Will my German Shepherd be friendly to strangers if well-socialized?

If you are seeking a dog specifically to bark at strangers, your best bet would be not to introduce him to others outside of your immediate family. If you allow him to mingle with lots of other animals and people, he will likely become a well adjusted dog that gets along with most people. German Shepherds are definitely known for their protectiveness, especially towards their family and property. Unfortunately they are also known for their neurotic behavior and destructiveness when not given an appropriate job. Because of their high level of intelligence, German Shepherds tend to do better when they have a purpose. Oscar might benefit from some training in some type of dog related activity. German Shepherds are known for their acumen in Schutzhund. I would suggest you watch some videos online about this, and see if it is something you are interested in pursuing with your dog.

Check out this fantastic website that has tons of free information about how to help socialize your dog and correct unwanted behaviors. This is Dr. Ian Dunbar's site, and he is a very respected veterinarian, dog behaviorist, and dog trainer. dogstardaily.com. Good luck!

The breed of dog isn't necessarily a determining factor in whether or not they could be a service dog. Both these breeds can be dogs that respond well to training but they are also large powerful dogs. Because of this it is crucial that they are well socialized as young puppies. This means having them meet MANY different people/dogs and experience many different situations (going in elevators, being around bikes, etc) while they are young. If they don't have exposure to this at a young age they can become fearful of things which can lead to problems. I would recommend the book 7 Days to the Perfect Puppy by Sophia Yin.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Just like people, some puppies tend to be more friendly than others. So it sounds like good news that Oscar is a social and happy puppy! Best of luck to you and Oscar!

Unfortunately, Pluto's window for maximum socialization is already closing (ends around 10-12 weeks in most German Shepards), so really for the next couple of days, you want to expose him to as many dogs, people, sounds, floor surfaces, types of clothing, etc that you possibly can. To specifically answer your question, any type of dog you want him to interact well with in the future is a good type of dog to introduce him to this weekend. Make sure to have lots of yummy treats and leave the situation if Pluto is scared of something, but short of scaring him, expose him to everything! Good luck and enjoy your adorable pup!

It may be due to the fact that Daisy is getting older. It could also be due to a fearful experience with a stranger and now Daisy thinks that will happen again. Most German Shepherds are not known to be overly friendly like a Labrador. Most German Shepherds are somewhat disinterested or even wary of strangers or individuals who do not have close contact with them. You can try to keep her behavior towards strangers more eager or positive by asking them to give her a high value treat (when appropriate obviously). A training class is an excellent opportunity for this. You should also do some reading about the breed as you may get some very valuable information. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Bruno will continue to be friendly towards strangers if he is introduced to them on a regular basis. If you truly are using him to be a guard dog rather than a companion or family pet, having him spend time with lots of strangers is not going to make him effective at performing his job. This will make him well-socialized and ultimately a friendly well adjusted dog. If you haven't already considered it, I would recommend looking into Schutzhund training. There is a ton of literature and media on this available, which will demonstrate how to train Bruno into being a good protector. German Shepherds are generally better dogs when they have a job do, and this type of training will provide just that type of stimulation.