Dogs have truly earned their mantle as “man’s best friend.” Unlike the fiercely independent felines out there, dogs seem to show a genuine loyalty and affection towards their human owners. It is no surprise that much artwork that reflects Americana contain depictions of all different kinds of dogs. But, in addition to being loyal companions, dogs can provide a valuable service to their owners. Dogs can and wish to guard and protect their ‘fellow’ man.

Dogs do not learn how to be guardians on their own. There is a systematic and deliberate process required for guard dog training. But it is not an overly complicated process only the stereotypical Doberman, German Shepard or Pit Bull Terrier can learn. Any dog can learn how to be a valuable protector if they go through some basic guard dog training

Kinds of Dogs

Contrary to popular belief, guard dogs are not attack dogs. Their purpose is not to tear anyone’s throat out, but rather to bark at an interloper encroaching on a property. With quality guard dog training, the dog will understand the when, where and why’s to the art and science of barking.

Barking

Why does guard dog training put such emphasis on barking as opposed to biting? It deescalates a situation by scaring an intruder off the property; or, in the event the intruder doesn’t high tail it out of there, the barking can at least function as an alarm to the owner of the property that something is amiss. Basic, simply clicker training is a way of providing the guard dog training that will instill the dog with the talent to bark when appropriate.

Can any dog learn to be an effective barker? Of course. There are no limits to what type of dog can develop these skills. However, it goes without saying that a German Shepard’s bark will be slightly scarier than a poodle. Bigger, scarier dogs (to an intruder anyway) are probably a wiser choice for security purposes. But this doesn’t mean you can’t teach your poodle home security skills.

Attack Training

This is NOT to say there is not a method of guard dog training that teaches a dog to actually attack and rip into an intruder. This is a more highly specialized program of guard dog training and the owner of such a dog really needs to knowledgeable about home defense and security or a disaster will be bound to happen.