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What Are Livestock Guard Dogs or Working Guard Dogs?

Livestock guard dogs are dogs that are specially bred and trained to protect livestock. They fit into the category of working guard dogs - dogs that are kept mainly for the tasks that they perform in a work-type setting, such as a farm. Different dogs will often be bred to deal specifically with one certain type of livestock. For example, guard dogs for sheep are bred to guard and protect sheep. Some of the attributes of livestock guard dogs include:
  • effective at protecting livestock from predators
  • good in farm environments
  • raised with the animals they protect and treated as working dogs from an early age
Breeds of livestock guard dogs include:
  • Akbash Dog
  • Central Asia Shepherd Dog
  • Blue Heeler
  • Spanish Mastiff
  • Pyrenean Mountain Dog
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Guard Dogs as Alarms

Not all dogs are meant to attack intruders. For some dogs the primary function is to serve as an alarm by barking when intruders enter their territories to not only alert the owners but to frighten the intruders away. With a good guard dog, the need for attacking intruders may never be necessary.

Training Venues for Protection and Guard Dogs

Training your protection or guard dog adequately will depend on the type of dog you have and the purposes for which your dog will be used. Police dogs are usually trained at special police dog training centers. Livestock guard dogs are best trained in a working environment. You may be able to get tips from special livestock training schools, but the bulk of the training will be done on the farm by raising the animal with the livestock and showing them what they need to do.

Guard dogs need to be trained properly in order to perform their protection role. Even dogs that are the right types of breeds to perform guard dog work (for example, German shepherd guard dogs) need to receive training so that they perform their work in the manner expected of them. There are a number of guard dog training centers that can show owners how to train their dog to guard and to protect their property and family. A guard dog that is not trained may not bark at the appropriate times, may bark when they are not supposed to, or may attack when they are not supposed to.

You can also find trained guard dogs for sale. These dogs have already been trained to perform protection work. However, you will still need to spend time training the dog, so that they learn to respect you and to obey your commands. The best guard dogs have a good relationship with their owners and have been trained by them.
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