how much is protection dog training
It is a fact that even the bravest people tend to worry about the protection of their homes, home, and their family from invaders. Naturally, they want someone to defend them when they are asleep or to guard their house when they are away. This is why people choose to keep a family protection dog. But just buying a protected breed of dog does not imply that you are safe. You have to train them in order to make them understand the level of protection you desire. This is why people always want to know how much is protection dog training and how long will take it to take to train the dog completely. Luckily it is not too difficult to train a dog to protect you as it is in the instinct of your dog.
What are Protection Breeds of Dogs:
Before knowing how much is protection dog training let us understand why protection breeds of dogs are different from other dogs and why they are so special. Protection dogs are specially bred to keep the safety of the person or owner in mind. Such breeds of dogs are best when it comes to protecting you and your house. These dogs are well trained and have the capability to guard your house when you are asleep, and they can also attack any person or animals on your command. These dogs can easily disable the intruder until the law enforcement arrives at the scene.
Importance of Keeping a Protection Dog:
As mentioned earlier, these protection breeds of dogs are specially bred to ensure the safety of your house, and they are better than several other options that you choose to guard your house. Owners who have a gun in your house tend not to reach them during the time of emergency, while the fire alarm will just inform you of the advent of the intruder. These dogs have the capability to attack your enemy to protect your house and family members. A good protection dog can even detect the presence of an intruder long before any alarm system detects it. Here are some of the advantages of keeping a protection dog in your home.
- These dogs are specially trained to deal with intruders or break-ins and so are ideal for the security purpose of your home.
- They are excellent companions for you and your family.
- They can even warn you if there is a presence of any potential threats nearby.
- The presence of such dogs in your home will discourage the person who wants to break in.
- They are safer than keeping a gun.
- These dogs can protect you even when you take them outside for a walk and so are advantageous than an alarm system which is confined only at your home.
- These dogs can easily be ordered to attack or call off.
- Your family will have a relaxed sleep if such dogs are present in your home.
Apart from the several advantages, there are some drawbacks of the protection dogs. These dogs required regular training to keep their skills sharp. The cost of these dogs is also much higher and is difficult for people who have budgetary issues. Maintaining such dogs is also not an easy task.
How much does protection dog training cost?
As mentioned above, one of the biggest disadvantages of owning and protecting dog training costs is quite high. The cost of such dogs may vary from their breed and from state to state and generally ranges from $45,000 to $65,000. The effectiveness of the protection dog depends on the ability of the trainer. The charges of professional trainers are usually higher than immature trainers.
Breed Selection for Protection Dog:
There are many such dog breeds, such as Pit, Bulls, Dogo Argentinos, Rottweilers, etc., who protect their owner naturally, and so dog trainers do not suggest any special protection training for them. Breeds such as Basset Hound, Chihuahua, etc., are breeds that need proper training. You should also know the fact that you can observe a change in the personality of the dog when you have completed their protection training, such as increased aggression, etc., so be prepared fr this too.
Some Essential Tips for home protection dog training
Now, as you are aware of How much is protection dog training and do not want to spend a huge amount of money on training your dog at such a high cost. You can also train your dog by yourself. Here are some of the useful tips that you should consider while training your dog.
Firstly, Obedience Command:
It is very important to provide basic training to your dog before you train them to be a protection dog. Your dog should be capable of recognizing and following all the obedience commands. Your dog should lie down, sit, and always come to you anytime when you call. Bark, leave it command, and following your heels without a leash are also important activities that you should teach your dog. Make sure that if your dog does not follow such commands consistently or you are unable to teach him, then you should stop training them further to be a protection dog as it can be risky.
Socialization:
Socialization of your dog is also necessary so that your dog is comfortable with new persons, animals, and situations. The duration of the dogs to receive proper socialization is expected to be around 16 weeks, but this may vary depending on the temperament and breed of your dog. Training for the socialization of your dog can take place at any place. For example, if you are taking your dog for a walk and suddenly he notices some strange object, then let him investigate the substance closely. Also, make sure that your dog is not threatened or overreacts to normal people and other pets whenever they pass by. You should also know that every dog is not capable of distinguishing who is safe or in danger for you. So if you feel that your dog is not able to detect such a difference, it is better not to continue their training to be a protection dog.
The Bark-On Command:
You should encourage your dog to bark every time when he sees any stranger. A dog that barks at strangers is more effective than a dog that simply attacks the stranger without barking. Some dogs bark naturally, while for some breeds, you have to train them to bark whenever the need arises. Similar to the bark-on command, you should also teach your dog to stop barking to get better control over your dog. You can ask your dog to sit after 3 or 4 barks as it is difficult for a dog to bark at the sitting position.
Teaching Your Dog to Defend You:
This is the next step of your training module. In this step, you have to arrange a stranger and make sure that your dog has never met this person before. You can arrange a dog attack suit for him and ask him to approach you and your dog and challenge him. Now you have to give the command to your dog to attack the person and see the results. Ask the person to stay with the dog for a while and then run away. By this, your dog will gain confidence.
Think twice before teaching the attack command to your dog. There are many cases that the dog misunderstands the person with whom you are talking and may attack your friends to protect you. This is why you should also be able to control your dog in such a situation. This is why you have to follow the below mention last step of the training process.
Backing-Off:
This is the most important part of the training process for protection dogs. For this step, you have to teach your dog the leave-it commands and make sure that your dog always follows this command. Several incidents have occurred when a dog, in lieu of protecting you, does not even listen to its owners until they are satisfied with their work. Whenever your dog follows the leave, it commands you to praise him so that your dog will understand the importance of this command.
Protection Dogs are Your Liability:
You should know that similar to other weapons such as personal protection, dogs are also your liability. You are solely responsible that your dog never attacks such people whose intention was not to harm you. You can even get sued in such cases.
Some Common FAQs:
QUE: How long does it take to train a protection dog?
ANS: The duration of protection training depends on the level of training and also on the dog. It is estimated that it can take a few months to train your dog completely.
QUE: Can I train my dog to be a protection dog?
ANS: Some breeds of dog can easily be trained as a protection dog, while if you have such breeds of dog that does not belong to the guarding breed, it may take some time to train them.
QUE: How much does it cost to train a dog to protect?
ANS: It may take around $120 per hour and $4500 to $60000 in total to train your dog to protect.
QUE: What’s the best dog for protection?
ANS: Akita, Australian Shepherd, Doberman pinscher are some of the dog breeds that are considered the best protection dog.
QUE: What is the most aggressive dog?
ANS: As per the research conducted recently, it has been found out that Rough Collies are one of the most aggressive breeds of dogs.
I hope that now you have got all answers to how much is protection dog training and the benefits of keeping a guard dog in your house. People often choose several precautionary methods to guard their house ranging from CCTV cameras to alarm systems. But it is fun to keep a well-trained guard dog apart from such options.