Thanks guys!!!!!
all the support is so nice!!!!!!
I will have all the "decoys" I need to help Eddie.
We go to a HUGE church and they have off duty sheriff deptuties that patrol there.
Well most of them end up attending the church and get involved as friends with the members.....Lots are K9 officers....add me and the service dog to the mix...well we have all become friends....so..I don't think decoys will be too much of a problem...I'll just ask the county k9 unit officers!!!! lol
Thank goodness.
The ones that are friends with Eddie have other friends that he doesn't know the smell of....so we will set up some situations when I think he is ready.
This will also help in the event that I have an incident with a stalker and have to taze someone or have to have Eddie alert bark. (Service dogs are NOT supposed to bark or create a disturbance. It can be grounds for dismissal from a place of business)
I will have several sheriff deputies that will know Eddie and his training that can vouch for us.
I am a bit worried about getting Eddie to bark....I've trained him NOT to. I have given several corrections when he has.....Hmmm, where to go with it now....

When I was a little girl (latch key kid) we lived in a bigger city and my parents were afraid of me walking home by myself. They had this alarm thing. It created this exteremly high pitched beeping noise that alot of people would stop and turn around to see what was making that noise. I know they make tab alarms that are annoying as hell as a restraint alternative for elderly people in nursing homes who are a fall risk. Since you dont want to teach him to bark because thats reversing the training already why not teach him to pull the string out of this loud annoying alarm. Thats the only thing that I can think of that would be an alternative to him NOT barking. Still going to create a distrubance if someone gets to close but its not going to be his bark. Also, my mother (who is visiting) says she likes Musky Mallets as something to deter someone. Lead shot filled bats I can attest this things hurt like a s.o.b. when you get nail with them.

I will keep picking my brain to see if I can think of anything else that would not have to make you reteach him to bark.

Just a side note, the dogs that frightened me the most and still do are those quiet ones you dont think would do anything. The ones that barked almost makes you wonder if it wasn't all hot air. I personally would rather have that quiet dog you wouldnt think anything of (besides that fact he might look dangerous) be my last resort. Am I wrong to think this way?

Edited by Mary McKeever (06/27/2010 04:24 PM)
Edit reason: after thought...

Willie, I've thought of you and Eddie often. Especially lately with my knees complaining with all my trips up and down stairs house training a new pup and a Bichon to boot (they are notoriously difficult to house train, though I thought I'd prove that a myth. I'm not). I'm no where near the pain you're feeling, but I do sympathize. Good to hear from you.