How to Train a Guard Dog

If you want to train your puppy to be a guard dog, it is best to get help from professional dog training people. However, if you decide to do it alone, follow these steps to ensure your dog is properly trained.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Socialize your puppy. Familiarize him with the environment. Get him used to traffic, people and other animals. Teach him to remain indifferent to other animals. This means do not allow him to chase after cats or pursue a female dog in heat.

2. Teach basic obedience. Demand the dog's attention at the start of every training session. Teach the dog verbal commands; such as come, sit and stay. Teach these same commands using hand signals. You should also teach your dog automatic commands, such as to always sit when they come to you.

3. Encourage your dog to bark when someone approaches the house. Most dogs will do this automatically unless you teach them not to. When someone approaches the house and your dog barks, tell her she is a good girl and that she can stop now because you are here and the person is a friend. If the person is not a friend, allow the dog to continue barking and praise her for her response. It is important to train the dog to stop barking only when given the command to do so.

4. Train your dog not to run after the intruder once they leave your property. To do this, you will have to make sure that the dog knows where your property line ends. Walk the dog around the perimeter of the property until she understand the boundaries.

5. Instruct the dog to attack clothing not exposed flesh. You can do this by pulling your hand into your sleeve and telling the dog to "get it." Don't use words such as "kill" or "sic." When you're done, tell the dog to "drop it." Remove the dog's mouth from your arm if he does not release and expose your hand from your sleeve.

6. Identify the areas on an intruders body that your dog should bite. You want the dog to bite an extremity, preferably a leg and then hold onto the person until help arrives. In the last step, your dog should have learned the command to drop or release. A good guard dog will not release the intruder until either its owner or a policeman gives them the command to do so.

[dudie]

on 6/10/2009 hey we have hi we have 4 barns with dogs in pens in them we breed them. we spaced a few out in 4 barns. but we have german shepherd puppies to protect each barn but how can we teach them to protect th barn and know thats their hgome and know to protect the dogs in there, how can we teach them to know to protect that barn and were there place is in that barn??? i nedd HELPP!!!!!!!

[horsejumperlvr]

on 6/22/2008 hi, i have a 2 year old labordoodle and he has a very sweet disposition. but he barks when the doorbell is rung and when he hears a strange noise, but i was wondering how will i get him 2 bite because he has NEVER bitten anyone or anythign but his toys before and i mean i have tried to get him 2 bite different objects or my sleeve but it doesn't work and i want to train him to become a better attack dog in case of anything but i need to know how i could possibly do that? thanks