Watch dog

[Kodiak]

How can i encourage Kodiak to bark when hears things outside? I would like for him to alert me when people pull up. He will look at the door, but makes no noise. I would appreciate any advice, as i live alone in a rural area.

 

[Dani]

I wouldn't worry about teaching Kodiak to bark at the door... he's already alert, by watching the door when people are at the front. Dogs know if there's a need for action.

 

[Doberluv]

How old is Kodiak? If he's still very young, that just hasn't developed yet probably. Is that Kodiak in your siggy?

 

[Kodiak]

He is 8mo old. Yes thats him

 

[Sirius]

Trust me. He'll know. Angus never uttered a single woof except for the time that there were teenagers in my backyard that we didn't know.

 

[Doberluv]

Some dogs have more of a protective instinct than others. My Lab hardly ever barked, just looked at the door and maybe one woof on account of the Chi's barking. And one other time when something really weird happened (someone trying to jimmy the door) late at night and kids were home alone, she ran down the stairs from my then 13 yr. old son's room and was gnashing teeth and vicious at the door. That was the only time....otherwise, she never barked. Same with my GSD. Same thing happened in another house. Weird. My Doberman, on the other hand started getting a serious, throaty low growl and menacing, vicious sounding bark at around 4-1/2 months.

Is Kodiak something like a Rott/Shepherd mix? Or Shepherd/Lab? I would guess that he will get more protective in a few months time....maybe not till he's 2 or 3. They really do vary. But that's my guess....that he will develop that protective instinct and begin barking on his own in time, as he grows up. It's important to socialize him a lot now and always so he learns what normal is...normal, friendly strangers, so that if something abnormal comes along, he'll recognize it as that and react appropriately.

 

[Kodiak]

He is a rott/shep maybe.......pound puppy. I had a lab that growled at every noise , which i liked it was very comforting. the only time Kodi ever barks is when he's chasing the horses...not good. Do you think if i teach him to speak then tell him to speak when he is looking at the door like he hears somethin that would encourage him?

Doberluv thanks for the reassurance i guess its just gonna take time. He is very friendly and LOVES everyone he is very socialized i take him everywhere with me.

 

[Amstaffer]

I got Athena (Fawn in my Sig) to bark by running to the window or door and acting all excited when I heard something. It worked real well, she is a pretty good watch dog. Sal (black and white) on the other hand will not bark no matter what I do when people come over. He can bark when he plays so he is not mute, he just won't bark at people. Sal even had Athena as a teacher for being a watch dog...but he still won't bark. He would be a good watch dog for a deaf person though, he runs to the window and dances around when he hears something or someone...just won't bark.

 

[Doberluv]

Do you think if i teach him to speak then tell him to speak when he is looking at the door like he hears somethin that would encourage him?

I don't know.....maybe. You could try it. I don't think it will make him protective. I think that is just natural with most dogs and to different degrees. I'd just wait and see. I bet he'll develop some of that himself. But it wouldn't hurt to try to encourage him, I guess. I have the opposite problem. My dogs, my Doberman and two Chihuahuas are very protective and bark up a storm about the slightest noise. LOL. It's annoying.

 

[Fran27]

My dogs bark for everything too... Postman, kids walking down the street... Ugh. Of course it's worse when they're in the yard. At least it's handy because I know when the UPS guy just dropped a package outside, but when it's in the middle of the night because some dog barked 3 houses away, it sucks When someone knocks on the door (or my husband comes home from work), they get insane...

I also think it's mostly instinctive. Maybe you could teach him to 'speak', then have someone make noise outside then ask her to bark? I don't know, just a thought.

 

[dalvi_nilesh]

Hi All

I have a 2 year old GSD (bruno), but he hardly barks on the strangers. Last week I had observed that some strangers entered my backyard. Bruno was just sitting and had neither taken pain to look towards them, barking on them was much far away Basically I require him to atleast bark when there is any stranger at my backyard.

He is very playful. He likes to play a lot. He is very friendly with the strangers. I would like him to be friendly with the strangers, but not so much that a stranger might enter by backyard for some reason and bruno would not even look at him. Is there any way to train him on this? I had trained him to bark on command and he does that quite well, but he do not bark on the strangers.

Please suggest me some tips to make him bark on the strangers by himself.

-Nilesh

 

[Debi]

agree with all that's been said...he'll bark when there is a need. Addie never barks (except when she hears the UPS truck..they HATE that truck..lol), she would watch anyone walk right up to the door and not think a thing of it. when Hammie (the GSD) was around one, he suddenly decided it was great to sound (and look) like a killer dog when someone comes to the door. he should get an Oscar for the performance. also...be VERY happy that he doesn't bark at every single thing!! I had a little Cairn that did that...it was quite annoying.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Some dogs simply have more territorial drive than others.

My 17 months old bitch would NEVER allow anyone into my yard without a LOT of barking and fence running, and a clear indication that it would be uwise for anyone to enter, however, she has had my senior girls with her from 10 weeks of age, and they have shown her "the ropes".

If your dog does not have genetic tendencies to instinctively guard his turf by 2 years of age, I doubt you are going to see it develop.

If you require a dog to watch or guard your yard, you might consider getting a puppy from working lines.

 

[Julie]

Yea, good ole Charlie didn't bark at noises or people, until one night I was asleep, hubby was at work. We'll hubby came home and he put the key into the front door, Charlie jumped up growling and barking and run downstairs right to the door. He got there before hubby even got the door opened. Now that scared me!! But it is very reassuring.

The second time Charlie did that, he heard our steps creak, he did the same thing. Only this time it was my youngest son. He woke up and started going downstairs. Charlie saw who it was and just layed back down.
But it scared my son half to death. Now if he wakes up he comes and gets me first. lol I'm happy about that too.

I think Charlie was almost two then.

 

[RD]

VALUE your quiet dog. lol. My two make a terrible racket if anyone comes to the door. They don't understand the concept of "a few barks" anymore, now it's "let's bark ourselves hoarse until the visitor goes away". I suppose you could teach him to bark on cue (the cue being the doorbell or a knock on the door) if you want him to alert you to someone's presence, though.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

Your dog will most likely protect you when needed. My lab is generally a very quiet dog - she very rarely barks. But I'm pretty sure that if she needed to protect her family, she'd start barking. My terrier mix, Colby, goes nuts at any little sound. My border collie mix is a little bit quieter than Colby, but when she does bark it's LOUD!

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Many dogs will bark in a "situation", but please......

Don't EVER assume any dog, no matter what it's breed is, will protect you in a life threatening situation unless that dog has been trained and tested to do so.

Most dogs will NOT face up to a threatening adult human, or participate in a "fight" situation unless they have the genetics to do so, and have also been trained and proofed.

I PERSONALLY know a woman who was raped while her German Shepherd dog cowered in the next room.

She now has trained dogs.

Expect your watch dog to warn and bark. Many dogs MIGHT rise to the occasion with little or no training, but NEVER assume or expect any dog to do this that has not been specifically trained for it.

 

[oriondw]

Lol, sometimes i wish i had your problems

Most of time im teaching my guy not to bark at things

 

[oriondw]

Many dogs will bark in a "situation", but please......

Don't EVER assume any dog, no matter what it's breed is, will protect you in a life threatening situation unless that dog has been trained and tested to do so.

Most dogs will NOT face up to a threatening adult human, or participate in a "fight" situation unless they have the genetics to do so, and have also been trained and proofed.

I PERSONALLY know a woman who was raped while her German Shepherd dog cowered in the next room.

She now has trained dogs.

Expect your watch dog to warn and bark. Many dogs MIGHT rise to the occasion with little or no training, but NEVER assume or expect any dog to do this that has not been specifically trained for it.

Agree, 90% of dogs will not protect the owner, no matter what most people say.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

You don't know my dogs, stop making assumptions. (That's the problem with this board - people always assume things about others and their dogs.) BELIEVE ME my dogs would attack.