Kristin Muntz Webboard User Reg: 05-09-2012
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It was suggested months ago that instead of engaging Duke in protection training, that we teach him a good 'threat display'. We've had good success keeping him interested/focused in bite toys as play and exercise and at the moment (with no shortage of behaviors to work on) I am wondering how one would teach a threat display? Is this working from just the gib laut to have the dog be sounding off until the command to stop is given? Or would you approach it as a bark and hold situation, maybe training on the blind with no bite on the "helper" but directed to a tug/wedge reward maybe? How necessary would it be to have a 3rd party (non family member) to work on this with?
Duane Hull Webboard User Reg: 09-23-2011
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Are you going to teach him to "threaten" on command, or allow him to evaluate the threat for himself? Once you do this, how do you envision him interacting with your visitors?
Kristin Muntz Webboard User Reg: 05-09-2012
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To clarify, the suggestion for threat display did come to me on this board specifically.
Re: allowing him to assess the threat on his own, he already does that with guard barking on the property and at strangers. This would be on command, and off by command. By size and demeanor, he's a deterring looking dog - he loves all of our visitors (at this age of 20 months) and wants to climb all over them. He's not really allowed to interact with them off leash most of the time as most people don't want an 80 lb dog trying to climb on them. That may change with age. I would like him to act a bit more aloof with non-family members and that's something I try to work towards.
I probably just train a prolonged bark command. Something like "watch him" or "what is it?" means bark your head off. Then teach a quiet command as well. My first Border Collie had an awesome "cujo" bark. When someone came to the house that I wasn't sure about/didn't want to deal with I'd grab her collar and say "joey" (long story - lol!) and she'd put on an impressive display. But she also had a really good "go lay down" that would quiet her right down.
He's actually addressing the issue that I have, which is that Duke isn't interested in more than 1 bark most of the time. The only place we've had success with prolonged barking (in prey) is when he's on a tie-out and I have a toy.
Kristin Muntz Webboard User Reg: 05-09-2012
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Duane, what I want to be able to do is address when I feel something may be a threat and he does not seem to assess it as such. If I have the option to control the behavior, I'd like to be able to do so. He is barky in the yard, but not, for example, on walks. He instead watches intently. (I do praise this behavior as well) That's great, and I actually appreciate the fact that he's not an intensely talkative dog, but there are times that I would love to have him alert before people get close enough to take the measure of either of us.
This isn't something I'm going to go head first into, it's going on the list with everything else and I was really looking for a place to start with it.
Candi Campbell Webboard User Reg: 03-28-2013
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Quote: Kristin Muntz
It was suggested months ago that instead of engaging Duke in protection training, that we teach him a good 'threat display'. We've had good success keeping him interested/focused in bite toys as play and exercise and at the moment (with no shortage of behaviors to work on) I am wondering how one would teach a threat display? Is this working from just the gib laut to have the dog be sounding off until the command to stop is given? Or would you approach it as a bark and hold situation, maybe training on the blind with no bite on the "helper" but directed to a tug/wedge reward maybe? How necessary would it be to have a 3rd party (non family member) to work on this with?
Kristin, I recommend the OLD book "City Dog" by Richard A Wolters (cheap on the net & free at the library) -- It includes a chapter illustrated with multiple photos on how to train the Family Dog to give a simple On-Lead "threat display" to Warn Off any suspicious stranger ... It's very basic stuff for the average Pet Owner, that involves a no-contact Bark & Lunge on command with an Out, which requires an Unknown 3rd Party to act as the menacing Bad Guy
steve strom Webboard User Reg: 03-17-2006
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Kristin, this is jmo. Maybe jmho. Could even be jmvho, but DON"T MAKE YOUR DOG A SUSPICIOUS WRECK MESSING AROUND WITH THIS STUFF. If you have access to a VERY good trainer, that's one thing. Don't try anything from some book. That book can't see your dog and none of this kind of stuff should be attempted without the ability to see how every part of it works with HIM.
Teach him to either bark for a toy or anticipate having someone throw it so he'll focus on a different person in front of you. Don't do something you'll regret down the road.
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Teaching a companion dog a 'threat display'.
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