Teach my dog to alert me to sounds?

Prize · 04-14-2009, 02:44 PM

She does this already for the front door by running back and forth between me and the door and barking. How can I carry it over for things like the phone and teapots, etc? She gets excited when she hears these things but I am unsure how to direct that energy.
Thanks in advance!

Brightelf · 04-14-2009, 02:56 PM

Grimm signals the phone and front door. I am hard of hearing, and my hearing aids aren't effective.

This will sound bizarre, but here is how it worked for us: Phone rang, my hubby RAN to answer it, Grimm got caught up in the thrill of the stampede each time. Same with the doorbell.

My hubby recently passed away. I cannot hear the phone or door. Now, Grimm will suddenly shoot up off the floor, race to the phone, back to me, the phone, back to me, etc.. until I join the stampede. Each time, it turnes out someone is in fact on the phone, telephoning me.

littledmc17 · 04-14-2009, 03:06 PM

What a good boy Grimm

Prize · 04-14-2009, 03:44 PM

Sorry to hear about your husband.
Grimm sounds awesome.
I am in the same boat as you, also HOH, and if I can't see it, I can't hear it. Plus, I have a terrible memory, so remembering I have the kettle on is difficult, I stay in the room with it now since I murdered one in my college apt., wasn't pretty.
I'll have to see if that will work with Minerva. Thanks.

WinitheGSD · 04-15-2009, 08:35 PM

Oh there was a movie on animal planet about a lady that was deaf and she bought a dog called a hearing dog. Like a seeing eye dog. But the dog would alert her at sounds like the phone. I'm not sure how you would train a dog to do it though.

spoil9 · 05-03-2009, 11:26 AM

Could you train the dog the same way you would other things?
IE: Alerting to the phone ringing.
1. Bring your dog by the phone and have some one call it. Maybe someone else in the next room with a cell phone or you with a cell phone out of site.

2. When the dog reacts, reward with praise.

3. Take a couple steps back and repeat until you are not near the phone and your dog still comes to find you when the phone rings. Reward with praise.

Although I am not a trainer, and I have only been working with my GSD since March I am noticing a common trend when it comes to training. Hope this helps and if I am wrong, please someone correct me and teach us both.

Prize · 05-05-2009, 05:07 PM

I like that idea, I'm still trying to direct her reaction though. I am having trouble figuring out if she's running for the phone or she wants food, since they are so close together lol. I am going to try and integrate "target" into this, so that she will push me with her nose; but it's been slow going on my part because I've been distracted and it's something that seems a bit tricky.
Thanks for the suggestion.

jake · 05-05-2009, 05:58 PM

some great suggestions here.Just to add if you have land line and cell you can call yourself from cell to land to make things easy and to also control the time when you want to train.I taught jake to alert by talking happy talk to phone -praising him and giving small food treat.It is really much easier than it seems.

04-14-2009, 02:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
Prize Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: PA Posts: 264	Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? She does this already for the front door by running back and forth between me and the door and barking. How can I carry it over for things like the phone and teapots, etc? She gets excited when she hears these things but I am unsure how to direct that energy. Thanks in advance! __________________ Owner to Minerva - 2yo uber pup & Zelda - 13 pounds of feline fury! "The more I see of man, the more I like dogs." ~Mme. de Staël

04-14-2009, 02:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
Brightelf Crowned Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 9,357	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? Grimm signals the phone and front door. I am hard of hearing, and my hearing aids aren't effective. This will sound bizarre, but here is how it worked for us: Phone rang, my hubby RAN to answer it, Grimm got caught up in the thrill of the stampede each time. Same with the doorbell. My hubby recently passed away. I cannot hear the phone or door. Now, Grimm will suddenly shoot up off the floor, race to the phone, back to me, the phone, back to me, etc.. until I join the stampede. Each time, it turnes out someone is in fact on the phone, telephoning me. __________________ Patti Frauchen von: Grimm van den Heuvel, aka "The Doofinator" My strong-minded, very loving boy

04-14-2009, 03:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
littledmc17 Crowned Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 11,306	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? What a good boy Grimm __________________ Dawn GSRNE Volunteer "A dog a day keeps the Doctor away!" proudly owned by: Brady von Barren Berg, CGC GSD 5/4/05 Cooper von Nordosten, GSD 12/27/10 Missy, Chocolate Lab 3/9/03

04-14-2009, 03:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
Prize Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: PA Posts: 264	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? Sorry to hear about your husband. Grimm sounds awesome. I am in the same boat as you, also HOH, and if I can't see it, I can't hear it. Plus, I have a terrible memory, so remembering I have the kettle on is difficult, I stay in the room with it now since I murdered one in my college apt., wasn't pretty. I'll have to see if that will work with Minerva. Thanks. __________________ Owner to Minerva - 2yo uber pup & Zelda - 13 pounds of feline fury! "The more I see of man, the more I like dogs." ~Mme. de Staël

04-15-2009, 08:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
WinitheGSD Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 239	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? Oh there was a movie on animal planet about a lady that was deaf and she bought a dog called a hearing dog. Like a seeing eye dog. But the dog would alert her at sounds like the phone. I'm not sure how you would train a dog to do it though.

05-03-2009, 11:26 AM	#6 (permalink)
spoil9 New Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? Could you train the dog the same way you would other things? IE: Alerting to the phone ringing. 1. Bring your dog by the phone and have some one call it. Maybe someone else in the next room with a cell phone or you with a cell phone out of site. 2. When the dog reacts, reward with praise. 3. Take a couple steps back and repeat until you are not near the phone and your dog still comes to find you when the phone rings. Reward with praise. Although I am not a trainer, and I have only been working with my GSD since March I am noticing a common trend when it comes to training. Hope this helps and if I am wrong, please someone correct me and teach us both.

05-05-2009, 05:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
Prize Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: PA Posts: 264	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? I like that idea, I'm still trying to direct her reaction though. I am having trouble figuring out if she's running for the phone or she wants food, since they are so close together lol. I am going to try and integrate "target" into this, so that she will push me with her nose; but it's been slow going on my part because I've been distracted and it's something that seems a bit tricky. Thanks for the suggestion. __________________ Owner to Minerva - 2yo uber pup & Zelda - 13 pounds of feline fury! "The more I see of man, the more I like dogs." ~Mme. de Staël

05-05-2009, 05:58 PM	#8 (permalink)
jake Knighted Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: new england Posts: 2,710	Re: Teach my dog to alert me to sounds? some great suggestions here.Just to add if you have land line and cell you can call yourself from cell to land to make things easy and to also control the time when you want to train.I taught jake to alert by talking happy talk to phone -praising him and giving small food treat.It is really much easier than it seems.

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