You have a lovely home that you’ve worked hard to build and make your own. You’ve also got a family inside you want to keep safe and sound. You recently welcomed a big, strong Boxer dog into your house. He already looks the part, but now you want him to train him to be a guard dog. The only problem is he’s the friendliest dog you’ve ever seen. He may look scary from a distance but as soon as you get close he just wants to jump on you and say hello.
Training him to be an effective guard dog will mean you can rest easy at night. The obedience training it requires will also make teaching him a range of other commands easier too. This type of training is also a great way to provide bonding time for you both.
Training a Boxer dog to guard is surprisingly straightforward. They are intelligent and relatively easy to train. They are also known to be quite protective so you should be able to bring the guard dog out in him with ease. You’ll need to do some territory training to show him where he needs to guard. You’ll also need to use obedience commands to teach him how to bark. You’ll need food and toys to act as an incentive throughout training.
If he’s a puppy he should be a quick learner and you could see results in just a couple of weeks. If he’s older and never been very protective then you may need up to a month to see consistent results. Succeed and you’ll have an effective deterrent, keeping your family, home and anything else safe. You’ll also have a great way to help him blow off steam, as Boxers are well known for being full of energy.
Before you start you’ll need a few things. You’ll need a long extendable leash and a short secure leash. You’ll also need a person unknown to the dog to help during training.
The other main component is food. You can use some mouth-watering treats or you can break his favorite food into small pieces.
You’ll need to set aside a few minutes each day for training. The only other thing you need is patience and a positive attitude and then you can get to work!