So the wife wants a Shephard...

[TaunTaun]

The wife and I are looking for some property at the moment, with a baby due in September to help supplement our 5 yr old. One of the first things she wants AFTER the baby is born is to get ourselves a German Shephard.

I'm more of a Beagle and Bloodhound guy myself, but the idea has grown on me after awhile. After a brief discussion with the wife and a little research on the interwebz, I've kinda decided that I want the little pup trained for guard dog duty.

The real decisions we are facing is what level of guard dog training do we want? I'm thinking to what is commonly classified as a Level II, as I'd want something a little more advanced and able to defend family, home, and property. Second part is: How much do we want to spend?

I've grown up with animals (farm boy) all my life, but I'm not a trainer in any sense of the word, so I've start my book research, and started looking at prices. The biggest concern and determination at first seems to be the pup's suitability to the training to start off with. Later on, it looks like bite training can get expensive if you want a suit, but at the same time I'm not looking at making it a career of training other people's dogs, so why would I want a 2k dollar full suit for some unsuspecting friend to wear as a target...

Anyone have any good places to look for shephard pups?

Anyone have a good place to help with obediance and then guard dog training?

Any other advice/heads up, that anyone would care to share?



SHTF situation, dog would be REALLY handy. Especially when I have to leave my gun at home and travel to Chicago...

 

[youngda9]

I don't know anything about dogs....But I believe "The biggest concern" would be to get a breed that is kid friendly since you're going to have small ones in the house. Perhaps German Shepards are just that, I don't know.

 

[iChokePeople]

I don't know anything about dogs....But I believe "The biggest concern" would be to get a breed that is kid friendly since you're going to have small ones in the house. Perhaps German Shepards are just that, I don't know.

Good GSDs are WONDERFUL with kids. I'll let Jeremy address the training part.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Good luck! Every GSD I've ever met has needed no training to know how to protect his or her pack and the ones that are trained have only become better dogs.

 

[SideArmed]

Just as with new gun owners, my advise would be: Training Training Training.

Find a good reputable trainer in your area, that is going to take just as much time training you as they are the dog.

A couple of points to add are, start them off in a crate, with a larger breed such as the GSD get one that will grow with them. They have the life stages or what ever crates that have a moveable barrier in them. Much better for the dog. It will give them a place to go that is "theirs" and they can feel safe. Also it will make house training them much easier.
Make sure that they know their place in the pack. The dog is always always always the last to leave the house and the last to come back in when ever you are going in or out with them.
Positive reinforcement of good deeds is essential. The GSD is a working dog, so they like to have a job to do. That job can be anything from "official ball retriever" to "guard dog", but be sure to praise them when they do a good job, they'll love you for it.

ETA: what area are you in? If down south central IN, I can recomend a good trainer, well worth the time and money.

 

[Sarge470]

I've had a couple of GSDs over the years and loved them..they're smart, loyal and obedient, great around kids. Our last one pretty well decided that my youngest daughter was 'hers', and would have protected both of my kids with her life if the need arose. I was told long ago by a breeder that females tend to have a smaller home range, so to speak, but they protected that home range more fiercely than a male would. In either case, you'll be happy with a Shepherd. I'd check some of the rescue organizations (I know there's one in Indy) for leads on a good one; you can probably find one already crate-trained and save yourself some headaches and clean-ups. If you buy from a breeder, visit the facility first to verify that it's no a puppy mill with lousy breeding practices. Bad hips are a problem with some GSD breeders, and putting a beautiful animal down for a congenital defect is a heartbreaker you can avoid with a little research.

 

[swilk]

like most have said .... they are smart, obedient, loyal, tough as nails and great with kids. Most I have been around have "protective" hard wired in their genes.

I will say this ... if you have one in the house prepare for hair. Lots of hair. Hair under the hair you see. Hair under everything. On everything. In everything. You might think you are going to brush him/her and all will be well .... it wont.

Other than that they are great.

 

[88GT]

How soon "after" are you talking?

Does you wife stay home with the kids?

 

[Bunnykid68]

All dogs are kid friendly if raised properly

 

[TaunTaun]

How soon "after" are you talking?

Does you wife stay home with the kids?

Well, it really depends on how soon we get our place. I am forseeing somewhere along the line of 3 to 6 months after the baby is born.

She does stay at home right now, and we're looking at homeschooling the 5 yr old next year, so it's for the forseeable future.


To answer some of the other question, we currently live and the place we are PRAYING for is in Elkhart County, just east of South Bend.


The biggest part I am choking down right now is some of the prices people want for training. I saw one play around indy that was wanting 500 bucks for 6? lessons. I've seen other places that want in the neighborhood of 3k to 10k or more. Needless to say, while I'd like to have a well trained guard dog, I'm not in a position to spend thousands upon thousands to do it. If I can figure out how to do most of it ourselves, and augment that with bite training, etc from a professional trainer, I think would be most economical.

 

[TruxLupus]

A large dog is a good deterrent to criminals.

Mine alerts me when anyone he doesn't know sets foot on the front porch. He's perfect. I would rather not have him put himself in harms way. He can't operate a firearm, I can. I just need fast alert if there's someone around the house that shouldn't be there.

 

[TaunTaun]

A large dog is a good deterrent to criminals.

Mine alerts me when anyone he doesn't know sets foot on the front porch. He's perfect. I would rather not have him put himself in harms way. He can't operate a firearm, I can. I just need fast alert if there's someone around the house that shouldn't be there.

I come at things from a lightly different angle, but you and my wife are pretty similar in mindset.

The training and judgment comes into play in everyday encounters, sometimes you want to deploy one tool before another. In some situations, a dog is a great deterrent. In some situations, the dog is in more danger than I would be, etc. I view it as a working relationship, where all of us would work together to defend ourselves and our property. While a dog is almost like a member of the family, and is definately more than a simple inanimate gun, a dog is a tool just as is my handgun, the wife's handgun, or a baseball bat.

Would I feel devestated if a dog of mine was injured or killed. Heck yes. But ultimately I would trade an animal for a family member any day of the week.

These type of animals are meant to be the first in the line of fire right alongside myself. If I am not home, I expect it to be there in front of my wife and kids.

 

[jstiz]

My parents did the same thing when we moved into the country. Dad got a female pup and had her trained somewhere close to Indy. That dog never left my side from when I was 3 years old to 10 years old. She finally ended up getting killed when she put her life on the line when a pack of wild dogs came on our property while I was out playing. She killed two of them but in the fight she got tore up so bad we had to put her down. I would of trusted my life with that dog rather than any human.

I'm actually looking to get one now that my wife and I are moving into the country and getting the dog trained. If you here of any good places keep me updated!

 

[ghuns]

There's a guy in Elkhart that trains GSD for the po-po. He's supposed to be top notch...
Civilian

 

[Kagnew]

if you have one in the house prepare for hair. Lots of hair. Hair under the hair you see. Hair under everything. On everything. In everything. You might think you are going to brush him/her and all will be well .... it wont.

Exactly the point I was going to make. If it were me, I'd opt for a Miniature Schnauzer for an indoor dog. Great with kids. Very Protective. Think that they're Shepherds. And no shedding or odor. (And you can still cuss at them auf Deutsch.)

 

[Double T]

Our Golden Retriever is the BEST guard dog I have ever seen. She just fought off a husky last night. No ****.

She has been protective of our property and children since they were born, and she has never snapped or bitten them. She also has nearly pulled me over trying to get at an "intruder".

Goldens are awesome. GS's are awesome too. Our next will either be another golden, a GSD, or a boxer.

 

[netsecurity]

A shepherd would make a good guard dog, of course, but not a good pet for the baby. What I'm always concerned about when ppl say they want a shepherd is that they are biting off more then they can chew. I'd say shepherds require advanced owner skills, because they are a very intelligent, energetic, and challenging dog. I don't own one, I'm a Labrador guy myself, but I've seen a lot of other ppl's shepherds in two hears of dog school, and they are rambunctious by comparison. Be warned, if you can't control your dog, it will be a nuisance.

 

[rw496]

the GSD is a great family dog and naturally protective, anywhere the kids go the shepherd follows. No vehicle, person, squirrel, leaf, etc. can enter my yard without my gsd letting me know

 

[ruger1800]

the GSD is a great family dog and naturally protective, anywhere the kids go the shepherd follows. No vehicle, person, squirrel, leaf, etc. can enter my yard without my gsd letting me know

If you only knew.

 

[88GT]

Well, it really depends on how soon we get our place. I am forseeing somewhere along the line of 3 to 6 months after the baby is born.

She does stay at home right now, and we're looking at homeschooling the 5 yr old next year, so it's for the forseeable future.


To answer some of the other question, we currently live and the place we are PRAYING for is in Elkhart County, just east of South Bend.


The biggest part I am choking down right now is some of the prices people want for training. I saw one play around indy that was wanting 500 bucks for 6? lessons. I've seen other places that want in the neighborhood of 3k to 10k or more. Needless to say, while I'd like to have a well trained guard dog, I'm not in a position to spend thousands upon thousands to do it. If I can figure out how to do most of it ourselves, and augment that with bite training, etc from a professional trainer, I think would be most economical.

The reason I asked is because I just went through this two years ago. My second child was born 3 years ago and I had been wanting a GSD for a while. We didn't get one until the following summer (July) and I am so glad because I didn't need a third kid to deal with. And I stay home so 90% of the daily care and in-home training (no, stay off the furniture; stop pestering the cat; kids, don't pull the dog's tail) fell on me. I knew it would; I'm not complaining. But it would have been too much for me to handle with a newborn AND a new puppy. I am not your wife, of course. She's probably better at handling kid-related stress. I fully admit to being inadequate in that department, particular as moms go. It is the cross I bear. Anywho, I personally wouldn't advise a new addition before baby reached 6 months. And if he is a more difficult child (colicky, sleeps very little, eating issues, etc), maybe even later. Just my personal experience having done exactly what you are planning (right down to the homeschooling too ).

Specialty training is something best left to the experts, I agree. But basic obedience training and even some advanced obedience training can be done by the owner easily. GSDs are extremely smart. We have put less into Erwin's training than I care to admit, but he has learned quickly with the efforts we have made, and even with some that we haven't. He likes to molest the cat who wants nothing to do with him. When he starts to take off after her, all I have to do is say "no" in a loud, firm voice and he stops short. This occurred without any formal training for this particular command/behavior at all. (Imagine what I could do if I really tried, right?) Check out the library or the pet stores for their book offerings.

As far as protecting the home, no training is necessary unless you want specific actions for specific circumstances. GSDs have a breeding history of this kind of behavior and it comes naturally to them. So far, mine has been wonderful with the kids (now 3 and 6). They even have their own games, including chase. Kinda funny to watch that one.

Just my