Defence dog training – Guarding property

Training defence dogs is not just about IPO, IGP or Mondioring. A large proportion of dog owners do not plan to take part in competitions but simply expect their dog to act as a guardian of the home. Training related to civil defence or property protection can begin at a training ground away from home, but it is advisable to continue it at the dog’s home.

Apart from the standard ‘grabbing the sleeve’ exercise, a guard dog can be taught to defend the premises and patrol the perimeter using a protective jacket. This type of training is more effective and more closely resembles the real-life conditions encountered during a break-in.

Defence dog training – patrolling

The ‘search’ command is one of those used during IPO training, where the dog must search so-called hiding places (there must be six hiding places on the course), locate the one containing the decoy, and start barking rather than biting. In everyday life, this command can be used to search an area or a warehouse for a thief. Upon reaching the thief, the dog begins to bark and switches to guarding mode.

Guard duty

A dog patrolling an area should start barking without causing harm to the decoy. In most cases, the dog is taught to sit in front of the decoy and bark continuously. However, it is possible to teach the dog to bark whilst lying down or standing. The dog should attack the decoy without a verbal command from the handler in the following situation:

• an attempt by the decoy to escape
• attempts to attack the dog