Firstly let me explain about the dog. Levi is a 2yr old neutered rescue German Shepherd who lives in a (very large) aircraft hangar which is used for vehicle storage. The hangar is manned 24/7 and there is quite a lot of activity untill it quietens down in the early morning.
Generally, he is very well behaved & shows intelligence. He will not go through an open gate to the outside world unless one of us is walking him (a whole airfield full of Rabbits), he keeps away from moving vehicles and we rarely have to tie him up when strangers visit (if they appear nervous or voice concerns).
He loves football, we cannot walk thru the hangar without him appearing with his latest ball, he must run 10mls a day simply chasing the balls we kick for him.
We (the lads) love him to bits, except he fails in the one task he is there to perform, he doesn't bark !
He can bark, he barks when we overexcite him with football, he barks alot if we tease him but he won't bark if strangers are prowling our perimeter, something which happens often and primarily why the company keeps him.
He's NOT a guard dog, he will always get too much fuss for that and we'd hate to have to tie him up everytime strangers are in the hangar so we haven't attempted to make him agressive. But how do we get him barking if strangers are prowling or even waiting at the gate???
How can we get the dog to bark?
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Chas,
Do you know anything about his background/history? What are the chances he underwent basic guard dog training and was probably ditched due to lack of aggression?
Reason I am asking is friends of mine train guard dogs and they way their dogs work is NOT to bark but to allow strangers to enter, the round them up and not let them leave. What are the chances he may have been "worked" like this before?
What purpose is the bark to serve - to alert you or to "frighten" intruders?
For instance, SAR dogs are trained to display a signal when they have found a/their target. Some may lay down, others may sit and move their paw, others may bark - this is to alert their handler.
Personally I find a dog with an "impresseive stance" can be as frightening and intimidating by just silently approachin an intruder and staring at him.
Bea
Do you know anything about his background/history? What are the chances he underwent basic guard dog training and was probably ditched due to lack of aggression?
Reason I am asking is friends of mine train guard dogs and they way their dogs work is NOT to bark but to allow strangers to enter, the round them up and not let them leave. What are the chances he may have been "worked" like this before?
What purpose is the bark to serve - to alert you or to "frighten" intruders?
For instance, SAR dogs are trained to display a signal when they have found a/their target. Some may lay down, others may sit and move their paw, others may bark - this is to alert their handler.
Personally I find a dog with an "impresseive stance" can be as frightening and intimidating by just silently approachin an intruder and staring at him.
Bea
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
- Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar/Mark Twain
- Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar/Mark Twain
[quote="Bea"]Chas,
Do you know anything about his background/history? What are the chances he underwent basic guard dog training and was probably ditched due to lack of aggression?[/quote]
We were told by the rescue center that he was a family pet and his early behaviour reflected this.
[quote="Bea"]
Reason I am asking is friends of mine train guard dogs and they way their dogs work is NOT to bark but to allow strangers to enter, the round them up and not let them leave. What are the chances he may have been "worked" like this before?
[/quote]
He shows no signs of being trained beyond a family pet, he came to us able to sit, come, rollover etc.
[quote="Bea"]
What purpose is the bark to serve - to alert you or to "frighten" intruders?
For instance, SAR dogs are trained to display a signal when they have found a/their target. Some may lay down, others may sit and move their paw, others may bark - this is to alert their handler.
[/quote]
We need him to audibly alert us, outside office hours we are away from the gate and are often not aware of visitors waiting, a bell is DEFINATELY NOT suitable. We also suffer a lot of prowlers.
[quote="Bea"]
Also,
Personally I find a dog with an "impresseive stance" can be as frightening and intimidating by just silently approachin an intruder and staring at him.
Bea[/quote]
You've never met Levi, you couldn't call him a good example of a Shepherd and he has a wonky tab that gives him a comical expression, he was very nearly renamed Scooby Doo.
Thanks for your response.
Do you know anything about his background/history? What are the chances he underwent basic guard dog training and was probably ditched due to lack of aggression?[/quote]
We were told by the rescue center that he was a family pet and his early behaviour reflected this.
[quote="Bea"]
Reason I am asking is friends of mine train guard dogs and they way their dogs work is NOT to bark but to allow strangers to enter, the round them up and not let them leave. What are the chances he may have been "worked" like this before?
[/quote]
He shows no signs of being trained beyond a family pet, he came to us able to sit, come, rollover etc.
[quote="Bea"]
What purpose is the bark to serve - to alert you or to "frighten" intruders?
For instance, SAR dogs are trained to display a signal when they have found a/their target. Some may lay down, others may sit and move their paw, others may bark - this is to alert their handler.
[/quote]
We need him to audibly alert us, outside office hours we are away from the gate and are often not aware of visitors waiting, a bell is DEFINATELY NOT suitable. We also suffer a lot of prowlers.
[quote="Bea"]
Also,
Personally I find a dog with an "impresseive stance" can be as frightening and intimidating by just silently approachin an intruder and staring at him.
Bea[/quote]
You've never met Levi, you couldn't call him a good example of a Shepherd and he has a wonky tab that gives him a comical expression, he was very nearly renamed Scooby Doo.
Thanks for your response.
Hmm
I have a feeling you may be asking a bit too much of your dog really.
I assume you want him to remain the friendly, affable chap he currently is (and believe me unless you intend him to be on a lead with a handler at all times as teh current guard dog law requires, you DO want him to stay that way).
How do you propose to teach him who should be barked at and who shouldnt.
If you teach him that barking at people is rewardign and a good thing you may find that he frightens people and in the UK, that means you are at risk of falling foul of the dangerous dogs act. (dogs dont hae to bite, just frighten).
I would avoid teaching him to bark - what i WOULD do is get him rock solid on a number of commands including distance work. There is something VERY impressive about a dog who can be controlled at a distance, dropped from a flat out run etc, and you could more th an likely make people 'aware' that you have a big dog who does exactly as you say, without ever needing to be obviously frightening. Dont tell people the dog can attack, never tell them that, just let them think that if you SAID the word teh dog would do it. Thats far better.
Em
I have a feeling you may be asking a bit too much of your dog really.
I assume you want him to remain the friendly, affable chap he currently is (and believe me unless you intend him to be on a lead with a handler at all times as teh current guard dog law requires, you DO want him to stay that way).
How do you propose to teach him who should be barked at and who shouldnt.
If you teach him that barking at people is rewardign and a good thing you may find that he frightens people and in the UK, that means you are at risk of falling foul of the dangerous dogs act. (dogs dont hae to bite, just frighten).
I would avoid teaching him to bark - what i WOULD do is get him rock solid on a number of commands including distance work. There is something VERY impressive about a dog who can be controlled at a distance, dropped from a flat out run etc, and you could more th an likely make people 'aware' that you have a big dog who does exactly as you say, without ever needing to be obviously frightening. Dont tell people the dog can attack, never tell them that, just let them think that if you SAID the word teh dog would do it. Thats far better.
Em
