Guard Dog Training Will Make Your Labrador Courageous
I’m sure that most people assume “guard dog training” is only used in Training Your Labrador to stop unwanted guests. But there is another very large benefit to training your Labrador to be a guard dog: this special training will establish a very strong desire and passion to protect you and your family, and will build your Lab’s confidence. Guard dog training is used to make your dog courageous, powerful and confident, as well as learning how to protect his family. This decision should not be taken lightly, however — guard dog training should be done by a very competent trainer.
Guard dog training often takes the form of courses that are usually in-house training where the dog will be boarded for the duration of the course. These trainers can train Labradors for the home, business, family, personal, car yard protection and property. A protection dog is both a verbal and very visual threat to an unwanted intruder, and thus provides strong security.
It is most important to get your guard lab training done the right way the first time. It is an expensive training and there should be no need to have to repeat the course because the instructor was unable to train your dog. A good guard dog training course, and trainer, will train your dog properly the first time.
Stages
There are two different stages to guard dog training and you should decide which best fits your Labrador’s intended services that will be required of him/her. The first stage is the basic guard dog training work. There will be a test for temperament and an alert of strangers and intrusions. Outside yard work training is done with this training.
The second stage is the advanced guard dog training work. Family protection, body guard training and stopping individuals is included in the second stage of this training. Labradors are not suited for attack purposes because of their temperaments– these kinds of training are meant for other breeds like German Shepherds and Rottweilers. This is why some research needs to be done before venturing into guard dog training.
The internet is a good place to research for a good trainer, as well as your veterinarian. Major chain pet stores are another source of finding good trainers. Most of these chains offer training themselves, but guard dog training is a little too intense for them to do in-house. However, they do have a list of established, competent trainers. Pets are their business, and it is only to their advantage to recommend the best trainers possible. Just remember that this isn’t a decision you shouldn’t make lightly; but having a trained guard labrador is an extremely rewarding decision if it is right for you.
-Lauren
P.S. — On February 23rd, A professional dog trainer revealed all her secrets– and I recorded the call! Want to listen in for free?
February 7th, 2009 at 1:04 am
February 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
February 9th, 2009 at 11:49 am
February 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Yes, definitely. That’s why we also do obedience training and why they have a fair number of tricks they can do flawlessly, but I will never send my dog to be trained as a guard dog. If you need more, go duck hunting, or if you don’t like that idea, field trials - Let them do what they’ve been bred to do for over a 100 years now…
Labradors are not guard dogs and as such trainers that train guard dogs do not understand them and can not possibly give your Labrador what’s best for them. And please don’t think I’m being negative about the abilities of guard or attack dog trainers - They know their job, but it is a very different job than socializing and training a family dog… I think very few trainers can do both well.
Part of the guard dog training is to teach them to be less social. Guard dogs aren’t supposed to go play with other dogs and greet the friendly stranger. This is such an ingrained part of Labrador nature that I just can’t see how you can suggest that they be subjected to the 2 weeks of very little human companionship… I would never wish that on any Labrador.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
February 17th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
This was a bad situation, not a good one. I had previously used a method to show my dogs that they were not the Alpha dogs and explained it to her. She used those techniques and now she no longer has an “agressive” dog in her house. However, her dog and my dogs will alert us when people are approaching the house, if you are looking for an early warning system.
“Agression” or over-protectiveness in a lab is not ever a good thing.
April 10th, 2009 at 5:57 am
April 11th, 2009 at 10:56 am
July 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Get a Yorkshire terrier or Jack Russel for watch-dog (lots of noise with small bite) or Alsatian Doberman Rottweiler for Guard duties the same as Military Forces do
December 6th, 2009 at 12:45 am
February 7th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
April 17th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
May 3rd, 2010 at 7:03 am
May 17th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
May 31st, 2010 at 3:11 pm
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:12 pm
July 12th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
a note: he is my service dog; passed w/ flying colors from the dog trainer and certification board. he can have his tail stepped on, be crowded, be petted by strangers, have children sit on him and pull his ears…and nothing. but you pair him, me, a dark street and a large male stranger walking quickly behind us, and he growls. his fur goes up. he waits for my command to do anything out of the ordinary (which he’s never done nor been commanded to do), but i can see them being guard dogs.
July 17th, 2010 at 7:37 am
July 29th, 2010 at 5:36 am
Like with that golden retriver who protected that from a couger goldens arn’t said to be gaurd dogs but that didn’t stop that dog.
Plus labs are very inteligant there are search and rescue labs and police labs.
Labs that guide the blind.
SO why not gaurd labs.
All dogs have that ability to learn with the propper training.
And all dogs have that ability to protect even with out traing .
I have a chocolate lab named Hershey who I got for christmas four years ago.
And she’s the best gaurd dog weve ever had.
She’s very protective of me and my family.
She barks when anyone but me comes in my room.
And one time she bit my brother in law for coming to close to my room.
Not all dogs have to follow breed standers.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:39 pm
September 26th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
January 8th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
April 14th, 2011 at 3:46 am
April 22nd, 2011 at 6:17 am
I think it is in his nature to be sort of an alarm ..lets you know if anyone or anything is around. He is already 50 lbs and I think size alone will ward off any potential bad person. Hoping my Lab & I are never put in that situation. I wouldnt want my Lab to bite anyone then I would lose him. I treasure the friendship from my buddy and would not want to instill negativity , discomfort in his life.
I agree , if you want a tougher attitude dog .. get a rotty. They are great dogs & super protective.
April 28th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
April 30th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
June 27th, 2011 at 10:11 am
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November 1st, 2011 at 12:36 pm
November 1st, 2011 at 12:37 pm
November 14th, 2011 at 11:28 am
November 14th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
November 23rd, 2011 at 2:36 am
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December 15th, 2011 at 9:22 pm
December 20th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
January 4th, 2012 at 3:38 am
January 9th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
January 11th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Yet, the only barking he did was at sticks and tennis balls, so he was definitely wasn’t scary. So he had the potential to protect from an intruder, but may have ended up handing the guy a tennis ball.