A good Protection Dog is a truly fantastic way of securing your home and for many is the single most effective form of defence against a break-in.
The first part of training is for the owner to understand the difference between a guard dog and an attack dog. Attack dogs are trained to stand guard and hold back until they received the command from their master to attack whilst guard dogs will attack if they feel threatened.
This is a common misconception made by many as the word ‘attack’ implies that the dog will attack in any conflict situation Dog training in my area. The word ‘guard’ however is a far more passive one and has no suggestion of violence or attack.
Although very similar, there are distinct differences between the training that the animal undergoes to be a guard and one which undergoes training to become an attack animal. Here we will explore some of those differences.
One of the biggest differences between guard and attack or protection dogs is with their owners and trainers. Guard animals are used by many homeowners to ensure that their property is safe when unoccupied.
Very much like an alarm system, the dog will bark if they feel there is a threat to the property. It is essential that a guard dog can recognise the difference between a potential intruder and an innocent passer-by. Again the way to prevent any accidents is to ensure you provide the best protection dog training.
Without this understanding, the animal will spend all day barking, tiring itself out, annoying neighbours and creating endless false alarms. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? This is exactly the scenario that is created by a dog which has not received the correct guard training and barks at anything and everything!
Whilst guard dogs are associated with homeowners and the protection of property, attack or protection dogs are primarily used within a professional capacity by law enforcement, armed forces and security firms.
Attack dogs require a great deal more training than a guard dog. Every attack dog will have had intensive training in a whole range of disciplines. Most attack dogs are purely attack or protection dogs, and are housed, fed and worked in purpose-built training centres.
Guard dogs can be trained within the home. One way this can be achieved is by following a book or manual on protection dog training. In addition to this, dogs can also attend professionally run guard dog training courses at specialist guard dog training schools. Guard dogs can also be trained once they have reached adulthood whereas an attack animal is trained from being a puppy.