my GSD too much of a guard dog???

dog

I to agree it's over the top, and is good he stops & comes when you call him.

Besides getting professional help , I would have a leash on him and work on STOPPING the behavior before it happens (atleast you would have some control on avoiding for example, him attacking the bf's car)

It sounds like he's probably been doing this longer than you've had him, and has gotten away with it, so now 1. it's become a habit and 2. he's had no one show him that it's not acceptable otherwise.

At my house, this dog would never ever have privelages of being loose (he must be loose if he goes after the car right?) and he'd never have the opportunity to do something like this. What if, as I said before, a kid came walking thru your yard ? or rode up on a bicycle?

Definately find some professional help.
Diane

It's great that he stops, like everyone's said.

But I know from Roxy, that allowing them to go over the top like is an accident waiting to happen. Roxy does stop when she's told, but for the first few weeks of moving into our new home, she went "balistic" as you so put it.

A few times she came close to going through our two large picture windows, and she often bowed the back patio door, at squirrels, people etc.

It is totally possible that if we allowed her to continue over-reacting like that, she very well may have gone through the window, seriously injuring herself.

I think otch1 makes a great point about dogs reacting that way when your outside WITH them. My guys will rarely go off about anything outside unless it scares them, or "catches them off guard". Like a cat darting through the bushes, or a person appearing seemingly out of nowhere. If people are walking down the street and I'm outside, Roxy may let out a low growl, but that's about it. It's funny, because she usually looks at me, like "Did you see them?!?! You know they're there right? You can take care of it this time LOL

Find some help right away. At least then you can start bonding with your dog and working on obedience to help control your dog. I read an article on dogs that make big to-do's over everything and everything, and it was cute the road they took with it. Often with dogs that make a huge ruckus over normal things embarass us and can be hard to control them. So the walks end up being later and later at night until there are none at all. Until we don't take them ANYWHERE because we don't want to deal with their barking/snarling and sometimes uncontrollable behaviours.

Roxy is far from being a totally friendly dog, maybe she never will be. But I can tell you from personal experience, that obedience training was the best thing that happened to us. Not only did our bond strengthen, but I can walk her out in public without having to worry EVERYTIME someone passes by that if they speak to me, Roxy's going to flip out!

I agree with Diane as well, the latter part of your post. It sounds like he's so over the top that you would not be able to call him off a child before it's too late.

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