How To Train A Guard Dog

If you want to know how to train a guard dog, you first need to understand that we recommend this be done by a professional. Does this mean you can't do it yourself? No. But it is a skill best left to experienced trainers.

There are of course plenty of good reasons why you would want to train your pet like this. Most people know their pet loves them and is their friend. It is natural to assume then that your loyal partner would immediately jump to your defense at the first sign of trouble. However this is flawed thinking. Read the newspapers. You'll find stories every week about people who are robbed or worse even with their dog present. This doesn't mean your pet doesn't love you, he just wasn't trained on what to do.

If someone gets into your house when you're not home, chances are your dog will bark, and that is probably enough to scare the intruder away. But most of the time the dog will not attack. A well trained dog has been taught not to bite and he has a healthy respect for people. If you want your pet to be a guard dog, he'll need to be trained. And as a dog owner, you need to understand that you will treat him first like a guard dog, then second as a pet.

The first thing you should consider is your dog's temperament. Not every dog is right for being a guard dog. Certain breeds have this instinct and others don't. You'll notice it by their behavior. Our Chow Chow loved to be let outside. And when he was, he would stay near fence. Anytime someone he did not know walked by, the guarding instinct was evident in his posture and attitude.

The best breeds for this are those that fall into the "working breeds" category. These dogs are also good for hunting, herding and retrieving. These animals need jobs so to speak. Without something to do, these breeds typically get bored and that can result in somewhat mischievous behavior. That's why they make good guard dogs. You are essentially "giving them a job" that will keep them satisfied. Train him to guard and you'll not only give him confidence, but you'll keep him happy.

However training any breed on how to be a guard dog requires plenty of patience on your part. You'll need to be devoted to your pet and keep plenty of rewards on hand to give him when he responds properly to any perceived threat. Teaching your dog to attack is one thing. Teaching him the difference between a friend and an enemy is something different all together.

For whatever reason, most dogs simply don't like the mailman. You delivery man may be the nicest guy on earth, but for some reason your dog thinks of him as the enemy. Let's look at this from your pet's perspective. Here's a man approaching your house, and maybe even trying to get in. He may leave a package on the porch, or he may even knock. When you open the door, you typically don't let him in. You just take the package. You didn't let him in so your dog naturally thinks he's the enemy. It's perfectly logical.

The most difficult and time consuming part of training a guard dog is teaching him the difference between friends and enemies. This has to be exceptionally clear, which means you'll be introducing your dog to lots of people. The next time your mailman delivers a package, let him inside the door and shake his hand. Let your dog sniff so he'll recognize the scent. This needs to happen with all friends of yours. But you have to make a distinction by not letting these friends give your dog a treat. He'll soon think that anyone who gives him food is a friend. And this would make it real easy for any intruder to bribe your pet. Only one person can give the guard dog commands and only one person can feed him. That person is you.

As with any dog training, consistency is vital in guard dog training. This is not something you can teach with weekly lessons. It must be daily and preferably at the same time every day. Dogs, as we know by now, love routines and schedules. It reinforces their training and keeps their minds busy. You'll find that most guard dog training schools receive intense and professional training consistently.

If this is what you truly want from your pet, again we recommend professional training. But if you want to do it yourself, make sure you fully understand the details of any dog training before proceeding with guard dog training. That means getting a great course like SitStayFetch. The more you know, the better prepared you'll be to teach your pet to be a guard dog. Find out more by clicking here.