Jamie,
You've got a decent system for using your dog here in the U.S., but when I was a PPD vendor, *most* of the dogs that I sold went to South and Central America, where they had *serious* jobs.

It's a whole differnt ballgame down there ( and Elizabeth, I can't put myself into your shoes due to your lack of self-preservation, but I worked ranch security in Guatemala for three months and did village health care for another three, so I am aware on a personal basis what the situation is like where you're at ).

Ah, I read the other threads she'd posted AFTER I saw this one

I couldn't figure out where you were getting the "She wants a protection dog" from....

 Quote: Will Rambeau

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

You ever been to Mexico or Guatemala? Long term, like maybe a few years? Don't assume... Thats not right. Have you seen dogs in the thousands, beaten, starved, and thrown out to dig food up for themselves? Have you been to Mexico where many puppies hardly ever live to be a month old? Have you lived in a place where sacks of puppies were dumped to die, tied in, sitting in the sun? Do you know the fear people in Mexico or Guatemala have for a dog? For a Chihuahua? You don't know. I don't think you have even been south of the border if even outside of the states. I am NOT in anyway unfair to my dog. I want her to bark because if she does not,
1. She will always be locked inside other than training, walking ect
2. She may be stolen and chances are that whoever steals her will treat her very badly. I know the country.
3. She may be mistreated by children that assume she won't hurt them (she hasn't showed them otherwise).
Again, If you have not been there you don't have any right to judge. I know and it is experience.
You think you know everything there is to know, you don't.

 Quote: Will Rambeau

Jamie,
You've got a decent system for using your dog here in the U.S., but when I was a PPD vendor, *most* of the dogs that I sold went to South and Central America, where they had *serious* jobs.

It's a whole differnt ballgame down there ( and Elizabeth, I can't put myself into your shoes due to your lack of self-preservation, but I worked ranch security in Guatemala for three months and did village health care for another three, so I am aware on a personal basis what the situation is like where you're at ).

Wow am I surprised! Regardless that has nothing to do with where I spend my time or what I do with my dog. I already stated that I don't want a PPD. When I first started on this forum I had many ignorant questions because I didn't know hardly what a PPD was. I want my dog to bark, thats all.

Eliza,
One of my friends worked Peace Corp in Guatemala and adopted a boxer (?) from a animal pound/rescue while she was there. Mainly for protection. Her dog did not scare me at all. Passive, small (OK, relatively, about 60 lbs), had recovered from distemper and had a twitch. Just, to me, not an impressive animal.
When she told me people there were scared of her dog, I was a bit stunned. She had trained the dog (Maya) the 'bluff' bark, and assured me it had saved her from a mugging. She used to tie the dog up front of her house to scare people off with the barking as well.
Unfortunately, I can't help you because I don't know exactly how she went about training this. It's also tough to ask a dog to be OK with kids or other people in some situations but not others.
This is not my area of expertise by any means, but if you could give us a better idea of what your dog's day is like, in terms of who she meets, and how long and where she is left alone (if ever), that might help.
From your video and description, I don't get the feeling that you're anywhere close to neglectful or inconsiderate of your dog.

When I taught the "bark in that direction" command I did it like this....

First I taught "speak" though I used a made-up word. I taught this by getting my dog SUPER excited about a toy, then playing keep away. First I marked the odd noises he made in frustration (rewarded by getting the toy and playing). Then finally I got a bark. Marking that gave me a reliable bark on command (and also a stop barking command to get him to be quiet). Then I taught the directional barking by placing that high value toy in the direction I wanted the barking. I pointed at the toy and gave the speak command. Excited for the toy my dog would bark. I rewarded the barking that was in the direction of the toy. I slowly moved the toy out of the command so that I would point in a direction with the command and my dog would bark.

Recently I've gotten him to do it on leash (this was a problem early on because in his excitement he would put pressure on his collar and that would cause him to look up at me and return to a heel). He now bounces on his leash "straining" against a leash and barking (he's actually rearing on his high legs in excitement and using the leash for balance....but it looks scary). It has a perfect "on" switch and "off" switch. Perhaps that could at least help you with the barking part?

How to teach your dog to be suspicious...

Not to teach but make them to get used to it

1st neutralize them with people especially kids.
then after that don't let anybody touch, pet, calling, or even trying to give your dogs command.

Don't let your dogs begs for pet to anybody except you.

 Quote: elizabeth anderson

 Quote: will rambeau

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

You ever been to Mexico or Guatemala? Long term, like maybe a few years? Don't assume... Thats not right. Have you seen dogs in the thousands, beaten, starved, and thrown out to dig food up for themselves? Have you been to Mexico where many puppies hardly ever live to be a month old? Have you lived in a place where sacks of puppies were dumped to die, tied in, sitting in the sun? Do you know the fear people in Mexico or Guatemala have for a dog? For a Chihuahua? You don't know. I don't think you have even been south of the border if even outside of the states. I am NOT in anyway unfair to my dog. I want her to bark because if she does not,
1. She will always be locked inside other than training, walking ect
2. She may be stolen and chances are that whoever steals her will treat her very badly. I know the country.
3. She may be mistreated by children that assume she won't hurt them (she hasn't showed them otherwise).
Again, If you have not been there you don't have any right to judge. I know and it is experience.
You think you know everything there is to know, you don't.

Elizabeth,
You don't think that I've "been south of the border"?
Along with spending a total of six months in Guatemala, I've spent two months in Mexico, and five months in Panama.
I lived for three and a half years in Africa, two years in the Mideast, and another year and a half in Southeast Asia - I've likely seen more grinding poverty and animal abuse then you ever will.

 Quote:

I've likely seen more grinding poverty and animal abuse then you ever will.

Yeah right, I have lived in these places for 8 years and I am only 20. don't tell me what I have or haven't seen.