When Dante’s school, Life Bound K9 Dog Training Academy, called Devon to inform him that Dante had completed his training, Devon was surprised because he hadn’t expected the call for another month. The trainer told Devon that their dog Dante was one of the most intelligent dogs they had ever trained. He picked up each new task much quicker than usual; thus, he was able to complete his training early. Before Devon went to pick Dante up after finishing work, he had to stop by his house to pick up the Bronco. Dante would no longer fit in the sports car now that he was nearly fully grown. He was amazed at the changes that Dante had gone through. Besides being so big, which was expected, what When surprised him was how much muscle he had packed on. His training must have been very rigorous to have him bulk up like that. When Devon went to the academy office to pay the bill before he picked up Dante, the bill was substantially less than had been quoted. The manager said that this was because it took less time to train Dante, their expenses were less, so the bill was less.
Devon appreciated their honesty: “I paid for a service, not for a period of time. I just want to ask you a simple question: Did Dante get all the regular training?” Filiberto Toscani, the manager, nodded in the affirmative. “Well, in my way of thinking, you earned every dollar of the quoted price. I believe in paying a fair wage for a fair service, “If you like, consider it a tip,” Devon replied. “Thank you very much, Mr. Howard, you are an honorable man,” Filiberto replied sincerely.
Below is a list of some of the training that Dante went through:
The 5 Steps to Train a Guard Dog
1. Start With the Basics
Before you ever start any guard dog training, your dog must learn basic obedience. Not only does basic obedience help establish a strong bond between you and your dog, but it will also build confidence and establish you as the leader.
Basic obedience will teach your dog commands and they will learn how to follow instructions. You will first start by implementing the basic commands like sit, stay, come, leave it, and heel but will advance to more complicated commands.
A guard dog must know how to obey any command they are given and execute them appropriately. Creating a well-rounded protection dog is of absolute importance. Every aspect of training must be consistent, even the basics.
2. Ensure Your Dog Is Well Socialized
A protection dog will need to know how to assess situations and respond accordingly. They must be well socialized or moving on to guard dog training will not work. Your dog should be indifferent and non-reactive to people and other animals.
Make sure your guard dog is exposed to a wide variety of people, animals, and places. Your dog needs to be able to make an accurate distinction between who is a threat and who is not. Not all dogs will be able to make these kinds of judgment calls and any dog that can’t, should not be considered for personal protection or guard dog training.
3. Perfect Your Dog’s Recall
Recall training, which is commonly referred to as “reliable recall,” is when you train your dog to come, and you can expect them to come back to you reliably and without distraction each time. This type of training is very important for any dog, but it is an absolute must for any dog being trained for guard dog duty.
Recall is often trained by using positive reinforcement and reward-based training. The reward can vary from treats, toys, play, or even some love and attention. Recall needs to be a strong skill for any dog, but especially for those expected to guard. You will need to come up with your verbal cue and practice, practice, practice.
Once your dog understands the verbal cue and is listening to the command regularly, you will need to then add in distractions by taking them to different locations and exposing them to various outside stimuli. Regardless of how great your dog is with the recall command, always freshen up and practice consistently to keep them sharp and reward them very generously for a job well done.
4. Teach Your Dog to Bark on Command
Teaching your dog to bark on command is very useful in many ways, especially when you are working with a potential protection dog. Teaching them to bark on command also consists of teaching them to be quiet on command, too.
This type of training should be reward-based and done according to your comfort level and confidence as a trainer. Make sure to choose a clear and concise cue for each command before you get started. Utilize your positive reinforcement and the proper training methods recommended by professionals.
You will typically yield quick results with this kind of training, and it usually takes a few weeks to have it perfected. This will give you control over when you want your guard dog to bark.
5. Consult a Professional Trainer
There is a difference between a personal protection dog and a guard dog. Guard dogs are working animals and as so, they go through specialized training. There are also different levels of training associated with guard dogs. All of this plays a vital role in the entire process from choosing the right dog to the type of training they receive.
If you are training your dog to warn of any potential threats, you may not require a professional trainer depending on how well your dog is taking to your training and the confidence you have in yourself. Some dogs will do this naturally and your training techniques can help you perfect their behaviors. However, it’s highly recommended to consult a professional.
Unless you are a professional trainer, you should not attempt to train a guard dog or personal protection dog. These two types of guard dogs require a lot of time, skill, and intense training techniques. These animals will be trained to look for and recognize any threatening behaviors and to act when they observe those behaviors.
Professional dog trainers have the necessary skills and knowledge on how to properly train dogs for these duties. The training involves a lot of equipment and multiple people to help act out behaviors the dog needs to recognize. Training can be dangerous if not executed properly and should only be implemented by a skilled professional.
If you are concerned about your dogs behavior, we suggest you speak to a vet.
If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price!
Guard Dogs vs Personal Protection Dogs
Though they are commonly grouped into the same category, there are distinct differences between a personal protection dog and a guard dog. Guard dogs are typically meant to protect your property, while personal protection dogs are trained to protect you and your family.
Both guard dogs and personal protection dogs need to display strength, stamina, and intelligence while exhibiting a threatening appearance. Personal protection dogs are family pets that are trained to defend the family while being well-socialized and capable of interacting easily with people and other pets.
Most guard dogs are strictly working animals that are not considered pets. Protection dogs do require intensive training, but the type of training is different as guard dogs are trained to carry out specific tasks.
After Devon paid the bill, Filiberto escorted him back to the kennels where Dante was taking a well-deserved nap. When he heard Devon’s voice, he immediately stood up and came to attention. Dante’s trainer Renato, who was standing by his cage, to give Devon some instructions on how to handle Dante. Spoke a simple command, and Dante immediately resumed his happy-go-lucky puppy-like behavior that Devon remembered so well. Devon was measurably impressed by how well trained Dante was. Renato commented, “I wanted to see that we did not take the dog you love from you. He is still the same lovable big puppy; he just has learned a few tricks that could save you or your wife’s life. I don’t expect you to remeber all of the commands that I am going to give you in the next few moments, so I will give you a laminated card that you can keep in your pocket until you have the most important ones memorized.” He continued, ” your dog is just like you or anyone else, if you do not do something for some time, you can forget how to do it, or in other words you will become a little rusty. The same thing will happen to Dants, so I highly recommend that you go through a routine where you give him all the commands, so he is used to your voice, and the repetitions will help him remain sharp. Your wife should also follow the same routine, so he gets used to her voice giving him commands.”
Renato gave Dante another command, and he immediately stopped playing and came to attention. Renato then opened the kennel gate and put a leash on him. He then spoke another command, and Dante obediently walked by his side to the training ground, where he went through a routine utilizing all of the commands that Dante had learned. Devon was amazed at how quickly he reacted to each command. A padded dummy holding a bat was located in the center of the training field. When the trainer told Dante to attack, he shredded the dummy. All Devon thought was that God help anyone who tried to attack Jennie.
Renato had one more demonstration planned for Devon. When Renato called Dante to him. The dog ran up to Renat and stood obediently by his side. “Mr. Howard, do you see that man coming across the field with all the padding?” Devon nodded. “I want you to watch this last exercise, Mr. Howard. “As part of his training, Dante was also trained to recognize threatening behavior. The padded assailant walked up to Renato and tried to attack him. Without Renato saying a word, Dante jumped on the assailant and would have shredded him to pieces if Renato had not given him a command to stop. “Mr. Howard, if you only remember one command other than the attack command, this one is probably the most important one, because Dante will not stop attacking the assailant until he stops moving, which in most cases would mean that he/she is dead.” Devon nodded somberly that he understood. “I will make sure that my wife, Jennie, knows how vital these commands are.
When Devon arrived back home with Dante, Jennie and Clarice met him outside. The first thing that Clarice said was, “He is as big as a horse.” Jennie, on the other hand, was kinder in her comments. Under normal circumstances, she would have gone up and hugged Dante, who was obviously happy to see her, but in her present condition, she did not dare get too close to him. Seeing how well trained and well behaved Dante was, Devon had no compunctions about bringing him into their house. Clarice wasn’t so sure about his decision. As he removed Dante’s leash and let him go free to wander around in the house, he reassured her that Dante was incredibly well-trained. Spot quickly found Dante, and showed his happiness at getting his best friend back, proceeded to jump up and down with joy, and run around the larger dog. Dante, not knowing what to do, just stood there and took it like a gentleman.
Devon knew that it would take a few days for them to get reacquainted. So he left the dogs to do just that in the foyer and followed the women into the kitchen. He told Jennie that he would go over the instructions that Renato, the trainer, had given him after they had finished their repast.