Choosing a dog can be a troublesome decision for anyone. Still, this choice is considerably tougher when the puppy needs to guard its owner and family, including property. Add to the mix that you never owned a dog, and things become more complicated.
Most often, a first-time owner won’t be too good with a dog and surely will make a bunch of fundamental blunders. A guard dog requires obedience training, lots of exercises, firm and consistent guidance and a committed owner.
How to choose a guard dog for the first time
The best guard dog is often ready to bite, quick to be aggressive. As a first-time dog owner, it’s vital to be cautious when making the decision to get a guard dog.
Don’t choose a dog based on its looks but based on its personality. It would be best if you choose a dog with great patience and attention that wants to bond. A puppy would require house training, then the rest of the courses needed to become a guard dog.
If you have young children, pick a well-trained dog.
Search online to inform yourself about the different dog breeds, how they would fit with your lifestyle and have a good think on why you need a guard dog:
- If you look for a good barker that raises the alarm at the slightest sound, you can choose smaller breeds. Their loud barks will deter intruders.
- Looking at a dog to protect, size may be enough to scare intruders. The bigger the dog, the scarier, even if the dog isn’t aggressive.
- Watchdogs bark and alert their owners to any sensed intruders but normally won’t attack.
- Any dog can become a guarding companion that will alert and maintain a shielding presence next to the person they want to protect.
- If you want a dog to attack an intruder, you need to consider your choice based on your living space, family size, and potential visitors to your household.
What you need to know about guard dogs
First, no dog is a dependable guard dog or a good family one without training. When you become a dog owner, you must take your pet to obedience training, and renowned dog trainers recommend having another family member doing the course.
Commitment to some serious training followed by plenty of maintenance training is part of being a guard dog owner. Even dogs that go through a protection training class still need frequent practice. Dog owners continually work with their pets to keep them accurate and clear on appropriate or inappropriate behaviour.
A dog that is not suitably trained can be a liability, especially around young children and vulnerable adults. Ensuring that the dog is well socialized with people, family members, children, other dogs, or eventual pets is of the essence.
If you are determined and fancy learning new skills, try to enrol in dog training classes (online can be an option, too) before buying a dog.
Best guard dog breeds for first-time owners
Working breeds are regularly chosen as guard, police and military working dogs. A working breed dog trained to be aggressive is a bad choice for a first-time owner.
Alert dogs:
- Terriers -usually great around people and quick learners
- Schipperkes – famous barkers
- Corgis – excellent alert dogs but also quick to bite.
Family dogs:
- Rottweilers – bred to be excellent family dogs. Train them thoroughly and give them something to guard before they pick their own and complicate things. Avoid hitting them.
- Boxer – especially females, are very gentle with children but stay alert and will intimidate outsiders.
Bullmastiffs are good for owners that live in flats, whilst German Shepherds need a big garden to contain their tremendous energy.
Nearly any dog will guard its home, barking and alerting everyone.
Dogs that have bonded with their owners will protect the individual and the entire household even at great risk to themselves, indifferent to their breed.
A large number of people consider that owning a guard dog is the only solution to cover any home security concerns. A guard dog is not a replacement for a trustworthy home security system. There always remains the possibility that the dog can be hurt, leaving intruders with the chance to enter your residence.
