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A quiet watchdog? it is
possible !
The number of companies specializing in guard dog training
is on the rise, driven by the high crime rate and the feelings of insecurity
this has produced. Concerned citizens are ready to spend as much as $1,000
to $5,000 on training their dogs to protect their families. There are,
however, a number of drawbacks to this type of training. Training a dog to
attack or protect can create a dangerous situation. The most serious
problems are the absence of government standards and the existence of
unskilled trainers with no knowledge of canine ethology. Finally, many
potential owners are not sufficiently informed of the legal ramifications of
owning such a dog and usually lack the training required to control the
animal.
Any breed, large or small, can be trained as a guard dog.
As they mature, dogs naturally develop the ability to bark moderately to
signal the arrival of a visitor. The ideal guard dog does not bark too
loudly or insistently and, generally speaking, does not bite or attack.
However, dogs do sometimes become problem barkers, which means they bark at
anything that moves, and they can also develop aggressive behaviour. Studies
show that 23% of dogs become aggressive and 15% engage in excessive barking.
Some 10,000 years ago, men and wolves hunted the same prey.
Since men would frequently kill more animals than they needed to survive,
wolves would approach the hunting grounds and eat the leftovers. Later,
wolves began to follow hunters home to their camps. During the Neolithic
Era, camps become more permanent. Wolves and primitive men had common
enemies. Semi-domesticated wolves would guard over these camps. The
characteristics of watchdogs began with this natural selection, and continue
to the present day. While dogs may show differing aptitudes for guarding,
they all share the ability.
Puppies usually start barking between the ages of four and
six months. If the owner fails to immediately correct the problem or
encourages the barking, the dog will bark too much and guard his environment
more aggressively. A more excitable dog will bark excessively, even without
unintentional encouragement from his owner.
When four-month-old puppies begin to bark, owners and
visitors initially find it amusing and often encourage it. Around the age of
eight or nine months, however, the barking is much less humorous. The puppy
has matured and the barking is more threatening. As they approach their
one-year birthday, puppies learn to associate this threatening barking with
reactions of avoidance, mistrust and fear from certain visitors. The dog
therefore learns he can manipulate and control his environment and get a
reaction from people. Owners must quickly intervene when the dog is young
and teach him who is the master.
Like excessive barking, aggressive behaviour develops
primarily from the dog's interactions with his environment. If the owner
overstimulates the dog by shouting ''Who's there?'' every time someone
knocks on the door, dogs who tend to hide or who, on the contrary, tend to
jump up on visitors, will develop aggressive behaviour if their barking does
not drive away visitors. Also, if the owner physically punishes the animal
or locks him up because he barks at the arrival of visitors, the dog could
associate these punishments with strangers and learn to defend himself by
biting his owner or host.
Although it is normal for puppies to bark at unidentified
sounds, or new odours or movements, this behaviour should be discouraged. To
ensure your puppy grows up calm and confident, it is essential to introduce
him to various situations (other dogs, children, visitors, etc.) where you
can exhibit your skills as leader of the pack. If you don't, the dog may
bark at the slightest provocation (a passing pedestrian, the doorbell, etc.)
instead of barking moderately to warn you of the presence of a stranger.
Owners who want a good watchdog must therefore train their dogs from an
early age.
Here is an effective method to curb excessive barking.
First of all, take note of what causes the barking. Then, recreate these
situations (often with the help of another person). As soon as the dog
barks, clap your hands and call the dog using the command ''Come.'' If you
are in the same room as your dog, you must leave the room when you ask the
animal to come. In this way, the dog satisfies his need to bark and warn by
going to join his master.
Once you have successfully finished this first stage, you
may find that your dog barks at anything that moves when you are away. Once
again, you must recreate the situation that provokes the barking. This time,
however, you must be hidden and inaccessible to the dog, outside near an
open window, for example. When the dog starts barking, clap your hands or
make another non-verbal noise. Since the dog associates this noise with his
master, the dog will attempt to find you to warn you. As in the previous
exercise, the dog will look for his master instead of barking. It is
important to note that it is very difficult to condition a dog. Often,
owners will fail to use exactly the same sound. To help the animal learn,
you could use the ABS Anti-Barking Collar collar to interrupt the unwanted behaviour and
then train him as described above.
Once a dog has matured and developed associations between
barking and its owner's reactions, he will naturally act as a watchdog
without special training. However, owners must be responsible for their
animals' behaviour. As the dog grows, they must not encourage barking or
isolate the dog. Owners must also control barking, which will prevent
nuisance barking and unnecessary aggressive behaviour. |
