Security is critical for your family’s safety and the security of your assets. Over 2.5 million burglaries occur annually in the United States, and one of the best security measures to use is guard dog security. Security dogs provide an early warning of something odd happening and intimidate would-be burglars into looking elsewhere for their plots.
Looking at the standard security dog breeds for a new pet is an excellent way to bolster your home’s security, but the dog alone isn’t enough. Investing in security dog training is essential to keep burglars away and add peace of mind to your life.
Luckily, you’re in the perfect spot to learn about your primary challenges when training your security guard dog. Continue reading for the five most significant challenges you’ll face with security dog training today!
Protection Dog Training
1. Barking
Barking isn’t necessarily bad when training a security dog, but the dog must know the proper time to bark. A security dog that barks at everything isn’t helpful when identifying threats. You stand a much better shot at training a security dog if you start early and eliminate the impulse to bark at everything.
The best age range is between seven and 12 weeks. Learning at a younger age allows your security dog to learn the lessons on a deeper level. It’s especially critical with narcotic detection dogs.
2. Maintaining Focus
Dogs have a short attention span, and your dog will likely get bored if you run training sessions too long. Help your security dog maintain focus and digest the lessons you’re teaching by switching to shorter training sessions. Stop training when your security dogs are losing focus to prevent bad habits.
3. Staying Consistent
Dogs are intelligent creatures, and they’ll notice if you need to be more consistent when training them to provide guard dog security. Using a fixed time will help your dog remember when training should start, and it will become part of an exciting routine. Your dog will get excited as training sessions draw closer.
4. Using the Same Commands
Your dog will get confused during the training process if you change up your commands. If you want your dog to attack, only train your dog to respond to that word. Don’t change the command to “bite,” as that will confuse your dog and make training more difficult.
5. Keeping Things Fun
Your security dog has an important job, but that doesn’t mean that security dog training shouldn’t be a fun experience. Use the time before and after training sessions to play with the dog. Your dog will learn quicker and get excited to learn more.
Build the Perfect Security Dog Training Routine
Overcoming the challenges of security dog training starts with beginning training early in the dog’s life and remaining consistent with a training routine. Play with the dog before and after training to create a fun and exciting environment that keeps the dog engaged. Avoid long training sessions to prevent bad habits, and stay consistent with the commands you use.
Training pets is challenging, but the proper resources will provide the knowledge and assistance you need. Read more of our Pets and Animals blog content for the best pointers and advice to give your pet a wonderful life!