Protection without aggression!

[JaniceG]

We are getting a doberman puppy in mid-July. How do you, or can you, train a dog to be protective without having him become too aggressive?

[RawFedDogs]

We are getting a doberman puppy in mid-July. How do you, or can you, train a dog to be protective without having him become too aggressive?

If you lay the proper foundation as mentioned in my earlier post in the other thread, there will be no need to teach your dog in protection. A protection trained dog is not a pet. He is a lethal weapon and carries great liability. Protection training is WAY beyond the abilities of an amateur trainer.

[DaneMama]

Dogs really don't provide the type of protection people are typically looking for unless they are properly trained and like Bill said they become not a pet but a weapon. What exactly do you want protection from?

[harrkim120]

If you're looking for more of a guard dog (one that will bark to warn of visitors) that will come naturally...especally with a Dobie.

However, like stated above, a real protection dog such as one that will bite on command, etc. is very difficult to achieve, and even then not all dogs can do it. Some just don't have the control...I wouldn't even consider it unless you're going to spend CRAZY amounts of time and money on professional training, and have a good home owners and health insurance.

[ziggy29]

If you're looking for more of a guard dog (one that will bark to warn of visitors) that will come naturally...especally with a Dobie.

Many dogs -- even ones that aren't aggressive or vicious to strangers -- have a habit of barking when they hear noises close by outside. (Our dog is one of them.)

As mentioned, to do this right would take an awful lot of time and money. There's a reason why police department K-9 units spend a lot of money on professional training -- not just for the dog, but also for its handler.

[harrkim120]

Many dogs -- even ones that aren't aggressive or vicious to strangers -- have a habit of barking when they hear noises close by outside. (Our dog is one of them.)

That's what I was trying to imply, but didn't quite make my statement as broad as I should have.

Both My Boston and German Shepherd bark as well.

[DaneMama]

I would think someone would have to be just a bit crazy to even think about breaking into our house. We have at least 4 dogs ranging from 70-120 pounds all of which bark their heads off if someone is even walking on the other side of the street. But I know that if someone was motivated enough to get in they would just open the front door and let them all out rendering them "useless" in regards to protection. If you ever think your dog is a good security system just watch the show "To Catch a Theif" and you'll see that the average dog doesn't deter professional thieves.

I would hate to find out but would hope my dogs would peotect me if I was ever attacked....I hope I never have to find out!!!!

If you're wanting protection, take a self defence class and get a security system.

[whiteleo]

I totally agree, my dogs may be intimadating looking to the average person and they do bark if someone is at the door but I'm not so sure they would do anything if they actually got in the house. We have a security system, but have never had a problem only because the way our dogs look, most people still assume they are pitbulls.

[rannmiller]

I completely (but respectfully) disagree with all of you. When you have a dog with natural protective instincts, the best thing you can do for that dog and anyone who may choose to attack you in the future or who may be perceived as a threat is to train that dog to focus and control those instincts rather than just having it snap one day because it's going purely on impulse rather than training. I would say over half of the people on my Doberman forum own personal protection trained Dobes who are still sweet, well-loved members of the family. The only difference is, that now the dog can recognize a real threat versus a false alarm and the owner is capable of letting the dog know the difference and encourage it to respond appropriately.

IMO people who just assume that all dogs trained in personal protection are good for nothing other than killing people and make terrible pets afterwards either haven't done much research on the subject and are going simply off of their own misconceptions and/or have not owned a dog with these natural protection instincts.

It's also nice to actually know that your dog has these instincts and actually will protect you in a time of need rather than just running away or being a useless lump in a corner. There is almost nothing worse than being in a threatening situation with your dog by your side only to discover that your dog doesn't know what to do and isn't going to help you. Trust me. It sucks.

I have a Doberman pinscher as well, I have talked to a couple of trainers about getting her PP trained (which I believe is an excellent way to learn to control your Dobe, have him control himself, and generally make him a well-rounded Doberman), what they mainly recommend is getting your Dobe trained in advanced obedience before starting PP training (for obvious reasons). PP training is also very expensive (starts at about $800+). Also, like I said before, your Dobe has to have the right drive for it, which a trainer will/should be able to evaluate your pup and let you know if he has that drive.

Another PP trainer on my Doberman forum (Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums which I'd highly recommend you join for more specific Doberman questions) said it is a good idea to play games like tug of war with your puppy and let him win a lot. Eventually you can shape the behavior so that he only gets to win the toy if he gives you a really good tug and shake. This helps build his confidence and helps get him used to bite work.

I'm moving to a house in a not-so-wonderful location very soon and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm getting Peyton personal protection trained as soon as she's ready, especially since she's already displaying natural protective tendencies. I'd rather not have her put in a threatening situation where she gets hurt trying to defend me because she doesn't know what to do, or the other person gets killed because she doesn't know how to control herself.

[luvMyBRT]

I agree in that the sport of Schutzhund is not for everyone. There are only certain handlers and certain dogs that can excell properly at the sport.

However, I do feel that protection training has a positive side. I feel that it is a way of molding a dogs own natural instincts. A dog that is properly trained in Schutzhund has control over its drive and instinct and listens to his handler and obeys even when excited. I often think that when people her the word "protection" dog they think of a vicious animal out for blood. IMO, it is the total opposite! For a dog to get the SchIII title it has to go through some major training (obedience, tracking and protection). To me, this is a dog that the owner has complete control over, "aggression" and all. The result would be a very well behaved and trained dog.

Now, that being said, I feel that ONLY dogs that meet certain criterea (their temperment, character, how much socialization they have had, previous training, etc.) should be trained in protection. AND, only certain advanced handlers should attempt this with the help of a trainer with an extensive Schutzhund backgroud.

If your Dobie is socialized properly as a pup (and through his adult life), and you do training (obedience, etc.) with him he will be a wonderful dog. Lay down the proper foundation from day one.

This is what I did with my Rottie. I socialized, socialized, socialized and trained, trained, trained. I didn't worry about protection training or aggressiveness. I just set the foundations with lots of postivie training and love. I actually did find out one night what Kodi would do if an intruder tried to come into our house. The person was at our window (I was home alone with my kids). Let me just say that Kodi's protective instincts came out and from that day forward I felt very safe when with him. This was the only time I saw him be truly aggressive, and he didn't back down.