I have had Frank for a few months now and have taken him many places. In new buildings he is curious...he likes to look around and take in everything, but with in a few minutes he settles in and gets right to work. I can see this being a problem for law enforcement but I don't foresee it being a huge issue for a sport home. He's fine outside. I also think age will help him- let's face it, a 2 year old big, boy dog doesn't always have all the brain cells quite yet LOL.
Frank is a big dope 98% of the time. He's silly and acts like a puppy. He is ball crazy and loves playing disc. HOWEVER, due to his training if he feels pressured/conflict from someone who is not his handler- he can get defensive quickly. His handler was male, however I'm female and he's good with me. Frank bonds closely w/his person. I have taken Frank to training- both pet level classes and IGP classes many times in the past three months. He is doing well w/his obedience (it wasn't IGP-style flashy, but I think he can get there). His bitework is good. He's got a very strong, solid, firm grip. He needs to learn a bark and hold- for his former line of employment they mostly just wanted them to bite the bad guys when they found them- not bark and hold them there LOL. His out is decent- he can be a little sticky now and then, but again, training. Frank is ecollar conditioned and is actually pretty soft w/the collar- it doesn't take much to correct him with it.
Frank is fully crate trained. He's never had an accident in a crate. He rides in the car (crated) like a champ. He hasn't been loose in our house, but I would expect minimal marking at first. He was just neutered, so that may help. He has marked in our training barn before. I think he would quickly learn house training though- he's very receptive to training. He was in a pet home for a month before coming to rescue- they did not report any accidents. Frank has lived with other dogs- his handler had other dogs as did the pet home. He was mostly fine with them. He has had issues w/one of my intact male Dutch Shepherds, though, but was fine w/my female dogs and altered dogs. If you have another dog, I'd recommend either a more submissive/easy going neutered male, or a female. Frank has HIGH prey drive. No cats, no pocket pets, no small dogs. Frank has been around children but kind of tries to herd/dominate them. He will not be placed in a home w/children. Frank has respected our 6' fence.
In my opinion Frank has the personality of a GSD but the body/build/athletic ability of a malinois. He could be an incredible dog for sport IMO- he has no clue how to use his long, powerful legs, but if he was taught he'd be a force to be reckoned with. His stride length is incredible. He can cover ground! We've taken him swimming to an indoor pool and he wasn't sure about it, but he wanted his ball so he figured it out. I think he could learn to be a dock diving dog!
Frank is looking for a home that is experienced with bitework dogs. He needs someone who understands the training he's had and can keep it in check. I do feel he'd do best going to a home that will continue that training with him- I think he needs more to become a more solid/trustworthy dog. He has had live bites in his former job and that's a BIG responsibility to take on. All in all, Frank is a pretty easy guy to live with- he can turn the seriousness of work on and off. He loves his person and loves to cuddle/try to be a lapdog. He loves butt scratchies. He's a super silly guy. Frank will NOT be placed in a home w/children. Frank will NOT be placed in a home w/out bitework experience. We will be very selective on where Frank goes. If you are looking for your next IGP dog maybe Frank is the right guy for you?
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