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Author Topic:   gaurd training aussie shepherd help!
Jazmyns_daddy
Member

Posts: 22
From:valparaiso, indiana
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 04:38 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jazmyns_daddy     Edit/Delete Message
hello again all.. just had a little question for the group. i have read that aussies have a natural knack for guarding/protecting their owners. i was just curious how you bring out this instinct in a pup or how to work with her to bring this quality out. for example if i leave her in the house (future tense..shes only 8 wks now) how do you turn on that switch to make her guard or for another example if me/girlfriend are for a walk with jazzy and somebody comes up looking for trouble do they naturaly know that there is a problem and go into caution mode. any insight would be greatly appreciated as usual. thank you to all for entertaining a thought with me.
steve

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kyles101
Member

Posts: 227
From:Perth, Western Australia
Registered: May 2003

posted 11-16-2003 06:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for kyles101     Edit/Delete Message
im really curious as to know what an aussie sheperd is! im from australia but the term aussie sheperd is nevre used.

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Jazmyns_daddy
Member

Posts: 22
From:valparaiso, indiana
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 09:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jazmyns_daddy     Edit/Delete Message
an austrailian shepherd is actually a pretty decent cattle dog. basically bred for theyre herding abilities and also they have a terrific work ethic. they are a long haired dog with a naturally bobed tail and come in a whole variation of color. mine is a red tri. quite excellent dogs in my opinion. search engine would probably provide you with a pic for one. thanks for the curiosity.
oh yes also they have no ties to austrailia. oddly enough i cant remember where the place of origin is but i believe it is in the united states. not sure how they got the aussie. hmmm.
steve.

[This message has been edited by Jazmyns_daddy (edited 11-16-2003).]

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Karnac
New Member

Posts: 3
From:Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 10:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Karnac     Edit/Delete Message
With regards to training Aussies for protection, they seem to do this instinctively. Both my female and my brothers' male came from the same litter and they were both protective from the age of 6 months. Sadly we lost them both at the age of 12 within a month of each other recently. Almost like an expiry date came due. Hope you have years of love and pleasure as we did. Time to find another...

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Jazmyns_daddy
Member

Posts: 22
From:valparaiso, indiana
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 10:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jazmyns_daddy     Edit/Delete Message
very sorry to hear about the loss of your friends karnac. i know i would not want to lose my jazz. i kind of figured that in a few months that might kick in instinctivly. thanks for the help.
steve

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Maisey
Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-16-2003 10:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
JazmynsDaddy, what you are talking about is instinct, most likely you will not have to teach her to be protective or gaurd...but you will probably have to teach her whats appropriate. If you raise her with love and respect, go do some puppy and obedience classes with her she will be more than happy to protect whats hers.
My Aussie mix tells me quietly when he doesn't trust or like someone and will usually step between me and that person, occasionally he has made a scene about not liking someone...I tend to trust his judgement more than my own!
Please don't take this wrong...but, it's a dangerous thing for someone who is not a trainer to try and make a dog a protection dog. Even when a dog is trained by a professional in protection it needs an experienced owner who understands the way that dog works. I think what you were asking about was the natural protection a dog does when he loves his family, even that can be complicated, I am beginning training with my Catahoula pup and part of that will be me learning how to handle his protective nature, he is VERY protective of me in particular,to the point it has become a slight problem and a little over my head experience wise, so i am going to a professional for help in making sure I know what I am doing and that I end up with a well behaved dog.

Kyles...here is a link to AKC with a picture and description of the Australian Shepherd. http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/ausshep.cfm

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Jazmyns_daddy
Member

Posts: 22
From:valparaiso, indiana
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 10:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jazmyns_daddy     Edit/Delete Message
yes i am looking for that natural protection, not anything taught. i do pln on taking her to obedience classes. i dont know enough about her breed to roperly train her for protection. not sure i would even want that out of an aussie. was just curious when she will start to show signs of territory around the house and with us. like you said i think that will come with love and respect which she gets a whole bunch of. didnt know when puppys usually start taking on these traits. thank you for the reply.
steve

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tuttifrutti
Member

Posts: 478
From:Dallas, Texas
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-16-2003 11:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for tuttifrutti     Edit/Delete Message
Yup! It is instict! My aussie, who recently died at the age of 15 1/2, protected my mom from EVERY dog that came up to them, and would generally attack, as my mom would get nervous because she had seen an AWFUL dog fight as a girl between a german shepherd and dachsund, but If I walked her, she was sweet to everyone and got along great with all of the dogs I let her meet, which may have been helped by the fact that I took her leash off, or dropped it. It should show up as she gets older!

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Maisey
Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-16-2003 11:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
Steve, Dooley (my Aussie X) started showing protectiveness around 6 months, but he was very easy to train to "follow my lead" I can tell him "OK" and he will settle next to me, he is still on gaurd, but he knows I have it handled so to speak. Witt, my Catahoula pup, started rather abruptly it seemed to me, he was 8 months old and just decided he was a little man and was in charge of keeping anyone and everyone from looking at me. The trainer said it's like the teenage years for him, and Witt is a much more alpha dog than Dooley, he is very bold, a bit of a bully. He doesn't listen to anyone but me, occasionally he will listen to my husband and oldest daughter ( and this is getting better), but they have to be very firm with him to get him to respond and even then he looks at me first as if asking..."do I have to mom?" The trainer suggested that I may not be showing him that I am the "gaurd", in charge, in control, enough to convince him in a situation where he feels there is a threat. We don't have issues with him minding me any other time, he knows I am top on the ladder in every other instance. She said it may be that I feel a little threatened or uncomfortable when strangers approach, enough that he feels he should step in. Anyhow we are still working on it and I do see improvement.
I gotta tell you this...this is how protective Witt can be; I was at the gas station filling my truck up and I had the window down. A very drunk man came up to the window and asked me for money, Witt was growling but I had my hand on him and told him, "it's ok". Well when I said no to the man, twice... he reached into the truck and grabbed my arm, I'm not sure why and didn't have time to think about it because Witt was over the top of me and on the mans arm so fast my head spun. He sounded like he was going to kill the man...of course the man jerked his hand back out, so it was all sound effects, the guy fell backwards and landed on his butt when he jerked back, I realized looking down at him and the puddle on the ground beneath him that he had wet his pants. I didn't know what to say other than, "I'm sorry" The gas station attendant told the man to leave and when he was on his way and my truck was filled with gas, the attendant reached in the window for the money instead of waiting for me to hand it to him...MISTAKE! Witt was over the top of me again, I had him by the collar, but all 65 pounds of him was throwing himself at the door of the truck threatening the man. I finally got him to sit on the other side of the truck, paid the man who was near heart failure and telling me not to come back. I've never been kicked out of a gas station so I was a little shocked, the way I see it, my dog was protecting me when they invaded my/his space. I would definately like to have more control over him in this aspect but I really do feel like they were the stupid ones for reaching into a vehicle when the dog was obviously on gaurd. Witt will be a year this month. My worries are geared towards training him to have some control, not too worried about teaching him to be a gaurd dog LOL.
Do you have pictures of your little girl yet? I would love to see her.

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Jas

Moderator

Posts: 536
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 11-16-2003 12:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jas     Edit/Delete Message
I agree with Mais, its not necessary to train dogs for guarding, many are natural protectors and encouraging this is often detrimental for the dog. When you will see natural protection will vary with the individual dog. One of my girls didn't let out a peep until she was well over a year! Frankly I was surprised knowing my breed had protective instincts, but we knew it would come later. My male began showing "protective" tendencies starting after 6 months old. Don't expect too much from puppies, they usuallly love everybody and that is just fine, it doesnt impair ability later on!!!

[This message has been edited by Jas (edited 11-16-2003).]

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Jazmyns_daddy
Member

Posts: 22
From:valparaiso, indiana
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 02:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jazmyns_daddy     Edit/Delete Message
well i think that takes care of all my suspicions. thank you very much too all. i really appreciate the input. as far as the picture goes i have a roll of me and her developing onto a cd-rom so once i get it back i will upload it on her for everybody. thanks
steve

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jeminn
Member

Posts: 166
From:Colorado, USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-16-2003 03:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jeminn     Edit/Delete Message
Jazmynsdaddy- I want to recommend a good book for Aussie owners called "All About Aussies" by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle. You can find a used one on Ebay, but expect to pay around $30 used, or $50 new. It is the best book out there on the breed. Aussies are of Spanish origin. The sheep were tended by shepherds and their "little blue dogs" in Spain dating back into the 1600's. The Basque shepherds and their little blue dogs immigrated to the US and Austrailia during the last quarter of the 19th century. In the early 1900's the US began importing Austrailian Sheep to upgrade American stock. The Basque shepherds and their little blue dogs were introduced to North America at this time and were primarily in the Northwest region of the US. As ranching and farming increased, so did the the popularity of the Austrailian Shepherd. The breed standard for an Aussie is to be reserved with strangers. They are exceptional companions. If you can get a copy of the book, you will find everything you need to know about raising and training your Aussie. These dogs are highly intellegent and I would encourage you to read as much as you can about their temperment and training. I have raised Labs, huskies and now have my first Aussie, Jules who is 7 months old and a black tri. I would like to have 10 of these dogs- I cannot say enough good things about the breed. However, Jules was a scared unsocialized puppy when I got her at 11 weeks. Knowing what I had researched about the breed I was weary of her attitude and afraid she may end up being a dog with weak nerves. I began socializing the heck out of her, knowing that her natural instincts to protect and guard would still be there, but that she needed to build trust in human contact. Once this bond of trust is established you will have a friend for LIFE. Chances are you do not need to worry about teaching her to be protective. If anything you need to reinforce a loving bond of trust at this age and expose her to positive interactions with other people, children and dogs. Jules is now the perfect mix of being protective, loyal and watchful of anyone or anything approaching her "flock" (our family) and being a lot of fun and a great companion to our children and their friends. Most of the kids around here love to come over and play soccer or football with her because she tries to out-think your every move and is very engaged in play. She knows how to herd the kids and my cats. She learns things quickly, and I like the fact that she watches my every move, and is guided by my actions, and reactions. She lets me know when someone is approaching the house, but the minute I tell her "it's ok" she is fine with the person. If I am weary, she is weary. I trust her instincts and sound temperment. When she is in the car, she watches people in the parking lot like hawk. She is just completely tuned in to her surroundings and taking everything in. The look in her eye is of questioning curiosity, but then she has the look of an eagle when she is at work or play. They are such a fun breed. Good luck and have fun with your pup-

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susan_cude@hotmail.com
Member

Posts: 813
From:Santa Maria, Ca.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-16-2003 03:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for susan_cude@hotmail.com     Edit/Delete Message
Hi, I think it's instinct. I had a big beautiful Akita Sheperd mix. I thought he was too mellow, thought he wouldn't protect me. Until one day a man dropped off an order for me from his wife. I invited him in, my dog was in the house, everything was fine until the man reached over to put the box down on the table, (he had to reach in front of me) Chuck "that's my dog" ran and got between me and him, and began to growl at him. He than paced in front of me, I had to put him out, but I was so proud of him! made me feel safe. I think it just comes out when it has to. Susan

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kyles101
Member

Posts: 227
From:Perth, Western Australia
Registered: May 2003

posted 11-16-2003 05:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for kyles101     Edit/Delete Message
'The Australian Shepherd was given its name because of their association with the Basque sheepherders who came to the United States from Australia in the 1800's' well there we go, thats how they got their name :P cute dog, i wonder why there arent any here?

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jeminn
Member

Posts: 166
From:Colorado, USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-16-2003 07:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jeminn     Edit/Delete Message
Kyles- interesting question. I have read that in Australia similar dogs to the Aussie have only begun to be noticed during the last decade, most likely because of the isolation of the Australian continent. They were crossed with other good working dogs throughout Australian sheep stations. There are a couple of lines imported from Spain, but the actual origin of the breed cannot be traced through records because the Basques had no written language, many could not speak English, French or even Spanish. Sheepman only really know that these dogs accompanied the Basque herders with boatloads of Australian sheep and that is how they ended being called Australian Shepherds. However, most of what is known about them is by word of mouth and legends. Indians thought the dogs were sacred spirit dogs because of their blue eyes and left their owners unharmed. This info by the way is from my "All About Aussies" book so take it for what it's worth. Interesting history though to say the least.

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