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Guard Dog Puppy Training Tips

by Carolyn · 0 comments

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