Ok, I am now in a place where I can train again... Question is how? I need to train Zuki to LOVE me and IGNORE everyone else. Problem is I am in another country and telling the 70 kids in the orphanage to leave my dog alone, not to touch her, and stop telling her do everything they hear me telling her to do is nearly impossible. But the good thing is that with reinforcement I have succeeded mostly. 20 kids can call all at once and when I call among them she comes running to me. So whats the problem?
The problem is that she listen to me and obey but she loves anyone that comes up to her. She would walk off with ANYONE. She was just about stolen a few weeks ago and I am very afraid that if I don't teach her to be somewhat aggressive to other people she will be taken. Ok, I can train her to bark with marker training but how do I make her bark at others and not me? If I start her barking at me I am worried that she will bark any time she sees me. I don't want to loose her because I was ignorant and did not do enough... And although we should treat our dogs fairly and protect them as a pack leader, they are dogs and if I am going to have a dog it needs to be doing it's job, by protecting it's self by being careful of who it lets close and so on..I might not be saying that right...Anyway any ideas on how or what I should be trying to train her in this area would be very helpful. I feel so incapable when it comes to some of this training and I want to do a good job.
Thanks

Dear Elizabeth, you might want to check out this thread

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/230338/page/1#Post230338.

Hope this helps.

Hummm, not really cause I don't want a PPD. I just want my dog to bark on command and when any person outside the family comes up to her if I am not right there. It don't seem that it would be that hard to train but I don't want to do it wrong. For people here in Mexico and Guate a barking dog is going to eat them. But she does not bark so....

I don't think that you're being fair to your dog.
You're willing to put it into a situation that could put it into danger , but you have made it clear in other tthreads that you're not willing to take steps to protect yourself, so your dog would be left hanging in the wind if the situation takes a turn for the worse.

Please, drop the idea of using a dog, you're going about it completely wrong - just get a cell phone and call the police, or a whistle, or whatever.
But don't involve an innocent dog, is just isn't fair.

Don't judge when you are not in my shoes. I love my dog and have put piles of money but more importantly, time into her. I would be VERY sad if I was to lose her. Even if I wanted to I could not take a pp course and even if I wanted to I could not carry a gun. I am not a fool. Dogs may be for some people like kids but for me she also has a purpose in life. I would never put her in danger that could be avoided. I don't hang around places that pull in danger. I have traveled 8 years in Mexico and Guatemala without problems. I want my dog to bark for her own safety mostly. Is that so wrong?

Oh, I'll bite - how is the dog barking making the dog safer?

Will....I don't think that's what she's doing....I don't think she wants the dog to protect her?

What she really wants is for her dog to ignore people and don't walk away with strangers? Then bark on command? That's what I got from it.

I think the first thing you need to do is examine the situation where she was almost stolen. Where were you? You don't seem to be in an area where you can leave a dog tied out, in a yard, or even an outdoor kennel (unless it's covered and locked maybe). So you're dog shouldn't be out of your sight. Ever. When you're not home she should be crated inside (possibly even locked if her crate isn't in a secure enough area...remember to lock the crate down as well) so she's safe.

My dog is never further than about 30 ft from me (on or off leash, this covers most frisbee throws). If he's tied outside out corner store he's in sight about 15 ft away through a large window and there's a small lock on his collar (enough if he's messed with I'll be there 30 seconds before they could even begin to get him untied...not that he'd let them...my dog is the kind that WILL object to that).

Elizabeth just what do you think her purpose is? To possibly give her life for you, who are supposed to be her pack leader when you've said you basically will not defend yourself?

I have to agree that you really are not being fair to your dog if you are not willing to do your part including harming another human being should the situation warrant it.

You can always teach your dog to bark on a given command but, if you are not willing to go to the next level if the situation escalates you would be better off not putting her into the situation in the first place.

Is she on leash when you guys are out?

This is going to be the best way to keep her from wandering or getting stolen.

Also, bluff commands to have their place....I have one for my dog....

It's great for getting my idiot neighbor's friends to NOT to smoke pot under my window (or the scary barking dog will eat them through the window....yeah >_>

It's great for the drunk frat boys "is he friendly? Can I pet him?" "nope" "Awww he looks friendly I wanna pet him" *bark bark bark* "alright, I get it"

It's great from scaring demon raccoon that won't let me put my trash in the dumpster at night (damn thing throws apple cores at you from the tree over the dumpster)


note: I carry a whistle and cell phone during walks at night. I also carry Wasp Spray (since you need a license to carry to have pepper spray in MA) if I'm out at night. My dog will never have to actually defend me and knows the "escape and run like hell" command