Got yourself an aloof GSD? Its your own fault - Page 2

 So from the answers so far it wasn,t that the dog was so controlable but the lack of experience of the handler, I believe thats what I said.

 Missbeeb, I love you. 

Bankcroft, sounds as if your old dog was just like my present male. If you do so happen to get your hands on one like it again and don't want to "deal" with it, send it my way. I'd take a 100 dogs just like mine, or at least a lifetime full of them. I can only shake my head at those who want a GSD without the correct temperament. Get a  freakin' Lab.

Men are always trying to obtain the "perfect 10" woman.  A true goddess.  One that all women want to be and men wish they are with.  The problem is that when most men obtain this, they can't deal with the by-product of being with such a person.  Some get jealsous, etc., etc. 

The problem isn't the dog, but the handler.  The O.P. is confused in my opinion.  You can have hardness without handler agression and independence.  You can have a courageous dog with dominance and not have conflict.  And an aloof dog with it's handler either has bad nerves or hasn't bonded.

What should a breeder's goals be?  What is your ideal GSD?  If you take away these qualities, the GSD would not be as vesitile as it is.    

I wouldn't trade my Tiekerhook kids for the world..One of them is trying to type this message. I have her brother outside , who just came back home. His parents are getting a divorce and the kids are being split..They couldn't split the dog so I demanded they bring him home..One great dog..And Abby is also. Hard driven , clear  head , no aggression to anything but rabbits, squirrels, and any four legged wild animal. But you will not come into my property with her at fence.

My girl and boy were a breeding of BUSECKER   Schloss and Wiehturchen and other german linesand the son of Orthos V Tiekerhook.   Handlers are the problem with the dogs not getting the proper care from 10weeks on.  I make sure pups are imprinted before they leave and these people who want protection in homes take the pup to a trainer locally for the correct training..I agree the independence on some pups is not for some people..

Balance  in a dog and correctness of the temperament make a dog that can be bonded with. Kenneling at the right time, bonding techiques, and strict training are all required. I want no other  kind of gsd. I also want a german with an off and an on button.

YR

I agree with my fellow working dog  friends.  I have always had exactly the type of dog the OP seems to want to warn people against, not one of them has turned out to be too much dog - including my Tiekerhook dog.  Frankly, I think  the OP is confused, a hard dog is merely one who can recover quickly from a correction, a dominant dog is usually a very even tempered dog, not aloof or independent (though perhaps not one to suffer fools or even listen to them), and neither thing is related in the slightest to handler aggression.  Why do people who have never had strong working lines feel the need to comment on something they have never so much as held the leash of? (no, not you Bancroft, I'm talking of show line people who inevidebly harp on this subject - a sort of a dog in a manger type of attitude "I don't get it, it must be wrong").

Right on sue.   

One other point, GSD's are supposed to be aloof, it is right in the breed standard.   If you want a mushy licky tail wagging softy, get a golden.

GSD's are not supposed to be aloof with their handler.  OP wasn't talking about strangers. 

These are some of the descriptions of the word  aloof:  chill, chilly, distant, remote, reserved, reticent, solitary, standoffish, unapproachable, uncommunicative, withdrawn, disinterested

I would not want a german that had this description.. so the word Aloof is not a discription of what I have.  Now to say one thing.  A german shepherd pup can be made to become the above description , if left to itself, abuse, and not trained and not cared for .

If a genetic trait is seen when pups are one week old and the breeder is aware the pups at * weeks old, are shy and cannot be bonded with and refuse to be handled...The breeder should never breed another litter from that pair. A lot of time , this is what happens.. Pups are sold to people, who are told,  Oh, the pup will come around, He will bond and get better with people.....HOGWASH.

Dogs take on the personality of the owner. Dogs also behave badly due to the wrong instruction and the mishandling of dog behaviour.  <Many professional trainers spend months applying   Behavioural Modifications to germans who have been not trained or have been let go do engage in bad habits that are not acceptible to the Excellence of our Breed.

Many people just keep putting up with the german shepherds unruliness and do not seek help..Many of these people should not have bought a german shepherd in the first place.

Someone gets the nasty job of cleaning up the mess, and we spend days talking about it here on the database.

Good thread and hope all people new to the breed read it...Make arrangements the minute you buy a german shepherd, from a reputable well know breeder, to hire a trainer , also recommended by people in the  business, to immediately help  you with the right way to have a desireable well behaved german and not a nuisance for the rest of your life or the dogs life.

YR

Any dog any breed with out the proper love and care could and will become aloof .So would a human.