How to Train a Pit Bull to be a Guard Dog

Hello Reynaldo, You can either hire a professional protection trainer to train pup formally, or you can work on teaching pup to bark when someone comes onto the property and generally be more alert of surroundings, on your own. For any bite work, you will need to hire professional help though. To teach pup to bark and be more alert, first, teach pup the Speak command. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak Once pup knows the speak command, recruit friends pup doesn't know to step onto the property while pup watches from a window or fence. Command speak and reward with a treat when they do. Practice with telling pup to speak each time the person is on the property, until pup barks on their own when the person enters without saying speak. At that point, have the person step onto the property, wait seven seconds to see if pup will bark on their own, reward if they do, and command speak if they don't - then reward but give a smaller reward when you tell pup opposed to when pup does it on their own. Practice until pup will bark each time someone enters the property. Practice with different people you can recruit, that pup doesn't know so that pup will learn to do this with anyone who enters the property and not just that one person. Draw pup's attention to people outside or people on your property, and reward pup when you see them watching someone in general - so that pup will begin watching people and staying more alert as a habit. Pup doesn't have to bark to reward this one - just reward when pup is watching someone and you notice that. I also recommend teaching the Quiet command, so that you can tell pup when to stop barking after they alert. Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Sicelo, A good guard dog is actually extremely well socialized and motivated by positive reinforcement. Police dogs are rewarded for controlled holds, releases, bites, and alerting because they are motivated by their handlers and things that encourage their drive such as tugging and holding, not because they want to kill the person they are biting. True guard dogs are simply taught to alert to strangers appearing and are not protective in nature. For that role, you can simply teach a dog to bark or growl on cue, then pair that command with the appearance of new people, and practice it until your dog starts to bark or growl whenever a new person comes onto your property before you give the speak command. When your dog starts to bark on their own, you reward them for doing it automatically also and no longer give the Speak command, unless they seem stuck and need a hint - even if your dog is really a softy who just acts intimidating this can still be an effective deterrent without having to worry about a bite lawsuit. A truly aggressive dog is not a good guard dog because they are almost impossible to control by their handlers. A balanced dog makes a better protective dog. A truly soft dog might be easily scared by an intruder and cannot be training to do more than bark and growl though - opposed to dogs that are trained to grab and hold - that need more courage and tenacity for their job. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Jason, Many dogs are naturally protective and it does not need encouraging. I do not suggest encouraging it further or it may turn into full blown aggression. I do suggest working on obedience commands so that he is responsive and attentive to you. Working on obedience commands can automatically help to build focus, but there are certain commands that are especially good to teach: Place command: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo All of the above commands build respect and trust without being too confrontational. Check out the article linked below on teaching Come. Work on teaching Come, then use a long, 30' training leash (once he is trained not to pull) and take your dog to an open area and walk around. Randomly tell your dog to Come and reward him. Whenever he comes or chooses to heel without being told, also give him a treat. By rewarding him for automatically checking in with you and choosing to be with you, you are increasing his desire to be near you. Teaching Come also helps him understand the concept of being close to you and is important as well. Rewarding him for being close to you and working on the commands linked above to build respect, focus, self-control, and calmness are a good combination. Be sure to teach a Leave It command, Drop It command, and Stay to prevent aggressive displays toward the wrong people. Come: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Thank you for the question. When Tyson is tied up outside, I would make sure that he has a comfortable spot in the shade and yes, in an area where he does not have other dogs barking at him and causing him stress. Give him plenty of water to drink and toys to keep him entertained. Make sure that you are always within hearing distance. Play outside with him often and be sure to include a few nice, long walks every day. Your furry companion needs exercise and mental stimulation to be a happy and well-rounded dog. Good luck and have fun with Tyson!

Hello, For true protection training that involves bite work, you will need to hire a protection trainer to work with you and pup in person when pup is old enough. That type of training should not be done on your own. Done wrong, someone can create a dog who is fear aggressive and will not be under voice control and will be more of a liability to you than protection. True protection training requires a high level of off-leash obedience around high distractions (which you can work on with pup on your own for the next few months), working with a dog's natural defense drive using positive reinforcement - via bite bags and the tug response, and building a dog's confidence rather than instilling fear. This should only be done by a professional who knows how to accomplish those things without creating unwanted issues at the same time, and who has the proper equipment and staff to practice things like holds, rushing, calling the dog off, ect... Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Siyabonga, I recommend teaching pup to Speak, and commanding pup to speak whenever someone walks toward you (like a friend you have recruited to help, who pup doesn't know well), at a location other than your home, like the park or neighborhood. Praise pup and give a treat when they bark. Practice until pup barks before you command Speak, just when they see the person approaching - in anticipation of you telling them to Speak, to get a treat. You are not teaching pup to be aggressive in this case, especially while in public, which is unsafe, but to simply alert when someone gets within a certain distance as them. Practice rewarding pup at home whenever they bark when someone comes onto your property also, like when a delivery person drops off a package. Reward pup for watching people who are further away quietly - teaching pup to stay alert. Work on pup's overall obedience and responsiveness to you. You can also take pup to a training group who specializes in guard dog and protection training to be formally trained by someone else if you don't want visitors coming to your home to practice. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, I would work on building his confidence with obedience training. If you want Sosa to be protective, the bond that you form when training will lead to that. You especially want to be able to control Sosa in every situation since he will be a big and strong dog once full grown. Obedience is the most important component of a protective nature. So, I strongly suggest you start obedience classes right away - I can guarantee Sosa will be more sure of himself as a result. Socialization with other dogs is another bonus, and an essential one. To start training at home, begin with the Heel command. You mention that you want Sosa to walk with his head up - the Heel command can accomplish that. Take a look here: The Turns Method is fun and offers lots of thinking for Sosa, a way to get him engaged when you walk. The Stop and Go Method is also top-notch. You can start basic obedience, too. https://wagwalking.com/training/obedience-train-a-whippet. Enjoy the training!

Hello Rhonda, You can either hire a professional protection trainer to train pup formally, or you can work on teaching pup to bark when someone comes onto the property and generally be more alert of surroundings, on your own. For any bite work, you will need to hire professional help though. To teach pup to bark and be more alert, first, teach pup the Speak command. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak Once pup knows the speak command, recruit friends pup doesn't know to step onto the property while pup watches from a window or fence. Command speak and reward with a treat when they do. Practice with telling pup to speak each time the person is on the property, until pup barks on their own when the person enters without saying speak. At that point, have the person step onto the property, wait seven seconds to see if pup will bark on their own, reward if they do, and command speak if they don't - then reward but give a smaller reward when you tell pup opposed to when pup does it on their own. Practice until pup will bark each time someone enters the property. Practice with different people you can recruit, that pup doesn't know so that pup will learn to do this with anyone who enters the property and not just that one person. Draw pup's attention to people outside or people on your property, and reward pup when you see them watching someone in general - so that pup will begin watching people and staying more alert as a habit. Pup doesn't have to bark to reward this one - just reward when pup is watching someone and you notice that. I also recommend teaching the Quiet command, so that you can tell pup when to stop barking after they alert. Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Daevon, First, check out Zak George's video below on ways to help pup learn to like toys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwBEZaJT5vs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Z0EOHPNfI Second, You can either hire a professional protection trainer to train pup formally, or you can work on teaching pup to bark when someone comes onto the property and generally be more alert of surroundings, on your own. For any bite work, you will need to hire professional help though. To teach pup to bark and be more alert, first, teach pup the Speak command. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak Once pup knows the speak command, recruit friends pup doesn't know to step onto the property while pup watches from a window or fence. Command speak and reward with a treat when they do. Practice with telling pup to speak each time the person is on the property, until pup barks on their own when the person enters without saying speak. At that point, have the person step onto the property, wait seven seconds to see if pup will bark on their own, reward if they do, and command speak if they don't - then reward but give a smaller reward when you tell pup opposed to when pup does it on their own. Practice until pup will bark each time someone enters the property. Practice with different people you can recruit, that pup doesn't know so that pup will learn to do this with anyone who enters the property and not just that one person. Draw pup's attention to people outside or people on your property, and reward pup when you see them watching someone in general - so that pup will begin watching people and staying more alert as a habit. Pup doesn't have to bark to reward this one - just reward when pup is watching someone and you notice that. I also recommend teaching the Quiet command, so that you can tell pup when to stop barking after they alert. Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Farooq, Protection training requires a high level of obedience, socialization, off-leash reliability, trust and respect. Protection training - where the dog is trained to actually bite in a dangerous situation is something that I only recommend a professional with years of experience with such training do - if done wrong by someone less experience you can actually ruin a dog and create terrible aggression instead. Protection dogs are typically trained using drive training - which is like a form of positive reinforcement, where the dog is rewarded with tug of war type bite bag for biting an assistant in a padded body suit who is pretending to attack, not through fear or intimidation to get them to bite. Protection dogs are actually socialized extremely well around people prior to the training so that they are friendly and confident around people when not working, and not spooky or mean. This allows them to tell when someone is acting normal or suspicious - because they understand what normal human behavior looks like, and for the owner to bring the dog places with them safely to protect them instead of being a hazard in public due to aggression. Look for a trainer who understands these things and has a lot of success working with dogs such as Police Dogs and privately trained protection dogs - training protection work. As far as barking, a trainer can help you with this part too, but this is something that can be taught more easily on your own than bite work. To help with this area I would need to know a bit more about what you are wanting to teach. Are you wanting to teach pup to bark at all strangers, strangers who come onto your property, strangers who are acting "suspicious", or just strangers that approach you in general. There are a lot of specifics that you have to decide about when and how often you want pup to bark. The training is then practiced in those locations around people, who are doing those types of things, commanding the dog to "Speak" in those situations, then rewarding pup. After lots of practice you slowly phase the Speak command out and just practice that situation, waiting for pup to bark on their own, then rewarding, giving a Speak command hint if pup doesn't bark after a few seconds (you will need volunteers to help with this part most likely - such as someone to practice walking around your yard suspiciously while you command your dog to "Speak!" and reward him for barking). https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak Whenever you catch pup watching people, also reward with a treat to encourage alertness in general. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, I apologize for the delay in reply. I would be pleased that Ciko is friendly to strangers - there needs to be a balance that includes knowing when to be on guard and when to accept someone that is your friend. If you are looking for your dog to learn to protect, take him to obedience classes. You'll cement a bond that will enable Ciko's innate protective nature to shine. This can be enough and will also help Ciko learn useful commands that will keep him safe (sit, stay, come even with distractions, etc). If you would like your dog to have more of a guarding personality, I suggest you take him to training with a professional who knows how to go about it safely. Good luck and all the best to your pup!

Hello, You can either hire a professional protection trainer to train pup formally, or you can work on teaching pup to bark when someone comes onto the property and generally be more alert of surroundings, on your own. For any bite work, you will need to hire professional help though. To teach pup to bark and be more alert, first, teach pup the Speak command. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak Once pup knows the speak command, recruit friends pup doesn't know to step onto the property while pup watches from a window or fence. Command speak and reward with a treat when they do. Practice with telling pup to speak each time the person is on the property, until pup barks on their own when the person enters without saying speak. At that point, have the person step onto the property, wait seven seconds to see if pup will bark on their own, reward if they do, and command speak if they don't - then reward but give a smaller reward when you tell pup opposed to when pup does it on their own. Practice until pup will bark each time someone enters the property. Practice with different people you can recruit, that pup doesn't know so that pup will learn to do this with anyone who enters the property and not just that one person. Draw pup's attention to people outside or people on your property, and reward pup when you see them watching someone in general - so that pup will begin watching people and staying more alert as a habit. Pup doesn't have to bark to reward this one - just reward when pup is watching someone and you notice that. I also recommend teaching the Quiet command, so that you can tell pup when to stop barking after they alert. Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Mia, First, make sure that the treats are not visible until after pup obeys the command once pup has learned to initial command - keeping treats in a baggie in pocket can help with that. Second, I would use pup's meal kibble for training treats to still keep their attention but make it less exciting. Third, if pup is still too distracted try using something else like a toy to reward pup. Check out Zak George on Youtube for some examples of using play and toys as a reward instead. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Dominga, One of the best ways to teach a dog to notice when people are not acting normal is actually to expose pup to as many different people as possible as a puppy. Take pup with you places and reward pup for obedience around other people, for watching other people calmly, and generally being tuned into you and their surroundings without displaying any aggression towards those who are acting normal and safe. Once pup is thoroughly socialized, I recommend joining something like a schlutzhund, protection training, or similar bite work class, where someone in a padded suit actually practices acting strange around the dog and they gain confidence by learning to respond to your protection related commands and performing bite work under the guidance of a qualified trainer in a way that is fun and not aggressive or scary for pup. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, are you working on basic commands? The foundation of all training starts with the basics. "Sit" is a good one to start with and go from there. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/obedience-train-a-great-dane. When training Benny, make sure that he is well exercised first. A long walk and then a 10 minute training session afterward, followed by treats and praise are important facets of the training session. Benny will need an hour a day of exercise to keep him well rounded and content. Be sure to take Benny to obedience classes so that he is well socialized with people and with other dogs. This will make park time fun and without stress. Obedience classes help to cement the bond between dog and human as well, which is always a bonus. So in a nutshell, exercise Benny before training, teach him the basics as a foundation, keep training sessions short and upbeat, and always end on a positive note (stop the training time before he's had enough). Good luck!