Guard Dog Training Schools

Choosing the right guard dog training school is very important. With so many options to choose from, what do you need to look at to determine the right choice for you? We summarize the points you should look for when choosing a guard dog training school below.

First, you need to consider the success of a school's program with your dog breed. Some schools may turn out excellent guard dogs with Rottweilers, but have mixed results with other dog breeds. Most schools will let you observe their classes to see if they are right for you and your dog. Be sure to not skip this important step of actually going and observing a class while it is in session. That will give you a good indication of whether the particular school and trainer's style of instruction is a good fit for your dog.

Second, the training instructors should use humane training techiques. Positive reinforcement is much more effective than cruelly punishing the dog for every little mistake it makes during training. Exacting punishment with a whip or stick used to considered normal dog training technique in the past, but these days, positive reinforcement has been shown to be much more effective. Dogs respond better and don't harbor the resentment generated by negative reinforcement training techniques.

Third, check with your local law enforcement office to see who they use to train their police dogs. With dogs being a much more vital part of law enforcement, the rigorous training provided to police dogs is a good way to gage the effectiveness of the dog trainer/school they use. Your local law enforcement office that utilizes K9 officers should be able to get get you good referrals to guard dog training schools.

Finally, check the Better Business Bureau rating on the school. By ensuring that there are no egregious outstanding complaints about the school, you can weed out the obviously bad schools. No complaints doesn't mean the school is particularly good, however, but the presence of complaints may indicate that there are some quality or customer service problems with the school.

As you can see, putting a dog through guard dog training is not something to undertake lightly. It is an expensive proposition. Usually, only large institutions and wealthy patrons can afford it. If you are a regular joe dog owner, just get a yappy dog and consider it a watchdog, rather than a bonafide guard dog.