How to Train a Pit-bull to Guard Your Home
The general perception about pit-bulls is that this breed of dogs is very notorious and aggressive, which is true to a certain extent. However, there are ways in which you can train a pit-bull and use it as an effective guard dog. Amongst other things, you will have to teach a pit-bull the difference between friends and foes so that in the process of guarding your house against intruders, the dog does not attack one of your family members or friends.
Things Required:
– Dog treats
– Kennel
– Leash
Instructions
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1
At the start, your focus should be on teaching the dog rather than getting results at the end of a training session. Do not try to push the dog hard because it is natural for it to take time to respond to your training. Train your dog to obey your commands and praise it whenever it does so. Never try to correct the dog by saying ‘no’, or other corrective words.
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2
Make the dog realise the fact that you are its owner and that it must obey you under all circumstances. When the dog obeys a command, praise it. Similarly, scold the dog if it disobeys a command. No matter what the situation is, avoid dragging out your response. Train your dog to follow you when you enter the house and only go to areas you have designated.
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3
It would be good if you allot the pit-bull a small area of its own, such as a kennel. Allow the dog to sleep in the kennel during the day or laze in it after eating.
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4
Train the pit-bull under a leash. Make sure the leash remains slack at all times during the training sessions. If the dog tries to force things and thus tightens up the leash, turn around and pull the dog in the opposite direction. This will teach the dog that it must not try to lead the way and should follow you instead.
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5
To vent off the pit-bull’s excess energy, which might cause it to become aggressive, take the dog on as many walks as possible and run around your backyard with it.
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6
Socialise your pit-bull by taking it to places where is can interact with human beings and more importantly other dogs. This works best for a puppy. However, it is possible to socialise a dog of any age.
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7
Train your pit-bull to distinguish between your friends and foes. This can be tricky and would require practice. Consider inviting over a friend a few times until the dog gets to know the person. Then, ask the same friend to hit you while the dog is watching. If the dog does not attack your friend, it is trained to differentiate between friends and foes.
