Guard Dog

Many people love to have dogs as pets, and they are considered valuable family members in most homes that own one. Training a dog to be a guard dog can make the dog even more valuable to a family, but careful consideration should be taken first. Also, local laws tend to vary. Some places do not allow people to train their dogs to be attack dogs – if a dog is trained in this way, even if it attacks a burglar, it can wind up being taken away and destroyed. Plus, the owner can wind up going to the same prison that the burglar did.

If training a guard dog is what is wanted, here are some things to look for in a dog:

• Start off with an adult so you can judge their personality. Their natural disposition is the most important thing to look for.
• Look for a medium to medium-large dog. The breed doesn’t necessarily matter.
• Don’t get a dog that will attack other dogs. This will just distract the dogs from their ability to protect their owner.
• Having a rapport with the dog is important. Dogs will protect their owners when they love and respect them, not fear them.

What to do/what not to do when training a dog:

• A beaten dog will never respect or love their owner and will not want to protect them. These dogs would be impossible to control and could wind up injuring a family member. The dog needs to be trained in such a way that they respond immediately to simple commands such as “Sit” and “Stay”. This is a starting point so they will be obedient as well when the time to protect comes.
• Keep in mind that training an attack dog may not be necessary. Just having a large breed dog can intimidate many intruders who would not want to mess with a big scary looking dog.