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[Shurikane]

I have set up a 3 tile wide corridor, at each end of which I have placed a dog in a cage.  This is the only access to my fort - everything else is blocked off by walls and a moat.  My expectation was that it would detect hidden units like thieves and ambushers.

Problem is, thieves and snatchers almost always manage to make it past the dogs.  I don't really care about those, but I fear for the time that an ambush will make it through there.

Would I gain anything from just piling up more dogs around my detection site?  Or is it a futile effort?

[Skid]

Try chaining them instead of caging them.

[Refar]

Chaining works for me.
I do use 3 dogs for a 3 wide corridor however... (You need at least two if you chain, to allways get 100% coverage)

[cecilkorik]

To clarify, any animal inside a cage is completely blinded. These are apparently not so much "cages" as they are "crates". Enemies can walk right overtop of the cage without getting detected. Like everyone else suggested, you have to use chains for detection.

Of course, cages are still useful because you can put unlimited numbers of animals in them, and release them by pulling a lever. If your detectors do find an ambush, you might want to uncage a horde of angry guard dogs to back them up.

[Shurikane]

Nah, my only use for them is as detectors - so if I stick 'em on chains, that means I'll need to feed them, and they'll be exposed to danger.

I think I'll just start requesting nothing but dogs from merchants from now on, and designate a pit where I keep a steady supply.

[Refar]

Most of the time the working dogs you have (the 3 Chained spotters + maybe hinting / war dogs for dwarves working outside) produce enought offspring... The offspring i stuck in a cage untill i need them...

[Wolfking6116]

As I recall, you don't need to feed your animals.

Unless that was recently added o.o

[Shurikane]

Most of the time the working dogs you have (the 3 Chained spotters + maybe hinting / war dogs for dwarves working outside) produce enought offspring... The offspring i stuck in a cage untill i need them...

You wish.

So far, my entire dog population - all 8 of them - are male! 

[Refar]

Well... This is indeed a slight problem...

But BTW... If you only want to chain animals as spotters any animal will do... So if you have other breeding animals... Use they offspring instead.
Aligators for example. Chained watch-aligators in your forts entrance do look hilareaous.

[EDIT]
So far i never had the courage to try cats...
Does someone know:
Will chained cats become pets ?

If not they might be the best choice - they are available in unlimited numbers, and will also catch all vermin trying to snek inside...

[Shurikane]

If any animal works, then I can use the family of cows and bulls I've got and I guess they'll do nicely for starters.

Would be fun though to entertain a gigantic army of war dogs, assign them to a single owner and then sic 'em on the gobbo ambushes.  All I need to do is order the owner to a booth outside the fort, lock him in, and wait for the dogs to do all the dirty work. 

[Skid]

The problem there is that the owner will go mad after seeing a few of the dogs get killed.

[Duke 2.0]

The problem there is that the owner will go mad after seeing a few of the dogs get killed.

 But with enemies nearby, that won't be a problem. Then again, he could start kicking the dogs.

[Neoskel]

The problem there is that the owner will go mad after seeing a few of the dogs get killed.

Which is why you get the target dwarf to train the dogs but don't assign them to him. That way the dogs will still follow him around, but he won't care (except for 'witnessing death') if they die.

[BurnedToast]

The other problem is dogs (even war dogs) are not really THAT effective. Sure a huge pack will take down a small ambush, but even with the high breeding rate you won't be able to replace casuaties fast enough. Also, a single ranged goblin will take out a large number of dogs, and a whole squad of them will kill most/all of them.

I used to use cages full of war dogs as defense, but really it's not worth the trouble IMO.

[Skanky]

Using dogs as a defence isn't really worthwhile, but using them as detectors certainly is. At the maximum cost of 2 animals per thief or ambush, they are cheaper and easier to replace than dwarves.