Why Are German Shepherds So Protective

What Does It Mean If My German Shepherds Temperament Is Alert

A dogs temperament can mean a number of things.

If your German Shepherd is alert, it could mean they perceive there is a threat or something exciting nearby.

For example, a German Shepherd may become alert and excited inside your house when they think a member of the family is arriving home from work. They might stretch and way their tail and sniff at the door if this is the case.

On the other hand, a German Shepherd might be alert, tense, focus their eyes, growl/bark, bare their teeth, and charge + a number of other aggressive traits if they think a threat is nearby.

The behavior doesnt have to be to either of those extremes, it came be somewhere in between too.

Each dog is different.

Top 10 Reasons Why German Shepherds Are The Best Dog

Top 10 Reasons Why German Shepherds Are The Best Dog: German shepherds are popular as family dogs due to their intelligence and loyalty.

There are many reasons that made the German Shepherd one of the best dog breeds ever. Often used as police and guard dogs in large numbers GSDs are getting popular as a family dog breed too. They are known for their love and devoted behavior for their owner. Here we are discussing Why German Shepherd is the best dog breed.

Why Dog Shock Collars Are A Totally Unnecessary Training Tool

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Why Are German Shepherds So Vocal

As a herding breed that tends to be protective and territorial, the German Shepherd can be excessive in barking, groaning, whining, and moaning. But these German Shepherd behaviors may also be triggered by positive situations and other breed-related temperament traits such as its friendly family-dog nature.

Also, leaving your dog consistently alone at home and for long periods may cause him to be vocal. The German Shepherd is among the top 10 dogs most prone to separation anxiety. As such, your GSD may also groan, whine, or moan to express his loneliness.

As a rough guideline, your German Shepherd may manifest any of these behaviors for one or more of the following ten reasons shown on the table.

How To Get Your German Shepherd To Be Less Jealous

There are a number of things that you can do to get your German Shepherd to be less jealous that I will mention below.

Exercise

German Shepherds are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise daily. When they do not get much exercise it can cause them to develop behavioral issues. Generally, it is recommended for them to get an hour of exercise per day.

If your German Shepherd does not currently get that much exercise then it would help to make sure that it does. You can exercise it by walking it, playing fetch with it or having a local dog walker do it for you.

Give it attention

It would also help to give it attention when it is being well behaved. By doing so it should help to reduce how much it feels the need to be jealous. However, it would also help to avoid rewarding the jealousy where possible.

Give it training

If you have not given your German Shepherd much training then it would help to make sure to do so. By giving your German Shepherd training you will be able to get it to listen to your command and to be better behaved.

When training your German Shepherd it would help to start out by training it easy things such as the down command in an environment without many distractions. Then, when it can do it, you would start to include the object of jealousy and train it to do the command then as well.

You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.

Avoid rewarding it

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They Are Initiating Play

If you tend to react to every one of their behaviors, German Shepherds may sit on you to simply get you to send them away and give them a chance to climb back and be sent away again a bit like kids do!

If youre laughing or showing signs of enjoying this back-and-forth game, youve succeeded in rewarding your German Shepherd with some playtime. Expect them to climb on you the next time you lie down in a similar position!

German Shepherds Are Strong

German Shepherds are the second most popular dogs and are favored for their power, intelligence and strength.

They are ranked number three in the world for their intelligence and are easily trained. They are used by police and military for their speed, strength and sensitive noses to track explosives, drugs and criminals.

Dog bite force is the level of pressure in a dogs bite. Its the strength inflicted on its victim. The more pressure, the more injury or damage to something or someone. Its measured by pounds per square inch . This method is used to determine force that a dog puts forth with his bite. Its the pressure released over a square inch of a pound.

The German Shepherds psi is 238. They rank 12th in the top 20 dogs with the strongest bite.

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They Are Friendly To Other Pets

With the right training and socialization, German Shepherds are very good with other dogs and pets, despite what some people may believe. The best way to achieve this is to introduce other pets to your German Shepherd while it is still a puppy, as this is the phase when your dog really is a blank page. Of course, you need to make sure that the other pets, especially if they are dogs, are acting nicely with your German Shepherd. If they are aggressive, then it may return similar behaviour in response. The aggressive reputation of the German Shepherd is really not deserved, as it is a very kind and friendly breed if properly trained. After all, proper training is vital, no matter which breed of dog youre dealing with!

How German Shepherds Become Overprotective And How To Prevent It

German shepherds are natural guardians of their home and family. Bred to herd and guard their flock, these working dogs intelligent, brave, and confident. They are very active, high energy, and hyper aware of whats going on in their surroundings.

German shepherds are very loyal and form close bonds with their humans. They are happiest when hanging out with their people and love being a companion and the center of attention. They are also playful, affectionate, and loving.

Due to their strength, size, and personalities, German shepherds require training and socialization to thrive in their homes and be good citizens in their communities. Untrained shepherds that lack guidance can develop many behavior problems.

German shepherds are also highly adept of reading body language, being in tune with their owners emotions, and are intuitive. These traits make them amazing pets that are easy to train, a joy to be around, and awesome pet partners in life.

These same traits, coupled with lack of training, guidance, and leadership, have the potential to create dogs that are overly bold, insecure, fearful, or even aggressive. This is not normal behavior for a German shepherd and early intervention is the key to reversing it so the dog can develop into the happy companion it was born to be.

To prevent a dog from becoming over protective:

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Most Common German Shepherd Behavioral Problems

Before we dive into the most common behavioral problems associated with German shepherds, I think its important to look at where the breed has actually come from.

Over the last century, German shepherds have been used for tracking, search and rescueespecially for the police and protection and guarding. So, its no surprise that a lot of the issues are in this exact area.

They have been intentionally bred for traits such as fierce loyalty, intelligence, and strength.

This leads to one of the first common problems for German shepherds, which revolves around aggression and the need to protect. Its very possible that an untrained German shepherd would be likely to bark or lunge at other dogs or people, especially on his own property.

Its not at all that this type of dog is being mean or nasty. In fact, from the dogs point of view, he believes hes just doing his job of protecting his family or territory.

Its a very, very common problem, and, at the end of the day, it is what the German shepherd has been bred to do a lot of the time.

The good newsthis behavior can be untrained. Or even better yet, if youre working with a German shepherd puppy or a young German shepherd, you can easily avoid this behavioral problem. And in case you are wondering, this does not automatically mean, that if you ever really do need help, that they wont rise to the occasion!

Once again, with some basic training and a good sturdy harness, this behavior can be easily prevented.

Other Loyal Dog Breeds

While German Shepherds are one of the most Loyal dog breeds, there are a lot of other dog breeds that are also known for being very loyal.

Other loyal dog breeds include:

• Rottweilers

• Affiliate Disclaimer

  German Shepherds owner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program. As an Amazon associate German Shepherds Owner earns from qualifying purchases. German Shepherds Owner is also a participant in affiliate programs with Dunbar Academy and Oliie Pets. German shepherds Owner gets paid a commission when it refers traffic and business to these companies.

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So Are German Shepherds The Ideal Protective Dog

On a scale of aloof to overprotective, German Shepherds will always fall into the overprotective category. In fact, without proper training, their protective instincts can be overwhelming for under prepared families.

German Shepherds are eager to please their owners and as such, want to protect their pack. They will bark at intruders, defend their territory, and ward off potential threats until they the threat is neutralized.

German Shepherds are incredibly brave and they wont back down from a challenge until they know their families are safe.

On the other hand, this can present issues in some circumstances. A German Shepherds protective attitude can make them somewhat aggressive if you dont train them properly.

Also, destructive and aggressive behaviors will develop if these dogs dont get the extensive exercise they need on a regular basis.

You need to be mindful of the German Shepherds protective mindset when you consider adopting one. If you arent willing to commit to training, you may see their protective traits manifest themselves in the following ways:

• Food aggression
• Aggression toward people or children
• Aggression during play
• Being territorial with other pets
• Barking and responding to non-threats

These behavioral issues are also common when owners dont exercise their German Shepherds enough. They become frustrated when they dont get enough exercise, and as a result will act out in destructive ways as this pent up energy needs to be released.

German Shepherds Are Healthy

The German Shepherd is a very healthy breed and on top of that, if you have one they will keep you healthy too! One of our favorite qualities of these dogs is the wonderful value that they bring to the family lifestyle in general. It is not uncommon to hear stories of how getting a German Shepherd has improved the lives of the new owners, specifically in terms of how much more often they go outside for fresh air and physical activity. This brings huge benefit to the kids and also to those getting older, who need to keep their muscles and joints in good working order.

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What Do You Need To Know Before You Get A German Shepherd

9 Things You Need To Know Before Getting A German Shepard 1. There will be fur. Everywhere. 2. Expect to buy a lot of replacement toys. 3. They require a ton of attention. 4. They tend to play rough. 5. Their bark is worse than their bite Sometimes. 6. Get ready to have an extra shadow. 7. So. Much. Whining.

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Are Female German Shepherds Protective

Males can be more protective of their surrounding area, while females are more protective of their family. Since female German shepherds have the pack instinct, they will be more protective of your family than their male counterparts.

10 other answers

Yes, German Shepherds are known for their protective instincts. However, the lengths to which they will go to defend their homes and protect their families will depend on the personality of each individual dog, how theyve been raised, and the strength of the bond they have developed.

German Shepherds are one of the most protective dog breeds with a high drive to protect their owners and their territory when they are raised well. With that being said, German Shepherds are not always protective. They will tend to be much less protective when they are not raised appropriately.

German Shepherds are highly protective & make excellent family protectors. If you’re looking for a dog to protect your family, few breeds will do a better job. A Real Guide About German Shepherds

Not All German Shepherds Are Naturally Protective. Just because German Shepherds are generally known to be protective, loyal dogs, doesnt mean that every individual will be. There is natural variation among every dog breed. Even puppies from the same litter can be very different to one another.

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Do Female Dogs Prefer Male Owners

Whether or not dogs are more attracted to one gender cant be objectively answered because all dogs and people are different. But, dogs generally tend to be more attracted to a specific set of behaviors that are exhibited mostly by adult women. Its not that dogs are exclusively attracted to female adults.

Why Are German Shepherds So Smart

The German Shepherd was specially bred in the late 1800s, using the best dogs to do so. This thoughtful process helped develop the German Shepherd into a dog that is not only known for being smart but brave, confident, and strong.

Apart from this special breeding process, there are specific attributes that German Shepherds have that contributed to their intelligence:

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Reasons Why A German Shepherd Might Not Be Loyal

If you get a German Shepherd and it is not so loyal or it stops being loyal, here are some possible causes of why it might happen.

Being excluded from the family

German Shepherds are meant to be a part of the family. When they are separated from the family they will develop behavioral issues and become much less loyal. However, when they are allowed to be a part of the family and are given daily training, exercise and attention they will normally become extremely loyal towards their family.

A lack of training

German Shepherds are a breed that is meant to get a lot of training. This is because they were bred to be working dogs and they perform best when they are given tasks to do.

When they do not get much training it can cause them not to understand what their owners expect from them and to behave in a less desirable way.

Mistreatment

When German Shepherds are not given lots of attention, they are separated from the family or they are punished a lot, they will become much less loyal.

Negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement involves inadvertently encouraging a dog to behave in an undesirable way by giving it rewards when it behaves that way. If you give your GSD rewards such as treats, toys or extra attention when it acts in a way that is not so loyal then it will encourage it to behave that way even more.

Other Dog Breeds That Are Protective

German Shepherds are not the only breed that is protective by nature. Below are some other dog breeds that are naturally protective that you might want to consider getting as well.

• Rottweiler

• Affiliate Disclaimer

  German Shepherds owner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program. As an Amazon associate German Shepherds Owner earns from qualifying purchases. German Shepherds Owner is also a participant in affiliate programs with Dunbar Academy and Oliie Pets. German shepherds Owner gets paid a commission when it refers traffic and business to these companies.

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