This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

The Rottweiler dog traces its origins back to Rottweil, Germany. However, the Rottweiler of centuries past was not the fierce, strong guard dog that we know today. Instead, Rottweilers were bred to be assistant animals for farmers. In the Roman Empire, Rottweilers herded livestock, pulled heavy carts with butchered meat, and helped withother strength-based farm duties. It wasn’t until the mid 19th century that the role of the Rottweiler changed from farm dog to protection dog. At this time, railroads became the primary method of moving livestock, so the Rottweiler’s herding skills were no longer needed. Today, the Rottweiler is a versatile breed, helping out search & rescue, special police units and even as an assistant for the disabled. However, another useful role for the Rottweiler breed is as a personal protection dog.

It’s highly recommended that you don’t attempt to train a personal protection dog on your own, due the amount of liability involved. To choose a proper trainer for your dog, however, you do need to proceed with caution. Not every dog trainer has your dog’s best interest in mind. In addition to this, some trainers use harsh or outdated training methods, which may cause behavioral problems in your dog. Here are a few simple tips to help you to choose a trainer for your personal protection dog.

Ask Around.
If you have friends or neighbors that are dog owners, don’t be afraid to ask them if they’ve ever taken their dog to training classes. Even if you are looking for specialized personal protection training for your dog, you can still gain valuable information about good trainers in your area. As a general rule, you should never enroll your dog in a training course that doesn’t at least have a positive reference from someone that you know.

Observe a Class.
Most reputable dog trainers will allow you to sit in on one of their classes. This is extremely important for helping you to be familiar with the trainer’s specific methods. Watch how the trainer interacts with the dog(s) in the class. Are they patient? Do they use negative reinforcement? These are very important questions for helping you to evaluate if a specific trainer is right for your dog.

Meet With the Trainer.
If possible, schedule a one-on-one meeting with the trainer that teaches the class that you are considering. Before the meeting, draft up a list of questions that you wish the trainer to address. Common questions include:

• How long have you been a dog trainer?
• What are your qualifications?
• What are some of your preferred training methods?
• What educational classes have you taken?
• What is your training philosophy?

Check References.
A good trainer will be more than willing to provide you with several references to check their qualifications. Before making any commitments, do your research. Be sure that the list of references includes several experts in the dog training field, including at least one veterinary reference. A reputable trainer should have a thorough knowledge of dog behavior, dog health issues, and the differences between the training methods used for specific dog breeds.

Beware of Self-Promotion.
Some dog trainers may have “reputable” qualifications, but be more interested in promoting their image than training your dog. Beware of dog trainers that ask you to buy their books, videos or other publications before starting a training course. Most personal protection dog training courses are “all inclusive”, meaning that the cost of any training materials is included in the amount you pay for the course.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

In 1961, Disney released the classic animated film “101 Dalmatians”. This movie followed the adventures of two dalmatians (Pongo and Perdita), as they attempted to escape the evil Cruella De Vil. Following the popularity of this movie, many children begged their parents for a dalmatian puppy. In the film, the dalmatians are portrayed as being loyal, lovable, cute and innocent. However, there’s something about dalmatians that you may not know – they are generally not recommended as family guard dogs.

Dalmatians are a breed of dog that can potentially be socialized to live in a family environment. However, since training a guard dog usually involves encouraging certain aggressive behavioral traits, dalmatians are not good guard dogs for families with children. Since many of their natural instincts involve aggressive behavioral traits, they can become easily irritated with young children. It’s estimated that around 50% of people who adopt a dalmatian puppy do not keep them past their first year of age.

Breeds to Avoid

It’s difficult to compile a definitive list of dogs that aren’t good with children. In a specific dog breed, the temperament of a dog depends a lot on environment, genetic traits, and personality type. For example, some Dobermans can be raised as docile family pets, even though they have a reputation for being aggressive. However, other Doberman dogs may become aggressive without being provoked. Because of this, it’s hard to list breeds that can’t be used as family guard dogs. Finding the balance between loyalty, temperament and protective instincts can be extremely difficult.

Choosing a Puppy

One of the best ways to help improve the chances that a dog can be both good with children and protective of your property, is to raise it from a very young age. If possible, choose a puppy from a shelter or reputable dog breeder in your area. Many animal shelters only have puppies for a short time, so you may want to put in an “Adoption Request” ahead of time. When choosing a guard dog puppy from a breeder, there are several things that you should pay attention to:

Appearance
Make sure that the puppy is well-groomed, of average size, without any existing deformities or health defects.

Behavior
For a guard dog that will be a balance of family pet and property protector, pay attention to behavior. Many people make the mistake of choosing the first puppy that runs up to greet them. In many litters, this is behavior that identifies particularly aggressive behavior when the puppy becomes an adult. However, you should also avoid puppies that seem afraid of humans, or who try to hide. A balanced puppy will be curious about you, but not overly eager to jump on you.

Gender
Male and female puppies tend to exhibit different behavioral traits. Male dogs are usually more aggressive, more protective of their “pack”, and love rough play. Female dogs are slightly more subdued, though exhibit a identifiable loyalty towards their owners. If you have very young children, you may want to choose a female puppy.

Choosing an Adult Dog

Socializing an adult dog to be both a family pet and a guard dog can be a bit difficult, especially if it is a “Rescued” dog. Rescued dogs may require a lot more work to be good family pets. If you do end up choosing a rescued dog, be realistic about your expectations. If a dog has been through a significant amount of emotional or physical trauma, they may have poor behavioral traits.

Since adult dogs are not in their “puppy bonding” phase, they may require a bit more time until they feel obligated to protect your home and family. The important thing is to encourage a bond to grow between you and your new dog. With enough attention, you can eventually move from basic command training to guard dog training.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Some historians believe that 12,000 years ago, emigrants from Siberia traveled across the Bering Land Bridge into what is today known as Alaska. However, they weren’t alone. They brought with them hundreds of sled dogs, which is suggested to be the earliest form of dog domestication. Today, dogs are mostly kept as companions, work animals and family pets. However, some people keep dogs for a different reason – to have an animal bodyguard. 

What is a Personal Protection Dog?

A personal protection dog is an animal that is trained to protect against suspicious activity. These dogs are often subjected to very specific training, and may only obey spoken commands from a single person. Some personal protection dogs are “Bluff Dogs“, which are only designed to intimidate a person engaging in suspicious behavior. “Bluff Dogs” are often trained to bark, growl, lunge and engage in characteristic aggressive behaviors upon command. Other protection dogs are called “Man Stoppers“, which are trained to detain and hold a suspect until help arrives. “Man Stoppers” are dogs that can identify aggressive behavior in humans, and will attack upon command. Depending on your personal protection needs, you may choose to train a dog in either of these specializations.

Misconceptions about Protection Dogs

Many people mistakenly believe that personal protection dogs are constantly aggressive, and can’t be safely socialized in a family environment. However, with the proper training, a personal protection dog can also be a loving, affectionate and loyal family pet. The “attack dog” image causes many people to forget that protecting their “pack” is actually an inherited canine instinct. Dogs are naturally defensive of their pack-mates, and engaging in personal protection training may actually help you to strengthen your bond with your dog.

Protection Dog Breeds

Not all dog breeds are able to exhibit aggressive protective behavior. Some dogs have been selectively bred for specific breed-based traits over time, which may have caused their protective instinct to become less dominant. Here is a short list of dog breeds that can be effectively used as personal protection dogs:

• German Shepherd
• Doberman
• Pit Bull
• Rottweiler
• Akita Inu
• Bullmastiff
• American Bulldog
• Fila Brasileiro

Training a Personal Protection Dog

Due to the liability of keeping a dog that has the ability to obey attack commands, it’s strongly encouraged that personal protection dog training be done by a professional. Many dog trainers have a separate course for protection dogs. In order to be a protection dog, however, it’s essential that a dog first pass basic obedience classes. A dog must be completely obedient to their master in order to prevent them from attacking when unprovoked. The laws are very strict in regards to dog attacks – the dog’s owner is nearly always liable.By taking on the responsibility of keeping a personal protection dog, you are required to take every measure necessary to ensure that your dog will not cause unprovoked harm to others.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Many people are unaware of the potential security risk of installing a pet door. A burglar may be able to gain entrance to your home by infiltrating an unsecured pet door. Luckily, there are many options to help enhance the security of your pet door, and protect your home from unauthorized access by burglars.

Reinforced Pet Door Frame
One security vulnerability of many pet doors is that a burglar can widen the opening enough to enter your home. This is most common with pet doors that are installed directly in an existing wooden door, since this material can be easily cut with an electronic saw. To prevent this, you can install a reinforced pet door frame. These frames are constructed of heavy duty metal, and will prevent a burglar from widening the opening of your pet door.

Simple Security Barrier
There are several different types of simple security barriers for pet doors, though the most common involves a vertical steel frame. This frame is installed inside your home, at a set distance between your pet door and the wall. The frame makes it difficult (if not impossible) for an intruder to fit between the entrance of the pet door and the wall, due to the limited space between the steel frame. However, this type of secure pet door relies almost entirely on the strength of the base, which needs to be anchored into the floor. Since the anchor bolts of the base of the frame are usually exposed, this may not be the most secure option.

Extended Security Barrier
An extended pet door security barrier usually extends out on the exterior of your home. This barrier covers the entrance of the pet door, extending out a few feet to an add-on. These barriers help prevent unauthorized entrance through a pet door by creating a small crawl space that a pet needs to pass through before entering the door. However, the security of these pet doors depends on how securely the exterior add-on is anchored to the side of the home. If the add-on isn’t bolted with metal brackets, a thief could simply remove it with a minimal amount of force.

This is an example of an Extended Pet Door Barrier.

Screen Door Pet Entrance
An alternate option in terms of pet door security is to simply install a pet door on your screen door. This option allows a pet to pass freely inside and outside your home, though is only a secure option when installed in a door frame that has a screen door, as well as a locking standard door. When you’re at home, you can open the standard door, while leaving the screen door closed. This option is only useful if you live in a temperate climate, or if you are constantly at home when your pet needs to go outdoors.

Wall Tunnel Pet Doors
This is one of the more secure types of pet doors. A walled tunnel pet door is cut directly through the wall of your house, instead of through your door. Through the hole, a “tunnel” is inserted, which is usually made of metal or sturdy plastic. This tunnel is designed to only be able to accommodate the size of your pet. Most of these tunnels also include dual flap-doors at each end, in order help minimize drafting.

Electronic Signal Pet Doors
These types of pet doors use electronic radio signals to identify your pet, which in turn allows them to enter the door. Your pet will need to wear a specific electronic signal transmitter, which is usually available as an attachment to your pet’s collar. When your pet comes within range of the pet door, the door will recognize the unique signal of your pet’s transmitter, and will open the door. These transmitters are each coded differently, and are capable of producing thousands of unique signal variations. In order for these types of pet doors to work, you need to make sure that you install your electronic pet door in an area that has access to a dedicated power supply.

Image Source:

http://www.halepetdoor.com/system/pics/slantroofbarriers.jpg

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

If you own a guard dog, you should already be familiar with basic guard dog training. However, a question that many people ask, is “Should I leave a guard dog outdoors?”. Since his/her function is to protect your home and property, having your dog outdoors can seem like a good choice. However, there are consequences to leaving your dog outdoors, both behavioral and health-related.

Leaving Him/Her Chained Outdoors

Both the Humane Society and animal behavioral experts warn against leaving your dogs chained outdoors. They’re social animals, and will often suffer from feelings of abandonment when left outdoors. In addition to this, being kept on a chain in an outdoor location will often cause feelings of frustration and aggression. These feelings often cause him/her to become disconnected from his/her owners, and may even cause the dog to act against others when unprovoked. Having a dog on a chain can also be a safety hazard. If your guard dog becomes agitated, they could tangle their limbs or neck in the chain, resulting in injury or death.

Having a Guard Dog in a Fenced Yard

Another option people consider is leaving a dog in a completely fenced-in yard. While this may seem more humane than a chain, you still need to remember that a dog left alone in your yard can still cause injury to itself and others. If you leave him/her alone in the yard, and someone enters your yard, you will be held liable if he/she injures that person. Since guard dogs are trained to be aggressive against unwanted intruders, leaving a guard dog alone in the yard is generally not recommended.

When to Have a Guard Dog Outdoors

If you want your guard dog to be outside, you should only do this when you are currently at home. Even then, it’s important that you do not leave him/her outdoors for an extended period of time. A huge part of a successful dog training program involves forming a strong bond with them. If your guard dog trusts you, they will be able to effectively understand when they need to protect you. By leaving them outside for long periods of time, you are causing your dog to feel abandoned, or experience separation anxiety.

Installing a “Doggie Door”

Another option is to have access for your guard dog to travel freely between the outside and inside your home. This can be done with a small, easily accessible entrance, often called a “Doggie Door”. However, it’s also important to remember that by providing access for your dog to enter your home, you are also providing entrance for potential burglars. If you do choose to install a “Doggie Door”, be sure that it is on a door that is able to be secured against intruders. An option for securing a door with dog-access is to install a metal security screen door, which can be securely closed and locked over the door with the dog entrance.

This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

It’s estimated that approximately 28% of all Americans currently own a dog. Of all current dog owners, 10% have openly stated that their sole reason for owning a dog is to protect the security of their home and/or family. [1] There are many different types of dogs that make very effective guard dogs, many of which are often able to be socialized to display good behavior around young children. However, when training a guard dog, it’s essential that you begin training as soon as your new dog becomes a member of your household. The best time to begin guard dog training is when your dog is still a puppy, since they are still experiencing their “learning stage”. Here are some tips to help you get a head-start on training your puppy to be an effective guard dog.

Why Begin Guard Dog Training as a Puppy?

When you are training a guard dog, obedience is key. You need to ensure that your dog will be able to obey your commands instantly, without any hesitation. For example, if your dog is displaying aggressive behavior towards an intruder, you need to make sure that you will be able to use the “Come” command to instantly return your dog to your side if needed. By beginning guard dog training when your dog is still a puppy, you can help ensure that your puppy will grow up to be an obedient, effective and well-mannered guard dog.

Start With the Basics

Before beginning specialized guard dog training, you first need to establish your role as your dog’s “teacher”. This can be accomplished through teaching your puppy to obey some of the basic dog training commands. By mastering these commands, your puppy will develop discipline, which will greatly help during specialized guard dog training. Among the most important commands are:

Name
It’s essential that you teach your puppy to respond to the sound of their name at an early age. Since food is a good motivator for training, try repeating your puppy’s name once, then immediately giving them a treat reward. Perform this several times, until your dog is immediately able to give you their attention when they hear their name.

Recall/Come
Teaching your puppy to “Come” is also very important, especially in guard dog training. When taught effectively, the “Come” command can be used to immediately bring your dog to your side, no matter what they are currently interacting with. Try repeating your puppy’s name, immediately followed by the “Come” command. Use a firm tone of voice, and be sure to speak loudly enough so that your puppy can hear you. If your puppy returns to your side, immediately give them a treat reward, as well as praise.

Sit/Down/Stay
These three commands make up the remainder of the basic puppy training commands. Each of these commands can be taught by using a method called “positive reinforcement”. The concept is simple: when your puppy obeys the command, reinforce their behavior with positive rewards. Eventually, they will be able to comprehend the verbal command, and understand its association with desired behavior.

Advanced Commands

Once your puppy has mastered the basics, you can begin with more advanced guard dog training commands. Be sure to only use positive reinforcement when training your guard dog, since negative reinforcement can induce a pain or fear response in many dogs. This is detrimental to training, and may cause some guard dogs to be overly aggressive, or difficult to control. Here are some of the advanced training commands that are relevant to guard dog training.

Stop
The “Stop” command is probably one of the most useful training commands, though it is often overlooked. By reinforcing the “Stop” command, you will have the ability to induce your dog to stop any type of behavior, and immediately lie down. This is the ultimate test of obedience, since not all dogs can learn the “Stop” command.

No Bark
By training your guard dog to cease barking on command, you gain a greater amount of control over your guard dog’s behavior. Since many guard dogs have the natural instinct to bark at intruders, implementing a “No Bark” command can help you to teach your dog which intruders are threatening, and which are simply people visiting your home.

Sources:

[1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/102952/companionship-love-animals-drive-pet-ownership.aspx

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

For many people, owning a guard dog is a choice that allows them to provide an extra level of protection for the security of their home. However, when you have small children, you need to approach the ownership of a guard dog with care. If a guard dog is not properly socialized with children, it may not be suitable to be kept as a family pet. Socializing your guard dog with children is essential, and must be done very soon after your dog becomes a member of your household.

Step # 1 – Socialize at an Early Age.
For a guard dog to learn how to properly interact with children, socialization should ideally be started before a dog is six months of age. When your dog is still a puppy, they are in a “learning stage” that allows them to absorb the rules of the world around them. During this time, it’s also important to introduce your puppy to how to behave around them. If possible, allow your puppy to interact with children on a regular basis, watching them closely for any signs of dominant behavior. Your puppy should be playful and energetic, but still respectful. Try to discourage any excessively rough play, since this can result in behavioral problems when your puppy becomes an adult dog.

Step # 2 – Use Positive Reinforcement.
Since interacting with children can be a stressful experience for your dog, it’s highly recommended that you use positive reinforcement to enhance socialization training. When your dog exhibits good behavior around a child, reward them with a small food-based treat, as well as a good deal of praise. It’s important to keep a close eye on your dog when exposing them to small children, in order to protect the safety of both your dog and the interacting child. Only reward your puppy when they exhibit positive behavioral traits. In order to make the training more effective, discourage any child from interacting with your dog in a way that could cause them to exhibit a pain-induced reaction (such as poking in the eyes or ears).

Step # 3 – Provide Constant Exposure.
It’s a proven fact that dogs who are constantly exposed to children tend to exhibit more positive interactive traits. In order to ensure that your guard dogs are still able to be kept as a family pet, try to provide interaction with children on a regular basis. Even if you don’t have children of your own, take your dogs out to the park, or to a crowded area where they will be required to interact with a large amount of people. If necessary, arrange a “play-date” with your dogs a few times per week with a friend or family member who has children. This is especially productive if your dog is still a puppy, since they are still learning how to behave around humans.

Step # 4 - Separate Your Training.
If you are training your guard dog, chances are that you will be eventually digressing into specialized training programs. These specialized training steps may be to train your dog to bark at intruders, or to act intimidating towards suspicious people who approach your house at night. Either way, you need to be sure that you separate this training from any interactive playtime during which your dogs are exposed to children. Allow from 2 – 3 hours to lapse in between child interaction and guard dog training.

Step # 5 – Establish Trust.
Probably the most important part of training a guard dog involves establishing trust. It is absolutely essential that you form a strong bond with your dog, since it will allow you to be your dog’s “alpha” pack leader. For dogs in the wild, the position of alpha is extremely important. As a general explanation, a dog will look to their “alpha” before making any type of decision. If you are able to successfully establish yourself as your dog’s “alpha”, you will be able to shape their behavior simply by suggestion. Essentially, you could guide your dog to the correct way to interact with children, by displaying this behavior yourself. There are hundreds of publications, articles and papers that provide further insight into this topic. For starters, you may want to read this study, entitled “Links Between Play and Dominance and Attachment Dimensions of Dog–Human Relationships” (pdf format).

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

In addition to having a monitored security system, owning a guard dog can be a great way to protect your family’s security. However, many people often ask the question, “Which dog is best for my family?”. A good family guard dog should be a balance of obedience, intelligence and protective instinct. It’s best to choose a breed that will be able to form a strong bond with your family, enabling them to protect from danger and intruders. Not all dog breeds are suitable for being guard animals, so it’s highly recommended that you choose carefully. Here is some information about the most effective guard dog breeds.

The Difference Between a ‘Guard Dog’ and ‘Watchdog’

Before choosing a dog breed, it’s important to make the distinction between a ‘guard dog’ and a ‘watchdog’. A watchdog is a type of dog that has an instinctual desire to alert against danger. This means that if they sense an unwanted intruder present, they will usually begin to bark.

A guard dog is a dog that is designed to protect its “pack”, or human family. Guard dogs are much more difficult to train than watchdogs, since you need to teach your dog to discern between friendly and threatening behavior. If you do not have sufficient resources to devote to training a guard dog, you may simply want to choose a watchdog instead. An improperly trained guard dog may not only be ineffective: it may try to protect your family when they are not in danger. However, if you do want to own a guard dog, you still need to make the choice of breed with extreme care. Different types of dogs will require entirely different approaches to training, which will require you to have a thorough knowledge of some of the best guard dog breeds.

Why Color is Important

A study relating to criminal psychology noted that many criminals find dark-colored dogs to be most threatening. While this may not be the case with all potential burglars, choosing a dark-colored dog may help to deter some intruders.

Choosing a Breed

Not all dogs are suitable to be guard dogs. There is much debate among dog behavioral experts as to which breed is “best”. However, there has been a consensus on several key breeds. When choosing a dog for your family, you may also want to choose a breed that will be safe to raise around small children. Here are some of the most loyal, obedient and effective dog breeds that may be used as guard dogs.

• American Akita
• Akita Inu
• German Shepherd
• Rottweiler
• Fila Brasilerio
• Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
• Bull Mastiff**

**Note: Bull Mastiffs may need more patience with training than some other guard dog breeds. This is because they are a cross between a Mastiff and a Bulldog, both of which are breeds that require specialized training.

Training Your Guard Dog

Depending on the specific duty that you wish your guard dog to perform, you may have to adopt certain training methods. To train a guard dog, it’s best if you first decide if you will be training your guard dog to attack intruders. If you want to simply train your guard dog to protect your “territory”, you can read a short guide called “How to Train a Guard Dog“. You may also want to check out these “4 Advanced Guard Dog Training Tips ” for additional information.

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Guard dogs can be a great way to protect your home or property from intruders. However, most people aren’t aware that a guard dog is not the only choice when looking for an animal to help guard your home. There are several other animals that, when trained effectively, can help to prevent potential intruders from being able to enter your home and property. These animals are usually fairly easy to keep, requiring little to no maintenance. In addition to this, they also have a strong territorial instinct that will help motivate them to defend against any potential intruders. Here is some useful information about some of the most effective alternative guard animals for your home or property.

Guard Geese

Many people aren’t aware of the potential value of geese as effective guard animals. Though some people are familiar with the occasional aggressive behavior of  certain geese, it is a generally accepted opinion that they do not have the capacity to understand the concept of “guarding”. However, this is not the case. Geese are fairly territorial, and will act as they see fit to defend their domain. In addition to this, geese are alert to any sign of danger. This danger could be intruders, potential burglars, or even predatory animals.

Keeping Guard Geese
Geese are most effectively used as a guard animal when they are kept in flocks. When searching for guard geese that are right for your home’s security, you may want to pick up a flock that consists of three to five females and one male. Try to keep only one male goose in your flock, since this will mean that you will not have to deal with hormone-induced fights between males in your flock during mating season. This will also help your flock to focus only on defending your property from intruders. In addition to this, you may want to use discretion when keeping other animals in addition to your geese. If your geese feel that their territory is being threatened, they will often attack. If you have dogs, cats or other small animals, be sure that they are kept in an area where they won’t have a direct confrontation with your guard geese.

Feeding Guard Geese
Most guard geese will be able to live on a diet of scratch feed, as long as they are allowed to have sufficient time outdoors to forage for food. Try to keep your guard geese in the area of your property where you need protection. This can be accomplished by placing your bird’s food in the same area each day. Eventually, your guard geese will remain in that area naturally. Scratch feed is fairly inexpensive, and can be purchased at most livestock supply stores. If you wish, you can also find highly nutritious and affordable scratch feed online.

Territorial Behavior
Geese are territorial animals, and may display aggressive behavior when they sense an intruder. As stated before, this behavior most often occurs when geese are kept in groups of two or more. As an example of this behavior, you may view this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

These geese undoubtedly feel like the maker of this video is becoming a threat to their territory. Just before the video ends, you can see them poised in “attack” position, ready to strike at the intruder who has trespassed onto their property.

Dangerous Geese
As you can see, underestimating the potential value of geese as a guard animal can be a mistake. They are fairly inexpensive to keep, and will often alert you of any danger by giving an auditory “alarm” signal. You may view more examples of the aggressive behavior of geese by viewing the video below.

When Geese Attack

Click here to view the embedded video.

When geese feel that their territory is threatened, they will usually attack. Another example of this behavior can be seen below, in a video caught by a security camera in a commercial parking lot.

Two Geese Attack AIG Employee

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Since the event where the individual in this video first encountered the geese was off-camera, it’s difficult to discern exactly why these geese felt compelled to attack. However, due to the territorial nature of most geese, we can assume that these particular birds thought that they were defending their domain against an intruder. If you are able to establish your property as the territory of your guard geese, you will have an effective (and quite loud) measure of security against any potential intruders.

Guard Donkey

Some people are already familiar with the concept of guard donkeys. Indeed, many donkeys will display wary or anxious behavior around strangers, even when they have not been trained to be guard animals. Due to problems with predators, sheep herders were the first to begin training donkeys to guard their flocks. In terms of success, it is said that over 70% of donkeys are able to effectively and completely protect a flock of sheep from dangerous predators. Now, you have the chance to take advantage of this unique guard animal for your own home security needs.

Why Donkeys Make Good Guard Animals
A donkey relies primarily on its sense of hearing, as well as its visual input to detect when potentially dangerous intruders are nearby. Donkeys can be territorial, and may defend a set “domain” that has been established as their property. A donkey’s primary method of guarding involves a combination of kicking, stomping and chasing of intruders. This, in combination with the loud “braying” that a donkey emits when agitated, should be enough to deter even the most stubborn intruders.

Choosing a Guard Donkey
If you wish to purchase a donkey to help defend your property, the first consideration that you will have to make is size. There are generally four sizes for donkeys, each of which will stay within a height range. These sizes are generally within these guidelines (though may be adjusted for gender):

• Miniature – Under 36″
• Small Standard – From 36″ to 48″
• Large Standard – From 48″ to 56″
• Large – Over 56″

Aggressive Donkey Behavior
When they feel threatened, or when their territory is being “invaded”, a donkey will exhibit aggressive behavior. You can see an example of this behavior in the following video:

Vicious Guard Donkey

Click here to view the embedded video.

Donkeys will attack dogs, since they have an instinctual dislike for most types of predatory animals. This is one of the main reasons why guard donkeys are commonly used by sheep farms, since they are an effective defense against wild dogs, coyotes and wolves. The following video provides some insight onto the unique job of a guard donkey when protecting sheep:

Meet Bonnie, the guard donkey.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Guard Llama

The llama is an animal that is subject to a lot of misconceptions. Many people believe llamas to be docile, slow-learning, slightly eccentric animals that are able to projective vomit on command. However, as any llama owner will tell you, this is not the case. Llamas are curious, alert and have a natural desire to explore their habitat. Llamas are also fairly territorial, and will defend their domain with aggressive behavior. Llamas, like donkeys, are often used by sheep herders in order to protect livestock from dangerous predators. As a guard animal for your home, it’s possible to train a llama to defend your property from any potential intruders.

Choosing a Guard Llama
Depending on your needs, you will want to make the choice of your preferred guard llama carefully. It’s important to remember that non-gelded male llamas may display aggressive behavior outside of their territory, and may even attack small animals that come onto their domain. In addition to this, you may want to consider purchasing a single llama to guard your property, instead of a group of llamas. En masse, llamas aren’t said to be as effective at guarding against intruders or predators. You also want to avoid choosing a llama with an overly docile temperament, since this may mean that they will not able to be an effective guard llama.

Cost of Guard Llamas
In general, the llama is classified as a fairly low-maintenance animal. The diet of a llama varies with age, as younger llamas will require more high-energy, nutrient dense food. As a llama ages, it will require a food formula designed specifically for “adult” llamas. However, these food formulas are usually fairly inexpensive when purchased in bulk. Depending on the specific breed of guard llama that you choose, you may have to shear their coat on a semi-regular basis. Many llamas also need their nails clipped often, as well as vaccinations and worming medication. If you have other large animals, you can combine the visits of a livestock veterinarian in order to save on expense.

Llama Guard Behavior
Llamas have many traits that help them to be effective guard animals. Like donkeys, llamas primarily attack by stomping, kicking and chasing their intended target. In the following video, meet “Skoo”, the guard llama. This video displays his behavior when protecting his owner from a rival female llama.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Llama Protective Behavior
Many llamas are specifically trained to protect livestock against predators. In this low-resolution video, you can see “Gallo”, a guard llama, as he protects a flock of black-and-white sheep from a dog. He stays in between the dog and the sheep, displaying typical protective behavior.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Guard Llama Alarm
When a llama feels threatened, it will often make a unique “alert” sound to warn of approaching danger. If you plan to keep a guard llama, it is important that you are familiar with this sound, since it could be your llama warning of you of an intruder. In this video, a llama is sounding the “alert” in response to a fox spotted in nearby woods:

Guard Llama Alarm Sound

Click here to view the embedded video.

Guard Animals Protecting Livestock

Some livestock owners use a combination of guard llamas, guard donkeys and guard dogs to help protect their flocks. This video is a portion of a BBC Documentary, which covers the unique use of these animals to help protect against potentially dangerous predators. As you can see from the behavior of the animals in this video, they are able to bond with the animals in the flock, to the extent that they defend against potential threats.

Controlling the coyote population – BBC wildlife

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sources:

[1]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XfDbAPljZz8/RmBXTLp4SaI/AAAAAAAAAFI/SsxBFlJr8VM/s1600-h/evil+goose.jpg

[2]http://southerngent.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/donkey.jpg

[3]http://www.stabbs.org/files/photographs/800/llama002.jpg

[4]http://therealowner.com/exotic-unusual/geese-make-good-watch-dogs/

[5]http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/donkey2.htm

[6]http://hubpages.com/hub/Livestock-Guardian-Animals

[7]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama

[8]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/06/14/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/farms005650.jpg

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Training a guard dog can not only help increase your home’s level of security, it can also allow you to have a loyal companion who is devoted to keeping your family safe. However, it’s important that you give your dog proper training in how to efficiently guard your home. After you have mastered the basics of guard dog training, you can move on to some more advanced techniques. It’s essential that you have established your role as your dog’s teacher before attempting advanced training.

Dog Training Tips: # 1 – Identifying Suspicious Behavior
When training a guard dog, it’s essential that you give them the ability to recognize suspicious behavior outside your home. After your dog is socialized, begin by instructing them to alert you to nighttime visitors. In general, any activity outside your home after dark should be reason enough for your dog to alert you. In addition to this, teaching your dog to bark at suspicious activity can help to deter potential burglars.

Dog Training Tips: # 2 – Food Acceptance
When you have a guard dog, there is a danger that a potential burglar will come prepared. A burglar may bring a food or treat item laced with a harmful substance in order to disable your guard dog. Training your dog to avoid this situation is difficult, though can be accomplished by repeating a few simple techniques. Once you have established your role as your dog’s owner, you can begin training them to accept food only from you and members of your family. This can be done by never allowing people outside of your household to feed your dog. In addition to this, you can implement a method in which your dog will only accept food from one person. Keeping your dog well-fed and satisfied is also highly recommended for this advanced training technique.

Dog Training Tips: # 3 – Aggressive Behavior
In general, it is not recommended that you teach your dog to bite intruders. This is a technique that is best left to strict training programs employed by professional dog trainers. However, it is still possible for you to teach your dog to exhibit intimidating or aggressive behavior against intruders. When using this advanced technique, be sure to include a “Stop” command that can be used to instantly call your dog away from an intruder. This can help prevent your dog from intimidating non-threatening visitors to your home, and also gives you a greater degree of control over your dog’s behavior.

Dog Training Tips: # 4 – Clicker Training a Guard Dog
If you want to have full customization over your dog’s behavior, you may want to try a training technique called “clicker training”. Clicker training can be used to implement extremely specific commands in guard dogs, such as the ability to bark twice for an approaching vehicle, while barking once for a visitor at the door. However, there are some dogs who are more suited to complicated commands, such as dogs with a high intelligence level. An intelligent dog will only need a command to be repeated a few times until they associate the command with a specific action. Some dogs, such as bulldogs, are in a lower intelligence category, and may require a command to be repeated from 80 to 100 times [1] before they understand it.

Dog Training References:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs

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