How to Train K-9 Sentry Dogs
For thousands of years, people have trained dogs to watch over their homes and possessions. Sentry dogs are taught to patrol their homestead, watching for signs of intruders and alerting their owners of any suspicious activity. Any breed of dog can be trained as a sentry dog, although large, athletic breeds such as Doberman pinschers and German shepherds are common due to their deep barks and imposing appearance.
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Instructions
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Begin sentry training your dog as soon as you bring it home. Fit the puppy with a collar and 6-foot leash, walking it around the edge of your property to familiarize the puppy with the area it will patrol. Puppies are most impressionable under 20 weeks of age and will be easiest to train during this time.
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Teach the dog to speak on command. Hold a treat in your hand and talk to the puppy in a cheerful, high-pitched voice. Keep the treat just out of reach, giving the puppy the command to speak. The puppy will bark in frustration or excitement. As soon as the puppy barks, reward it with the treat. Repeat this exercise until the puppy barks every time you give the speak command.
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Clip the 30-foot training leash to the dog's collar and walk him along the edge of your property. Have a helper who is unfamiliar to the dog approach the edge of the property and point the helper out to the dog. Tell the dog to "watch it" and encourage the puppy to bark at the helper. As soon as the sentry dog barks, ask the handler to walk away. Reward the dog with a treat. Continue this patrolling exercise each day with a new helper until the dog barks at any stranger who comes on to your property.
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Turn the dog loose on your land and watch from a distance as you have a helper walk toward your property. Ask the dog to "watch it" and follow the dog at a distance of approximately 10 feet so you allow the dog to work independently but remain close enough to guide the dog if it becomes confused. As soon as the dog barks and scares the helper away, call it back to you and reward it with a treat.
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Leave the dog outside to patrol alone once it is consistently barking when people near the property. Sentry dogs normally spend the majority of their time on duty watching for intruders, so leaving the dog outside is an essential part of sentry duty. As soon as you hear the dog bark, hurry outside to investigate the problem. Reward the dog for properly guarding your property.
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Tips & Warnings
Check on the dog any time you hear a bark. A well-trained sentry dog will bark when it feels a threat to your property, and you may need to stop the intruder yourself.
Never allow a sentry dog to bark for no reason. Barking at squirrels or birds distracts the dog from barking at intruders.
References
- Photo Credit guard dog warning image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
