[Pryght]

Yesterday, my sister was able to meet Izzie for the first time. After a couple hours of chatting, she asked me if I was planning on getting a home security system...to which I replied that I already did...pointed at Izzie.

Anyhow, I was wondering how effective your GSDs are at alerting you when someone approaches the house?

Also, hypothetically speaking, if someone were dumb enough to break into your house (with your GSD inside alone), what do you think your GSD would do? Just bark? Bite the burglar?

 

[Ewilliams]

Um, my boy alerts me when someone farts three houses over. No, seriously, he is the BEST at alerting us when something is up.

The pizza man was scared to death b/c of his bark. I never tell people, "Oh he's really friendly". Not when they are coming to my house. I want strangers to remember that big GSD lives in that house! A meter reader from six years ago still remembers our late GSD and asked me about him while I was at a store. I didn't have a clue who she was, but she remembered the day we were in the backyard when she came to read our meter!

If someone came into our house while we were sleeping or not at home, I have no doubt that Hans would bite. He might even rip an arm off.

But, I have no problem having him around my children and other kids. He is as gentle as a lamb with them. I always supervise, but I swear I think he can read my mind. I love my boy!

 

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: Pryght
Anyhow, I was wondering how effective your GSDs are at alerting you when someone approaches the house?

<span style="color: #FF0000"> 100% effective.</span>

Also, hypothetically speaking, if someone were dumb enough to break into your house (with your GSD inside alone), what do you think your GSD would do? Just bark? Bite the burglar?

<span style="color: #FF0000"> Someone I know WAS "dumb enough" to come in the house when I wasn't home. (That is one of the downfalls of living where people have NO SENSE.) This is someone that the dog has been around several times OUTSIDE. And she has always been 100% fine with ALL PEOPLE. But he came in the use the bathroom when I wasn't home. I don't know exactly what she did, all he said was she "ran him out".

</span>

 

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: ShepsRgr8Um, my boy alerts me when someone farts three houses over.

 

[Liesje]

My dogs alert to the doorbell, cars in my driveway, and the back screen door opening. We live in a residential area, so they hear a lot of people next door and people in the yard, people going by, cars in the driveway right out our window, and they don't alert to that. If they alerting to every person within 10 feet of the house they'd be barking ALL day, lol, but somehow they can tell when it's our driveway, our doorbell, and our porch door.

They do not do anything to people who come in. Coke has a VERY loud, deep bark that is scary (like a Great Dane or a Bloodhoud), but he is not aggressive, that's just how his bark sounds. He greets people with tail wagging. Kenya has has a really short, hoarse, scrappy sounding bark. Coke will give a few deep barks and Kenya will stand in the doorway and do more of a "YAPYAPYAPYAPYAP!!!" typically 5 quick barks and then I say "Thank you, enough!" She also backs away from the doorway when someone enters.

I think the looks of my dogs and the sound of the very deep bark from Coke and the quick, yappy barks from Kenya are enough to keep a stranger out. People have come over while I've been out and the dogs still do a few alert barks but have never really defended the house. Unless the burglar acted aggressively toward the dogs, I don't think they'd do anything after the alert barking. This is how I prefer it. They are not protection dogs and have no formal training in that respect so I do not expect or want them thinking they have to defend the house. *I* decide who goes in and out, not them.

 

[Amaruq]

My dogs all seem to have an inexplicable sense of outside boundries when they are inside. I have been outside and have seen people walk along the side of the road directly in front of my house. However, if they walk more than a foot or two onto my grass the dogs know it and they tell them off. I am not sure that anyone could make it past my door if they tried to come in. Lakota (Husky) would scare them as she jumps up and tries to lick them to death. But anyone who would try to come in with Chimo barking needs their head examined. He has a very intimidating bark.

 

[BlackPuppy]

If you want to rob my house, park on the street. I don't have a pure GSD, but all the dogs alert to people at the door or a vehicle in the driveway. One day the lawnmower guy came to pick up my lawnmower for servicing. He knocked on the door to tell me that he had my mower and was leaving. The dogs never knew the guy was in the garage "stealing" my mower, and he had parked in the street. LOL! I guess I need one of those purebred alarms.

 

[acurajane]

my dog would run and bark, then run away peeing all over the place.

 

[littledmc17]

Originally Posted By: BlackGSD

Originally Posted By: ShepsRgr8Um, my boy alerts me when someone farts three houses over.

that was great

 

[GSDLVR76]

All of mine are really good about alerting when the door bell rings or if someone knocks on the door. Shilo will alert if there is a strange noise no matter what time of day.

Out of my 6, I believe Shilo would be the only one who would show any agression to someone who may break into the house. We have a little joke in our house. The chihuahuas would attack their ankles to knock them off balance, Reno would drown them in urine while they were down and Shilo would take care of the rest. And while all this was going on Fancy and Skye would be checking ther pockets for food!!

 

[littledmc17]

My 2 are very effective to the point people don't want to walk in front of our house the lab can be quite the beatch.

Only the stupid ones would attempt to break into our house.
Brady weighs 110lbs and will defend if necessary!!
I am comfortable when DH is out of town cause I am protected

 

[Emoore]

Rocky and Cash both are very good about alerting me if someone is on the property. They have good deep "big boy" barks.

If someone were stupid enough to break in, I hope the dogs WOULD NOT attack because I'd hate for them to get caught in the line of fire!

 

[Liesje]

Originally Posted By: Emoore

If someone were stupid enough to break in, I hope the dogs WOULD NOT attack because I'd hate for them to get caught in the line of fire!

True. See my post in the "save your life" thread. Kenya's half brother was killed by an intruder. Granted, the intruder may have been there to harm the family, in which case the dog saved THEIR lives, but he was shot and killed.

 

[sklippstein]

My GSD of 14 years was the best ever watch dog

...She did not like people, kids, dogs or cats. She tolerated squirrels only because she could not climb up the tree to follow them. She was on constant alert and always on duty. Lola on the other hand does now bark at the doorbell and is becoming more alert about who is suppose to be where and whose care belongs in what driveway. We live in a cul de sac so to Lola it's all hers.....and she needs to guard all of it. So if company comes to anyone of the 5 houses, it is her duty to go and see who they are. Her look intimidates them but all soon realize how friendly she is. So hopefully a burglar would just look at her face and run to the hills.

 

[Sean Rescue Mom]

Sean detects anyone not only walking up to the door but in front of the house on the sidewalk. He then alerts the cat who is right beside him.

 

[big_dog7777]

My old male Zeus woke me up in the middle of the night and ignored all commands I gave him. I was half way down the stairs when my doorbell rang. Turns out sherriff's police were casing my home before ringing the doorbell while looking for my cousin that used to live with me. They said they could not get around the house without Zeus barking. He was excellent at watching the corner I live on now as well. Sometimes I'd hear a few barks from him, and at first not see anyone. Then someone would round the corner! And he only alerted to men. He also was willing to do something if someone came in. How committed he would be to the fight, I'm not sure.

Diesel has a bark that shakes the house. Deep, loud and serious. He watches all activity outside intently. Multiply that by three if I am not home and my wife and or daughter are. He goes from window to window looking for me and making sure nobody is trying to take advantage of the fact I am not there. He does not really bark at women or children unless they are dressed to look like a man. He would be more than willing to engage an intruder. Unless the intruder had a gun, and was able to shoot him quickly serious damage would be done.

Lowen is still a question mark since she is young.

 

[Dogrunner]

I had a survey crew come early. I had told them I had dogs (note the plural...

because they didn't). They rattled the fence and Meagan came out of the dog door, ball in mouth, tail wagging so as one of the guys threw the tennis ball for her, the others jumped the fence and started setting up...

I came home from work later and found two happy dogs and survey equipment scattered over the backyard. A strip of someone's shirt was hung on the fence. My answering machine had this message. " We were playing ball with the sweet dog you have when the BEAST rocketed through the kitchen dog door. Thank God he stumbled coming out of the other one or we'd all be dead. "

You have to discount some of what the survey crew said as sheer exaggeration (I've never seen smoke or flames coming from Ki's mouth) but apparently Ki charges head-on with a "I'm going to kill you now" expression and a low growl if you come into the part of the yard he can get too.

 

[sklippstein]

Originally Posted By: DogrunnerI had a survey crew come early. I had told them I had dogs (note the plural...

because they didn't). They rattled the fence and Meagan came out of the dog door, ball in mouth, tail wagging so as one of the guys threw the tennis ball for her, the others jumped the fence and started setting up...

I came home from work later and found two happy dogs and survey equipment scattered over the backyard. A strip of someone's shirt was hung on the fence. My answering machine had this message. " We were playing ball with the sweet dog you have when the BEAST rocketed through the kitchen dog door. Thank God he stumbled coming out of the other one or we'd all be dead. "

You have to discount some of what the survey crew said as sheer exaggeration (I've never seen smoke or flames coming from Ki's mouth) but apparently Ki charges head-on with a "I'm going to kill you now" expression and a low growl if you come into the part of the yard he can get too.

laughed so hard tears were running down my eyes

 

[bosco146]

We have four dogs that will bark when you step onto our driveway. I always figured that if someone still wants to break in after seeing/hearing 3 shepherds and a 90lb lab, its going to take more than a dog to stop them. Hence, the gun collection