Most people decide to purchase a dog because they want a loving, loyal companion to share their time and experiences with. Some people decide to purchase dogs solely because they want a little bit of extra protection in their homes. Domesticated dogs have been used for centuries, probably even a millenia, to guard and protect people's property. No intruder will stand a chance if your home is properly secured with alarms, a personal weapon, and a well-trained guard dog. Guard dogs are a great addition to these other forms of protection, and will make your home security apparatus complete.

The very first thing you need to figure out is what breed of dog you want to guard your home. Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and Pitbulls are all infamous for being excellent guard dogs. While I don't have much experience with Pitbulls, I can say that they wouldn't be my first choice in choosing a breed of dog to protect your home. Pitbulls are known for being very violent and will often turn on their very own masters. These are all usually isolated incidents, but I wouldn't want to risk it. If you decide to follow the advice given in this article, I would recommend going with a Doberman Pinscher or a Rottweiler over the vicious Pitbull. Personally, I use a German Shepherd for my home defense.

After you've decided what breed of dog you want to guard your home, and have purchased said dog, you need to begin training it immediately. Before you get into protective or aggressive training, you need to make sure that your dog obeys you before moving on with anything else. If your dog doesn't obey you and isn't loyal to you, there's no reason to assume that he or she will fight to protect you in case of an intrusion. You need to develop a lasting rapport with your guard dog, and treat it like it's part of the family. When I say guard dog, I don't mean a dog that you just keep around like a piece of property (even though it is), I mean a dog that you love and care about, but is specifically trained in protecting you, your family, and your home. You need to teach your dog basic rudimentary commands such as 'sit', 'stay', 'roll over', and 'fetch' before you even attempt to teach it protective skills.

Since most guard dog training takes very precise, careful instruction, I would highly recommend you invest in a professional trainer for your guard dog. The drive and bite of the guard dog must be taught, and this is a lot harder to implement than it sounds. If you've never worked with training dogs before, then I hate to say it, but you're simply way over your head. Get a professional trainer and have them train your dog for guard duties specifically. You can teach your dog the basics, such as the commands I mentioned before, but when it comes to guard dog training, it's an entirely different ballpark. Leave it up to the pros.

As I've demonstrated in this article, guard dogs can be a very important tool in keeping your home safe from unwanted intruders. If you're looking at purchasing a guard dog from an investment standpoint, you really can't go wrong. The lifespan of the average guard dog is usually anywhere from 12 to 22 years. You'll be able to sleep in your warm bed every night snugly, knowing that you're safe and secure from any outside threats, and that if anyone does decide to intrude, your guard dog's loud bark, growling, and wrestling with the intruder will wake you up from even the deepest of slumbers within a heartbeat.