We all want to feel secure when we get to our homes. There’s nothing nice going on when you wake up in the middle of the night just to check your wife and kids are safe. Despite the fact that nowadays there are all kinds of security alarms and surveillance cameras, I can still only rest peacefully and without worries when I know my guard dog is around. This is the way I am really convinced that no burglar will try to do anything clever. And if they try, well… I know for sure they are not going to succeed.
If you are planning to go for it and start training a guard dog, however, there are many things you have to take into account. This is no simple job, fellow, and you definitely must have the will, determination and perseverance needed to achieve such a goal. You are going to be responsible for every little reaction of your guard dog to any influence in the future. A badly trained guard dog can be very dangerous at an older age.
The breed is one of the most important factors. Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers and German Shepherds are great for the job. They are driven a lot by their natural instinct to protect the place where they live, and their large size makes a helpful addition on any intruders eyes.
When you start training a guard dog, it is necessary that you make the dog know you commands and your leadership. You are the one it has to obey, no other. Make sure you make an everyday training, even if you can give him only small lessons at a time.
At training, teach it not to show interest on the activities of other dogs or animals. These are factors that could distract it when he has a situation that requires his full alert.
You should also work on its barking. This is the first weapon a guard dog has, and just after using it, the owner will be alert. You can’t, on the other hand, let it bark continuously at everything that catches its eye if you don’t want to have other kinds of trouble. If you actually have a trespasser, your guard dog must be prepared. You have to train your dog either to hold back or to attack in these situations
It’s important for you to know that you would be doing a much better job if you got the dog as a puppy. This way it will learn instinctively who its owner is and who it has to obey.
These are the basics for you to start training a guard dog, but it’s not all there is to it. Keep reading other articles to really get the full picture.