Dog Training at home
6 tips to turn your dog into a guard dog
Ah, what do we like our dogs? I'm sure that just like me, you enjoy cuddling your dog, talking to him, walking him, playing with him, or watching him sleep at your feet. But for everything to go well on a daily basis, you will have to teach your dog to behave well in any situation.
Training is not a punishment and you will find that your dog will not take it as such if you use the right gestures and methods. And there, you say to yourself easy to say, but not easy to do.
I know you are hopeful and trust your dog right? You trust him to the point of letting him take care of what you value most: your home, your family, your possessions.
My dog Uno and I will tell you about our experience. Because yes, training is an experience that can be lived together, especially if you want your pet to rise in rank by becoming a guard dog.
My experience
First of all, I can assure you that I am not a professional, but I am like you, a simple master who has had the same problems as you in training my dog , Uno. He is an adorable German Shepherd and for his well-being and mine, I wanted to first teach him basic commands before training him for a guard.
Your pooch must first be outgoing and have a perfect basic education before considering making him a guard dog. He must therefore know how to respond to these orders: sit, come, lie down, and not move. You will see that afterward, cohabitation is easier whether at home or outside.
I was lucky and was able to learn dog training from a professional dog handler while working as a night watchman. So I decided to share all the advice I learned with my friends. I know it's complicated to train your dog and that's why I want to share my experience with you.
Is your dog still not responding to basic commands? I recommend a practical and accessible method for all dog training. You can follow the link to know ➡ " The 7 essential lessons to train your dog ".
Training a dog on guard: for what reasons?
Why make your dog a watchdog? Quite simply because when you are away there can be a lot going on in your home and the number of burglaries keeps increasing. You have most certainly adopted your dog to have moments of complicity with him and not for him to be your remote surveillance alarm on legs. But why not combine the useful with the pleasant.
A dog trained for a guard is not a heartless hound, rest assured. Your dog is not going to change and he will always stay the same. He will have just learned to guard your house, your possessions, or an object and to protect you from danger.
An element is often forgotten in the education process
Educating your animal is good, but it is also imperative to think about protecting your dog against the vagaries of life.
To do this, consider taking out insurance for your dog. You can use this free comparator to compare the different offers.
My 1st tip: know what guard training really is
Teaching your dog to stand guard means above all about teaching him to distinguish between people who are welcome in your home (family, friends, neighbors, colleagues) and those who are unwanted.
I see too many people who learn to attack their dog (you know like in the cinema where the master is wrapped up like the Michelin Bibendum). But that's not the custody. So you just have to teach him to stand guard by watching and alerting.
Be aware that if you call on a professional trainer, he will not teach him to bite or attack, but to give the alert and to ward off the intruder.
My 2nd tip: train your dog
This is the basis. If your dog runs all over the place, if he barks and pretends to be crazy when a fly passes (exaggerating), if he jumps for joy every time someone rings your doorbell and if when you say " sit "he grabs his toy, how to tell you that you are in the wrong place. I do not want to discourage you, but you will have to put your hand in ... "paw". This is not an impossible task, you just have to get started and start learning how to “lie down”, “at the foot”, “sit” and so on without delay.
My 3rd tip: teach him who is the bad guy and who is the good guy
To learn how to give the alert, your dog must first be familiar with the situations… ..in which there is no need to give the alert. Simple isn't it? Not that much, in fact, because you will need the complicity of your friends and other members of your family. You will have to make aperitifs and meals to be able to train your dog for guarding. But hey, you have to sacrifice yourself a little.
In your absence, your dog will have to replace you and it is he who will welcome your visitors so it is better for him to know them. You will therefore have to introduce all those around you to him and make sure he becomes familiar with them. To do this, lay your dog down, greet your guest and call your animal to come and greet him in turn.
Calm him if he shows aggression and conversely, congratulate him if he succeeds in his mission for the day.
My 4th tip: call a professional
Do you feel like you won't be able to do it? You do not know how? Don't have time to take care of it? It's not so bad. Better to admit it than try to guard your dog and do whatever it takes. This could be damaging for him and for the relationship you both have. The solution? Call in a dog trainer. So, of course, you'll have to put your hand in the wallet, but at least your dog won't cuddle intruders and bite your mother-in-law!
A professional will use a modern method to train your dog. Don't worry, he will do it through play and without any accessories causing pain to your dog.
My 5th tip: be careful with the food
I reassure you when I speak of food, I do not mean that he must follow a particular diet to become a watchdog. But that he must not accept food from a stranger. A bit like a child who must not accept candy from someone he does not know. So of course we all have in mind a movie where the thugs swing a piece of steak filled with sleeping pills over the wire fence to put the dog to sleep, but there is only one step for the fiction to become reality. Unfortunately, it is a method used, rarely certainly, but used.
Again, ask your friends for help (again). Ask a friend to feed your dog and instruct him to “stop eating”. Put the food in front of him and tell him not to touch it by saying “not move”. By repeating the session several times, it is in the pocket.
My last tip: be patient
Patience is essential, regardless of the order or attitude you want to teach your dog. Your dog is not born a watchdog and it will take time and many sessions to teach him how to guard your home and family and not to confuse friends and strangers.
It may take a long time, but what a joy once you get it right! And you will succeed. If Uno and I did it, you can do it, trust me. The important thing is the regularity of the sessions. For the duration of the sessions, I recommend a method where with only 15 minutes of training per day, you will be able to train your dog.
Conclusion
Guard training is one of the most complicated, I admit. But I trust you and even if sometimes you want to give up, I believe in you. Yes Yes. Well, that sounds a bit like a politician, but I know from experience that with patience, consistency, and perseverance, nothing is impossible! Ask Uno by leaving me a comment below.
Final words and important recommendations
Loving and educating your dog also means protecting him against the vagaries of life. This is why I strongly recommend that you take out dog health insurance as soon as possible. This will save you astronomical veterinary fees in the event of an accident or illness.
FAQ'S
1. Can I train my Dog Myself?
- Yes, you can but at the end of the day you need some guidance to train your dog so take our recommendations above to train your dog.
2. Is it ever too late to start training your dog?
- It's never too late to train a dog. Whether you are bringing home an older dog from a shelter (or rescue), or you'd like to work with your own older dog, there's no reason to delay doing some training with an older dog. ... Older dogs may already know some commands. They have a much longer attention span than puppies.
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