We had a GSD when I was a kid. She was great with us, and generally great with the neighborhood kids. HOWEVER if she thought someone was hurting us (even if they were just playing) she would not hesitate to bite (and almost did bite a couple of times, and was only stopped because someone else was quicker than she was). We kept her in the house or in a securely fenced yard. She had a correct temperament for a GSD, but I would not have kept her tied up in the front yard as that would have been asking for trouble.
I think most dog bites are caused by stupid owners, and usually it’s kids and usually it’s in the face. You sound like a responsible dog owner.Can we just clone you?
I have two rules for being a responsible dog owner.
1. Understand that its a dog and it will do what dogs do.
2. Let it be a dog.
what the h...is a GSD?
We’re not all in the club.
It’s usually in the face because kids do not understand the “direct eye contact” taboo *and* naturally want to hug dogs.
To the average dog, a “hug” is a ~very~ serious, overt dominance maneuver and they do not like it.
*Most* dogs let their humans hug them because they have grown to understand that it is not our intent to aggressively [perhaps dangerously] “dominate” them as a stranger or other dog might and because they have learned to tolerate our ignorance of “dog speak”.
Kids should be taught by their parents what [and what not to do] around -all- dogs.
Unfortunately, a lot of parents either don’t know ‘the rules of ‘dog speak’.
One of my rescue Dobes was tormented by kids throwing rocks and sticks.
They thought it was “funny” to watch him get wound up and run impotently up and down the fence line.
[he was “deprogrammed” and became a fine dog]
I also had a horse that kids threw rocks at because she would flag her tail and “gallop beautifully” to avoid their projectiles.
She never quite got over it and was always flight and jumpy if somebody moved their arms in such a way that she thought they were going to throw something.