# Home guarding guidance.



## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

Hi guys

So, 6.5 month pup has started alerting us to people coming on to the property.

Nothing major - the neighbour came through the closed gate with Beware of Dog sign and he was behind a door in the other room. She gave me a tray of eggs, yes yes thank you good to see you too and she was on her way. Gate closed and all. Open up the door with pupper and he came out huffing and puffing, hackles up, scenting at the door with neighbour. I just observed..

Then, a few other people have come on that he knows. He alerts, hackles up and then when he recognises, he's all friendly.

I'm getting a big sign saying "ring the doorbell, don't enter" because I know couriers let themselves in through the gate and I've mentioned to family members that "I'm sure our dog wouldn't bite you but he might give you a fright and it's not worth it so ring the bell please."

I know it's in the breed to alert and guard. It's part of why we got him.

I guess my question is, well, I'm seeing the signs of him becoming a bit more guardy.. what should I do? I can't have him in his crate the whole time so that "dad can deal with it" and I don't want to tell him no because we want him doing alerting/guarding against bad guys but not actually to bite anyone as he'll likely be put down. 

Cheers


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## Lexie’s mom (Oct 27, 2019)

Can you actually lock the gate? We have both front and back yard fenced separately and dogs are not allowed in the front yard without supervision because of deliveries, occasional visitors etc. it’s not like they are going to bite anyone but I don’t want to take chances with some random people not closing the gate and the dogs getting loose.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

Lexie’s mom said:


> Can you actually lock the gate? We have both front and back yard fenced separately and dogs are not allowed in the front yard without supervision because of deliveries, occasional visitors etc. it’s not like they are going to bite anyone but I don’t want to take chances with some random people not closing the gate and the dogs getting loose.


We could but this would make our life more difficult.
Ray isn't allowed to roam the outside without us really being there but.. we could be inside and the back door might be open.

Or is this a "the breed has been bred for this and you have to manage it as you can't change it?"

I'd like to think people would respect our gate signs and ring the bell rather than simply letting themselves in.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

Look your gates and doors and make people knock. Dogs can get out of unlocked gates as well. I don’t know what your dog’s temperament is like.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

Stand by for official statement @Chip Blasiole but I think he's quite well balanced. He's not OTT in anything.. he's not lacking in confidence. I'd say he's rather social and outgoing. Can be suspicious of us at times, which is a bit odd.. he often waits and watches before engaging in anything. Stable and good nerves but the breeder said it was a super litter, all more or less similar dogs. A cop got one, one went to a farm, one went to a sporting home and we got the other! 

I'd like to think that I'm not reading it wrong but I suppose owners are never truly unbiased.


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## Lexie’s mom (Oct 27, 2019)

I would not trust random people going into the yard with dogs around. Our dogs are not aggressive at all. They can bark alright but some people would still walk into the yard leaving the gate wide open! I’d rather complicate my life unlocking the gate than chasing dogs on the road with a possibility of them being hit by a car. And not everyone pays attention to the yard signs unfortunately.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

@MyWifeIsBoss Yes.... "Or is this a "the breed has been bred for this and you have to manage it as you can't change it?"
It's our responsibility to keep people safe from our dogs,inconvenient as it might be. Even if your dog doesn't bite he could startle,chase,or knock them down. A scared adult or (child!) that slips and falls scrambling away from 80 pounds of barking GSD may result in major grief for you and him. And the boss.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

MyWifeIsBoss said:


> I know it's in the breed to alert and guard. It's part of why we got him.


Do you want a guard dog? A super social dog? A dog that can truly discriminate between good and bad guys?

What about the bad guy that has bad intentions, that your dog recognizes, but just walks on your property and gets bit?

Define your goal here, because right now it's kind of all over. You want a protective dog that will be non reactive to unknown delivery people, friends and family members. He's not a bouncer with a list.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

The sign on my gate says "Dog on Premises Enter by Appointment Only". "Beware of Dog" _could _be interpreted that you know you have a bad dog and now you're liable for what your dog does.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

Is something goes wrong is it worth it to have not been proactive?


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## SuperAndre (Jun 28, 2020)

Dunkirk said:


> The sign on my gate says "Dog on Premises Enter by Appointment Only". "Beware of Dog" _could _be interpreted that you know you have a bad dog and now you're liable for what your dog does.


Im getting one that says:

"I can make it to the fence in 3.5 seconds... can you? You have been WARNED. Enter at your own risk"

Funny, but still... HAHA We have had random people just go on our property for no reason and pretend they own the place before...some said they wanted to use our property as a shortcut to get to our neighbors without asking us.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

Alright, fair enough.
I'll lock the gate.

We're talking about a gate down a private-ish driveway, just to be clear. Not street side.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

David Winners said:


> Do you want a guard dog? A super social dog? A dog that can truly discriminate between good and bad guys?
> 
> What about the bad guy that has bad intentions, that your dog recognizes, but just walks on your property and gets bit?
> 
> Define your goal here, because right now it's kind of all over. You want a protective dog that will be non reactive to unknown delivery people, friends and family members. He's not a bouncer with a list.


My apologies for being a somewhat confused first owner.

I think what I want is bark/alert and when we are aware of the activity, for him to allow us to deal with it. How do we achieve this short of putting him in his crate?


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## EgansMom (Apr 18, 2020)

The only thing I have to add ...is if I have learned anything it's that you can't count on people using common sense signs or not.
Years ago I had my first girl chained in the front yard (no backyard at that time/townhouse) . I had just popped inside to grab a coffee (I didn't leave her unattended) and the mailman decided to proceed up the walk despite her being right there. She broke her chain and grabbed him by the forearm and just held him. Luckily she just held him till I told her to "release him" or "eat him".The latter was tempting due to his poor decision making skills. Luckily he wasn't even bruised. It was more like
"stop-you go no further till mum comes out". Despite thinking he was a moron- I apologized profusely because I didn't want her to be in trouble.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

MyWifeIsBoss said:


> My apologies for being a somewhat confused first owner.
> 
> I think what I want is bark/alert and when we are aware of the activity, for him to allow us to deal with it. How do we achieve this short of putting him in his crate?


No apology necessary. You first need to know what you want before you can get what you want.

Stranger at the gate. Dog barks. Good boy. HERE. HEEL. Approach the gate. DOWN. 3 steps to the gate. Thanks. Have a nice day. Walk towards house. HEEL. Enter house. Good boy.

You need to define the behavior you want to shape before you expect your dog to behave according you your wishes. What do you want to see? Build those commands and that routine.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

Sweet.

How likely is a dog to bite a family member for coming onto the property that they've met and hung out with several times before?


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

MyWifeIsBoss said:


> Sweet.
> 
> How likely is a dog to bite a family member for coming onto the property that they've met and hung out with several times before?


How likely is a neighbor to yell at a kid for walking on their grass?

It really depends on the dog.

To put this in perspective, my friends and family walk into my house without knocking or texting. They walk in and say hello and things are fine. The Cane Corso barks and charges the door because that is what he is, but his corn dog (docked tail) gets going and he says hello.

My dogs expect visitors because my house is like grand central. No one gets bit.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

David Winners said:


> He's not a bouncer with a list.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

We have no fences at our house. Prior to this last pup, dogs were often loose in the yard.
Fedex guys or stranger pulls in, dog alerts the house and barks, holding ground on the front sidewalk in a manner where the visitor thinks it expedient to leave the pkg at the end of the walk or leave. Dog does not charge and is not overly aggressive; presumption of ability is evident.

If I come out or answer the door, a simple "OK" or "enough" stops the noise and assures the dog that I have the situation under control. If I invite you in, dog is all smiles but remains alert/aloof.

This is the GSD


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Sounds like a socialization project, but you're going to have to determine the level, as some others here allude to. Whatever his inate protection/guarding instincts are, there will probably be a degree of suppression training. For example: a friend of ours is a mail woman who entered a home's front yard by unlatching a gate, thinking the two pit mixes were inside the house. They ran from the back yard and tore her legs to shreds, as well as her arms. She is forever handicapped. Those dogs were probably not trained in the least. If I were you I would decide on the level of guarding you want, develop that, and have contingent plans for the type of traffic that will come to your door. Many dogs will still run from a confident human that encroaches on their turf, but if it were me, I would not leave anything to chance.


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## EgansMom (Apr 18, 2020)

This answers my Q also:


David Winners said:


> Stranger at the gate. Dog barks. Good boy. HERE. HEEL. Approach the gate. DOWN. 3 steps to the gate. Thanks. Have a nice day. Walk towards house. HEEL. Enter house. Good boy.
> 
> You need to define the behavior you want to shape before you expect your dog to behave according you your wishes. What do you want to see? Build those commands and that routine.


It would have been more honest to say I really don't know what she would have done had the mailman struggled. I was 22yrs old and it was stupid to leave her in front even to get a coffee. Live and learn. 

Some great advice on pro active training !


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I have two dogs. One barks when someone knocks or approaches my door. He would probably just lock them if they walked in. The other is completely silent, but a lot more likely to bite a stranger if he determines he isn’t a fan. The other day one of my friends walked in since my door was unlocked. The barker was in his kennel, and barked accordingly. The other quickly approached the door to investigate. Once he recognized her, it was all tail wags and dog smiles. The reaction usually comes down to the dog. A lot comes from the dog’s natural disposition. The rest comes from training and what gets reinforced. I can’t tell you what the laws about bites are where you are. Where I am, if someone knowingly trespassing on private property gets bit, it’s on them. There’s no liability to the dog or owner.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

We exposed him to a lot of the world - in the best way we could.

COVID does mean a decided lack of visitors, though. Is 6.5 months too late to get some reps in? 👍

We do have access to a very good club and trainer.. as well as all of you, so, I'm sure things will be okay. It's good to get thinking prior.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

WNGD said:


> Dog does not charge and is not overly aggressive; presumption of ability is evident.


Do you mean by this that "dog knows he's hard and confident so doesn't need to overreact?"


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## Mr.millenium (Nov 13, 2020)

dogma13 said:


> @MyWifeIsBoss Yes.... "Or is this a "the breed has been bred for this and you have to manage it as you can't change it?"
> It's our responsibility to keep people safe from our dogs,inconvenient as it might be. Even if your dog doesn't bite he could startle,chase,or knock them down. A scared adult or (child!) that slips and falls scrambling away from 80 pounds of barking GSD may result in major grief for you and him. And the boss.


My neighbors pit bull got out his 10 ft fence to chase a cat. And the person trying to get it off the street was getting attacked


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## Mr.millenium (Nov 13, 2020)

MyWifeIsBoss said:


> Hi guys
> 
> So, 6.5 month pup has started alerting us to people coming on to the property.
> 
> ...


Good genetics Are hard to beat


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Mr.millenium said:


> My neighbors pit bull got out his 10 ft fence to chase a cat. And the person trying to get it off the street was getting attacked


I would love to fence our property and let my dogs run free unsupervised, but they are all diggers.Two of them would be able to get over a six foot fence with a running start.It's actually safer for them and any visitors if we just go out with them.


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

As a pup, I started to encourage Ole to bark at anything unusual. Then I would thank him and reward him for being a good watchdog. He would scoot off to enjoy his chicken tidbits. Over time, he learned that 'thank you' meant he had done his job and a treat was waiting so he would be quiet down.

We used to have an open-door policy. We never locked our door. Friends and family would just let themselves in. Ironically, with pup we have started locking our door. For other's safety, not ours.

When pup was about 9 months old my sister, who lives across town, decided to let herself in and start yelling at me. Pup went charging over and backed her into the corner before I had time to react. It was ugly.

I got a security camera/doorbell/doorlatch system for the front door. Everyone's phone chirps when someone comes to the door and then we can talk to them without rushing to the door. It eliminated 90% of the commotion that naturally occurred around the door. For us, I think eliminating the self-rewarding cycle of barking and causing a commotion was important. 

If you are handy with tools, it would be easy to add something like that to your outside gate.

As Dave said, pup is not a bouncer with a list. My pup is pretty good at discriminating between normal and abnormal. But I do try to reduce the possibility of negative interactions as much as possiable.

For us, a six-foot fence is not enough for unsupervised containment. Pup can clear that in the blink of an eye if he sees a deer.

Aver a life with Black Labs, getting a high drive German Shepherd has been an educational experience.


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

Sweet. We have a fancy doorbell so adding a camera won't he hard.


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

MyWifeIsBoss said:


> Sweet. We have a fancy doorbell so adding a camera won't he hard.


Yes, @Dave Winners approach of consistently training for the behavior you want is ideal.

I am a good enough trainer to get pup to quiet down and go to his place by the door.... for me. However, I was not a good enough trainer/father/husband/son to get the behavior to stick for everyone during this time of covid. A single instance of someone impatiently opening the door a crack and talking/yelling to the person outside while Ole carried on was enough to undo a month's worth of training.

It is one thing to get the dog to behave well for me while I am calm and collected. It is something entirely different to get him to behave for others when they are irritated or in a hurry.

So we eliminated the stress point of interacting at the door.


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## mattishere (Oct 22, 2020)

you must socialize my friend


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## MyWifeIsBoss (Apr 27, 2020)

mattishere said:


> you must socialize my friend


What's that?


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

MyWifeIsBoss said:


> Do you mean by this that "dog knows he's hard and confident so doesn't need to overreact?"


No, I meant anyone seeing a confident dog standing his ground and alerting to the house assumes he means business and won't test him. I'm in a remote-ish house so couriers just leave things in the driveway sometimes. But again, I don't leave the dogs out much any more..

Rogan is the stereotypical GSD already. Big bark, confident stare, aloof. Harley is more likely to circle your car and make you wonder what he's thinking


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## hirakawa199006 (Feb 9, 2020)

Mine doesnt even react to anyone excep,t when I tried not coming home and gave keys to another guy to pick up some small stuff. bad idea, he got nipped a lot taking stuff and luckily no bite. Mine is silent and decides sometimes by herself if it is a bad or good person. I watch out for it.


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