Protection dogs and Guard Dogs - Schutzhund - Pit Bulls

Upon hearing the phrase “Protection Dogs,” many people might automatically think of guard dogs.  While they share certain characteristics, these dogs actually perform in two very different roles.  The biggest differences between guard dogs and protection dogs are as follows:  Guard dogs are naturally territorial, and don’t necessarily have to be trained in order to do their job of guarding.  However, they will generally only protect a certain vicinity.  Protection dogs must go through training in order to acquire the skills needed to perform their duties.  They are trained to protect a certain person, object or area like guard dogs, but they are much more restrained than their counterparts.  Protection dogs typically wait for a signal from their master before engaging a threat.

Protection dogs usually go through something called Schutzhund training.  This is a type of training that began in Germany and includes three phases:  tracking, obedience and protection.  Before entering your dog into Schutzhund training, you must consider the breed.  Clearly, not all dogs make excellent guard dogs or protection dogs.  Most are fiercely loyal to their families, giving rise to the phrase “man’s best friend.”  Certain breeds are wonderfully suited as protection dogs.  Particularly, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Belgian Shepherds, Pit Bull Terriers and American Bulldogs are favored among protection dogs.  This is because they have natural tendencies and instincts that make them perfect for the job.  Rottweilers are cool and confident, as well as extremely powerful.  Dobermans were bred specifically for this purpose, being especially strong and light-footed.  Belgian Shepherds are very loyal and alert, and tend to excel in obedience training.  Pit Bulls are revered for their loyalty and strength, and Bulldogs are built for power, speed and endurance.

"Protection Dog"

When choosing the right dog for you, there are several things to consider.  You can use the B.L.A.S.T. method to pick a great dog for you.  You will look at breed, loyalty, age, sex and temperament.  If you have children or are a first time owner, you might want to consider breeds of setters or retrievers.  Experienced owners could look into more traditional guard and protection dogs such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Akitas.  Next, you’ll want to find a loyal dog who understands that your family is a pack, and it is his job to protect the safety of his pack.  In order to establish this, let each member of your family walk, groom, bathe, feed and play with the dog.  Age-wise, it’s been shown that older animals are very difficult to train, so a younger dog, perhaps 6 months to 1 year old, is best suited to be trained as a protection or guard dog.  The dog’s gender doesn’t really make that much of a difference, but some people feel that male dogs bond better with female owners and vice versa. 

Probably the most important aspect to consider, temperament plays a huge role in how your dog will fit into your family and perform his role as a guard or protection dog.  You’ll be able to gauge your dog’s temperament as soon as he’s able to run and play.  If you find that your puppy is cowardly or elusive, you may want to raise him as simply a family pet and look elsewhere for your canine protection.  You can give your puppy courageousness tests in several ways.  Pop open an umbrella in front of your dog.  You’ll want your pup to remain in place and investigate.  A puppy who runs away probably wouldn’t make much of a guard dog.  You can perform similar tests by throwing objects on the floor that will make a substantial thud.  If you have multiple pups, look for the ones who dominate at dinnertime.  The stronger puppies in the bunch will push the weaker ones aside so that they can get their fill of food first.

"Pit Bull"

As mentioned earlier, it’s much more difficult to train an older dog to be a guard dog.  This really only holds true if your dog has been trained to do or not do certain things as a puppy.  For example, if you trained your dog not to jump on people as a puppy, he might have trouble understanding that it’s acceptable in certain scenarios.  Guard dog training schools can be pretty selective, and factors like this may determine whether or not your dog is accepted into a program.  Remember that training a guard or protection dog is a serious task best left to professionals, so it’s important to enter your dog into a specialized training school unless you yourself happen to be a professional dog trainer.  The first portion of guard dog training involves basic obedience training.  This could serve as a refresher for dogs who’ve already undergone this type of training.  The dogs will then focus on becoming acutely alert and able to respond more quickly to instruction.  At the culmination of training, you won’t have to repeat a command more than once.  One of the last and most important aspects of training involves teaching your dog not to fall for bribes.  Good guard and protection dogs can’t be bribed with food by potential intruders.  This is an invaluable lesson taught during their training.

Be sure to take all of this information into consideration when choosing the right puppy for you and making the decision to enter your dog into guard and protection training.  You may just end up with a loving canine companion who could one day save the lives of you and your family.