German Shepherd protection training?
A well-bred GSD with a sound temperament (outgoing, observant, and confident without aggressiveness) will certainly protect home and family if needed without training. Protection training is honing the skills the dog already has and putting control and commands on it. It's not necessary unless your dog is working on a police force, for the border patrol, or you will be competing in French Ring Sport or Schutzhund. The chances that you have a GSD with the right temperament for this type of training is slim to none-- most GSD's do not have the correct temperament and drive for protection training. Most of the time, a dog that will bark if alarmed is enough protection-- if somebody will come past a large barking dog to get to you, they'll shoot the dog to get to you anyway. Please don't 'protection train' your dog. It must be properly done, and must be done so the dog thinks its a GAME in order to be reliable and effective. It takes a lot of time, effort, and work, and most dogs aren't capable of that level of work. 99.9999% of dogs 'protection trained' by anyone but a professional are a liability and end up being unpredictable and dangerous. The right type of dog with the right amount of drive combined with the right handler and the right trainer is of profound importance. Without all of these elements, the dog becomes unmanageable and dangerous. An aggressive dog is not a 'protection trained' dog, and a 'protection trained' dog that has been trained properly is aggressive only on command and when the need arises (such as a police dog protecting his officer from an attack while on patrol). Your dog will be fine without this training.
Is our great dane a prospect for the show ring? ?
You need to have him evaluated by the breeder (hopefully they show) and/or another experienced person that is knowledgeable of the Dane breed and breed standard. You also need full AKC registration. Good thing your dog isn't spayed since he's a boy. :) An altered dog can't be shown in conformation. Being part Euro isn't an issue. There are many in the ring. My own show girl is part Euro. If his personality is too laid back he will be harder to show since he won't have that "show" presence.A "blue" harlequin can't be shown in conformation in the US.....a merle can't be shown either...A harlequin (white with black torn patches) always has at least a couple of merle patches.This is acceptable as long as not over done. A Harle also can have pink on it's nose and it can have blue eyes as well as one of each...it is not as desirable as a black nose or dark eyes but is acceptable. It is not a DQ.The only one that can change a limited registration to a full is the breeder.A responsible breeder will have the dog evaluated before ever considering the change. The dog needs to be evaluated to make sure it meets breed standard and has show potential. I suggest that you go to the GDCA site and study breed standard, read the color code learn as much as you can. http://www.gdca.org I also suggest that you find a breed club or a Dane club near you and contact them.Get involved in some show handling classes.
WHAT IS THE BEST DOG TRAINING/CARE DVD?
Hi JesusFreakk, I recommend My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training (Book & 60min DVD) Great guide for training a dog of any age. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044657886X?ie=UTF8&tag=digitsy-post-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=044657886X
How do I train my dog to tell me when he needs to go outside?
It is not something you need to train him to do, in my experience. All you need is regular potty-training (praising outside pooping, dragging him outside when he starts doing it inside, you know the deal). Eventually he will learn that he needs to go outside. First step: done.Now comes another fun part. He now knows that poo equals outside, but he is not capable of holding in for long. Now you need to:Take him outside every 1 to 2 hours (at the beginning).Watch out for ANY SIGN of him wanting to go out. In my experience, these can be standing at the door, looking at it and then at you, barking for no apparent reason, coming to see you if it is unusual, walking strangely like his butt is embarrassing him (sounds funny but that’s what happened sometimes). If you suspect him to want to go out, take him out. Be especially careful about the barking, that’s the one I missed the most often.If you have the opportunity, try to ask a friend who has a dog (which gets along well with yours) to spend some time at your house. His dog will have a way of asking to go out (barking near the door, coming to see you and looking like he wants something). Your dog will watch and learn and eventually get very quickly how it works. I experienced this phenomenon with my younger dog who caught the older dog’s way of asking in and out.I’m sorry if it is not the answer you wanted (an active training), but having never done that and without being an educator I am not qualified to answer. I hope you will get other answers from people more qualified than I am.Good luck with your dog and remember: just like with babies, it seems like everyone’s is potty trained at 2 months when you read on the Internet but most of them aren’t and no dog is fully home-poop-proof until the age of 1, physiologically.
How do I start in dog shows?
Your first step woould be to find a RingCraft class, this is a training class that teaches you how to move, stand and present your dog in a show. And buy a book about dog showing so you know all the terms. Once you and your dog have got the hang of the basics its time to find a show. A Compaion show is a show for fun for any dog and u just turn up on the day and enter this type of show would give u a great start as its for fun, there are open shows and champ shows that are for KC dogs only and you have to get a show secudal and pay the entry fee in advance. you also get breed only shows where only KC dogs of that breed can entre, its just like an open or champ show. You could enter in any of the 3 shows. but your dog must be over a certain age (either 6 or 8 months i cant rember which) You could also speak you your breeder for some advice. if they show and u live near trhem maby you could go with them to a show. His pedigree wont matter in the show ring as the judge is looking at his confomationa and movement. If she is a good example of her breed she may win a place, alltought not every dog is show quality so dont get upset or affended if she doesnt get placed in shows.
Are Belgian Malinois more difficult to train than other types of dogs?
My husband and I have a Belgian Malinois as a service animal. We have had him since he was 8 weeks. He is now 15 months. By month three, I was crying pretty much every week. By month five, I put my foot down and called for profressional trainers to get him straight. We sent him into his formal training at about seven months. And yes, he takes about four hours of work PER DAY. He must be stimulated mentally AND physically else he will tear through his kennel, the couch, the wall or anything he can get his teeth on. He has even chewed into himself because his anxiety gets so great. He thrives on attention, focused discipline and being part of the tribe. He chose me over my husband as his alpha because my husband would cave too early and not stand his ground. The dog caught on VERY early and refuses to listen or pay attention to my husband unless he wants to wrestle. After his formal training, he was a completely different animal, BUT if we do not give his 100 commands per day - he easily slips into laziness and then disregard at our commands. This animal is willful and will only respect you if you maintain his dignity while disciplining. He remembers things….even little things and will catch you to test the boundary over and over. I like to refer to him as a Raptor (think dinasours). As an owner who has made this animal into an investment, I would HIGHLY recommend steering clear of the breed unless you plan on purchasing professional training. Our dog DOES have a shock collar, and without it….the boundaries he wants to cross are endless.
Has your dog ever attacked someone without provocation?
Dogs judge situations by their sense of smell and sight (secondary).I once bought a Rottweiler right off the show ring in Germany. The leash was handed to me and immediately he obeyed my every command. He went on to leave champion litters in America. But I digress.Immediately after I got him and was walking around, he tries to attack a drunk stumbling in my direction. I hadn't even seen the man.It was my privilege to live with him from age two until he died at age thirteen. He never, ever became aggressive again. Nor did my any of my other imports. They were regal.I also had Chihuahuas. That was a very different story. I got them stateside and they were brawlers. Some could be shown, others not. Their temperament was unpredictable.I lived in a 10 acre horse ranch in the city. The Rottweilers, neither animal, nor people aggressive. The Chihuahuas needed round-the-clock supervision. They still managed to get in trouble.In Europe breeding is regulated. In America pedigrees are as undependable as Chihuahuas, it's all about the money even among so called “Breeders of Merit".Once I moved out of the ranch and all my dogs had died of old age, I decided to adopt a dog that met the restrictions in the high rise where I currently live.I adopted a pit bull terrier mix from the pound. She is between 30 and 40 pounds. Best dog I've ever had. She has given me more joy and affection than all the other dogs put together. Go figure.