Guard dog training is serious business and should only be done under the supervision of a certified expert. Dogs are very dangerous animals when they are taught to attack and should only be taught by people who know what they are doing. Here are some tips that can help your dog to get ready for guard dog training.
Guard dog training tips
Begin by teaching your dog the simple things
Guard dogs are great at the basics and will listen to you on demand. Sit, stay, come and lay down are all basics that a good guard dog must have from the beginning. Before they know the basics, they will not be ready to guard anything. Teach them the easy things first and then consider them for advanced guard dog training skills.
Introduce your dog to all social situations
Dogs that are skittish and afraid of new things will have trouble as guard dogs. Teach your dog to exist in social settings of all types without being nervous or afraid. Give them confidence by introducing them to new people, places and things. Don’t forget to involve them with other animals and that includes other dogs. Your dog has to be able to listen to you in every situation to be an effective guard dog. Give them lots of practice.
Instill in your dog what is home and what is not
Dogs will have a natural instinct to protect what they perceive as their property. Regularly show the dog their entire property and always prevent them from straying outside of it. When they do go outside the property line, reacquaint them with the right area. If a dog knows what is their own area, they will generally protect it naturally. The key is to make sure they know that area well and don’t misunderstand the borders.
Pay the experts
Finally, once you have your dog at this level, you should pay someone that is trained to teach your pup right. Guard dog training is serious business and you can quickly find yourself in trouble if you go about it wrong. Dogs can do some serious damage to you or the wrong person if you don’t know what you are doing. Teach them what you are able to teach, and then give the leash over to the guys and gals that do it for a living. They will be worth every penny and they can train you as well!
Guard dogs are a wonderful protection for your family and they can be invaluable to alert you to danger. Nobody wants to be put in that situation, but when it comes up your dog can be a huge help. A barking dog is often enough to have a potential burglar move on to a different home simply because the level of difficulty goes up. Burglars want a nice, easy mark. A dog that sounds like it wants to tear them apart is not so easy. With a dog that has gone through guard dog training, burglars definitely aren’t going to want to come to your house!
