25 May How to Train a Guard Dog?

All dog breeds were used in the past as guard dog. Training guard dogs is one of the most common uses for humans, which has several points. Guard dogs are one of man’s closest mutual friends. These dogs are among the most popular dogs that also have high intelligence while having physical strength. Because keeping and training guard dogs is an important and sensitive task; Familiarity with the ethics, characteristics or different breeds of guard dogs is important. Training a puppy to be a guard dog is a sensitive and complex job that requires high knowledge, experience and skills. This training is time-consuming and requires patience; But as a result, your dog not only protects you but also treat you better at normal times.

 History of  a guard dog

The history of friendship between humans and guard dogs dates back to the first day of these animal generations. In fact, before the advent of the dog breed, these creatures lived in the form of their ancestors, the wolves. During the evolution of nature, some wolves decided to get closer to humans to survive. This closeness between the wolf and the men was a win-win relationship between them; On the other hand, domesticated wolves could secure their food. On the other hand, by feeding them, men could be sure of their security in nature. The wolves gradually got used to the existence of humans next to them. In the thousands of years since such a relationship was established, dog breeds have undergone many changes. Hundreds of different breeds of this animal are already living on the planet. Many of these breeds are the result of genetic manipulation by humans. In the following, we will introduce some of the most famous breeds of guard dogs. Keeping a dog for guarding requires observing the points that we will discuss briefly. 

Definition of a guard dog

The guard dog is alert and extremely sensitive to its territory. All breeds of guard dogs behave extremely aggressively and violently when a stranger enters their territory. Guard dogs, like other dogs, are well aware of their owner’s feelings. The cleanliness and hygiene of guard dogs are also important. In general, guard dogs are loyal dogs. These dogs are very kind to their owner and are very aggressive in the face of strangers. They’re also brilliant and clever, making them perform well in any task you have trained them.

Guard dogs behave normally until they feel threatened. However, the high intelligence of these dogs makes them always focused on their surroundings. In any case, if you are keeping a dog for guarding or personal protection, it’s better to know how to calm your dog without any danger. The difference between a guard dog with other dogs is their strong body, high intelligence, high loyalty and fighting spirit.

 Different variety of guard dog breeds

If you’re looking for a guard dog, it’s better to know different guard dog’s breeds. Keeping a dog for guarding requires knowing their temperament. You need to know how to deal better with such dogs.

Choosing the right breed depends on what people expect from the guard and its sensitivity. In some cases, it’s prohibited for everyone to enter the protected area, and in some cases, it’s just enough to bark and inform his owner. Some breeds of guard dogs that have high intelligence are as follows:

• Doberman Pinscher 
• Rottweiler dog
• German Shepherd 
• Cairn Terrier
• Akita
• Schipperke
• Belgian Shepherd
• Cane Corso
• Miniature Pinscher
• Giant Schnauzer
• Great Pyrenees
• Miniature Schnauzer
• German Pinscher
• Airedale Terrier
• Bulldog
• Dalmatian

Each of these breeds has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Dalmatian breed is known as a dog that is very friendly with children. Therefore, caring for this dog is very suitable for people who have young children. Doberman dogs are also not suitable for families with very young children. If these dogs aren’t properly trained, they can also attack their owner. Doberman dogs are sensitive to loud noises and are more likely to become depressed and unrestrained after a while. Therefore, you should be very careful in choosing this dog. In general, it’s better to find the best breed to keep your dog for guarding and given your specific living conditions.

 Training Tips for Guard dogs

Step 1: Socialize the puppy.

The first step in training puppies is to socialize them. We’re going to train a guard dog, a violent and serious dog towards bullies but friendly to others. From the beginning, you should teach your puppy what is normal and what is abnormal, which stranger is a nuisance and which isn’t a threat. To start training a puppy to guard, take him with yourself to different places and let him get to know different people and other animals to become social. Socializing plays an important role in training guard puppies; Because a dog that isn’t well socialized may bite people out of fear or even run away when in danger!

 Step 2: Teach obedience.

An important step in training a puppy to guard is obedience training and basic commands. The “Sit down”, “Come on”, “stay”, “Bark”, and you should teach ” Silent” commands to your puppy before any other specialized training. A guard puppy must learn to obey you from the beginning and follow any instructions you give him “immediately”. Unquestioning obedience is the basis of training puppies for the guard.

Step 3: Barking on strangers and intruders

The next step in training puppies for guarding is barking to strangers. Show your dog the house territory and teach him to bark as soon as a stranger enters the area, and if that stranger is your friend, be quiet with your command. At this point, you need two command words; One to bark at your command (say “bark”, for example) and the other to silence the dog (e.g. “shut up”, “stop”, or “hiss”).

Barking at your command

Dogs instinctively bark when they see and hear anything and apparently don’t need to be taught to bark. But the important thing in training puppies for guarding is that the dog only barks at your command! Because the dog isn’t supposed to bark at any movement, at the sight of a mouse or a bird, so his barking will no longer be a warning. You need to teach the dog the concept of danger or threat and teach him to start barking only if necessary. 

For example, tie a dog collar to something in your house or yard, and then keep your hands away from him while enjoying a delicious snack. When the dog starts barking, come quickly and say, “Well done, bark” or something like that. Do this exercise many times so that the dog can communicate between barking and a treat. In the next step, look into the dog’s eyes with a serious and decisive tone and say “bark”, at first the dog may be a little confused, but whenever he barks, give him a treat. So he will learn to bark at your command.

Be silent at your command.

The next important step is to be silent when your dog is barking at your command. This training is critical; Because you may be in a public or crowded place with your dog, and the dog needs to be quiet immediately. The general training routine is to let the dog bark at your command and then call out to give him a treat or a chewing toy. Call him “silent” or “hiss” and only encourage the dog when he is silent. It would help if you repeated this exercise many times so that the dog can control his behaviour and be silent when he hears your command. Never yell at the dog or use words such as “shut up”, “no”, etc., to silence the dog. Because it hurts training the puppy for guarding and encourages the dog to be violent.

 Step 4: Always use positive affirmation!

The best and most effective way to train a dog is to use positive approval and encouragement. Punishment and violence not only don’t affect your dog’s obedience but also make him a violent and dangerous dog that can attack anyone, even you. So every time the dog does whatever you asked him to do, encourage and approve him in a happy tone. When your dog sees that what he has done satisfies you and gets the delicious treat, he will do the same thing next time as you want. Therefore, in training puppies, treats are part of the training tools, and you should always have a delicious encouraging sign on hand.

Step 5: Familiarize your dog with the territory!

If your goal is to train a puppy to guard your home, garden or habitat, you need to know the boundaries of your territory. Take the dog with a collar around the house, yard or garden and patrol to know the boundaries of the territory. Never allow a dog to bark at people outside the home. Dogs must also learn to be indifferent to other animals, such as cats; Otherwise, they may leave their guard post after seeing a cat or bird and follow them.

 Step 6: The guard dog also needs your love and attention!

Many people’s mistake is to treat a guard dog very harshly and think that loving him reduces the dog’s sense of guarding and protection. It’s completely wrong! The guard dog has a deep sense of loyalty and affection for you and other family members. So he instinctively loves to protect you. In training puppies for guarding, it’s important to introduce the dog to other family members from the beginning and teach him to obey their orders too. Also, if you have other animals, introduce them to your dog from the same age so that he knows that they’re also part of the family.

Training a puppy for guarding isn’t an easy task, and you need to know enough about how to train a dog. The slightest mistake in training a puppy can lead to bad habits in him, and it will take a long time to correct those habits; Therefore, it’s better to train the puppy dog ​​from the very beginning and in the right way. If you have any doubts or ambiguities at any stage of training, be sure to get help from a professional trainer or refer to the dog training guidebook to find your questions answers. Mishka Grooming’s specialized team accompany you in all stages of grooming, training and cleaning your dogs so that you can enjoy being with these lovely and loyal creatures with peace of mind.