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GSD or Rottweiler


Loba
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Hi all...a friend of mine, a woman in her 40s was assaulted in broad daylight last week. Obviously she is very shaken and sustained some serious bruising.

 

Her old GSD passed away last year and they were planning on getting another puppy this year.

 

She has asked me for some opinions  Please Note ...she does not want a guard dog or a personal protection trained dog. This new dog will be first and foremost a companion to her and her husband. ..no kids.

 

She wants a dog with strong nerves that will stand between her and a perceived threat until she tells the dog to relax. Possibly a dog that will alert her to people aporoaching the house and a dog whose sheer appearance is a deterrent to the kind of thug that attacked her.

 

She is leaning towards GSDs as she has owned them in the past but has had experience of GSDs who are timid or flighty and in the above scenario are more likely to run than to stand their ground sadly.

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It's a difficult question. As your friend as experienced just breed isn't an indicator of how a dog will behave any given situation. If she has a preference for GSDs I'd suggest she start to talking to reputable breeders and explaining what she's after to try and find a pup that can be suitably matched.  

 

She could do the same with Rotti breeders and see who she feels is the right fit for her to work with and go from there.

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Seems many breeders of pedigree dogs breed away from a defensive trait, on the grounds  most people are not responsible enough to manage it and train to avoid problems.

On the other hand, Security Personnel push for high prey drive among other traits that make working lines unsuitable for many who just want a dual purpose pet, and believe that such dogs should only be handled by trained experts. Most security trainers don't seem to believe defense can be a trait that expresses naturaly with any reliability, and needs a high prey drive to train.

 

 So we seem to have nich thats being neglected or almost forced out. Another purpose being lost. B.S.L  would be a big deterant to pedigree breeders.

Personaly, I would go Rotty for the reasons you mention, tho' she might be able to find a G.S D breeder with very confident , stable lines she could view to affirm for herself the likely confidence of the pups. Either way, I would like see both parents are calm and confident, and view pups over a period of time, how they react to litter mates and people to select a pup like you describe.

The best guide is parents and behavior of pups with either breed. Watch the litter over time if possible.

 

So no firm recommendation on breed from me, but I would suggest looking for a breeder whos dogs are 1st  very confident, with strong handler sensitivity or 'pack drive' and  friendly to familiar visitors  but mostly neutral to  strangers. ie doesn't rush up for wriggly submissive pats. I would also avoid submissive dogs, tho' I don't think a lack of submission should = dominance either.

J.M.O.

 

P.S. An overly pushy or 'dominineering' pup with the above traits might be too aggressive, and a pup that is in your face doesn't mean it will be too friendly and trusting with strangers.  It could well be one looking to bond or partner and a  show of the 'pack' drive I think is great when training just makes the pup seek you out more.

 

Good luck to your friend.

Edited by moosmum
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Lots of dogs would fit that bill. I'm walking a herding dog at the moment & there's no f-ing way I'd go in the yard with her without knowing "the word"& she doesnt look menacing.

 

I'd be talking to breeders & thinking about the other qualities they want in a dog. Before making up my mind based on potentially scary appearance.

 

As a side note: I probably wouldn't pick a  puppy for this task. Theres a lot of growh, maturity & training needed for what they are after. 

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I was always very safe with both my late boys .
One was a cocker spaniel x, and one a staghound. 
No way could certain people get near me . No real training involved, and they were bombproof with kids/old folks /pets .

if your friend is comfortable with GSDs - then I agree - start talking with breeders.

Remember tho - if she gets a puppy , it will be at LEAST 12-18 mths before she'll have a mature dog ... I hope she recovers from the experience :(

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Most big, black dogs would be enough of a visual deterrent I think. I am a petite female and I used to have a Rottweiler and I felt very safe with her even though she was the loveliest friendliest dog around, simply because people tended to avoid us and would even cross the street on purpose to avoid the dog. It's the perception of the big black dog. I think most dogs would be able to sense when a hostile stranger was intent on causing harm and would at least alert bark if someone tried to break into the house. I don't encourage them to do it but both my super friendly Rottweiler and my current very soft, very sensitive herding bred Aussie have positioned themselves between me and perceived stranger danger before (i.e. at night being approached in a dark street by strange drunks, etc etc).

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I have had Rotties for 20+ years. Both male and female are excellent family dogs as well as being very protective of their family. I am able to have people come and go with them always being friendly and happy to bother people for pats but at the same time if someone raised their voice or hand to me they would defend. You don't need to train Rottweilers for guard or personal protection, they do this naturally when they feel a part of the family (like most dogs). Due to their size and natural wrestling ability it is very important to give them training. If you are not going to have them as one of the family and only as a yard dog then  the Rottweiler is probably the wrong choice. They are large dogs and if untrained. a handful so 2 very important aspects to keeping one for me is 1. training and 2. ensuring they are very much a part of the family.

 

I had one Rottie (male) who would jump between my husband and myself and growl when every we raise our voices at each other. My 8 month old is now larger than my 14 month. They are both still very much fun loving puppies but have no doubt that they would both protect me if someone threated or attacked. I personally fell in love with this breed with my first boy. They are one of the few dogs that German Police use females for due to both sexes having great wrestling ability.

 

 

 

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My work has these 4 dogs for sale at the moment...

 

Jewel - mature Rotti female

 

Jewel-4.thumb.jpg.3aef03e15bea680f492ffe78fdf6a8e8.jpg

 

Finh... mature male Rotti

Finh-3.thumb.jpg.b4a891d48c67ed229265f0c20acbaecf.jpg

 

Keisha - mature female Rotti

 

Keisha-1.thumb.jpg.6cc6787df9547b79819c264484ea4f47.jpg

 

Zeuss - 2yo GSD/Husky mix

 

Zeuss-6.thumb.jpg.5ff84cb6b6ce905a33e3da527b0a237c.jpg

 

All decidedly lovely with humans, but previously used as security patrol dogs... and they are huge! Definitely would be a deterrent to someone wanting to something stupid...

 

T.

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4 minutes ago, moosmum said:

 Jewel and Finn both look lovely  to me! Love Jewels gorgeous grin !

Finh is around 55kgs or so... he's a huge bundle of cuddles. Not interested in treats or toys... just wants cuddles all the time.

 

Jewel is cheeky... acts much younger than she is... and also loves cuddles, toys, treats... any and all human interaction

16 minutes ago, persephone said:

I am in lurve ...   Finh-3.jpg

 

I'm pretty happy with that photo of him... sums him up totally... lovebug!

 

If I were to have my pick of the 4... Finh and Zeuss... complete charmers in their own different ways - Zeuss is a big puppy...

 

T.

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This thread reminded me of a Spanish organisation I recently came across that aims to supply protection trained 'escort dogs' (PEPOS) to women that are victims of gender violence. Their manifesto is:

 

This week has been presented the Association Project Pepos Alhaurín de la Torre , an entity that aims to provide comprehensive protection to victims of sexist violence, mainly through escort dogs.

A new association, whose project is unique throughout Andalusia, will focus its work on meeting and covering all the needs that women may have in terms of protection, social integration, training, overcoming fear and increasing self-esteem from multiple fields of action . The scope of action will be the entire Autonomous Community.

The idea is to ensure the safety of women and to ensure that they can develop a life free of macho violence with the support of a dog specifically trained and with a training that the users receive. And it is that the Pepos manifests itself as a system of immediate protection in case of danger, because it dissuades the alleged aggressor and avoids their approach to the victim the time necessary for them to come to the State Security Corps .

The association, which was recently created and based in Alhaurín de la Torre, has a total of 20 people, including directors, advisors, collaborators and external professionals : 14 psychologists and psychologists, 3 lawyers and lawyers, 7 trainers, Materials and, in addition, a total of eight dogs, of which five are in preparation phase and another three, already ready to be donated to the victims of macho violence.

Search on the web for PEPOS PERROS if you want to know more.

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5 hours ago, juice said:

Darn it T , still Looking  for a buddy for Zelda and Finn looks lovely ! 

Yeah, I'm missing a boy here and he reminds me so much of my beautiful Pids.

 

Peppos Perros sounds great, I've often thought how much a dog could could give confidence to those suffering from the sort of PTSD suffered from victims of violence.

Edited by moosmum
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10 minutes ago, juice said:

Darn it T , still Looking  for a buddy for Zelda and Finn looks lovely ! 

Doesn't he just ... That photo  just makes my heart flutter ... imagine having those eyes  telling you how wonderful you were ....

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