want the Dog to be. I am currently training Beau (pics are in the GSD Thread) I am 18+ months and about $1,200 into his training. Beau can be walked completely off leash, as if it is being used. We are working on Training beau for Protection now. Protection Training is often misunderstood, the purpose to train a Dog in Protection is to have the ability to either stop the dog before he hits or call him back after a hit. I can tell my dogs to "Guard" or "Watch" and they will ratchet up their awareness towards which area or person I have identified them to pay attention to possibly ignoring distractions in the Area.
Find a trainer in your Area. Do NOT Bite train Your Dog if you are not VERY experienced at doing it....
Unfortunately the 2 I currently have are spoken for... This Summer I will be breeding 2-3 Females though, as they come into their heat cycles.
Where are you located?!
Unless you are planning on Breeding the Puppy do not get a Papered Dog. Have a Dog with Papers that is spayed or neutered is beyond ignorant...
One other thing...
Do you want Show Lines, Working Lines, or Couch Potato Lines...
You don't have to wait that long. Have a well trained dog is useful NOW!
By the way it is Shepherd, not Shephard...
We have had few Rotts and now a have 2 year old german sheperd. She is the most well rounded dog I have ever had. I would recomend you don't get one from sport lines if you want it to be in the house. They can be quite handful with over the top prey drives they always wanting to go and they typically don't have strong fight drives.
I am very impressed with our girl medium prey drive and very strong deffense drive. If you want to train it for protection work be prepared for a very big commitment.
I am very impressed with our girl medium prey drive and very strong deffense drive. If you want to train it for protection work be prepared for a very big commitment.
I was going to suggest that, but wondered about the crap that a new baby would bring down on a dog transitioning to a new home and whether baby is perceived as one of the family or an "intruder."
And aside from those issues, I'm not convinced this is the best time for a family about to bring a new baby into the family, particular when the new mom is going to shoulder the majority of the care. It may work fine for the dog, but it is entirely dependent on the family's dynamics, priorities, and personalities. No way I could have dealt with a new pup in the last 3 months of m pregnancy. I could barely walk from the sciatic pain. Dealing with a dog who had just pissed on the carpet would be the last thing I'd want to have to deal with. I know it means the drawback is waiting for several months until the transition time with the new baby has worked out, but knowing that the woman shoulders about 90% of the burden of the new baby and has to deal with the consequences of all the changes that take place, it is an awful lot to put on her.
I recommend ALL Dog Owners have their Dogs trained in Protection.
Most Dogs that are trained for LEA as Attack and Apprehension Dogs are trained to be very aggressive in their actions, not really a needed or desirable tendency...
At this age it is almost ridiculously easy to establish the boundaries for the puppy.
True...
I still prefer to have the dog prior to the birth of the child. Puppies mature and age very rapidly, and unless one likes to raise twins...
Why put the family through it...
They can be trained to be good house dogs with high prey but it takes alot of work and can be hard on your patience with a new born. They get very excited if they think its time to work. Heres my dog when she was 4 months old., and keep in mind she dosn't have extreme prey drives.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDQ1yFndqaU&list=UUQolusBNSm2b9baLHi5AIhA&index=1&feature=plcp[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDQ1yFndqaU&list=UUQolusBNSm2b9baLHi5AIhA&index=1&feature=plcp[/ame]
If it was me, I'd get a basically friendly dog that barks when people come around just to ALERT me.
Then I CAN DECIDE what needs to be done.
I don't trust leaving a decision that could cause injury to somebody up to an animal.
Leaving what needs to be done up to a dog increases the chances of something happening to the wrong person.
No matter how well it's "trained", there's a good chance it will behave differently when you aren't there.
I know with any of my friends who've gotten an aggressive type dog to "protect" them, I've warned them ahead of time if that dog bites or threatens me, I'll reserve the right to shoot it.
Then I CAN DECIDE what needs to be done.
I don't trust leaving a decision that could cause injury to somebody up to an animal.
Leaving what needs to be done up to a dog increases the chances of something happening to the wrong person.
No matter how well it's "trained", there's a good chance it will behave differently when you aren't there.
I know with any of my friends who've gotten an aggressive type dog to "protect" them, I've warned them ahead of time if that dog bites or threatens me, I'll reserve the right to shoot it.
My 
on this:
1.) A GSD is going to naturally be a protective dog, regardless of training. That's what they're bred for.
2.) With a new baby in the house, I'd recommend going with an older puppy or adult dog. If you're open to rescues, the woman who runs GSD Indy is fantastic. The adoption prices are reasonable (a couple hundred dollars that basically just covers expenses). Her policies are also extremely reasonable. She wants to do a home visit because she wants the dogs to go to appropriately matched households, but is extremely reasonable on her policies. I have a poodle that is intact because he is my show dog. For some reason this disqualifies me from adopting from the vast majority of rescues in the area. She doesn't see an issue with this. https://www.facebook.com/gsd.indy
Keep in mind 'rescue' doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with the dog. For instance, they have a 9mo male right now who was deemed 'too big' for his home so he wound up at the rescue. The foster home he's in says he's good with other dogs and children. There's an 11mo female who is good with other dogs, kids, cats, is reliable to leave loose in the house, but just needs a bit more on leash training.
3.) I'd also caution against going the protection training route. It requires a commitment of continued training throughout the dog's lifetime. Also, a lot of insurance companies look at protection trained dogs as a liability. Virtually any GSD (or similarly bred dogs) is going to be protective of its home/family even without any additional training. I'd go with general obedience training.
4.) If you do want to go the protection training route, I'd talk to Bruce at First Friends on 37 in the Fishers area. Even if you don't get a dog from him, he does know what he's doing and could help you find a dog suitable for protection work. IMO, his training isn't for *every* dog. It is fairly harsh and 'softer' dogs don't necessarily do all that well with it. It would fry my current dog's brain. My old Border collie did okay-ish with it, but it wasn't really ideal for him either. However, I cannot argue with the results. Diesel went from being a hyperactive nutjob shelter dog on his umpteenth last chance (he was a really sweet dog, but had absolutely zero manners taught to him for the first 6 years of his life and was...unruly) to being the best dog I've ever had.
I'm a groomer and I've seen a number of Bruce's 'students' come through my salon (I can ID a lot of them by the leash/collar combo!) and they're generally speaking, very well behaved dogs. The ones who aren't, I can tell its owner error typically due to lack of follow through.
The dogs he breeds are absolutely gorgeous. None of the show ring bizarrely shaped freaks who don't stay sound past their third birthday. Just gorgeous working animals who are incredibly athletic and intelligent. I'm pretty sure he's passed away now (I was there several years ago and the dog was older then), but the big male that was *his* through and through just chilled on a table while Bruce taught classes. You could tell that dog just thought the world of Bruce.
5.) To combat the shedding, I recommend investing in a commercial force dryer to use on the dog at least once a week. The good ones are $2-300, but should last for years. The ones we use in the salon last 6mo to a year with essentially nonstop use for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week and zero care. A personal one that has routine maintenance should last the lifetime of the dog and beyond. They're also useful on vehicles and any number of other things.
I would also purchase a Mars comb (a type of undercoat rake) that is fantastic for getting out all of the dead undercoat with minimal fuss. The knockoffs aren't nearly as good as the brand name ones.
on this:1.) A GSD is going to naturally be a protective dog, regardless of training. That's what they're bred for.
2.) With a new baby in the house, I'd recommend going with an older puppy or adult dog. If you're open to rescues, the woman who runs GSD Indy is fantastic. The adoption prices are reasonable (a couple hundred dollars that basically just covers expenses). Her policies are also extremely reasonable. She wants to do a home visit because she wants the dogs to go to appropriately matched households, but is extremely reasonable on her policies. I have a poodle that is intact because he is my show dog. For some reason this disqualifies me from adopting from the vast majority of rescues in the area. She doesn't see an issue with this. https://www.facebook.com/gsd.indy
Keep in mind 'rescue' doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with the dog. For instance, they have a 9mo male right now who was deemed 'too big' for his home so he wound up at the rescue. The foster home he's in says he's good with other dogs and children. There's an 11mo female who is good with other dogs, kids, cats, is reliable to leave loose in the house, but just needs a bit more on leash training.
3.) I'd also caution against going the protection training route. It requires a commitment of continued training throughout the dog's lifetime. Also, a lot of insurance companies look at protection trained dogs as a liability. Virtually any GSD (or similarly bred dogs) is going to be protective of its home/family even without any additional training. I'd go with general obedience training.
4.) If you do want to go the protection training route, I'd talk to Bruce at First Friends on 37 in the Fishers area. Even if you don't get a dog from him, he does know what he's doing and could help you find a dog suitable for protection work. IMO, his training isn't for *every* dog. It is fairly harsh and 'softer' dogs don't necessarily do all that well with it. It would fry my current dog's brain. My old Border collie did okay-ish with it, but it wasn't really ideal for him either. However, I cannot argue with the results. Diesel went from being a hyperactive nutjob shelter dog on his umpteenth last chance (he was a really sweet dog, but had absolutely zero manners taught to him for the first 6 years of his life and was...unruly) to being the best dog I've ever had.
I'm a groomer and I've seen a number of Bruce's 'students' come through my salon (I can ID a lot of them by the leash/collar combo!) and they're generally speaking, very well behaved dogs. The ones who aren't, I can tell its owner error typically due to lack of follow through.
The dogs he breeds are absolutely gorgeous. None of the show ring bizarrely shaped freaks who don't stay sound past their third birthday. Just gorgeous working animals who are incredibly athletic and intelligent. I'm pretty sure he's passed away now (I was there several years ago and the dog was older then), but the big male that was *his* through and through just chilled on a table while Bruce taught classes. You could tell that dog just thought the world of Bruce.
5.) To combat the shedding, I recommend investing in a commercial force dryer to use on the dog at least once a week. The good ones are $2-300, but should last for years. The ones we use in the salon last 6mo to a year with essentially nonstop use for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week and zero care. A personal one that has routine maintenance should last the lifetime of the dog and beyond. They're also useful on vehicles and any number of other things.
I would also purchase a Mars comb (a type of undercoat rake) that is fantastic for getting out all of the dead undercoat with minimal fuss. The knockoffs aren't nearly as good as the brand name ones.
" I'm pretty sure he's passed away now (I was there several years ago and the dog was older then), but the big male that was *his* through and through just chilled on a table while Bruce taught classes. You could tell that dog just thought the world of Bruce."
That was Gunnar. He passed away last year and Bruce thought the world of him as well.
That was Gunnar. He passed away last year and Bruce thought the world of him as well.
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