I would like to train our next dog in personal protection, however there are no trainers in our area who specialize in this type of training. I don’t want stranger to say "how cute" when they see our dog. I would rather it be a family pet who can also be used a deterrent.
I am against getting an agressive dog and keeping him that way so I am looking for some advice (from someone who knows what they are talking about!) on training a dog to both bark, and show agression on command but to also stop on command.
perhaps i am being misunderstood, in my opinion a dog who barks to prevent a person from entering the property is not agressive. My WHOLE goal here is NOT to have a mean agressive dog.
Might I also add that an alarm system only works once someone is inside…
I am planning on getting another dog for this purpose. We are leaning towards a rottie (for the reputation) or Saint. (for the impressive size)
Randee, you are missing the point.
Please ignore people that tell you to not have a protection dog…some breeds were meant to do protection since the time they were conceived!
I have no idea what type of dog you have, how old, where it came from, and what type of temperament?
The dog needs to be evaluated by a qualified trainer that understands what a personal protection dog is and does and then he can be trained for it, if he has what it takes.
The biggest thing that I need you to pay attention to here is that you do NOT want a "bluff" dog…someone one day WILL call his bluff and you will be the one that will pay for it!
Hope I helped!!
ADD: Randee, yes, I feel comfortable with every family having a dog that is FORMALLY trained in protection and I really believe that they would all benefit from having one.
A family protection dog is NOT a monster, waiting behind the bushes, hoping there will be an innocent victim for him to assault. A properly selected anfd trained family protection dog is just a dog, like yours and mine, til he is told to protect.
He can go to the beach, on vacation, camping, etc, with his family and be completely safe.
As far as a bullet, well, if YOU were to break into a house, you would NOT want any noise, never mind shooting a gun.
And reality says that if you do shoot a dog you will wake me up and then have to deal with me….not a good idea!!!
Get an alarm system. There is NO reason for you to have an aggressive dog.
Might I add that one bullet will quiet the dog forever?
Do you keep valuables on your lawn? You can get this thing called a fence (which you should probably have anyway with a dog!)
Greekman, do you feel comfortable with someone having an aggressive dog when they aren’t you?
Not many people can handle having a strong dog, let alone one trained for protection.
No, I see the point quite clearly.
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Since you are asking about your next dog that you presumably have not gotten yet, maybe you should consider a breed that is bred for guarding and will naturally sound the alarm when strangers come around.
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Please ignore people that tell you to not have a protection dog…some breeds were meant to do protection since the time they were conceived!
I have no idea what type of dog you have, how old, where it came from, and what type of temperament?
The dog needs to be evaluated by a qualified trainer that understands what a personal protection dog is and does and then he can be trained for it, if he has what it takes.
The biggest thing that I need you to pay attention to here is that you do NOT want a "bluff" dog…someone one day WILL call his bluff and you will be the one that will pay for it!
Hope I helped!!
ADD: Randee, yes, I feel comfortable with every family having a dog that is FORMALLY trained in protection and I really believe that they would all benefit from having one.
A family protection dog is NOT a monster, waiting behind the bushes, hoping there will be an innocent victim for him to assault. A properly selected anfd trained family protection dog is just a dog, like yours and mine, til he is told to protect.
He can go to the beach, on vacation, camping, etc, with his family and be completely safe.
As far as a bullet, well, if YOU were to break into a house, you would NOT want any noise, never mind shooting a gun.
And reality says that if you do shoot a dog you will wake me up and then have to deal with me….not a good idea!!!
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Well, usually if you give your dog lots of love and have a good bond with him/her they will protect you at their own will. My Labrador has never been trained to attack, but when she senses i’m scared she comes to the rescue.
I think a good dog breed is a Spanish Mastiff. Very loyal, protective, and good with kids. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/spanishmastiff.htm
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I understand what you are asking, but most dogs will be protective of their home and territory.
There is really no good way to train a dog to be aggressive when you want it to, and then to turn into a snugly family pet unless the dog has been professionally trained, and has the breed and individual temperament to do that.
Most of the dogs that are guard trained start training as puppies. They also require strong and consistent handling.
Otherwise there is no way for your dog to know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is.
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First off, what breed is your dog? I don’t care if you send it to Police K9 training, if you have a Chihauha, he isn’t going to scare off too many intruders.
Most importantly, work on obedience. That is the foundation for all other training you give the dog. Don’t overtrain your dog. They are similar to children when learning & can get bored easily going over the same training again & again.
Always praise your dog whenever they succeed in learning a task. I’m divided at using treats for good behavior vs a pat on the head or belly rub.
I am currently training my Shepard/Chow mix for security work. He’s jet black & has such an excellent demeanor & temperment that if he is on duty and around children, he’s not a threat to the children. In fact, he’d prefer to just lay there & be their bodyguard all day.
Edit:
Randee- Put a bullet in someone’s dog while breaking into their home– in my state under the Castle Doctrine, that allows a home owner to use any level of force to neutralize the threat.
Personally, in my home, an intruder MIGHT get past Suza (my dog), but they would never get past Ruger (my weapon)
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15+ yrs Law Enforcement & Security expirence. Now training to be a K9 unit.
I have always had large dog & I have trained them to be fence dogs. They raise hell at the fence every time they see someone on the street. Just their size & the noise the make, make most people to fear entering my yard unless I am there to let them in.
You don’t want a dog that will actually bite cause there is too much liability. Unless you have a dog fully trained as a protection dog. Then you must put up signs that you have a trained dog. A fully trained dog will not bite unless it is provoked or commanded to do so. While a dog that is not trained may bite for reasons unknown.
I have found some information on dog training. It may not be exactly what you want to know but it will give you an idea as to how some of these dogs are trained.
I used to train these dogs for a living. Licensed Professional Canine Trainer. Retired now.
http://www.sitmeanssit.com/protection-dog-training-video/
http://www.dog-training-online.net/
http://www.dopedog.com/personal_protection.html
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That’s cool. I have a golden retriever/shepard mix. She has a Very aggressive bark, but is the sweetest dog. I encourage her to bark and give her treats when someone is approaching the property, saying " Speak (bark) and Good girl." Trust me on this one: solicitors and potential intruders leave quickly. It takes training, but with time and consistency, it works. Then when it’s a friend or neighbor I invite in, I give her another treat and say, "It’s okay," and pet her. She gets the difference and immediately becomes the friendly dog to whomever I invite in. And that’s the idea in my house. She reacts to our reactions and direction. I want my dog to "defend" us, but she has also been trained to listen to us when she is told everything is okay.
My point is that there’s nothing wrong with having a "seemingly" aggressive dog to the outside world as long as it’s just perceived by potential intruders. It’s the best of both worlds. Hope that helps some.
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There’s a big difference between a watch/guard dog and a protection-trained dog. Most people misuse the terms or confuse the distinctions between a personal protection dog and a guard dog. Many dogs will exhibit territorial behavior which can include barking and biting strangers that approach either the owner or their territory. In many cases, these dogs make the decision when to bite and who to bite on their own without training because genetically they are bred to be territorial and protective. Unfortunately, they often bite the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong circumstances.
A personal protection dog is genetically bred to contain behavior drives such as prey, territory, and defense. In personal protection training, we encourage these drives, and simply teach the dog to exhibit those behaviors under the control of the handler. A properly trained personal protection dog is a very confident, social dog that will very rarely bite under the wrong circumstances.
A "Bluff dog" is a bad idea. You want a confident family dog which has been trained to protect. Depending on your dog, it’s breeding and temperment it may be able to be trained and may not be suitable for such work. I know one trainer who sells these dogs and travels around the world when he sells a dog…he delivers the dog to the new owners. All of his dogs are imported from Germany which are a better line of dogs and you get what you pay for. This guy also does obedience training as well for the general public. He has been in the business for 10 + years now and trained dogs for the rich and famous as well as the general public. His site is at: http://www.globalcaninesecurity.com
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http://www.globalcaninesecurity.com