Hello all,

I have two German Shepherds-- a male and a female. The male is four years old and the female is three. Last year, I enrolled them in a professional protection training program, which essentially operates as a kind of "canine boarding school." Each group of dogs is assigned a handler/trainer who works with them intensively every day. The program is run by a retired trainer for federal law enforcement, and every handler I spoke to when I was checking the place out seemed to know what they were doing, so I was satisfied at the time. At the end of their ten month training, I took them back home to live with me full time. Since then, I have noticed more aggressive behavior in each of them toward guests and sometimes even family members. They will stand possessively between myself and/or my children and whomever has come to our home as a visitor, until I tell them very sternly to back off. They will pace along the fence, staring menacingly at passers-by, and sometimes growl at those who come within a few feet. While they are still OK with me, my husband and my kids for the most part, every now and then, if one of us is playing tug of war or a similar game, our GSDs (particularly the male) will get kind of rough and inadvertently scratch or knock down a family member.

This new behavior is a radical departure from their previous behavior. Both dogs used to be playful and loved attention from just about anyone who wanted to give it to them. My husband and I had previously wanted them to assume more of a protective/guard dog role, but I think we made a huge mistake by having them go through this protection training. The question is-- what the heck do we do now? I consider them part of my family, so putting them down is not an option, but I am sometimes fearful of them, as are my children, not to mention any guests that are still brave enough to come visit. The trainer told me this is part of the "readjustment period", but it has been two months and not much has changed. This may sound silly, but is there any way to "deprogram" a dog that has undergone protection training? As a side note, I am thinking of suing the company that runs this program. I have spoken to a multitude of trainers who, while they do not know what to do with the mess I am in now, have told me that protection training should teach the dog to holster the aggression until given instruction by its owner--- the dog should not normally be making these calls on its own--- so I have been ripped off.

Any suggestions you all may have would be much appreciated, thanks.

TEN MONTHS away from you? I wouldn't sue them. I think it was your job to know what you were getting before sending them away for so long, to a place designed for what they are now doing. Their failure to 'holster' their behavior could easily be ascribed to your failure to know how to do it. Hire a local trainer to come to your house and train YOU how to train them.

TEN MONTHS away from you? I wouldn't sue them. I think it was your job to know what you were getting before sending them away for so long, to a place designed for what they are now doing. Their failure to 'holster' their behavior could easily be ascribed to your failure to know how to do it. Hire a local trainer to come to your house and train YOU how to train them.

Yes, I expressed hesitation about this when I first learned the full details of the program, but was assured by the owner (a former trainer for federal law enforcement) that this is normal as far as protection training goes. He said dogs in his program routinely enter around one to two years old, undergo their "top of the line" protection training for about two years, and are then shipped to security firms as guard dogs for celebrities and other high profile folks. I figured if it's good enough training to protect people like that, it's certainly good enough to keep my family safe from any would-be intruders. I readily admit I made a mistake and trusted the wrong person/program. Many people have suggested I sue to recover my money, especially since the program cost nearly $9K per dog.

To be human is to err. Plenty of people trust advice from others touting decades of experience in a particular area in which they have little to no knowledge and end up getting burned. We're all just out here trying to do our best. I have approached a number of trainers, but all have turned down the job. The vast majority are good with run of the mill "don't pee on the carpet" obedience training, not reversing these kinds of issues.

Let me guess, schutzhund training?

Yes :(

Yes :(

Your dogs have been trained for 10 months to be guard dogs, aggressive, protective. Unless they're both police dogs, or working guard dogs, this training is really not recommended for a family pet.

I really would get a personal trainer and see if you can undo what's been taught. It won't be easy, it may not even be possible, but that's your best bet.

I wish you had come here before enrolling them in this sort of training.

I wish you the best of luck. Don't give up, hire that personal trainer.

First of all.. GSD's will naturally guard their home. They are protection dogs.. this comes as a natural instinct to them.. the same as a Labrador or a Pointer with a hunting instinct.

Secondly... your typical police dog/military dog or any other type of "high profile" guard dog are extremely well bred. Training a dog to do such things.. genetics really play a huge role in this. Your average breeder does not produce puppies/dogs that can handle this type of training. And not all of their puppies were meant to be a working dog. Just because it's a GSD, doesn't mean its going to be Rin Tin Tin. And that is something you need to know.

Shutzhund training isn't a bad type of training. Its not evil or mean.. It doesn't create man eating dogs.. In fact, it's a very disciplined obedience that strengthens the bond between man and dog in a very, very strong way. Military dogs, police dogs.. they would die for their owners because they want to protect them and because they were trained to face danger head on. These dogs are fearless.

Your dogs only completed 10 months of a 2 year program. In my mind, that is an incomplete training course and they aren't completely trained. You also sent your dogs off to be trained.. they are bonding with their handlers, not you or your family. So why should they protect you? Why should they accept you as pack leader? Understand where I'm going with this?

If you cannot handle these dogs, and if they frighten you, then you are just putting yourself, and everyone around you at risk of being severely injured. I would suggest to reliquish the dogs back into the training program. Military dogs/Police dogs and the "high profile" guard dogs are very well taken care... however; they are not pets.

You want a pet. A pet that is doing to sound off when someone tries to break into your home and alert you when something is going wrong.. not a professionally trained, shutzhund military dog. That's absurd that you even went through with sending them off.. Seriously, what were you thinking?

A personal trainer is not going to "de-program" your dogs. Someone please tell me what a "certified" dog trainer is doing to do with professionally trained military dogs? NOTHING! Be realistic... You didn't ruin your dogs, you had them trained to do exactally what you wanted them to do.. and now you don't like it.

I really hope you live in a mansion made from gold.. because there really is no reason to have a "high profile" guard dog. You're average mutt would accomplish what you want... a pet that won't let someone break into your home.

Your dogs have been trained for 10 months to be guard dogs, aggressive, protective. Unless they're both police dogs, or working guard dogs, this training is really not recommended for a family pet.

I really would get a personal trainer and see if you can undo what's been taught. It won't be easy, it may not even be possible, but that's your best bet.

I wish you had come here before enrolling them in this sort of training.

I wish you the best of luck. Don't give up, hire that personal trainer.

I agree. As a German Shepherd owners and a person that has always had them, they are products of what you teach them. As you know they are so smart and so loyal to their family. You did yourself no favors by both enrolling them in that class and having them gone from you for 10 months.

German Shepherds are protective by nature. If you don't have the family smell on you, they are naturally going to be watching.

I don't know how much luck you would have suing since you knew up front what you were getting and what they were offering.

Good luck and I love German Shepherds.