Choosing a family guard dog is a big decision. There are many different factors to consider before deciding on which type of breed is best and which personality traits will work with your family dynamics. Read on to learn more about how to find your family’s next protector and best friend.
Socialization Skills
By the time a guard dog is put up for sale, it should already be socialized to live in the home as well as get along with other humans and animals when out in public.
Some important socialization skills:
- Behaving when on a leash. This includes not pulling the leash as well as being friendly when passing by other people and pets. Practice these skills by walking your dog daily.
- When he or she has mastered walking nicely on a leash, a trip to the dog park or other dog-friendly spots can help develop social skills even further.
- Offer treats for good behavior and compliance. Dogs love tasty rewards, and even more so when treats are combined with good behavior.
- Not begging for or eating people food. Terrible table manners, such as grabbing food off the dining room table, needs to be stopped from a young age. This is not only rude, but people food is unhealthy for your dog.
- Not jumping up on people when he or she is excited. Especially with larger dogs, teaching them not to jump up on humans is the safest bet for everyone. Small children can be knocked down easily and get injured, so teach your dog to refrain from doing this.
Timing is Everything
A puppy can start being socialized as early as 3 weeks of age when their eyes are open and they start to have social contact with humans. The American Kennel Club recommends making sure that each encounter with humans is a positive one.
They should learn that hands are for affection, not for biting. Always play with toys (not hands) when entertaining your puppy.
For protection dogs, socialization skills can be started from a very young age as well. Since a family protection dog will be trained in protection skills as well as socialization, it is crucial that your trainer acclimates your puppy to sudden noises, random movements, and different situations.
This will best prepare your guard dog to only be sensitive to situations where protective actions are necessary.
By properly training your guard dog from a young age, you can prevent he or she from reacting fearfully and/or aggressively to sudden or unexpected situations. The AKC also recommends introducing your puppy to people of all ages and genders to help socialize it to a variety of different stimuli.
Scotts Police K9: Your #1 Choice in Protection Dog Sales
Scott’s K9 offers trained guard dogs for sale including German Shepherd guard dog puppies and Malinois for sale. With over 20 years of experience training dogs for use in private, public, and executive protection, Steve Scott and his team are your best option for choosing a guard dog. Contact us today to learn more about our K9 dogs for sale.
References:
https://www.rover.com/blog/how-to-socialize-dog/
https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-training/socialization/how-to-socialize-an-adult-dog