Bengalureans train their dogs to bark

They are hoping this will alert them of gate-crashers and avoid thefts

People in Bengaluru are training their friendly dogs to bark at strangers entering the house. These pets are given treats, head rubs and hugs in return.

The families are hoping this will alert them of intruders as petty thefts and chain snatching incidents have become common since the pandemic.

Take the case of Srinivas S R. He is a relieved man today because his dog, an Akita, has started raising an alarm. His dog was “very friendly” earlier – She would go leaping at visitors or sleep lazily on the porch.

“A bike theft happened in my neighbourhood two-three months ago. It was in an independent house. That’s when I thought if my dog becomes active, it won’t allow just anybody in. I stay away for work all day and I was worried about the safety of my family,” the Byadarahalli resident, who works as a food delivery agent, says why he trained his pet to bark.

Manjuchari M has a similar story. The Mahadeshwara Nagar resident put his German Shepherd through the barking training after a cycle theft at his neighbour’s house.

“Now, me, my wife and kids feel safer. Every time our dog rushes to the gate and barks at someone, we check on the person. And she stops the moment we ask her to stop,” says the debt recovery agent.

Vrathin Nayak’s genial Golden Retriever has also learnt to go “woof, woof” at strangers trying to get past the gate of the house, where he stays with his elderly parents, wife and two kids. The freelance fitness trainer took this step post a chain-snatching incident in his area.

The Thyagaraja Nagar resident recalls, “From CCTV cameras, we learnt the man was lurking around in the area for a week. We feel relieved now that our dog can alert us.”

Dog trainers speak

Dog behaviourist Amrut Hiranya says he has conducted 300 hours of such training since the pandemic. Of which, half were directed at dogs in the city and outskirts. Srinivas, Manjuchari, and Vrathin are his clients.

These sessions were held online, six to eight times per dog. The fee was Rs 12,000 and up, depending on the dog and dog owner’s training requirement.

“We train these dogs to bark at unfamiliar people, not to get aggressive at or attack anybody. We aren’t training them to be security dogs that are deployed by the police or military,” clarifies Amrut, better known as ‘Dog Guru’.

Unlike Amrut, Vaibhav Mungole has received only “a few enquiries”. The dog behaviour consultant and trainer shares, “I get these calls from people who stay in independent houses. Also, from people who have moved to farmhouses on the outskirts because of the work from anywhere culture. They want their dogs to drive away trespassers in their absence.”

But Vaibhav has turned down these requests. “It’s better to use technology (like CCTV). Thieves can easily poison the dogs and gain access to your house. Poisoning of dogs at farmhouses is sadly fairly common,” he informs.

In most cases, people already have a pet who they would like to become vigilant. In a few, they get a pup just for security.

Dog trainer Sayli Rajadhyaksha recalls one such call she got during the second wave: “A woman got a Rottweiler puppy and she wanted to train it to howl and warn of footsteps approaching the gate. She stays in an independent house and her husband travels away on work frequently, so she was hoping the pup would make her feel secure.”

People often get Rottweilers and Pitbulls for security. The assumption is they are ferocious by instinct. But experts say that’s not true. “No breed is aggressive or docile by nature. Every breed has aggressive and docile pups,” says Vaibhav.