Somebody the other day, emailed me a question asking about protection dogs, so I whipped up this quick Q&A to provide some general info.
Q) To make a dog a protective dog do you have to make it mean?
A) No! The instinct to protect will be part of the dogs blood line assuming that you acquire a dog of this nature, and will be further enhanced through sound training. Furthermore, if you attempt to mistrain your dog to become mean, your dog will more than likely start protecting itself from you. When you purchase your dog, ask about exercises that you can perform with your dog to ensure his level of training stays as high as possible.
Q) How do I teach my dog to tell the difference between friendly and nonfriendly people?
A) Sound training will teach your dog to protect only when confronted in an aggressive way. You need to properly socialize your dog so it knows that there are friendly people out there. As mentioned however, it is crutial for the dog to comprehend the fact that not all people are bad guys, just the ones that conceiveibly pose a threat to your family through their tone of voice, or their actions.
Q) Does my dog have to be obedient?
A) Of course! Every dog should be relatively obedient, this should be a definite for any protection dog. Being able to respond to an order when given can make the difference between life or death in many cases. A dog that is not well trained is more likely to go after innocent people, based on prey drive alone. Having an obedient dog will aid you greatly allowing you to have full control over your dog’s actions at all times.
Q) What is the best breed of dog that is used for protection work?
A) There are numerous breeds that are used today for protection work, my top picks would have to be the Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, and PitBull
Q) What is Schutzhund?
A) Schutzhund is a sport for dogs to participate in that combine the three working components; these being, tracking, Obedience, and Protection work in that order. The sport is to test the ability of dog and handler and their ability to work together performing working tasks that the dog has been trained to perform. The Teams are judged based on the ability of the dog to complete the desired tasks, which solely depends on the level of training that it has undergone.
Q) Should I ever crate my protection dog?
A) I would go against the theory of crating my protection dog at anytime. Being of the protective nature, your dog will want to be able to travel around the house, sometimes portraying the “watch man” routine. This is normal and is just your dogs instinct to watch over his family.
Q) What happens if my protection dog attacks an innocent person?
A) This question is answered above. If your dog goes after an innocent person, this is an indication of the low level of your dog’s training. Your dog should be taught only to aggress when being meaningfully confronted, and if this is not the case, there are a number of options you have; these being:
- If you purchased your dog from a dog protection training company, contact them and arrange to return the dog for further training.
- Do what you can to locate a Schutzhund trainer that can assist you and your dog.
What you should never do
If your protection dog is not working out for you, never, ever simply give him away to a friend or any interested person. These dogs are not like normal pets and need constant “maintinence training” to keep them sharp, focused, and safe to be around. Simply giving him away will not curb his instincts, and could lead to a really bad outcome.