How Can I Train My Dog to Protect Me From Danger?

Many people want their dogs to protect them from danger. While dogs are territorial, and will bark at anyone who invades their turf, they cannot always determine if a situation actually is threatening. Some breeds--such as German shepherd or Dobermans--were bred specifically to protect their owners and property, but many breeds can be trained to be protective. All you really need to do is to train your dog to bark on command; a barking dog is a strong deterrent to a potential intruder or attacker. If you feel you must have a dog that is trained to attack, enlist the help of a professional trainer.

Things You'll Need

Collar
Someone to role play an "intruder" and an "attacker"
Treats
Leash

Instructions

- 1
  Train your dog to bark on command, using a physical signal as well as a verbal one, by cuing him right before he barks; or by howling, which should stimulate him to vocalize. Reward him when he complies. In time, he will learn to bark when you signal him.
- 2
  Instruct your "intruder," someone your dog does not know, to come to your house and ring the doorbell. Encourage your dog to bark by clapping your hands and showing a lot of excited energy and by giving the command to bark. Reward him for success. He soon will learn to bark any time he hears someone at the door.
- 3
  Continue staging these training sessions with your intruder, changing the location so that your dog will bark regardless of where he hears the noise.
- 4
  Reward your dog every time he barks when anyone is at the door or at any other location around the house.
- 5
  Enlist the help of an "attacker," who should be someone your dog does not know; have him hide somewhere along the route where you walk your dog. When you and your dog, who should be on a leash, approach the hiding place, the attacker should step out and act in a threatening manner. Signal your dog to bark and reward him for success after the attacker "flees."