The top 6 characteristics of a good guard dog are something you must know if you intend to get a dog to protect your family or property. People who know little about dogs think all dogs are guard dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only certain breeds can be excellent guard dogs, and these are Rottweilers, German Shepherds. Doberman Pinscher, Belgian Malinois, Cane Corso, Tibetan Mastiff, Dogo Argentino, etc. However, every dog belonging to the above breed is not fit to be a good guard. The traits needed are individualistic. Therefore, it is so important to buy the puppy from a high-quality breeder. Please be aware that unscrupulous breeders corrupt the breed. A Rothweiler can show great affection to its human family but must not become the family’s cuddly soft toy!
There is a difference between a guard dog and a watchdog. A watchdog simply barks and alerts about the danger while a guard dog, besides barking, also attacks the intruder. With a watchdog, the human acts first after being alerted, but with a guard dog, the dog itself responds initially followed by the human.
The following are some characteristics of a good guardian dog:
1) Territorial – By nature, an excellent guard dog must be possessive of its territory. By territory, I mean the home, apartment, farmhouse, factory, etc. where it lives. Guard dogs dislike strangers, intruders, and unknown guests and will not hesitate to attack if they become suspicious of such people. Being territorial is perhaps the most basic trait a guard dog must possess; this gives it the needed aggression to attack and defend. Female dogs are usually less territorial than males.
2) Physically active – A guard dog must be playful and not indolent. When a puppy loves to fetch, run or catch a frisbee, it shows that it is eager to work. Laziness has no place in a guard dog’s temperament.
3) Loyalty – This is one trait that a good guard dog must possess. The dog must show devotion to its family (which includes other pets as well) and must do anything to protect them. A high-quality guard dog will not hesitate to sacrifice its own life to protect its human family member-it has a high protective instinct. Loyalty will arise in a dog only if its master loves it and takes care of it. A guard dog too needs love and affection. You should never be aloof to your guard dog but treat it like a family member. However, do not overindulge in the dog or else it might dilute its guard instincts. Dogs too can get spoiled like human children.
4) Aggression – A good guard dog must possess controlled aggression and attack only when they feel it is necessary. A dog with uncontrolled aggression can attack family members, guests and so on. Remember, guard dogs are not violent animals but should be more like human soldiers who attack to defend their territory or people. Intelligence must back aggression, so a guard dog should be highly intelligent as well. Dogs have lived for thousands of years with humans, so have developed an instinct of not attacking humans. Nevertheless, a good guard dog overcomes this instinct in defending its human and territory and should not hesitate to bite in the hour of need.
5) Strong – Guards dogs should be strong, muscular, and have a powerful bite and bark. These traits are much needed to overpower any intruder and alert the human family. A soft dog can never be an effective guard dog. Ideally, a guard dog should have a loud ‘do-not-mess-with-me’ bark. Most guard dog breeds such as Rottweiler and Tibetan Mastiffs are fierce looking and have large sharp teeth that can scare even hardened criminals.
6) Stable temperament – When choosing a puppy for a future guard dog, make sure it does not display nervousness, aversion to human touch or presence, fear, lack of playfulness and getting easily provoked. A good guard dog will have a stable temperament. Though friendly with humans and other pets, it should be aloof too. An overly friendly or trusting dog does not make an effective guard dog. Your guard dog should not allow your other pets to dominate it.
In conclusion, guardian dogs are often indispensable. If you keep one, it is advisable to employ a high-quality dog trainer to shape up your puppy into a fearless protector. One of the best things you can ask your trainer is to train your dog not to accept food from strangers or food lying on the ground. Many people poison guard dogs through food because they know food to be a weakness for almost every dog. It is absolutely necessary to socialise your guard dog puppy or else it can later lead to temperamental problems such as your dog attacking people and animals for no reason. An adult Rottweiler sometimes attacks needlessly because as a puppy, it was not properly trained to socialise with humans. It is not the dog’s fault (Rottweilers are amazing dogs) but that of its human parents. Also, remember that most guard dog breeds are not fit for first-time dog owners. If you are keeping a dog for the first time in your life and really need a guard dog breed, then gain knowledge of the breed and prepare your temperament first.
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Image by anabeljourney from Pixabay
I am a dog lover and creator of this site. I am also the author of ‘Keep Sleeping Keep Missing- if only you knew’ (available on Amazon, Flipkart, Kobo, Google Store, etc.).
