how do I train 3 month pitbull to become a guard dog or watch dog?

Question

I have a 3 month old american pitbull.. she is nice to people and everything but one day someone broke into my house and while my family was asleep.. the dog didnt alert us with no barks no nothing... i found out that someone was in my apartment because i came out of the bed room be was standing in my living room..so i need to train her to become a watch, guard, or even a sentry dog. that would make be sleep better at night knowing that my dog is watch over the famly. please help i don't kno what the first thing i to do get her into become the guard dog i kno she can be..

Answer 1

Raise a happy, healthy, well socialized dog. It will become a watch dog as it gets older and alert you when it hears something.
Please don't warp another Pit Bull puppies brain. Get a house alarm if you live where you are going to have intruders. Drill holes in your window frames and put big nail in to hold the window down if it is open any. Get a dead bolt with a key on both sides.
Did they come in a window or the door. Fix it. They must not have made much noise. You can even get those magnetic door or window alarms. when the magnetic connection gets disconnected the alarm beeps. Some people use them to know if there small child is opening the door/window.
If the dog is the shy type you can play little games of tug of war and let her win to build up confidence. Don't over do it.
Get her off the floor and get a few tiny treats and teach him to bark on command. Also you can teach Quiet too.

Answer 2

Pitbulls were not created to be guard dogs unless it is another animals that are breaking into your house. In fact, with the strength and drive of a pitbull training such a dog to be aggressive in any manner can be dangerous. I've owned pitbulls for years and they just aren't good guard dogs. I've found they are just such people lovers that its nearly impossible to get them to guard against other people unless you are mean to them or teach them to attach on command. However, then you run the risk of teaching a naturally dominant dog that they can over power a human... then where would you be? I love pitbulls and they get taken away from perfect owners every day due to laws put in place due to pitbull attacks. Do you really want to be part of the reason pitbulls are being banned in the US? Also realise that if anything bad happens that involves a pitbull it is always the pitbull's fault. Even if it is just a headline "pitbull attacks robber" all the public sees is "pitbull attacks a person" and the stereotype continues. Please don't be part of the reason why my dog is constantly shunned and people keep voting to take him away from his family.

Answer 3

Your puppy is to young to have developed a since of territory and a protective nature. It's still a baby, depending on you for protection. Now is the perfect time to train for good manners and basic commands (sit, stay, stop, off, down, come) and to try the tricks (shake, lay down, roll over). Keep it simple, allow the dog to master a command before trying the next. Keep the sessions short. Puppies like kids have short attention spans and long sessions will frustrate you both. A good time to do this is before meals. It makes them feel they have earned their food and they are useful. It also reinforces you are in control, not the dog.

Soon enough, your dog will bark at a stranger on it's own. Investigate EVERY instance your dog barks. If the stranger is off your property, tell the dog STOP, or ENOUGH (pick one and be consistent) and then praise like crazy when the dog obeys. If the stranger is on your property tell the dog GOOD DOG, STOP or ENOUGH, and praise like crazy when the dog complies. The dog will learn it's boundaries (potential threat from a non threat) and will be less likely to become a nuisance bark problem.

Puppies like to chew...sometimes even on us. Do not encourage this behavior. In every instance the dog puts it teeth on someone, painful or not, shout OUCH, NO TEETH. When the dog complies, praise like crazy. Ask your friends and family to comply with this while you are training.

With any dog, use positive reinforcement for good behavior, rather than physical punishment for bad. Address each issue immediately (within 10 seconds) as the dog will have moved on to something else and your reaction will be attributed to it's most recent behavior and the dog may get the wrong message.

A good praise behavior (minus treats) is to rub it under the chin. Mother dogs praise their young by licking their faces...the dog will instantly recognize your reaction as praise. However, patting on the head or the top of the muzzle is, for dogs, a sign of agression, threat, and or dominance, particularly from strangers and could result in a bite especially if you have a shy or alpha pet.

Answer 4

I have found with every dog I have ever had, including my Yorkies, guard training hasn't been necessary. When they are older, they just naturally will protect you. Because it is a Pitbull isn't important. I've seen Golden's do the same thing.

Please don't try to do anything unnecessary. The dog will be just fine. Besides, I've always had the sweetest Dobes to run with my daughters. Just being a Doberman was enough. The plus side is they aren't liabilities. Good luck.

Answer 5

Well, under the circumstances, you may just need to love the animal a lot and give him lots of attention. If you want the dog to learn to bark when people come to the house, you could try and give them treats if they do bark. That would reinforce the behavior. Usually though, with dogs like that, (and Collies and Shelties, etc.) they learn on their own. You are their human after all.

Answer 6

First, I would contact my homeowners insurace agent to see what he thought about owning a "guard dog" then I would reconsider a securtiy system instead of the dog.

Answer 7

dont. i have one and read up on it pit bull would rather welcome a person in the house and show them were everything is then to guard a house plus it would ad to the aggesion and pit bull already have a bad rep why add to it by training you dog to bite or attack a sranger.

Answer 8

Pits can be hard to train, I would find a pro if you never have trianed a guard dog before.

Answer 9

i wouldnt train her to attack, you are asking for trouble. pit bulls already have a bad name. shes just a baby right now. in a few more months she will have the instinct to protect"her family."