How Do I Make My Border Collie A Better Guard Dog?

[Bacchus]

We have a beautiful 6 month old female Border Collie. She is growing up to be a lovely happy dog, great with our 3 year old son and with increasingly improving manners.

I was home alone yesterday though and had a home invasion. Said beautiful puppy dog was nowhere in sight She generally barks if she sees someone in our back lane but never on the street at the front. The intruder though actually came from the back lane so I'm unsure where she was.

How do we get her to be more alert? Is it just an age thing or is there some way that we can train her (without affecting her lovely nature with the family?). I don't expect or want her to attack anyone, just to bark so we are alert to the fact the someone is coming in the yard (and also maybe make them think twice about coming in).

We used to have a Rottweiler who was a sook but intimidating to look at so this is a bit of a change for us.

Any suggestions would be great

[Belijae]

How horrible, I hope you are okay!

- sorry, I can't give any advice about improving your dog's watch dog skills.

[The Spotted Devil]

Must have been scary

I wouldn't worry about your dog's watchdog skills to be honest. If your pup was nowhere to be found she may well have been frightened! My entire male Dally pup didn't even bark until he was 6 months old.....and nearly scared himself witless in the process He's now 14 months and will give me a warning bark if someone comes to the front door.....or climbs the neighbour's fence as happened recently! At 6 months there is so much for a puppy to learn and experience. You can reinforce appropriate behaviour, however...when my boy barks at a strange sound I tell him "Good boy!". Then I either call him to me (lots of praise) or simply ask him to "Steady" which he already knows means "Settle down and stop being a git"

I had a wonderful ACD - great with kids, people etc....sweetest dog that never growled in her life. Someone broke into my house one night and into my bedroom when I was asleep Luckily for me, Dolly was sleeping on my bed and I woke up to see this figure in the doorway and my dog lying in front of me just about going rabid with fury at the intruder. She wouldn't let any strangers near me for a good 2 weeks afterwards - forever grateful and her response was as natural as breathing

[DeltaCharlie]

Firstly, glad everyone involved is ok (dog included)

Secondly, border collies are pretty much useless as guard dogs. I love them to bits, they will always be my breed, but they will allow absolutely anyone into the yard. My front door is behind my gates so visitors have to actually go into the yard with the dogs, the dogs have never had a problem with anyone doing this They would probably show the burglars where all the good stuff is kept.

Thirdly, IMO a guard dog is really only a deterrent to rebellious teenagers, and for that to work you probably need a breed that is perceived as tough. Anyone who is determined to get into your home will still manage it. If you happen to have a dog that isnt distracted by yummy treats that they may have then chances are it will be injured or killed. There have been many dogs over the years that have been bashed, kicked, stabbed etc during a robbery.

Most dogs will protect you and your family members from a personal attack, but they dont really understand the importance of defending inanimate objects. I don't know of anyone who has trained a border collie to protect property, its just not instinctive for them to do so.

Border Collies will bark a warning but that is pretty much all you can hope for. Once someone comes in the yard the toughness ends. Delta will drive me nuts barking at every person that walks past, but I have been able to come home and sneak up on her without her realising anyone had come through the gate many a time.

Hopefully you never find yourself in that position again.

[Kavik]

Mine are good watch dogs - they bark when people come to the property. I didn't teach them, they did it themselves as they got older.

[Mystiqview]

Yep BC's are pretty useless as any guard dog...

You can train them to be more alert and make a lot of noise..

A 6 month old puppy is still finding their feet... so do not worry too much if she does not have a lot at the moment.

One way is to bring the dog inside.. and arm yourself with heaps of tasty treats..

Get someone to go outside.. go for a walk, then walk around the house rattling windows and doors.. You on the inside go something like "who is it - watch" or what ever words you want to use. If the dog sort of looks up.. turns its head or anything.. go "good dog" and give it a treat..

You put some concerned tone to your voice.. to make the dog wary.. act a little 'scared" too.

It may take a little while.. but hopefully you will get the dog to bark at strange noises. Once she has barked.. then tell her.. "Good girl.. who is it.." if she barks again, praise and give a treat.. Once you have determined that she has barked enough.. say "that will do" when she is quiet.. give her a treat. Get friends etc to do this..

Glad to hear everyone is ok

[MrsD]

but they will allow absolutely anyone into the yard.

Whisper (BC, 7 months) will bark but at least she doesnt meet visitors at the gate with a toy in the mouth asking for a game like Jarrah (kelpieXBC) does :) .

From my limited experience with BCs I agree with most of the others, pretty hopeless as "guard dogs" but they will usually bark more at strangers as they get older. Most dogs tend to go that way.

Edited January 16, 2008 by MrsD

[Janba]

Neither of my BCs bark when someone comes to the door though the older barks at dog sbeing walked down the street. When someone walks up the driveway they go into the " Visitors - Oh Joy" mode.

I have a friend staying here at the moment and late last night she decided to go for a walk and took Moss (2 years old) with her. When she got home she said that when she was walking in a dark spot beside the railway line where it goes under the M7 she suddenly spotted a man coming towards her and got a bit of a fright. She said Moss came in very close to her side and growled quietly at the man. When he made a derogatory comment which put her on edge Moss barked.

This is a dog with no aggression in him but after what she said I think he would be there if I really needed him. Give your pup time to grow up and she will probably become a bit more of a watch dog.

[cramet]

i would talk to mark s or k9 force about it because you can teach just about any dog to bark at the end of the lead if you tell it to

so i cant see why you cant teach them to alert to people when they come round but if you do that it could get on yours nerve a bit to because it will do it to every one

the kind of dogs i work with do it on there own so so i havnt lernt how to do it

by the way in there is a BC that does schutzhund Europe so they can do it if you ask them to

[Chloes Dad]

chloe just switched on one day and started barking at people as they approached the house. probably about 9 months by memory, its a pretty tough sounding bark too. But i am sure if something serious went down she would be under the bed safe and sound (exactly where i would want her.)

at 6 months a Border is a baby maybe more so than some other breeds. Maybe mine is softer than most. but most i meet seem to have a soft temperament.

we had a border when i was a kid we had a break-in and the dog never let us know at all. but then when the cops turned up she nearly took the cops leg off. must have been the uniform, or the fact that he was approaching us...

[BC]

Cooper started to show a bit more territorial barking etc when he was around 12 months old. Those he knows he will let in the yard/house and smother with kisses, but anyone he doesn't know or seems a bit fishy try and get into the house and he will have your head !!

When we are home and inside and there is a strange person come to the door or up the driveway the barking from both Vinnie and Cooper is through the roof, and Cooper will run to each window the person passes growling. Once I get up to walk to the door it all stops, the tails wag and Vinnie goes into pogo mode, but I would like to see someone try and get in if no one was home

[Mystiqview]

I was lucky. I used to have a protection trained dobermann... So he taught Jemma some warning tactics... Basicly run to the fence and bark madly... She does not do much else.. We are on acerage, so for her to run to the fence and bark.. A person already has driven INTO the property..

Jemma has since taught Rocky to bark at the fence when strangers appear.. and has also now pretty much taught Mia who is 8 months to bark at strangers.

Other than that.. I have pretty much used the above to get them wary of outside noises.. Cars that pull up etc..

For the most part, I can get them to bark either on command, or if strangers turn up..

Mind you, as soon as they talk to the dogs... it is all on for pat....

But honestly.. I am just happy to have been warned there was someone there..

[Guest Steph & Bam]

Sorry for going OT, but Mysticview, I have to say I love the BC Rescue cartoon that you have in your siggy!!! It's so cute!!!