| If you want a true protection dog, you will need to train it, and train it properly. This will involve an enormous amount of time and resources. Protection training is not like an eight week obedience class where you simply go through the drills once a week for two months and then you're done. Protection training lasts for the active "career" of the dog. I usually try to steer people interested in this toward a local schutzhund club (or something similar like ringsport).
I personally raise my working dogs a little differently than I would a house pet. The reason for that is I don't want them to be inhibited about things that are essential to performing good protection work, BUT the puppies still have to be taught to behave in a socially acceptable manner. Again, raising a dog in any capacity is not something you can just learn how to do on an internet forum, and a good schutzhund club with experienced members would be in a much better position to give you guidance than some random internet post.
The only advice I would even attempt to offer on this subject, other than to seek out experienced people near you who can guide you, is to socialize your dog as much as possible. As ironic as it seems to some, the more comfortable you can get a dog to be around people, the more it fosters confidence in them. I NEVER want my dogs to be afraid of people, so they are taught from puppyhood that everyone is their friend, and people (even strangers) are "good" and "fun". I also do not encourage unwarranted aggression. When they start formal bitework, it is the helpers job to be the bad guy, and show them what is a threat and give them the skills to deal with that threat. |