Dogs make fantastic pets, and more often than not are considered part of the family.  They make amazingly loyal companions for anyone, young or old and bring huge amounts of energy wherever they go. Dogs don't just make great companions however, they are also very protective of their owners and property, and can make fantastic guard dogs. While some breeds are more suited to being a guard dog than others, with a few simple guard dog training techniques your dog will bring an added element of security to your home and family.

As I said, some breeds are more suited to being guard dogs than others, due to their intelligence and fierce territoriality, which is why it is common to see dogs such as German Shepherds or Doberman Pinschers performing the role of guard dog. However, all dogs are capable of protecting their owners and property with some simple dog training techniques.

Dogs need a role within the family unit, and giving them the role of protector is one they will take on willingly and passionately. Before you can train you dog to be a guard dog it is essential they have basic obedience off to perfection. Commands such as sit, stay, fetch and no. Until they have mastered these types of commands then you should not attempt any further training with them. It is vital that you have built up great trust with your dog so they will obey your commands. Once your dog is fully obedient, then you can progress to some guard dog training. The simplest way to teach your dog is with rewards, just little treats when they do something right.

One of the first things to teach your dog is when to bark. In most cases you want your dog to bark when an intruder enters your property to alert you. The easiest way to do this is to teach your dog when it is right and wrong to bark. You don't want your dog to bark at people walking past your property, cars driving past or at cats or other dogs, only when someone is deemed to be intruding. A good way to do this is to react or not react to your dogs barking. If your dog barks when someone is coming onto your property, go to the dog with a "well done" and reward it. If it barks when someone walks past your property, likewise if it barks at a cat or anything else you don't want it to, then a firm "no" followed by no attention will make it realise this is not what you want it to do. This system will take a little patience, but it will work. The dog will understand when it is OK to bark and when it isn't.

This technique can be used to teach your dog many different things, such as investigating noises, or alerting you to something that may seem out of the ordinary. There are further guard dog training techniques, such as teaching your dog to attack intruders, however these are very dangerous techniques to teach your dog and should not be done without the advice or overseeing of a professional dog trainer.