The most important dog training
- Thread starter Caucasian
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If teaching protection is the most important thing, I am one crappy dog owner.
The most important things for a dog to know are the ones that will keep THEM safe. Recalls. Staying.
The second most important things for a dog to know are the things that will make them easy to live with. If something ever happens and I couldn't keep my dog, I'd want to be **** sure she would slip easily into another home, and not get dumped at the shelter because of behavior problems. Housebreaking. Walking politely on a leash. Not jumping all over people. No resource guarding. Polite house manners.
I couldn't care less if my dog never learns to defend me. She's too small to do much, and it is absolutely not her job. As Dekka said, it is my job to protect her.
The most important things for a dog to know are the ones that will keep THEM safe. Recalls. Staying.
The second most important things for a dog to know are the things that will make them easy to live with. If something ever happens and I couldn't keep my dog, I'd want to be **** sure she would slip easily into another home, and not get dumped at the shelter because of behavior problems. Housebreaking. Walking politely on a leash. Not jumping all over people. No resource guarding. Polite house manners.
I couldn't care less if my dog never learns to defend me. She's too small to do much, and it is absolutely not her job. As Dekka said, it is my job to protect her.
Found on protectiondogforum.net (in Caucasian's sig)
To me, this is the WORST example of protection training. 99.999% of people your dog will encounter in his lifetime are going to be good people - yet we should teach our dogs to be aggressive toward all strangers? What kind of stress and anxiety will our dogs be under whenever they see a stranger - walking down the street, even going to the vet????? And for what? So that you can proove your dog will "beat" a drunk guy? Big F***ing Deal! YOU can beat a drunk guy!! Protection is first and formost YOUR JOB as dog owner. You are smarter than your dog and can figure out much better when you're in a dangerous situation and how to get out of that situation. If you want your dog to "attack" on cue, and can put that on such good stimulus control so that he ONLY does it when you cue, and otherwise is perfectly calm and relaxed around strangers, THAT's good protection.
JMO, though, for what it's worth.
To me, this is the WORST example of protection training. 99.999% of people your dog will encounter in his lifetime are going to be good people - yet we should teach our dogs to be aggressive toward all strangers? What kind of stress and anxiety will our dogs be under whenever they see a stranger - walking down the street, even going to the vet????? And for what? So that you can proove your dog will "beat" a drunk guy? Big F***ing Deal! YOU can beat a drunk guy!! Protection is first and formost YOUR JOB as dog owner. You are smarter than your dog and can figure out much better when you're in a dangerous situation and how to get out of that situation. If you want your dog to "attack" on cue, and can put that on such good stimulus control so that he ONLY does it when you cue, and otherwise is perfectly calm and relaxed around strangers, THAT's good protection.
JMO, though, for what it's worth.
Unless you are a drug lord, or have a habit of being such an idiot/@$$hole that people constantly want to inflict seriously injury on you...I can't fathom why protection work would be the most important thing your dog can do for you.
Just buy a gun, like every other American, and leave dogs out of it. You're ruining the lives of innocent animals by making them fearful and angry towards everything they encounter in life. Put yourself in their shoes. That would be a miserable existence.
Mod edit
Just buy a gun, like every other American, and leave dogs out of it. You're ruining the lives of innocent animals by making them fearful and angry towards everything they encounter in life. Put yourself in their shoes. That would be a miserable existence.
Mod edit
Last edited by a moderator:
What woodwork do these idiots keep coming out of? If your dog is so aggressive that you can't take him anywhere, how can he protect you? I want a protection dog that is social and approachable by strangers. One who doesn't react unless he's told to or he see's me being attacked.
As far as the original question, things like housebreaking and house manners are a given. Training wise, if you have a perfect recall and a perfect sit or down (which means, sit or lay down and don't move until I tell you to!) that can be administered from any distance, then you have a dog that is better than 90% of the dogs out there.
As far as the original question, things like housebreaking and house manners are a given. Training wise, if you have a perfect recall and a perfect sit or down (which means, sit or lay down and don't move until I tell you to!) that can be administered from any distance, then you have a dog that is better than 90% of the dogs out there.
I'm going to argue this point. The ONLY time Sierra has ever growled at a human being (outside of play) was at a stranger who *may* have posed a threat to me while we were unlocking the store one day, but other than acting a bit strung out on drugs, was not posing a direct threat. She did NOT like that guy. I have never trained her to be protective, and would never consider doing so, but she does seem to have a sense of who is untrustworthy/dangerous.
R
For me the most important training I do with my dogs is early socialization to friendly people and new places, and positive reward based obedience training.
This builds self confidence, friendliness (in friendly situations) and calmness in a dog, all prerequisites for me BEFORE any type of protection training.
JMO as always.
This builds self confidence, friendliness (in friendly situations) and calmness in a dog, all prerequisites for me BEFORE any type of protection training.
JMO as always.
PP is the most important for people who are endangered by other people or who already were endangered and that is why they feel the need of having a good protection dog.
I think that owner's job to protect his dog(s) is only valid if he has weak and companion dogs, not utility ones.
Everything depends on the purpose of your dog, which can be to have a good companion and friend as well.
I agree that the majority of people I will meet with my dog are good people, but now and then we will also meet some bad guys. And how can my dog recognize bad guys among all the good? Better is to let the dog distrust anyone. That is my opinion.
I think that owner's job to protect his dog(s) is only valid if he has weak and companion dogs, not utility ones.
Everything depends on the purpose of your dog, which can be to have a good companion and friend as well.
I agree that the majority of people I will meet with my dog are good people, but now and then we will also meet some bad guys. And how can my dog recognize bad guys among all the good? Better is to let the dog distrust anyone. That is my opinion.
opcorn:
If someone desires a good protection dog, then by all means, go ahead and train for it. But PP is never the most important thing to train for, even in dogs that are intended for PP, basic obedience and early socialization is necessary.
It is always the owner's job to protect his dog. Even police k9 officers take precautions to protect their dog whenever possible.
Regardless of the purpose, all dogs should be trained in basic obedience and socialized.
It's the owner's job to determine a threat. Many dogs can recognize a perceived threat without being specifically taught. The owner needs to be able to override that when the dog is in error. That is done through obedience training. Socializing allows the dog to accept friendly strangers.
Protection training teaches the dog to act on cue as well as teaching the dog to automatically respond to a threat (good guy/bad guy).
If I meet a friend on the street who is unknown to my dog, I don't want my dog alerting or biting. If I take my dog to the vet or need to board him, I need him to be handled by the staff. If I get sick, I need my dogs to allow someone else to care for them.
A well trained PP dog will alert to a perceived threat, will guard and bite on a command, will stop alerting and stop guarding and stop biting on command, and will allow friendly strangers to approach him.
It is always the owner's job to protect his dog. Even police k9 officers take precautions to protect their dog whenever possible.
Regardless of the purpose, all dogs should be trained in basic obedience and socialized.
It's the owner's job to determine a threat. Many dogs can recognize a perceived threat without being specifically taught. The owner needs to be able to override that when the dog is in error. That is done through obedience training. Socializing allows the dog to accept friendly strangers.
Protection training teaches the dog to act on cue as well as teaching the dog to automatically respond to a threat (good guy/bad guy).
If I meet a friend on the street who is unknown to my dog, I don't want my dog alerting or biting. If I take my dog to the vet or need to board him, I need him to be handled by the staff. If I get sick, I need my dogs to allow someone else to care for them.
A well trained PP dog will alert to a perceived threat, will guard and bite on a command, will stop alerting and stop guarding and stop biting on command, and will allow friendly strangers to approach him.