Author John Edwards offers some good advice in this article about properly training and socializing your dogs. The advice is especially appropriate for Border Collie owners.
Dogs can be trained to be a dangerous threat and they can be trained to bark bite and attack. Some breeds adapt more readily to such training than others, but all dogs with vocal chords and teeth have the potential for threatening behavior.
First of all, it is not advocated to administer protection training a family pet. There have been too many unfortunate incidents involving people who have been talked into this type of training by the local guard dog trainer. Veterinarians have encountered an endless number of dogs who had to be euthanized because they had become vicious. Not all of these dogs had been protection trained, but a great many had. Some guard dog trainers will argue that if the right dog is properly protection trained, he will never become vicious and randomly bite.
While this may be true, the bottom line is that the average family cannot handle an attack trained dog. Most people find it difficult enough to get their dog to come when called and not drag them down the street at the end of the leash. Attack-trained dogs are very useful; to the police and military, and in most cases that’s where they belong. The average family certainly does not need a dog who has been conditioned to attack and bite on command.
Most dogs are instinctively protective. Rarely does a dog need protection training to be wary of intruders. This is particularly true of dogs who have been selectively bred to guard, herd, or protect. Examples of such breeds are the German shepherd, border collie, and Rottweiler. In the wild, canines naturally protect territory and fellow pack members. The protective instinct is further strengthened when the individual feels that he is an integral part of the pack. Keep in mind that your domestic dog views your family as his pack. If he lives in your home and is part of your family, chances are good that his protective instincts will emerge.
The instinct to protect territory and fellow pack members develops with age. Many people are dismayed that their five-month-old dog is not the least bit protective. It is not a puppy’s job to be protective! A well-adjusted puppy of any breed should be friendly and love everybody. It is the role of adult pack members to be protective. The puppy instinctively expects you to protect him. With most dogs, the sense of responsibility for being protective of the pack begins at around one year old, give or take a couple of months depending on the breed and the individual dog. At maturity – eighteen months to two years old – the dog should show even stronger signs of the protective instinct.
Author: John Edwards For information and tips on dog enema, visit http://www.dogcaretraining.com/, a website that specializes in providing tips, advice and resources on dog care, training and health.
Additional Resources
How to find the perfect dog trainer?
You love your dog and you have decided that you need a little professional help with training. Don’t worry all relationships need some support at one point or another. But with all the recommendations from family, friends and your local dog community, how do you find the RIGHT dog trainer? Who knows what they are […]
The “No-Choke” Collar
Puppies are so adorable, the look that they have on their face when they look at you is heartwarming. Whenever a puppy is adopted, it becomes a family member forever. Dogs or puppies are known as “man’s best friend” because of their loyalty, companionship and the affection they have towards their owner. Those puppy dog […]
What You Need to Know Before You Get a Puppy
A puppy can come to be your best buddy as well as a devoted companion. However, you have to learn what you are getting into before you go out and purchase a puppy from a dog breeder. I have been working with dogs for quite a while now and feel capable of sharing a couple […]
Everything You Should Know About Dogs & Puppies Before You Get Them
If you are an animal lover, you probably adore seeing puppies. The main reasons for that are due to their playfulness, adorability, and affection that will drive happiness towards your life. Therefore, we can say that everything we adore in puppies is something that gives us a boost to buy a new one. However, that […]
