Train Your Dog to Protect You: Proven Steps for a Loyal Guardian

Many pet owners often ask, "Do dogs instinctively protect their owners?" Based on many years (up to hundreds) of breeding, some dogs are naturally prone to retrieve, hunt, dig, guard, and protect. Dalmatians, for example, were used for centuries as carriage dogs, providing protection from thieves. To this day, they are still very protective pets. Even if your dog isn't a breed that is naturally inclined to protect you, you can learn how to teach a dog to guard an object or person.

Protecting vs. attacking

Before you begin the process of learning how to train your dog to protect you, remember that your goal is to get your dog to help you, not to attack others. This means you'll want to train your dog to get between you and a potential threat, snarling and posturing instead of immediately jumping on another animal or person.

Each time your dog attacks — even if he's in the right — you might face a lawsuit. In addition, training a dog to attack can lead to the dog becoming overly aggressive. Depending on the amount of protection you want, you might decide to train your dog to attack only when barking doesn't work. That might be as simple as releasing the dog's leash and letting him attack.

Research the breed

Learn about the behavioral instincts of your dog based on her breed. Some dogs are naturally friendly, while others are just the opposite. Some are good with children, while others are not. Perform web searches using your dog's breed and words like "protect" and "guard" to see if your dog has traits that already make her a good candidate for a guard dog.

Start with bark training

Make sure your dog does not associate all strangers with threats. Your dog should only protect and defend you after you give your bark command. Practice walking and meeting strangers, correcting your dog if he starts barking at a cyclist, jogger, skateboarder, or another animal. Use positive reinforcement, including praise, caresses, and treats.