CsV and Protection

I was wondering if the CsV owners here would care to go into a little detail about their natural protective nature. As CsVs aren't at all common in the US, I don't know when I'm going to have the chance to meet one, and I'd like to get as much info on their temperaments as possible.

I hear a lot about saying their wolfdogs are protective, and that it's a natural ability, but I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that. Lets say you were threatened somehow. What would your dog do? Would it get between you and the attacker? Would it growl? Would it naturally go to biting, without giving any warning? I'm just wondering what one would expect when that instinct came to surface. Also, does the dog listen well when it's told the situation is ok? Or will it decide for itself that you're still in danger, and attack regardless?

Are there any other dogs you can compair their temperaments to? From what I've heard, a lot of their charictaristics remind me (all for different reasons) of German Shepherds, Akitas, and Huskies. Any thoughts on this?

How do you feel about wolfdogs and Schutzhund training? If a dog has natural protection ability, but an independant nature, is it better to go through actual protection/bite training with the dog, to teach it when biting is appropriate (i.e. on command) or would that encourage the behavior to the point where the dog would then decide on its own when to bite (which may or may not be in the correct time)?

For the record, I would never get a CsV without meeting them first in person, but I figured that before I go through all the trouble, it's best to do a lot of research and learn as much about their temperaments as I can.

[Vaiva]

Hello, I only have one wolfdog, never trained to protect or to bite, but I can say my impressions on this.

Thanks god, I have never been in a really dangerous situation with my dog, but she feels very good how I feel about other people. So if a drunk guy tries to join me in a cafe (happends ) and I say, no, I do not want your company, but he still tries to keep the conversation or sit close to me - Brukne always comes out (she usually sleeps under the table in such cases) and shows the most terrible manifestation of her She growls, shows her teeth, fluffs the hair all over her back and keeps the tail straight up. Usually people understand this kind of argument much better than my words... But she have never tried to bite anyone - only gently taking in her mouth a hand of the people she really loves (at the same time wagging her tail and looking in one's eyes).

Ah, and the brother of my girl, Waidila Girios dvasia, had a situation when a stranger hit his 17 years old mistress. The dog (not trained for defence or smth similar) bite stranger's leg just to stop him. The policemen were amazed about such a great deffender

[Navarre]

Train and educate the dogs is the best way, ever!

About biting : only few csw are able to do schutzhund, because many are able only to growling and barking, but when you leave the leash...fly away till the horizon!

Obviously the dog should be trained, even to bite, but many csw -simply- don't have the right character to do this.

Our dogs bites quite well, but at training field we see many problems with other csw...may be the character, may be the wrong training (they cannot be trained like a GS)

[Grin]

Originally Posted by Vaiva

Ah, and the brother of my girl, Waidila Girios dvasia, had a situation when a stranger hit his 17 years old mistress. The dog (not trained for defence or smth similar) bite stranger's leg just to stop him. The policemen were amazed about such a great deffender

She's lucky, she lives in Lithuania (I suppose); In Poland she wolud have had trouble because of possesing an agrresive and dangerous dog, or for "using means inadequate to the threat".

(Sorry for OT; I couldn't resist )

[Vaiva]

Originally Posted by Grin

She's lucky, she lives in Lithuania (I suppose); In Poland she wolud have had trouble because of possesing an agrresive and dangerous dog, or for "using means inadequate to the threat".

(Sorry for OT; I couldn't resist )

We have the same here, but the man, who attacked first a 17 year old girl and made her a consussion wasn't right anyway. The dog was defending his mistress.

[Grin]

Originally Posted by Vaiva

We have the same here, but the man, who attacked first a 17 year old girl and made her a consussion wasn't right anyway. The dog was defending his mistress.

Of course; with all my heart I'm for the girl and the dog; I've just written that to show, how grotesque an approach and situations sometimes we have here.

[Vaiva]

Originally Posted by Grin

Of course; with all my heart I'm for the girl and the dog; I've just written that to show, how grotesque an approach and situations sometimes we have here.

Oh yes, the same is usually hapenning in Lithuania... At the moment ALL the dogs have to be walked with muzzles (I don't do this ), youcan not enter parks or allow your dog to swim in public beaches Even in a dogs playground officially dog hs to wear a muzzle Stupid, isn't it?...

Hey, could you please write the rules of keeping/walking a dog in Poland in a topic "Dog keeping rules... blablabla.."?

[saschia]

My first wolfdog tended to growl when she felt I was in danger, and I had to teach her not to bite everybody who just wanted to shake my hand. But she learned. My second wolfdog was raised to be very friendly with people and not to expect anyone to be dangerous, but when she doesn't like somebody, she growls and barks. Usually its drunks she doesn't like.

None of my wolfdogs needed to defend me in real. I suppose just them being present is quite enough, but on the other hand men (even drunk) generally leave me alone. I think they are scared of me ;o)

[solowolf]

Originally Posted by Navarre

Train and educate the dogs is the best way, ever!

About biting : only few csw are able to do schutzhund, because many are able only to growling and barking, but when you leave the leash...fly away till the horizon!

Obviously the dog should be trained, even to bite, but many csw -simply- don't have the right character to do this.

Our dogs bites quite well, but at training field we see many problems with other csw...may be the character, may be the wrong training (they cannot be trained like a GS)

these CSW that can not be trained to bite of do schutzhund training and dont as you say have the right characture should not be used in any breeding programe, the Csw is a working dog and they are very good at there job in the correct hands, i work with Csw and they can do anything a gsd will do only difference when the gsd gets tired the Csw is just getting warmed up,,,,,,,my dogs fear nothing and are couragous, the modern csw is loosing its working ability the show ring proves this over and over again with these shy dogs you see hiding behind there owners when someone walks close bye, tails so far between there legs they looked like they have been docked, when you have to look twice to see if it is a dog or a bitch, my dogs are all social and greet anyone as lots of people who visit will know, but even my dogs that are not trained will protect my family if put on the spot and they will if nessesary bite. pacino uk. ps get yourself proper trainer

[Navarre]

Originally Posted by solowolf

but even my dogs that are not trained will protect my family if put on the spot and they will if nessesary bite. pacino uk.

uhm...I think that if you never try, you will never know.
About using or not in breeding shy dogs: it is not all black or white, I saw shy pup becoming from a litter of very brave csw and the contrary.

Originally Posted by solowolf

ps get yourself proper trainer

I got it ( [http://www.lastnavarre.it/lavoro.htm), and you ?