How do I safely encourage aggression in my dog?

Question

I just got a puppy. She's an australian shephard/ lab mix. I got her b/c Imma big punk and I'm scared of my shadow so I wanted to have her to bark and alert me of intruders or unwanted exes. Anyway, she sweet as a honey bee and I'm not sure what to do to encourage some kind of aggression in her. However I don't want her attacking people on the streets or hurting children. I only want her to deter would be robbers and such. Any useful suggestions?

Answer 1

If you would like to encourage your dog to bark (to deter robers) but not to become aggressive there is a very easy way to do that. (My family use to train police dogs & this is what we did)

Walk around your house and casually knock on each door - - then ask your dog in an excited voice " what is it?!" - you can encourage them by making barking noises yourself and then going "what is it?" Or "get it!" Keep knocking on doors and encouraging the dog to bark at it. . . after a week or so she will do it on her own even before someone knocks she'll notice they are there.

Answer 2

There is no safe way to make a dog aggressive. If you're just wanting the dog to bark when someone is near the house or at the door the dog should do that naturally. You don't need to train for that. It's instinct for them to protect their home. Just give it a little time and she'll start doing it. She's still a puppy so this instincts probably hasn't come out yet. It will.

Answer 3

I absolutely do NOT recommend encouraging aggression in a dog for any reason unless the dog AND the handler are both trained specifically for the purpose. Once she bonds with you, her natural instincts will be to protect you, and her size/bark will be enough to deter all but the most determined burglars.

But if you do want her to be a protection dog, please do formal Schutzhund work with her. There are organizations throughout the country that do Schutzhund training, and you can find one near you by checking online.

A friend and fellow trainer once said, "A dog is like a loaded gun -- the bigger the dog, the higher the caliber of weapon." Think in terms of having a loaded .357 magnum just lying around for a child to pick up, versus that same gun with a trigger lock and secured in a safe location.

That's the difference between an aggressive dog and a properly trained Schutzhund dog.

Answer 4

Don't do anything but be kind to her. She will
bond with you and develope her natural instincts. She will bark and alert you, but she has to grown up a little first.
I adopted a Doberman girl last year, at 2 yrs old. She had been beaten (by a man, it seems) and was scared to death of men and not much of a watchdog. Now, a year later, she knows that no one around here will hurt her, and this
property is HERS, and she has a job to do.
She would NEVER hurt anyone, but she barks very seriously, and puts all of her 85 lbs at the fence line and between her, the fence, and the sign I hung on the fence, people don't try her.

Answer 5

Don't even dare to do any stupid idea like that. It doesn't do anything but abuse the dog. If you want to make her a good watch dog get proper professional training. Mostly for you.

All you have to do to get her to bark at intruders is let her know that is her territory. She will alert you to any intruder. Give her lots of attention and lots of play while she is a pup. She will then become very attached to you and will warn you of intruders.

Making your dog agressive is abuse. Dogs are always cute and friendly as pups. As she grows that will change and she will take her rightful place in your pack. Just make sure she knows you are the leader. No abuse is needed to do that. There are many ways to do that and you can find the info on the net with a simple google search.

Answer 6

You don't want to encourage aggression in a dog. How could you possibly expect a dog to know when you think it's ok for her to be aggressive and when not? Since she's a puppy, give her time to grow up. She'll become somewhat protective and bark when she gets older. You got a dog that's part herding dog and part retriever - did you really expect a lot of aggression?

Answer 7

You should not have to do anything....most dogs will just naturally become protective of the family, or as they see it "the pack". I would not encourage any agression....you might end up with something that you do not want....Mydogs for example, never bark when someone knocks at the door unless I am not in the room....if I am not...they both bark until I get in and answer the door...then they just go back to doing what ever it was they were doing....

Answer 8

Use an old sock tied in a knot for tug of war! do not growl at first and let her win 50% of the time , throw it like fetch but have a handy treat ready when returned to you. this breed is all outdoor,please, see that she goes outside 3-4hours daily and check your fence for digging by her! Discourage her from jumping up especially around small children! Pick a word where she will jump up but make it a german word and practice with adult females that have a towel around their neck for protection. the rest will be natural instinct!

Answer 9

In my experience, dogs naturally become very protective of their territory and family. I would not do anything unless the dog fails as an adult.

Consult a veterinarian if you have concerns.

Answer 10

If you were in danger, the dog would probably sense it and protect you, I wouldn't try to "make" her more aggressive. That could backfire and mean trouble for you and your pet.