Guard dogs are used for many different reasons and can be a great safety tool for your home or business. A guard dog can either be a family pet or a working dog who is trained to protect your property or home, in order to ward off intruders.
The most important things to know is that guard dogs are not simply aggressive dogs who are cooped up. A proper guard dog should be a well-balanced, happy animal who has enough exercise and stimulation, but who is also highly trained to protect and defend the family and property. Having a guard dog is a huge responsibility, due to the fact that with improper or insufficient training, your dog could become generally aggressive.
Getting A Trainer
If you want to get a guard dog and need to know more about guard training, contact a professional dog trainer or behaviourist who can help you train your dog to protect, without making him generally aggressive.
Let’s take a look at some larger breeds who are perfect for guarding.
1. Belgian Malinois
Belgian Malinois look similar to German Shepherd dogs, but are slightly finer of build, with a shorter coat. These are beautiful, intelligent dogs which are not suited for couch potato life. They need an active life where they can be their clever selves. Belgian Malinois are often used as search dogs, prison search dogs and protection dogs.
Why do they make good guard dogs?
Belgian Malinois are naturally protective and can be trained to bite on a specific command. They are very loyal to their owners and are instinctively quite obsessive dogs. This means they can maintain hyper-focus on one thing for a long time - perfect for keeping watch over your property. This means, however, Belgian Malinois require extensive and constant training if they are to be kept happy, healthy and controlled.
2. Rhodesian Ridgeback
If you see a Rhodesian Ridgeback you won’t be able to look away. These stunning, elegant red dogs are enormous and powerful. Although they can be very gentle and great family dogs, Rhodesians’ sheer size and muscle mass makes them fearsome to someone who doesn’t know their nature.
Why do they make good guard dogs?
Aside from their size, Rhodesians are very clever and respond very well to training, although they can be stubborn. Rhodesian Ridgebacks have unparalleled stamina and can be focused and energetic for long periods. They historically were used to hunt lions in Africa; they could definitely take on a burglar or two.
3. Doberman Pinschers
Many people are afraid of Dobermans simply because of their tall, muscular stature and black fur. They do look pretty menacing, although with dedicated training and socialisation, Dobermans also make good family dogs.
Why do they make good guard dogs?
Dobermans are powerful dogs with a loud bark which is bound to make any intruder turn around. They are very intelligent and trainable and have predatory instincts which makes them great for catching foreign scents.
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