Hey there, humans! Jasper here, your friendly neighborhood German Shepherd. Or, as I like to call myself, the self-appointed Guardian of All Things. You see, I have a special talent for, ahem, letting everyone know when something—or someone—unfamiliar is in my territory. Some call it reactivity; I call it being thorough.
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Mailmen and Squirrels
Take the mailman, for example. Every single day, he comes to MY door, drops off these suspicious-looking envelopes, and expects a free pass? Not on my watch! Or that pesky squirrel in the yard—I’ve warned him countless times. Frankly, I don’t understand why he doesn’t take me seriously.
But here’s the thing, my humans. It’s not always about aggression or fear; sometimes, it’s just my way of saying, “Hey, life is exciting, and I want to be in the middle of it!” Plus, let’s face it, you adore the way I go all-out, barking my head off and showing those intruders who’s boss.
GSD are not Poodles
Sure, I could be a bit more laid-back like Fluffy the Poodle next door, but where’s the fun in that? Being reactive keeps me on my toes and ensures you get your daily dose of humor and exercise trying to calm me down. So next time I lose my cool, remember: I’m just being the best darn guardian you could ever ask for. Don’t get a GSD if you don’t understand this. Our genetics can be directed but they can’t be changed. If you want a poodle, get one.
The Hard Stuff
Now on to the hard stuff. While it is just the nature of German Shepherds to be guardians and a bit suspicious, I know, now that I’m 2 years old and much more mature, your alpha has to be in control. Apparently, that can take a lot of work and involve money, time and in Mom’s case a few bloody tumbles!
Being Alpha
Take my alpha, Mom. She definitely has the personality to be an alpha but given she is 65, which she tells me is way too old to keep being pulled over by a boisterous 80 pound GSD, she did not have the physical strength to control me when I was out of my “very bad work” mind.
What can I say? I love all people. Mom says sometimes I love them too much and I have had to learn manners. This means no jumping up for French kisses. Sigh. That’s so much fun too! But I’m very smart and it did not take me long to learn no means no. I did need some help though.
Anyway, over exuberant kisses are one thing, but wanting to eat that chihuahua in PetSmart is a whole other ball of wax. That’s what Mom says. I don’t know what a ball of wax is but apparently it’s not a good thing. So, we had to do something.
Calvin the Trainer
Mom sent me to Calvin. Calvin is a trainer. I stayed with him three weeks. We still go to train with him when we can. Calvin taught Mom and me how to redirect me when I was in that out of my “very bad word” mind. Yes, we used a stim collar. Broken bones are no joke, Mom says to tell you and as sweet natured as I am with people, I am not sweet natured with other dogs. We think that happened when we went to that puppy class where all the other dogs were barking at me so of course I barked back. I was mostly just excited. The thing is, excitement can quickly become aggression in dog world.
Conclusion
Anyway, I can pretty much go anywhere now with Mom. I still don’t like other dogs but I trust Mom to take care of them. She has a big stick and some bad smelling stuff. I’d run if I saw her for sure! So just be aware there are answers for dog reactivity. Some dogs can be helped with just positive training and gradual exposure and that’s great! But if your 80 pound dog needs more, Mom says don’t feel bad about that. Shelters are full of GSD people surrender because they feel too “bad” to do what’s needed in some cases. I’m sure glad Mom wasn’t one of those people!
