Hi, your advices would be appreciated please:
have GSD and Retriever both 11 month bitches - coming on very well. std training - when left in garden they bark well at stangers coming up drive and cease when we ask....
last night we had some unexpected/unwelcome vistors at around 2am - i got up went out and down the long drive to check out what they were up to... took the dogs and thought they would bark and do the bravado bit... but all they wanted to do was sniff around and took off in search of anything but the perps. I shouted at the perps to get off property etc and they did... but no thanks to my brave(!) dogs who were oblivious.....
I'd like to get them to bark when required and at least look like they might protect me... any ideas? many thanks

thanks for response.... i may not have been clear... the dogs didn't alert me... all i wanted is a little bark from them to let the intruders know i had dogs with me <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> did not want them to attack or run over etc... i was doing that bit... my point is they bark normally but not at the one moment you'd like them to!
i have got all of Ed's DVDs etc.... thanks again

thanks Judy

received some other good advice too.....

Was the trespasser someone you or the dog knew or was at least familiar with? A neighbor or something? My dog only barks at squirrels but on Labor Day he growled and barked at my neighbors fence. Seeing that he barks so infrequently (and growls even more infrequently) I went out to investigate. Turned out to be my neighbor with a friend of his.

My dog has never barked at my neighbors or their children (either side). It was the friend that my dog barked at, not my neighbor.

So perhaps the trespassers were a familiar scent?

A theory - and a poor one at that.

For training to bark, I believe that Ed has an article on the main webpage about training a dog to bark at the door.

thanks Chris, no these were intruders attempting to break into my garage which is about 200ft from my house.... in my front garden/yard... fortunately they ran when i confronted them (lucky for me) teaching the bark i think is a good idea.

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last night we had some unexpected/unwelcome vistors at around 2am - i got up went out and down the long drive to check out what they were up to... took the dogs and thought they would bark and do the bravado bit

Hmm, especially at that age I'd think the dogs thought YOU were there to protect THEM. Why should they bark, you're already there.

Sounds like you've been telling them previously to stop barking when you come up to them. So to them, they're doing what you've asked for in the past.

I have one dog only barks if there is something- but "something" doesn't have to be much. Her barking is noted but not always checked out immediately. Another rarely barks. The week of Fourth of July the one that rarely barks barked once at about 2 am. Since it was her- I looked immediately- found a car on fire in front of the house. Good dog!

So one is used as a deterrent since she'll tell me whenever anyone comes close. The other is the one I REALLY listen to. They do make a good team :-)

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when left in garden they bark well at stangers coming up drive and cease when we ask....

I missed that in my first post. That comment is important I think. For one, if you have to ask them to stop barking on occasion, maybe the problem with the event you described is only their age.

I've almost never had to ask my dog to stop barking. He just never barks enough to warrant a verbal command to stop. He is the most docile creature I've ever known so when he does bark, I know for sure there is something going on either outside our home or when he's in my car.

Once in my yard he charged our fence and really growled at a man coming up our driveway. I was w/my dog in the backyard and told the man to get back into his car. He was coming to the fence to try and pet my dog without permission! Here's the funny part of the story...I know the man...he's my son's friend's father and the man is a very bad man, no other way to say it. My Gunnar must have known and wanted that guy off our yard. It's crazy how they know!!

I take my dog everywhere w/me in the car and he's never crated. One time a guy got out of his car while I was getting gas and my dog went crazy. He did NOT like this guy. He's never done this before and never did it after. Don't know why he did it but you better believe I let him go (barking wise)! Just like the last poster said, when he barks I really, really listen.

Good luck Rob. It's easy to teach them to bark on command. I guess the hard part is knowing your dog's personality/temperment and if teaching such a thing will be a blessing or a curse <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> !