Train my dog to check the house?
Jun.28, 2011 in
German Shepherds
Paul P asked:
I have a obedience trained german shepard. She is awesome. I would like her to enter my house and look for intruders in all the rooms. I know SHE can do it, but how do I train her to do it? Any ideas?
I have a obedience trained german shepard. She is awesome. I would like her to enter my house and look for intruders in all the rooms. I know SHE can do it, but how do I train her to do it? Any ideas?
July 1st, 2011 at 6:00 pm
i’m not sure if this would work, its just an idea, but….
-you could get people you know that your dog won’t recognize to hide behind a couch, under a table etc. while you have her outside.
-have her sit at the door while the people/person is hiding
-when you give her a command (ex. check) let her go into the room.
-when she finds the people, get her to bark by giving her the speak command.
-when she does all this praise her.
-repeat as necessary.
July 2nd, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Hide treats in every room, put her on a lead, teach her a command like search. it might take a while.
July 3rd, 2011 at 7:39 pm
If she’s a German Shepherd she already knows all she needs. She doesn’t need to search each room to know whether there is an intruder inside. She has a nose.
For example, I returned home one time with my dog and his nose hit the ground. I watched as he tracked where someone had gotten out of a car in my driveway and walked to the front door. It turns out my mother had left something just inside the door for me.
But if you want to convince yourself, play hide and seek. Get a friend to hide somewhere in your house and when she finds him, he gives her a treat (or a ball). Repeat the game with different friends so she learns not to look for one specific person but any person. When friends aren’t handy, hide her dinner or favorite toys and encourage her to look for them.
I have absolutely no doubt that if anyone ever got stupid enough to break into my house and wait for me my dog would run straight to him without needing to search at all. But the nose games are still fun.
July 4th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Teaching your dog to find things is a good exercise and fun for the dog – it gives them a job, which they enjoy. I can promise you though, if there is a stranger in the house,the dog will pick up the smell immediately. I have 4 German shepherds and nothing happens in or around my house of which they aren’t very aware. If you are concerned, then each time upon returning home, walk through the house with the dog. She will quickly pick up on what you are doing and if there is anything amiss, you will see it in her response. German shepherds are great protector dogs.