How to Train Pit Bull Puppies to Be Guard Dogs
American pit bull terriers are a friendly, playful and exceptionally loyal breed. It is this undying loyalty that naturally motivates a pit bull to protect his owner. Becoming an actual guard dog, however, takes proper socialization, strong leadership in the home, and professional training. With these in place, most pit bulls can become excellent guard dogs.
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Instructions
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Socialize your pit bull puppy at a very early age by introducing him to your family and friends, and taking him for daily walks. This early socialization will help to ensure your puppy feels comfortable around people in normal, nonthreatening situations. This also will help him instinctively know the difference if he ever encounters a threatening situation, such as a home intruder.
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Enroll your puppy in obedience training when he turns 8 weeks old. This is where you will teach him basic commands, such as sit, stay, heel, come, down and drop it. By the age of 6 months, he will be ready for more advanced training.
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Establish yourself as your puppy's leader. Pit bulls are a very strong-willed breed and their natural instinct is to dominate the pack, so firmly establishing yourself as his leader at an early age is the key to avoiding aggression issues down the road. To achieve this, never let him walk through the door ahead of you when going outside to play or for his daily walk. When walking him, keep him on a short leash beside you; never let him walk in front of you. Puppies are easily excited and distracted, so it will take time to properly leash-train him. Be patient and use a calm but assertive voice when you command him to heel. Employ positive reinforcement in the form of verbal praise and treats every time he follows your command.
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Make your puppy perform a simple command, such as sit or stay, before you give him food, water, treats, toys or affection. This is another important part of training him to respect you as his leader, so be consistent and immediately reward him every time he follows a command.
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Teach your puppy to bark and physically alert you when he senses something is out of the ordinary. To do this, call him to you when he barks at something, then give him a treat. Have treats readily available so you can do this each time he barks at a strange noise or when someone comes to your door. Pit bulls are intelligent and highly trainable, so in time this will develop into a natural response and a treat will no longer be needed. If someone comes to your home who is not a threat, teach your puppy to stop barking by firmly giving him the command of "quiet." If he continues barking, spray him lightly in the face with a water bottle. It is important for your pit bull to learn the difference between unacceptable barking in a friendly situation and essential barking in a threatening one.
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Research guard-dog training facilities, if you wish to take your pit bull's training to the next level. Most guard-dog training facilities require that your dog stay at their facility while he is in training. This can be a costly and time-consuming undertaking but is the only way to fully transform your companion dog into a guard dog. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a good resource when searching for a qualified individual trainer or training facility.
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Tips & Warnings
Some guard-dog training facilities will require a temperament test before they admit your puppy for training. This is a simple test and will be administered by one of the instructors.
Having a professionally trained guard dog can be a liability, especially for pit bulls, because they have a reputation for aggression. Make sure you fully research a training facility before enrolling, so you know your puppy is being trained in a responsible manner.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Pit image by Mark D. Farthing from Fotolia.com
