Teaching a dog commands is probably one of the most effective methods of improving animal discipline. Why is this important? The fact is that dogs can differ in character and disposition. Some pets are playful and cheerful, while others are balanced and calm. You can teach a dog to guard the house in any of the options. The most important thing in training is to find an approach to your pet. To do this, establish the necessary level of trust, thanks to which you can build a relationship further. Keep in mind that your pet should become a friend, comrade, faithful buddy. Only if the dog knows and feels the love and respect of the owner, will it be able to perform commands joyfully, and not out of fear of the owner. This is very important, since the relationship with a loved one can affect the health of the dog. First of all, you need to understand that animals, like people, react to the attitude towards them. So, if the pet can perceive you as “his own”, you can win his trust. Accordingly, it will be easier for you to teach the dog commands.
How to give commands to dogs correctly?
If your pet perceives you well and kindly, it means that you have already achieved a lot in raising it. The first steps towards understanding between an animal and a person are the most important, and sometimes decisive. In order for the dog to understand your commands, you need to adhere to the rules of communication with the animal. If the dog shows mischief, let it understand that it cannot do this. An important rule is to punish a puppy or an adult dog only when you find it in a “violation”. Do not ignore such behavior of the dog. And also pay attention to how much punishment is acceptable for the dog’s disobedience.
Why can’t you swear at a dog?
It is very important to understand that command training should be carried out in a quiet and measured environment. There should be nothing that could distract the animal from training. One of the important rules is the owner’s calm attitude to the training process. That is, you should not shout and understand that any stubbornness of the animal is caused either by a lack of understanding of what is required of it, or by its condition. At the same time, try to remain calm and follow the goal. In this case, the dog will begin to understand what is required of it. If you raise your tone, you can form a negative attitude of the animal to the execution of commands.
Using Rewards in Training
The ability of animals to carry out commands has its own natural basis. An automatic action, the result of which is a trick or the animal’s execution of a command, is formed by the type of conditioned reflex. The method of encouragement and punishment is used to develop automatisms not only in dogs, but also in other animals. Punishment consists in the fact that the animal is not given a treat. A dog that successfully carries out a command, as a rule, receives encouragement.
Dogs for territory protection
Of course, it is important to consider the pedigree and innate qualities of the dog. Character and temperament are some of the key factors that determine the dog’s behavior strategy in the presence of a threat. When talking about acquiring a puppy, it is worth understanding that such a choice has both pros and cons. The advantages are that you can set a new strategy for the dog’s behavior, since you are training it for the first time. It has no previous experience in communicating with people or in guarding territory. Therefore, it is important for you to take into account that there are different types of intruders. The primary thing in training should be that the animal should eventually understand that there are “strangers” and “friends”. The dog is taught this based on its natural instincts of being in a pack.
As a rule, the following dog breeds are chosen to guard the territory:
- Akita Inu. Japanese breed of dog for hunting deer and wild boar.
- Alabai. A breed common in Russia. It is also called the Central Asian Shepherd Dog.
- Bullmastiffs are known to be protective of their families to the death.
- Caucasian Shepherd Dogs are large dogs whose ability to guard is inherent in their genotype.
- Moscow watchdog or St. Bernard. Serves as an excellent defender of the territory, which is why it received such a name.
- German Shepherd. A smart and loyal dog.
- Rottweiler. A guard dog that will protect any yard and is easy to train.
- Sheltie. This breed has many years of experience as a shepherd. Now they easily get along with people, protecting their premises and estates from intruders.
- South African Boerboel. Designed to guard residential premises, is a watchdog.
- Doberman Pinscher. A breed that was developed by crossing a German Pinscher and a Black Terrier. An excellent guard for your home.
- East European Shepherd. Reserved in its behavior, a little stern in appearance. Despite this, it treats children well.
- Ca-de-bo. Restrained, phlegmatic and able to assess the situation before attacking.
- Tibetan Mastiff: Not only is he trained to protect his territory, he is also good with children and families.
Of course, these are not the only breeds that you can trust to look after your territory. You can teach your dog to guard your yard yourself or with the help of a dog trainer. Of course, you should be patient and try to help your dog understand what is required of it. Moreover, even ordinary mongrels or non-purebred breeds can become guards of your home. The important thing is that any dog has an instinct. But it can also be both a friend and an enemy to a person. So you need to have a trusting relationship with the dog. There are breeds specially bred for such purposes. They have a well-developed protective instinct. There can be several dogs in the protected area. Many breeds get along well in one area. The main thing for you to remember is that dogs can also be jealous and need equal love and attention. When raising a guard dog, you need to support other qualities in it. Naturally, it is important to develop discipline so that the dog’s aggressiveness is controlled. This is how many breeds of service or guard dogs differ from yard dogs.
The first steps to teaching your dog the “Guard” command
Guard and service dogs are usually trained to perform many commands. The basic ones, such as “sit”, “lie down”, “freeze” are intended to prepare the animal to perform other commands. But the most important thing that can be achieved by training a dog is to develop endurance in the animal. Therefore, for subsequent education, it can be very useful to allocate 15-30 minutes a day for training. As soon as you notice that the dog has begun to take your walks seriously, you can proceed to other commands.
One of the most common is the “guard” command. By teaching a dog this command, you can teach it to guard not only things, but also a house, estate or person. Dogs have an innate instinct to understand their own territory. People have noticed this and began to use it for their own purposes. Agree, attitudes towards dogs can be different. But those who have realized that a dog can become a friend can trust the animal even in guarding children. When letting a child out for a walk with a dog, people also teach the dog this command. Most land plots and private houses are usually entrusted to four-legged pets that live in the yards. But you can also get a small dog in an apartment that will not let thieves in.
If you decide to teach your dog the guard command, we recommend that you first decide how the dog will need to act when ill-wishers appear. It can either start barking at a suspicious guest or rush at him and attack. Often, for domestic purposes, a dog is trained in the first type of response. If the dog is trained to perform official duties, it is extremely important to teach it to fight back when attacked.
What to teach next?
Like any other animal, a dog understands that there are limits to its territory. Having given the dog the opportunity to share space with her, it is necessary to designate an area in which the dog can move freely or be tied to a chain. It is also possible to organize a so-called “block post” where the animal will be located. In the first case, the dog has the opportunity to attack. But it is not always taught to do this, since sometimes loud barking is enough.
Subsequent training of the dog occurs with the participation of an assistant. You must find a volunteer who agrees to play the role of a criminal. This person approaches the fence, creating a rustle. Your task is to alert the dog by shouting the command “guard”. To develop barking, the command “voice” is used. As soon as the dog starts barking, the intruder falls silent. This way you let the dog understand that it is required to scare off the thief. Do not forget to reward the dog.