Do Guard Dogs Need Specific Training?

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Dogs

Dogs are incredibly talented creatures, especially when they grow up in the right environment and with a caring owner who is willing to dedicate time and resources to teach a dog the right way to behave. Even then, there are some dogs that seem to possess an innate talent for certain things. For example, dogs that have been bred for racing, such as greyhounds, whippets, and similar breeds, are going to be naturally more agile than a designer breed such as a Pomeranian.

Dogs that have historically been used as herding dogs are going to have a natural instinct to try and herd smaller creatures, even toddlers, while dogs that have been bred for hunting are going to have a natural prey drive and chase after those smaller creatures. The same applies to dogs that have historically been used as guard dogs. However, while these dogs may possess an innate instinct to protect those who it has bonded to, these dogs still need special training to know when it is appropriate to guard and when it isn’t.

What Does the Training Involve?

As you begin to look into the idea of having your own guard dogs in the UK, you will come to realise that if you want the dog to get the job done right, you are going to have to make sure that it gets the specific training it needs. If you let a dog that simply has an instinctual need to protect things pose as your guard dog, it may attack people who are unfamiliar even if they are supposed to be there. Likewise, an untrained dog may not recognise other signs of malicious intent and let someone who is up to no good slip by.

The training for guard dogs in the UK involves a few different courses depending on the age of the dog. If the dog is a puppy, then courses are probably going to start out as basic training taken to a more rigorous level so that the dog can learn basic obedience and commands more quickly. From here, the dog will generally learn hand signals, how to recognise when someone is approaching with ill intent, and other signs of threatening behaviour.

Depending on how advanced these dogs are, they may also learn how to attack and fight off someone who is actively trying to get into the place that the dog is protecting. These are just a few of the things that these dogs need to be trained how to do.

Where Can You Get the Training?

Finding a place that offers the specific training your dog needs will not be too difficult for most people to do. For instance, Total K9 will not only inform you on what type of training your dogs will need to become guard dogs but it will also offer information on the best breeds and where you can take your dog to begin the training that it needs.