Guard dogs are a wonderful sense of security for many different types of people. They can be helpful for singles who want extra protection around their house or apartment, great for families with children - especially children that are starting to stay home by themselves for a few hours and for someone who may travel periodically and needs an extra sense of comfort that their house and possessions are under watch. Guard dogs help ward off unwanted visitors through their unwelcoming barks, growls and snarls and can be trained to attack intruders.

Best Breeds for Guard Dogs

Many breeds can make great watch dogs, especially if what you are looking for is a dog that will alert bark at people passing by and unwanted visitors. You can train almost any breed to become a successful alert-bark watchdog, but Terriers and herding breeds are an excellent choice for this role. If you want more than a watchdog that just barks and actually looking for protection, you may want to adopt a dog that is known for its ability to react and protect when needed. Breeds like Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, and Komondors are very watchful of strangers and can easily react with protection if the situation arises. Pit bulls, Mastiffs, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers are some other breeds that can be an excellent watchdog that will also serve in protecting you and your family.

How to Train Your Dog

Most dogs breeds that are good for being a guard dog instinctively know how to protect and defend their owners and family, so they do not require training. However, if you are serious about having a finely, attuned guard dog, a dog that will do more than alert bark, you should really consider having a professional trainer work with your dog, especially if you have never trained a dog before. When you are training a dog to attack during certain situations you want to be certain that the dog is trained properly. Search for a dog training facility that adds protection to their training, or even consider hiring a former police dog trainer to help you.

Understanding Possible Issues

When training your dog to be an alert bark watchdog you should be careful to train your dog well and not to bark at your neighbors. It can become highly invasive to their quality of life when your dog is constantly barking at them every time the go into their backyard. You can work with your dog on this by using a bark collar to teach your dog when to bark and at what type of scenarios the alert bark is appropriate.

If you have a professional trained guard dog that will attack when the dog, home or family is threatened, you should be aware that you will always need to make sure you are the alpha dog in the family to ensure smooth sailing so they answer to you. Never let these dogs feel that they are the ones in control. They will also need to receive continuous training to ensure they stay sharp and understand the difference between a true threat and something that may seem similar, like children screaming or sudden movements. If your dog were to bite someone that was not a true threat, you would be held to a higher standard due to the professional training. Specially trained watchdogs are considered the same a weapon in most cases.

It is important to figure out exactly what you need and want out of a guard dog - ninety-nine percent of the time people do not need a professional trained guard dog. The instinctive skills of breeds that naturally know how to protect people are enough for the majority of society. Even more, usually a scary bark will be more than enough to deter a possible burglar or people passing by that may even think for a second to harm you or your property.

A devoted veterinarian, dedicating her professional career to the care of family pets. Susan Wright, DMV is a dog bark collar expert and has authored books focusing on dogs and their care.