[kidkhmer]

You can teach your dog to bark on command even if you don't expect it to actually protect you. If you want to use the "guard" command instead of something more benign like "speak", that would probably be enough of a deterrent for most people.

What CM said!

It might have been me the OP was referring to.

I recently taught my dog to "guard" ( i.e ; speak / bark ) on command but that is all. I am not trying to get her to posture or lunge or what have you. I have no idea how to do that nor would I want to. However my general surroundings are such that I want a dog that sounds off when I tell her to. Simple as that.

Maybe it would be more acceptable if I said GIGGLE ! instead of GUARD. However I also understand this excellent advice from Chris ; "waking up suspicion in a dog who was previously social but now has been rewarded for the opposite and now you have to manage, potentially rewarding fearful reactions as Lies mentioned if not done properly with a properly temperamented dog, not to mention just finding someone to do it correctly especially when inexperienced yourself and not sure what to look for. "

And yes...Liesje nailed it too. People see the obedient nature of my dog and that generally makes them take extra notice. I mean... a GSD walking in sync at your side with ears on high alert and looking left and right is enough to make most people stop in their tracks HE HE HE HE

 

[kidkhmer]

Been a little busy over here with pregnant wife and rambunctious daughter and Karma.

I haven't actually developed on the "guard" command with Karma even though she now sounds like a Mack Truck when she barks. I have a much better command called "stand". When I walk Karma at night on the riverfront I get approached by the same scamming beggars regularly. One is this annoying Ameri-Laotian returnee who comes out with a different line every time he approaches me. Yesterday he starts walking towards me and so I put Karma in a "stand" which is basically a very alert / ears up full stand position and she tends to pull at the leash enough to put her in that forward stance. I then shorten my grip on the leash to about a foot above her head and hold the slack across my body in the right hand. I take a bit of a strong stance myself and i think the overall impression is enough to make people think twice. Anyways, I bent down and said to Mr Annoying
" Mate I am sick of you approaching me....you keep coming and I will let my dog go........". He turned quick smart and took off .........

 

[kidkhmer]

..................oh and I should mention that over here in Cambodia we have 0/nada/zilch rules about dogs biting people etc. If you are a thief and jump over a fence here and get mauled by a dog here then you will also get beaten ( or worse ) by the homeowner and then carted away and beaten again by the cops for attempting a robbery. Ah......the perfume of sweet justice .