Over the years there has been an increased demand for guard dog training on dogs so that they can be proper guards in times of trouble. Militaries have also seen the need to have well-trained guard dogs which can help them when tracing or handle criminals.
Due to the reasons above, I have seen the reason to discuss this important issue so that readers can understand on how to develop one which is not aggressive but socialized and confident. Check it now on NolongerWild.
9 Important Advices for Guard Dog Training
1. Obedience to commands
One of the important and most basic training tip for a guard dog is its obedience to its masters’ commands (Via dog-harnesses-store)
One of the important and most basic training tip for a guard dog is its obedience to its masters’ commands. An example of such commands includes responding when told to bark, leave something, lie down, sit and even come to you when asked to do so.
Commands that your dog should respond to easily. This should be done at an early age so that the dog can be able to adapt this command and they can become part of daily routine of the dog
3. Use light leashes on your dog
Always use lightweight leads or leashes on your dog (Via Pacwestk9)
During the training, always use lightweight leads or leashes on your dog. The leashes can be six feet long and not made from leather as they can be destructive on your dog.
2. Socializing the dog
Your dog should be socialized so that he can be familiar with new and unusual situations. This can be done by taking rounds of visit into a new environment so that it can be aware of threatening and unthreatening situations.
4. Ensure that the training sessions are as short as possible
When training your dog, you should make sure that the sessions are less than 30 minutes as most dogs at their early age get bored and exhausted very fast. You should also be able to tell when your dog is tired and bored by observing them carefully. Use treats as a reward to help them relaxed and get excited soon.
5. Teach your dog on how to defend in case of risky situations
The only approach under this step is introducing your dog to a stranger. The stranger can be wearing a dog attack suite that signals a threat to the dog. During such a situation, you can command to your dog, and it will bark at the stranger.
The stranger should act afraid as this will instill confidence to the dog making it go an extra mile of attacking the stranger. With this kind of training, your dog will now be aware of strangers and will always seek attack without many commands from its owner.
6. Always use a consistent tone and volume
It is important to always use the same tone when training and commanding your dog. This will always ensure that the dog is not confused by the tone variation. This also varies with the trainer and the motive behind the training.
7. Avoid using combined commands as you train your dog
Using combine commands usually, confuse your dog when it is expected to respond. An example of such combinations may include commands such as "attack now", “I need you to attack: or “please attack.”
Avoid such combinations by using only one word such as "attack, stop or bark". Such simple commands will be registered easily by your dog hence better response.
8. Always use consistent commands
When training you dog, always use the same commands. This will become keywords to your dog, and it will always be able to respond when it hears the command.
For example, if when training your dog, you used a word such as attack, never change this word or command to a word such as bite as your dog will be confused and may not be able to respond to such a command as it is not familiar with it.
9. Teach your dog how to back off
Remember to teach your dog how to back off
This is a very crucial part of the training process. Your dog as much as responds to commands on when to attack, it should also be able to back off when told to do so.
After your dog has attacked a stranger by putting its teeth on him/ her, it should be able to respond to a command requiring it to leave the stranger. If it can respond effectively to this commands, then your dog is fit for guarding and protection.
10. Reward your dog after every training session
Always create an exciting experience for your dog by rewarding it after training. You can do this by serving it some treats or even playing its favorite game. With such experiences, the dog will be able to learn fast and even be anxious for the next training session.
Conclusion
Guard dog training has become increasingly important and necessary because of the increase in cases on insecurity either at home or even some social gathering such as in beaches during some risky hours such as in the evening. I hope this article will help dog owners train your dog successfully on how to guard and protect you in different situations.
