Guard dog training

Oh how we love our dogs. I'm sure that just like me, you love to cuddle your dog, talk to him, walk him, play with him or watch him sleep at your feet. But in order for everything to go smoothly on a daily basis, you will have to teach your dog to behave in any situation.

Training is not a punishment and you'll find that your dog won't take it as such if you use the right gestures and methods. And now you're saying easy to say, but not easy to do.

I know you are hopeful and trust your dog, right? You trust him to the point of letting him take care of what you value most: your home, your family, your possessions.

My dog Uno and I will explain our experience. Because yes, training is an experience that must be lived together, especially if you want your pet to rise in rank by becoming a guard dog.

 

My experience

First of all I reassure you that I am not a professional, but I am like you, a simple owner who knew the same difficulties as you to train my dog Uno. He is an adorable German shepherd and for his well-being and mine, I wanted to teach him the basic commands before training him to be a guard.

Your doggie must first be sociable and have a perfect basic education before considering making him a guard dog. He must know how to respond to these commands: sit, come, lie down and not move. You will see that after, the cohabitation is easier whether it is at home or outside.

I was lucky and I was able to learn dog training from a professional dog handler while I was working as a night watchman. I then decided to share all the tips I learned with my friends. I know that it's complicated to train your dog and that's why I want to share my experience with you.

Your dog does not yet respond to basic commands? I advise you a practical and accessible method of dog training.

 

Training a dog to be a watchdog : why ?

Why make your dog a guard dog? Simply because when you are away, a lot of things can happen at home and because the number of burglaries is constantly increasing. You certainly adopted your dog to have moments of complicity with him and not to have him as your remote surveillance alarm on legs. But why not combine business with pleasure.

A dog trained for guarding is not a heartless hound, rest assured. Your dog will not change and will always remain the same. He will just have learned to guard your house, your belongings or an object and to protect you from danger.

 

 

 

My 1st piece of advice: know what guarding training really is

Teaching your dog to stand guard means first and foremost teaching him to distinguish between people who are welcome in your home (family, friends, neighbors, colleagues) and those who are unwanted.

I see far too many people teaching their dogs to attack (you know, like in the movies where the master is wrapped up like the Michelin Man). But that's not what guarding is all about. You just have to teach your dog to stand guard by watching and alerting.

If you hire a professional trainer, he will not teach him to bite or attack, but to alert and remove the intruder.

 

My 2nd piece of advice: educate your dog

This is the basis. If your dog runs around, if he barks and acts crazy as soon as a fly passes by (exaggerating), if he jumps for joy every time someone rings your doorbell and if when you say "sit" he grabs his toy, how can I tell you that you're in trouble? I don't want to discourage you, but you're going to have to get your hands on the... "paw". It's not impossible, you just have to get started and start learning to "lay down", "heel", "sit" and so on.

 

My 3rd tip: Teach your dog who's the bad guy and who's the good guy

To learn how to sound the alarm, your dog must first be familiar with the situations..... where there is no need to sound the alarm. Simple, isn't it? Not so simple, actually, because you'll need the help of your friends and other family members. You'll have to make a lot of drinks and meals in order to train your dog to be a guard. But you have to sacrifice a little.

In your absence, your dog will have to replace you and it is him who will welcome your visitors so it is better that he knows them. So you'll have to introduce him to all your friends and family and make sure he gets used to them. To do this, put your dog down, greet your guest and call your pet to come and greet him in turn. Calm him down if he shows aggression and, conversely, congratulate him if he succeeds in his mission of the day.

 

 

My 4th piece of advice: call a professional

Feel like you can't do it? You don't know how to do it? You don't have the time to take care of it? That's not so bad. It's better to recognize this than to try to housebreak your dog and do anything. This can be detrimental to him and to the relationship you both have. The solution? Hire a dog trainer. Sure, you'll have to spend a lot of money, but at least your dog won't cuddle intruders or bite your mother-in-law!

A professional will use a modern method to train your dog. Don't worry, he will do it through play and without any accessories that cause pain to your dog.

 

My 5th advice: be careful with the food

I reassure you when I talk about food, I do not mean that he must follow a particular diet to become a guard dog. But that he must not accept food from a stranger. A bit like a child who should not accept candy from a person he doesn't know. So of course we all have in mind a movie where the thugs throw a piece of steak filled with sleeping pills over the fence to put the dog to sleep, but it's only a step from fiction to reality. Unfortunately, this is a method that is used, rarely, but it is used.

Again, ask your friends for help (again). Ask a friend to give your dog some food and give him the command "stop not eat". Put the food in front of him and command him not to touch it by saying "don't move". If you repeat this a few times, it's in the bag.

 

My last advice: be patient

Patience is a must, no matter what order or attitude you want to teach your dog. Your dog is not born a guard dog and it will take time and many sessions to teach him to guard your home and family and not to confuse friends with strangers.

It may take a long time, but what a joy once you've succeeded! And you will succeed. If Uno and I did it, you can do it, believe me. The important thing is the regularity of the sessions. For the duration of the sessions, I recommend a method where you will manage to educate your dog.

 

Conclusion

The training of the guard is one of the most complicated, I admit it. But I have faith in you and even if sometimes you feel like giving up, I believe in you. Yes, I do. Well, it sounds like a politician's speech, but I know from experience that with patience, regularity and perseverance, nothing is impossible!