My introduction

[SKelt83]

Hello,

I was introduced to this site on Reddit. I have had 6 GSDs throughout my entire life, everything from pets to working K9s. My last GSD, Kalispell, was an incredible breed representative in every way, she is the sable dog in my banner.

Thunder is the black GSD in my avatar, currently in his teenage phase and needing a lot of base level work, he was trained as a working K9 but rejected due to not having Malinois drive.

We are located in Michigan, USA, I am happy to help anyone that thinks they could benefit from my experiences.

 

[Andre]

Hi SKelt, welcome to the forum!
Your banner is a great photo. Dogs love the snow! I really love sables.

Thunder is a handsome boy too. How old is he? @MyDogBitz has a 9 month old right now. I am wondering if they are around the same age. Are you in the force of some kind or just managed to get Thunder because he didn't make it through the program?

Thank you for being open to sharing your knowledge and experiences, we have members of all different skill sets who will be grateful for the help.

 

[SKelt83]

Hello Andre,

Thunder is 16 months old. Our breeder trains dogs for the US government and police forces, the puppies he identified that don't have the necessary skills get sold to families.

Thunder went through training for patrol work and explosives detection. The agencies did not feel he had high enough drive for their needs, so the breeder kept him. When we contacted the breeder about another puppy, he introduced us to Thunder. The main issues we currently work through with Thunder are resource guarding and general anxiety. He is usually very well behaved for his age, but very possessive of his kennel and anything in it. The only aggression he shows outside of that area, is when dogs pull towards us on walks or am unknown person comes into our property. Both situations are carefully monitored and we work to de-escalate him.

 

[Andre]

Hello Andre,

Thunder is 16 months old. Our breeder trains dogs for the US government and police forces, the puppies he identified that don't have the necessary skills get sold to families.

Thunder went through training for patrol work and explosives detection. The agencies did not feel he had high enough drive for their needs, so the breeder kept him. When we contacted the breeder about another puppy, he introduced us to Thunder. The main issues we currently work through with Thunder are resource guarding and general anxiety. He is usually very well behaved for his age, but very possessive of his kennel and anything in it. The only aggression he shows outside of that area, is when dogs pull towards us on walks or am unknown person comes into our property. Both situations are carefully monitored and we work to de-escalate him.

Oh alright, that's cool that the breeder works with the government and police. Did you get him as a puppy?

Sounds like you are well-versed with the breed. Great to have more knowledgeable people around. Looking forward to following along with your journey with Thunder.

I myself am still learning and preparing for my puppy in the spring.

 

[MyDogBitz]

Hello Andre,

Thunder is 16 months old. Our breeder trains dogs for the US government and police forces, the puppies he identified that don't have the necessary skills get sold to families.

Thunder went through training for patrol work and explosives detection. The agencies did not feel he had high enough drive for their needs, so the breeder kept him. When we contacted the breeder about another puppy, he introduced us to Thunder. The main issues we currently work through with Thunder are resource guarding and general anxiety. He is usually very well behaved for his age, but very possessive of his kennel and anything in it. The only aggression he shows outside of that area, is when dogs pull towards us on walks or am unknown person comes into our property. Both situations are carefully monitored and we work to de-escalate him.

Hi Skelt83,

Have you introduced the dog to structured play? This will definitely help fix the resource guarding.

You can teach an "out" command and a "leave it" command. You'll also be able to "let the dog win" so he can fulfill that need to possess and guard. Playing can also help with the anxiety as it will help build the dogs confidence. I've never met a dog that doesn't benefit from play, even if they won't play with you in the beginning. The outcome is worth the effort.

I'm not saying this is the case but a lot of police training directors are old school and they don't believe in allowing the dog to play, posses items and they way they teach an out is very conflicting for the dog.

Anyway, good luck with Thunder!

 

[Malakai The Great]

Welcome, SKelt83! Great to have you here. Six shepherds under your belt is a wealth of experience!

Thunder looks fantastic in your avatar, the black coats always stand out. That teenage phase can be a wild ride, but it sounds like you’ve got the know-how to steer him through it. Interesting to hear he was K9 trained but sidelined for not having Malinois level drive. Honestly, that probably makes him a lot more balanced as a companion while still carrying all that training foundation.

Looking forward to hearing more about your journey with Thunder.

 

[SKelt83]

Oh alright, that's cool that the breeder works with the government and police. Did you get him as a puppy?

Sounds like you are well-versed with the breed. Great to have more knowledgeable people around. Looking forward to following along with your journey with Thunder.

I myself am still learning and preparing for my puppy in the spring.

We got Thunder six weeks ago, he had just hit 15 months.

 

[SKelt83]

Hi Skelt83,

Have you introduced the dog to structured play? This will definitely help fix the resource guarding.

You can teach an "out" command and a "leave it" command. You'll also be able to "let the dog win" so he can fulfill that need to possess and guard. Playing can also help with the anxiety as it will help build the dogs confidence. I've never met a dog that doesn't benefit from play, even if they won't play with you in the beginning. The outcome is worth the effort.

I'm not saying this is the case but a lot of police training directors are old school and they don't believe in allowing the dog to play, posses items and they way they teach an out is very conflicting for the dog.

Anyway, good luck with Thunder!

Thank you for your kind words!

Thankfully the breeder doesn't use old school philosophies so we play frequently and let him win. We have to be careful because Thunder is still settling in and did not get socialized much. Thankfully he gets along well with my wife's 2 year old Maltese.

Thunder gets about one hour of structured play and training each day and two to three miles of walking.

 

[SKelt83]

Welcome, SKelt83! Great to have you here. Six shepherds under your belt is a wealth of experience!

Thunder looks fantastic in your avatar, the black coats always stand out. That teenage phase can be a wild ride, but it sounds like you’ve got the know-how to steer him through it. Interesting to hear he was K9 trained but sidelined for not having Malinois level drive. Honestly, that probably makes him a lot more balanced as a companion while still carrying all that training foundation.

Looking forward to hearing more about your journey with Thunder.

Thank you for your kind words.

Many younger police officers want Malinois drive because of what they saw from dogs on film and in war. The breeder we use is a retired SWAT and K9 officer, he believes the Malinois drive is a detriment to normal K9 officers due to increased bite risk in public settings.

 

[MissRae2020]

Hello,

I was introduced to this site on Reddit. I have had 6 GSDs throughout my entire life, everything from pets to working K9s. My last GSD, Kalispell, was an incredible breed representative in every way, she is the sable dog in my banner.

Thunder is the black GSD in my avatar, currently in his teenage phase and needing a lot of base level work, he was trained as a working K9 but rejected due to not having Malinois drive.

We are located in Michigan, USA, I am happy to help anyone that thinks they could benefit from my expe

Hello,

I was introduced to this site on Reddit. I have had 6 GSDs throughout my entire life, everything from pets to working K9s. My last GSD, Kalispell, was an incredible breed representative in every way, she is the sable dog in my banner.

Thunder is the black GSD in my avatar, currently in his teenage phase and needing a lot of base level work, he was trained as a working K9 but rejected due to not having Malinois drive.

We are located in Michigan, USA, I am happy to help anyone that thinks they could benefit from my experiences.

Just wanted to say hello also found this on Reddit and am from Michigan as well! I have a 9 year old sable Miss Rae and thank you if I have any questions I'll be asking

 

[SKelt83]

Just wanted to say hello also found this on Reddit and am from Michigan as well! I have a 9 year old sable Miss Rae and thank you if I have any questions I'll be asking

Which part of Michigan are you in? We are outside of AA. Would love to get Thunder exposure to other GSDs in normal settings.

 

[Kaia Murphy]

Wow, six shepherds, that’s amazing! Kalispell sounds like she must have been such a special dog. And Thunder is gorgeous, I love the black coats.

I’m curious, since Thunder was trained as a working K9 but didn’t have that Malinois-level drive, how have you found the transition into home life with him? Does he still crave a lot of that structure and training, or is he more content just being a companion?

 

[SKelt83]

Wow, six shepherds, that’s amazing! Kalispell sounds like she must have been such a special dog. And Thunder is gorgeous, I love the black coats.

I’m curious, since Thunder was trained as a working K9 but didn’t have that Malinois-level drive, how have you found the transition into home life with him? Does he still crave a lot of that structure and training, or is he more content just being a companion?

Kalispell was a combination of the best attributes from the previous 4. I have instructed my family to bury me with her ashes, she did so much to shape myself and my life.

Thunder requires structure. The first few weeks were rough because he constantly tried to dominate us, had lots of anxiety, and didn't know how to calm himself down. We had to work with a behaviorist to overcome those issues, he is finally settling in and acting more like a normal dog. We have realized he still needs and craves work, but it's manageable now.

 

[Kaia Murphy]

Kalispell was a combination of the best attributes from the previous 4. I have instructed my family to bury me with her ashes, she did so much to shape myself and my life.

Thunder requires structure. The first few weeks were rough because he constantly tried to dominate us, had lots of anxiety, and didn't know how to calm himself down. We had to work with a behaviorist to overcome those issues, he is finally settling in and acting more like a normal dog. We have realized he still needs and craves work, but it's manageable now.

Kalispell sounds like she was truly one of a kind. That’s beautiful that you want her ashes with you, it really shows how much she meant.

And wow, it’s amazing to hear how far Thunder has come! It must have been tough in those early weeks, but it’s so encouraging to see how structure and working with a behaviorist made such a difference. Do you still give him jobs day-to-day to help channel that need for work, or is it more about routine and exercise now?

 

[SKelt83]

Kalispell sounds like she was truly one of a kind. That’s beautiful that you want her ashes with you, it really shows how much she meant.

And wow, it’s amazing to hear how far Thunder has come! It must have been tough in those early weeks, but it’s so encouraging to see how structure and working with a behaviorist made such a difference. Do you still give him jobs day-to-day to help channel that need for work, or is it more about routine and exercise now?

Kalispell really was the best, she wasn't perfect, but her judgement and intelligence were flawless (except for when I had the hose going).

Thunder is still getting stable in routines with us. Due to life in the kennel, he resource guards a lot but he is getting better. When he fully settles in and follows commands for our entire family, we will begin training him for Search and Rescue work.

 

[Mr. Schmucks]

Welcome SKelt!

 

[Samsonthegreat]

Hello,

I was introduced to this site on Reddit. I have had 6 GSDs throughout my entire life, everything from pets to working K9s. My last GSD, Kalispell, was an incredible breed representative in every way, she is the sable dog in my banner.

Thunder is the black GSD in my avatar, currently in his teenage phase and needing a lot of base level work, he was trained as a working K9 but rejected due to not having Malinois drive.

We are located in Michigan, USA, I am happy to help anyone that thinks they could benefit from my experiences.

Hi and welcome
My Samson is an all black 14 month old, we just work with him at home, he’s a great guy with an amazing temperament although I do have quite a scary chihuahua mix that keeps us all in our place lol

 

[SKelt83]

Hi and welcome
My Samson is an all black 14 month old, we just work with him at home, he’s a great guy with an amazing temperament although I do have quite a scary chihuahua mix that keeps us all in our place lol

I cannot imagine the chaos of that combo. These two keep us busy enough as it is.

Cash is the Maltese, he is also the Harbinger of Death in our neighborhood. Somehow he has killed more animals than all six of my GSDs combined.

 

[Samsonthegreat]

But but he looks soooooo cute

 

[Kaia Murphy]

Kalispell really was the best, she wasn't perfect, but her judgement and intelligence were flawless (except for when I had the hose going).

Thunder is still getting stable in routines with us. Due to life in the kennel, he resource guards a lot but he is getting better. When he fully settles in and follows commands for our entire family, we will begin training him for Search and Rescue work.

Kalispell sounds like she was such a once-in-a-lifetime girl, even with her little quirks. And that’s incredible about Thunder, it must be so rewarding to see him finding his footing with your family after that transition.

Search and Rescue sounds like such meaningful work! Do you already know what type of SAR you’ll be focusing on with him, or are you waiting to see what suits him best?