Will a German Shepherd Attack an Intruder If Untrained?

Will a German Shepherd Attack an Intruder If Untrained?

If you are here to find out whether or not your German shepherd will attack an intruder, if untrained? Then this post will show you whether or not he would do it.

A German shepherd is a herding breed and is popularly known for their limitless loyalty and courage, making them an amazing guard dog and military dog.

German shepherds are also popularly known as a family dog. Because of limitless loyalty, they have it in their nature to protect their loved one’s once they are trained to; however, untrained dogs have also been known to protect their owners.

A German shepherd is a protective dog, but they are many things to consider before you can figure out if an untrained German shepherd will attack an intruder or not. And what measures can you take in order to make it more likely to protect you?

Will a German shepherd attack an intruder if untrained?

 German shepherds have a history of being protective as; first, they were initially bred for the purpose of protecting the herds of sheep.

However, there are many things to consider before one can conclude, so here in this article, we have tried to discuss those points for you to read and make an informed decision.

At what age does your German shepherd start being protective?

 German shepherds are born with this instinct to protect their loved ones, and this instinct starts developing as early as 12 weeks, and as they grow older, the intuition becomes stronger.

The thing to understand is there is a difference between being aggressive and being protective. Your pet can show its protectiveness by barking or growling until the reason is removed.

However, if your pet is being aggressive, it may bark or growl aggressively or start lunging toward any person or animal.

Considering the nature of German shepherd

German shepherds are one of the most loyal dog breeds, and like any other dog, they love their family.

As per the nature of German shepherds, they are calm and are a friendly type of dog. So if your pet is not trained to attack, it may not attack an intruder but will still protect you by barking and growling aggressively.

However, if your German shepherd tends to get aggressive if someone new comes to your home or if someone your dog doesn’t know comes close to you, then it is more likely for your dog to attack the intruder even if your pet is untrained.

Is being aggressive better than being friendly to your pet?

 Some owners think it is better to have an aggressive dog than a friendly dog as it’s aggression may save you from the intruder, but if your German shepherd is aggressive, it will be a lot more challenging for you to manage your pet. It will not even act reasonably when you have guests around, and it will be much likely for your pet to act violently towards someone friendly.

So if you want your pet to be protective and not to be aggressive, then it is best for you to train your pet, so here are some tips for you to help prepare your pet against an intruder.

Measures you can take in order to make your pet more likely to protect you.

Establishing a strong bond with your pet:

 Before you start to train your dog, make sure to establish a strong bond so that your dog may listen and act on your commands. To make your bond stronger with your dog, you can follow these steps:

  • Take your pet for walks.
  • Try to play with your pet as much as you can.
  • Rewarding them with treats.

Socializing with your GSD

 Socialize your pet from the start so that it can differ between different behaviors of different people and can know when anyone is trying to harm or threaten you. For socializing, take your pet with you to different places so that your German shepherd can interact with other animals and other people.

Teaching your German shepherd the basic commands

Start the training by teaching your pet the basic commands like telling your pet to sit, stand, even to shake hands, and ask your pet to stop when you need your pet to stop barking. As your pet starts processing these commands, try to teach your pet panic words. All this practice will end up with your German shepherd being more obedient and will answer all your calls with each passing day.

Train to attack

If your dog is familiar with your commands, it is time for you to teach your pet to attack.

The use of a dummy can be a perfect choice for you to teach your pet to attack. By placing the dummy at a certain point, you can then command your pet to attack the dummy, and soon your dog will learn the ways of attacking.

After a while, you can replace the dummy with a real person but remember this step can be dangerous, and it may hurt the person, so it is recommended only to teach them this step in a professional’s presence. Having your pet train by a professional can make your pet more protective towards you.

While training your German shepherd, remember your pet can’t make any progress in one or two lessons, so remember to be patient, and the key is to be consistent with your training. Within no time, your pet will be able to achieve the goals you have set before the training.

Rewarding your pet

Rewarding your pet with tasty little treats is a great way to appreciate your pet.

Treats for pets is also recommended as the best way to appreciate all the training sessions you are doing with your pet while it is performing different tasks around the field.

While training your pet, make sure to serve your pet a tasty treat as soon as it has followed your command or has performed a specific behavior.

The Exit

In this article, we have tried to keep the facts in front of you so that you can know if your untrained German shepherd will attack an intruder or not.

There are different angles to look for the answers, so here we have started the discussion with the age and nature of the German shepherd.

Today in this world, it is very important to have a pet that you can count on that can protect you if you ever need protection from an intruder.

Let us know if you have an untrained German shepherd who has ever protected you from an intruder, and if not, what are the measures you are willing to take to make it more likely to protect you.

Will A German Shepherd Attack An Intruder If Untrained?

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