Pat,
When I was a teenager, my family had an enormous German Shepherd. Her name was Heidi, she was approximately 125 pounds, all lean, strong as a bull, and very protective of the family. She grew to be so big that we couldn't get a harness big enough to fit her from the local pet store. As my father was a director for the department of corrections, we were able to ask the D.O.C. guard dog people who their supplier was so we could special order a harness that would fit her. Heidi was huge. Her father was a national tracking champion.
We had a couple of minor incidents with her, but we were patient and taught her better. When she was still a pup, I was scratching her behind her ears while she was eating her dinner. She turned and bit at my arm (fortunately I drew back fast enough that she didn't bite me). I swatted her pretty good for that and took her dinner away. After that, I could take the bowl away from her and she'd just beg nicely to get it back. Any of our family members could take the bowl away from her (or take the food t of her mouth, for that matter) and she'd not become aggressive with any of us.
When she was full grown, I came in late one night. She apparently didn't realize it was me and came running at me at the speed of a rocket. She reared on her hind legs and suddenly realized it was me. She tried to stop, but 125 pounds of all lean dog coming at that speed with her front paws five feet in the air wasn't going to be able to stop in a few short feet.
Her nose hit me on the nose of my wire rim glasses. The cut across my nose was in a perfect line parallel to the nose bridge of my frames (she didn't bite me, the glasses cut into my nose). I had to go to the hospital and have three stitches put in. When I got home, she followed me everywhere trying to make up with me. I let her think she was still in the 'dog house' with me for quite a while after that. Hopefully, it would make her more careful in the future.
When she bounced off me, she turned and took off because she knew she was in trouble. She thought she'd lose me under the kitchen table, but she thought wrong. I was hopping mad at her. I caught her and gently swatted her nose to let her know she had really fouled up.
Years later, my sister brought my two then tiny little nieces over to my parents' house when I was visiting there. Melissa (my oldest niece) had a strange idea about 'patting' dogs. It was more like hitting them.
I saw Melissa 'pat' Heidi out of the corner of my eye and saw Heidi coming up to her feet. I rushed towards the corner intending to push Melissa out of the way and let Heidi bite me instead. But I knew I wasn't going to be able to get there quick enough.
But the dog never growled, snapped, or even showed her teeth. She just got up, walked away, and as she walked away she let out a gentle 'woof' of protest. She knew Melissa was family and it was not kosher for her to harm Melissa in any way. In fact, the behavior she always exhibited around those two nieces of mine was always one of protectiveness. We subsequently gave Melissa 'patting' lessons.
Show the dog some patience and treat her with some love. A big dog like that is going to be clumsy. But they are good protection.
When Heidi was still a pup, we were all asleep one night. She was in the front room barking. My parents thought she was just exhibiting normal behavior of a young pup and didn't even get out of bed to check.
The next day, our across the street neighbor reported that burglars had come through the neighborhood the night before. The only houses that weren't hit were ours, that neighbors, and the neighbors on either side of our house. Heidi was on the job, that was clear. The noise she made caused the burglars to bypass us altogether.
She had become a very loving animal when it came to our family. She was by far one of the best pets we ever had in spite of her size and potential.
Good luck with the dog.
Fred
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for your good words. Very oddly (at least to me) Buffy very seldom barks. Now it is quite rare that we have any burglars or other malfeasants in this area, however, Buffy was always letting me know when the the garbage collection truck came through the alley every Monday and Thursday morning. But now today, she only jumped around a little -- because I was sitting on my back porch when they came through. But she has never barked even once at the Meals on Wheels guy when he brings in my dinner, or at the housekeeper nor my friends. She seems to understand that is okay, but she sure was giving hell to the garbage collectors and the postman each day. PAT]