My dog likes to be petted by strangers. Normally it would bother me a lot. Except that he makes people do it with a different mindset, he drives them to do it. I had to stop him many times with a strong word from doing it to me because it makes me feel like I'm his bitch. Good dog anyways.. So I figure that the petting is OK. But then he's got zero suspicion. Not a good guard dog, but a good personal protection dog. Anybody have thoughts about your dogs being petted by strangers?
I don't let people that don't know me pet may dogs one reason is my gsd is sharp and most people don't know how to pet a dog that intimates them. As for my ab he only likes to be pet by people he knows. I do think that it does lower their suspescion and thier trigger to a degree. But for some dogs that might be a good thing and for others it's not. In the end I think it should be up to the handler.
my ab is the same way strong and pushy and doesnt mind a person touching him , now imo there is nothing wrong with a very confident dog and if the mindset is right u should be able to turn a dog like this into what u need him to be .
My old male Rott is a very outwardly social dog to all he meets outside the property, and even once introduced to him withit it, until told otherwise. Now he is a very serious working dog with some very strong live bites on his record. He has shown that he will stand up against some of the worst situations I have seen a dog face but he is still always social when he first meets someone. Do I think it reduces his effectiveness? No, not one bit. I can take him every where no matter how many people or how they act and know he is not going to decide to bite anyone he shouldn't but I know he will do the job as he has if needed and he will still watch everyone who approaches us or if we are walking at night etc.
I have no problem with strangers petting my dogs, especially when they are out in public and off their turf. My male bulldogge Dexter is exactly how you describe with your Rott, forces people to pet him and he dominates and wants to knock them over and hump them when he does it too.
In fact I dont like a dog that wont allow strangers to pet em, no reason to bite someone when off their own turf if someone is passively trying to pet them in my opinion.
I hear ya. Being petted off his turf wouldn't bother me so much as when strangers come to the house, and my dog does do it at the house. I'll turn around and there he is on his back four feet up in the air getting his belly rubbed. This as well as no show of aggression when people come to the front door doesn't make me happy. What happens if I'm not home and someone wants to rob the house? If my wife is home it's a different story, if anyone were to get aggressive he'd take action on his own. The more pronounced the threat the quicker the attack.
On the other hand when in the back patio he does show aggression for any strange occurrence. My back yard is connected to an empty commercial unit and today there was a car parked there which is unusual, no people just a car. As soon as I let him out in the back he noticed the car and was barking at it. Yesterday someone popped their head over the bushes looking towards my area, my dog saw them from 50 yards away and was getting on looking like he wanted to jump the fence. This is what it looks like. If he'd only do it inside the house.. I'd be so happy with him.
And there isn't a way that I can think of to make him more suspicious of people coming to the door. He doesn't respond to agitation in the conventional way. He'll stand there just looking and the next moment will go through the window busting the glass. I replaced a window each time of the 4-5 times that I tried it. Then when normal people come to the house there is no indication that the work with the decoys had any lasting effect.
Have you done much aggititation work in your back yard? I know with my dogs they will become aggressive just by being in the place they associate with aggressive action by people.
I have done probably 10 home break in scenario's with my Jade and she is very protective of the front door to the point of I have to make her do a down stay when people come over so she can see me greet them and that they are passive. She will be aloof with them for a minute or two and then will warm up to them & enjoy being petted. Prior to any of this training she would great everyone at the door with a wiggly butt & now its quite the opposite.
Do you think your Rott would be more suspecious if nobody was home and a stranger came in?
Yes, %60 of the agitation that I've done with him was in my back yard. But it was all situational, I bring the dog out on leash and the decoy is there waiting. Then some attempts to make him bark and usually one bite in the end to unload. Knowing how he is I just didn't think that the agitation in the back yard connected for him with guarding the back yard. But you may be right Matt, maybe some of it did sink in. Thanks for pointing it out. Still the agitation at the front door and window didn't do a thing.
I really don't know what he would do if no one was home. I suspect he'd do nothing as long as the person didn't do anything threatening. He does have it in him though. One time my father came to visit and stayed at my house, at that time the dog didn't know him. When he wanted to come into my room in the morning after the dog not seeing him the whole night the dog growled warned him not to come in.
I really need to hook up with people who can decoy for my dog.
Likes being petted
Linear Mode
