How To Train a Dog To Defend & Guard — A Guide

Our canine friends are not only loyal play and fun companions, but they are also capable of being vigilant defenders of your safety (for example, when you are out on a walk) and skillful protectors of your house (usually during the night).

Do you have a little dog and are you interested in training him to be an exceptional “guardian” of family life? Contacting a professional trainer for guidance on how to train a dog for defense or guarding is always the ideal answer.

The first thing you should be aware of is that there are certain strategies that may be used to accomplish this goal. These techniques were developed by experienced trainers.

It is never a good idea to go your own way or take efforts that might be detrimental to your dog’s future behaviour for instance, encouraging him to be violent is the worst thing you can do!

Another point that has to be made clear is that a dog cannot serve as both a defender and a guard at the same time. These are two completely distinct mentalities that just cannot live in the same animal.

On the other hand, any dog may theoretically be trained for defense, which means that it can be taught to carry out exact directions provided by its owner. Defend dogs are often those that are used for maintaining the flock, since these dogs have an intrinsic propensity to guard and act independently.

Let’s start then, first of all, by discovering how to train a dog for self-defense .

How To Train A Dog For Defense

Before moving on to the description of one of the most effective techniques used by trainers to educate a dog in defense , it is good to know that the goal is not to teach him to attack or tear the customer we are not talking about dogs in the service of police, but only to simulate the defense without attacking .

If an attacker is determined to harm you, he will find a way to neutralize your dog too, so we must never endanger our friend by causing him to attack . In short, his defensive function is limited to deterrence and averting danger .

A dog of good size and of medium lively characteris easily trained in defense , the important thing is that you start as with all dogs with a solid basic education : walk always on a leash and socialization with humans , with whom he must feel at ease (neither fear them, nor be too helpful). In fact, a good defense dog is calm, sociable and tolerant : it only intervenes if you order it.

If you want to train a dog for defense, you need to get help from a person who knows him and lead him, walking on a leash , in an area known but free of distractions.

At some point your friend has to enter the dog’s field of vision, at a distance of 10–15 meters; as soon as the dog notices him, stop and slowly stretch the leash, back off to leave him alone in front of you and do not touch him . Even your friend should never touch him, nor speak, but only look him in the eye, advancing slowly with unusual gestures.

At this point , invite your dog to observe him by saying a word like “ who is there! “: The goal is to stimulate him to pull the leash and feel arousal; the more the dog will pull and bark, the more you will have to tighten the leash , staying still.

When he recognizes his friend, compliment him and calm his excitement by rewarding him with a cookie. If the dog does not pull, it means that it is not ready yet, so have the friend walk away, encourage him a little and then try again .

How To Train A Guard Dog

As for the guard in reality it is not possible to educate a dog to guard as a puppy , for a very simple reason: as we said at the beginning, the attitude to guard either you have or you don’t have . If the dog has it in his genes, he will sooner or later express it.

The trainers can advise you on some small tips to encourage this event a little , but a guard dog will only begin to do its “job” when it is an adult a sheepdog, for example, no earlier than 3–4 years of age. There is no need for any special intervention on your part, the best advice is to simply grow it with love and as you would any other dog!

Let’s now move on to some practical tips . Since a watchdog acts in complete autonomy due to its innate predisposition , you do not need to give it any commands also because it usually acts in your absence, nor give him final rewards of gratification and encouragement for turning the stranger away .

As he usually spends his days alone guarding the house, it would be good to have him live in pairs with another guard dog! In short,

a good watchdog is distinguished by its diffidence and by its always being very reluctant to allow itself to be approached or persuaded by someone to follow it. And these characteristics have them or not, which is why it is not possible to train a dog to guard!