Home Dog Training From Family Pet to Watch Dog

Good Dog Care Includes Dog Classes, Dog Obedience School

Dec 31, 2008

Good dog care can include dog training school that transforms your family pet - whether it is a German Shepherd, Beagle or Labrador - into a good watch dog.

Despite the best advice by the Dog Whisperer, some of family pets are treated as humans. Pets walk on furniture, are fed from the table and wear the finest in shiny collars and coats. In fact, many people comment that dogs are just like children – but, they do not eat as much and have better manners.

However, a well-trained family pet can also serve as an effective watch dog by barking to alert you or your neighbours when a stranger enters your home.

Dog Training School, Dog Training Classes the Key

Unfortunately, watch dog duty by family pets often happens completely by accident. Many family pets who assume the role of watch dog become a menace to the majority of people that homeowners actually want in their homes – including neighbors, friends and the mailman.

Dogs take this self-appointed role way too far from a human point of view and require training and discipline to reduce their fear-based dominance against anyone who comes near the front of the home or enters.

In fact, homeowners must be more intentive and mindful if they want their dog to act as the protector of their home. First, make the distinction between guard dogs and watch dogs and contact a good local dog training school.

A watch dog simply keeps tabs on who is coming and going from the home and lets you know by barking. On the other hand, guard dogs may be trained to restrain or even attack an intruder. The professional training involved with guard dogs is substantially more involved and takes time and considerable knowledge.

Dog Training School Key for All Breeds

Dog owners who want to train their pets as watch dogs should begin by teaching their dog to bark "when something unusual happens, and then go to a family member," says Dr. Wayne Hunthausen, a noted pet behaviourist, in a Mother Earth News article. Hunthausen, who is also a veterinarian and author, says that you should tell the dog to be quiet each time it barks. Then, call the dog and give it a reward such as a treat or toy.

The key is to train your dog to bark when it senses that something different is happening and to alert a family member by barking.

Pet Dog Training For All Breeds

Most dogs, including mixed breeds, can be trained as good watch dogs. However, according to the book Dogs Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Historic Hounds, Professional Pooches and Canine Oddities by Alexandra Powe Allred, the following are the top 10 watch dogs:

But do dogs really scare would-be burglars away? It does appear that even having a dog at your home can deter crime. For example, Jack MacLean, author of Secrets of a Superthief, surveyed more than 300 prison inmates who had been convicted of burglary or other residential crimes. Based on his assessment, he concludes that more than 95% would indeed be scared away by a dog.

MacLean also suggests that homeowners, even those who do not own a dog, play mind tricks on thieves by leaving a large dog-feeding dish or a jumbo-sized rubber bone lying around the backyard.

Dogs can clearly provide a deterrent to home break-ins. The key is high quality, consistent dog training and a recognition that your family pet can work for you as a watch dog. The result of this effective home dog training will be obedience and a pet who doubles as your second set of eyes.

The copyright of the article Home Dog Training From Family Pet to Watch Dog in Pet Training is owned by Shelley Aylesworth-Spink. Permission to republish Home Dog Training From Family Pet to Watch Dog in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.