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.

Guard Dog Training - Military and Law Enforcement Uses

Dogs go through extensive guard dog training when used by the military and law enforcement. These canine companions can become elite soldiers and formidable weapons out in the field. A dog's fierce loyalty to its handler does not go away when put under pressure in the heat of combat. A dog will risk life and limb to serve and protect its handler without a second thought.

In the military, dogs are trained to serve as scouts and perform search and rescue duties. With their superior hearing and sense of smell, dogs can detect hidden dangers far more readily and easily than humans can. Dogs can be trained to detect booby traps and mines. They can ferret out enemy snipers that may be hiding in camaflouge. Camaflouge may elude detection by human eyes, but they are no match a dog's nose. Dogs are also excellent camp defenders and sentries. Sometimes, the early warning provided by canines mean the difference between glorious victory and utter defeat. Recently, in a controversial practice, dogs have also been used to intimidate enemy combatants during military interrogations.

Dogs have also become a vital part of the modern law enforcement arsenal. The typical police dog is trained by a handler to to chase running suspects and hold suspects at bay until their slower human officers arrive. Police dogs are also useful threat devices. A lunging, snarling dog is threatened to be released and attack the suspect unless the criminal suspect comply immediately with police instructions. Law enforcement dogs are also used to sniff for drug contrabands that may be hidden in attempts to smuggle across borders. Seen primarily at airports and border crossings, police dogs routinely sniff luggage and automobiles for illegal drugs and substances. A dog's keen sense of smell is also sometimes used to locate missing persons lost in the wilderness or to locate dead bodies.

Dogs have been used militarily since ancient times. At times serving as front-line soldiers attacking knights on horseback, modern uses of dogs in military and law enforcement have been relegated to mostly support functions. But these are vital support functions which dogs with their superior senses perform better and faster than anything else. Dogs are highly intelligent animals that can be trained to do man many things. Guard dog training is not only for home and residential protection; guard dog training has many uses in the military and law enforcement arena as well.