Humans Are Often The Cause Of Aggressive Golden Retrievers And Dogs In General
Golden Retriever are far from aggressive dogs by nature, they are just not built that way. Whether it is from being abusive or harsh punishment during training, all the way to simple neglect, these are all things that humans do to dogs which often turn Golden Retrievers into aggressive dogs. Some dogs are naturally more aggressive than others. When it comes to a breed like the Golden Retrievers, it’s often nurture is the cause of the aggression because we all know, by nature they are one of the sweetest dog breeds on the planet. It is very rear or unlikely to find a naturally aggressive Golden Retriever.
Are Golden Retrievers Protective 8 Traits That Assert Their Shielding Instinct
Are Golden Retrievers protective? This is the question that caught our attention today, and we`ll try get more deep into details.
Dogs of this breed are known for their loyalty and affection for their closed ones, but would they really make good guard dogs? Obviously, this isn`t an easy or simple question to answer to!
If we are to take into account what American Kennel Club`s The Most Popular Dog Breeds in 2019 page says, Goldies are the 3rd most popular canine breed in the United States.
Give Him Proper And Thorough Training In Normal And Guard/watchdog Commands
While you will need to make sure that he knows the normal commands such as “sit”, “stay”, “come”, etc, you’ll also want to train him commands specific to guard dogs or watchdogs. For instance, barking on demand, attacking an intruder, protecting the children, or even going for help if relevant.
It should go without saying, but you’ll also want to make sure that your pooch is exceptionally obedient even if faced with fear, distinction or, you know, a squirrel.
Will A Golden Retriever Attack An Intruder Honest Answers You May Not Like
Golden Retrievers are wonderful, amazing dogs. They are loyal, smart, and very friendly to us. There is no surprise that they are incredibly popular all over the world.
However, they are not the best guard dogs, mostly due to their friendliness.
But, will a Golden Retriever attack an intruder? A Golden Retriever is unlikely to attack an intruder unless the intruder is physically threatening you or a family member. Goldens have strong protective instincts that will push them to protect their owners in dangerous situations.
It’s important to understand the difference between a Golden Retriever attacking an intruder that’s attacking the family or one that is attacking the family.
Being a watchdog and being protective of their owners are two completely different things, and Goldens are actually quite unique in certain aspects from other dogs.
To understand more about how your Golden Retriever will behave in different situations, we need to discuss this a bit more.
- Find my list of recommendations here.
Can Golden Retrievers Be Guard Dogs Top 6 Qualities Of Golden Retrievers
Loyalty
A majority of dog owners expect their dog to be loyal. Golden retrievers are exceptional in creating strong bonds with their owners. Once this bond is established, rest assured that your dog will never betray you. Can Golden retrievers be guard dogs?
Golden retrievers are big on loyalty. They will stick by their owners through thick and thin. This is a good quality that makes them awesome candidates as guard dogs. According to experts, they are the most loyal dogs based on their past performance and temperament.
Loyal dogs are extremely protective of their human owners and are dependable since they cannot bear to see their humans in pain or danger.
Intelligence
Can Golden retrievers be guard dogs? If you have experience training a dog, you will know that intelligent dog breeds are easier to train. Since the Goldens are extremely intelligent, it only takes a few repetitions for them to learn and follow your commands. Once they are trained, there is an almost 100% probability that they will follow your command when you give it.
Because of their high intelligence, they are capable of learning from past experiences. They can distinguish intruders from friendly visitors. Meaning you don’t have to be worried about your Golden exhibiting aggression to strangers who pose no harm.
If they had optimum socialization as puppies, they won’t have to struggle to differentiate between good people and those with evil intentions.
Active
Obedience
Attentive
Hunting
What Are Some Characteristics That Make Golden Retrievers Bad Guard Dogs
Using the words “bad” and “Golden Retriever” in the same sentence just doesn’t feel right because they aren’t bad dogs. However, there are some characteristics of the breed that make them not the best choice for a guard dog. Most of these characteristics are things that can be easily addressed or changed. So, even though these are legitimate concerns, they are by no means unfixable.
Whats The Difference Between A Golden Retriever And A Labrador Retriever
Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are often confused, and we do kind of look alike. The main difference is that I have a fluffier, furrier coat, which is usually darker and softer than a labrador one.
We do both love to retrieve things for you, and we are very very good doggies, as labradors also make excellent guide and service dogs!
Labradors have short, coarse fur, muscular builds and shorter noses, whilst I have a long sniffer, great for finding food, and much longer hair, which means I have to have more baths. Which I do not enjoy.
A Quick Look: Why Do Golden Retrievers Make Excellent Assistance Dogs
Golden Retrievers possess several characteristics and trails that makes them excellent service dogs.
Here are some things that make the Golden Retriever an excellent assistant dog:
- Goldies are strong enough to provide a person with physical support
- These dogs can pick up and carry heavier objects
- Golden Retrievers are active dogs
- These dogs are also affectionate and loyal to their owners
- Goldies are highly intelligent, easy to train, and quiet obedient
Together, all these qualities come together to create an awesome service or assistance dog who will always be there for you.
Qualities Of An Ideal Guard Dog Can Golden Retrievers Be Guard Dogs
Can Golden retrievers be guard dogs? Guard dogs must be large and hefty since larger dogs are more intimidating and can instill terror in intruders.
They should also exhibit fearlessness that will drive them to attack someone who harms their owner or breaks inside their property.
They must be athletic to be flexible and move with ease so they can immediately react to imminent danger.
Guard dogs must exhibit loyalty to their owners and not get waylaid by treats and other offers from strangers.
They must be highly intelligent, alert, and even watchful so they can sense their surroundings and judge real threats and start defending the territory. Can Golden retrievers be guard dogs?
Guard dogs must be extremely obedient to their owner and follow commands to attack in case of real threats. They must also calm down when a situation is nonthreatening.
Are Golden Retrievers Good Guard Dogs Will They Protect Their Owners
Bringing a family dog home means looking for a dog that is going to both be a companion to your family and also protect both them and your house. In essence, you’re looking for a guard dog.
Unfortunately, Golden Retrievers are not good guard dogs. They are personable and gentle dogs by nature and they have other modes of protecting themselves rather than being aggressive. However, Golden Retrievers are great watchdogs.
Below, you’ll learn more about whether or not Golden Retrievers make good guard dogs, the reasons why or why not, and how to properly train your Golden to protect its turf.
You can find more information on guard dogs versus watchdogs as well as the traits of a good guard dog, and the good and bad parts of your Golden as a guard dog. If you do decide you want your Golden Retriever to be a guard dog, you can also take a look at some training tips for them, as well as some general reminders for your Golden as a guard dog in the long term.
show5Make sure you have the right breed for a guard dog
Are Golden Retrievers Protective Of Their Owners Is It Good Or Bad
It’s hard not to love a sweet and affectionate golden retriever. Not only do they come running up to greet you, but they are friendly even towards a complete stranger. They are undoubtedly the most-beloved dog breed. They’re the third most popular breed of dogs, according to the American Kennel Club. Known for their loyalty and friendly nature, they’re quick to befriend anyone.
They’re one of the most famous breeds of dogs to serve as guide dogs for the blind. They are capable of accompanying people who need physical assistance. They can also train as alarms for those prone to seizures. All because they possess similar traits as the dogs bred for home defense, such as loyalty, intelligence, and obedience.
Now, are you thinking if it would be possible for you to train your golden retriever to be a guard dog? Wouldn’t it be great if your pet can protect your family and your possessions? It’ll also help to channel all that extra energy into something productive.
As they’re naturally friendly, training them could be a bit of a challenge. But it only requires you to spend some time and energy with your pal. This could also turn out to be a good bonding experience for the two of you.
Before you decide if you want to train your golden retriever for defense, get to know the breed better. We’ve listed down all the pros and cons of teaching a retriever to defend your home.
What Characteristics Of Golden Retrievers Make Them Ok Watch Dogs
If you look at the list above Golden Retrievers have all of the traits of good watchdogs.
- Excellent hearing. Golden Retrievers do have excellent hearing. That is why they are trained as hearing aid dogs.
- Alert. Golden Retrievers are favorite dogs to be trained as service dogs. One of the reasons why is because they are alert.
- Loud bark. Although Golden Retrievers are not famous for barking, they do have a good bark. If you hear it, you have no doubt that it comes from a big dog. At night that is a particularly effective deterrent for aspirant intruders. The trick is to convince them to bark when there is something worth barking at.
- Protective towards owner and family. The American Kennel Club uses three words to describe the Golden Retriever: Friendly, Intelligent, Devoted. These dogs love their owner and family and are loyal to a fault. Loyalty is not equivalent to protective instinct, and there is no way to predict with absolute certainty what your dog will do in a situation where you are threatened. At the risk of repeating it too much, if you want a dog that will protect you physically by biting, attacking, or something similar, you are looking for a guard dog, not a watchdog.
- Ability to distinguish between regular and irregular activity. Err. This is where the Golden Retriever is most likely to fail the test as a good watchdog. It will bark, yes, but it is saying “hello, wanna play?” not “what are you doing in my yard?”
Golden Retriever Size Guide How Tall And Heavy Will Your Dog Be
Golden Retriever size matters. In this article we are going to help you to work out whether your dog is a healthy weight and height for their age. It takes about 18 months for a Golden to reach their full adult weight. An eight week old puppy starts off around 10 pounds. But once they are full grown the average Golden Retriever size is 55–65lb for an adult female and 65–75lb for an adult male. That’s quite a range!
Sadie The Golden Retriever Protects Her Family From An Intruder
When people hear the word ‘guard dog’, most would think of a Doberman or a German Shepherd–a breed that is commonly used as guard dogs who look menacing and fearless. But when it comes to Golden Retrievers, people would say they are a sweet, loving, and very friendly dog.
But a Golden Retriever has proven to everyone that even with her sweet nature, she is still capable of protecting her beloved family.
Everyone, meet Sadie–the Golden Retriever who protected her family from a home invasion. Sadie is a calm and loving dog who never snapped at anyone. But when an intruder walked into their home, Sadie showed a different side of her personality as she protected her home and her family from the stranger. Sadie bravely stood her ground even when the stranger was punching her. Watch the video below for the full story!
Great job, Sadie! You did a very good job in protecting your loved ones!
I believe Sadie deserves a reward, don’t you agree?
How To Train Your Golden Retriever In General And For Guarding
Thankfully all the issues above can be quickly and easily resolved by training your dog. The earlier you begin training your Retriever the better. Begin by encouraging the qualities that will help your Golden be a good guard dog. You can encourage your dog through verbal praise and treats.
Along with encouraging good behavior, there are two major training methods you can use that will teach your Golden Retriever to be an excellent guard dog: the boundary method and the verbal cue method. Use both training methods to have a well-rounded guard dog.
For Protection Which Is Better Male Or Female Golden Retriever
This is just another challenging topic to answer. Second, we must determine if Golden Retrievers are suitable for security.
Due to their sweetness and friendliness, goldens are not the best option for defense. It won’t surprise you if you see them wagging their tails and interacting with strangers. They do, however, have characteristics that will enable them to become formidable guard dogs if adequately educated.
Despite protecting, Golden Retrievers cannot be compared to pets like Dobermans and Rottweilers. However, with the proper experience, they will make excellent guardians. Here are several characteristics that render Goldens suitable as guard dogs:
- Medium-sized dogs.
- Very loyal to their owners.
- Protective by instinct.
Examples Where Golden Retrievers Have Been Used As Guard Dogs
Yes. Golden Retrievers have been recently trained to guard and protect in all types of jobs. Check out this article on Bud, the first working Golden Retriever for the Navy. Bud protects the Navy base perimeter and searches cars. He does this while still keep the Golden Retriever’s trademark friendly attitude.
Golden Retrievers have also recently been enlisted to work with police forces in the United States as support animals, but in India, these dogs have recently been added to their K-9 units. Golden Retrievers have been enlisted because of their hunting skills, intelligence, and good reputation.
What Are The Requirements A Dog Must Meet To Be A Service Dog
Once you’ve determined that you do indeed qualify for and want a service animal, the next step is to get familiar with the requirements a dog must meet to be considered a qualified service dog. While the ADA doesn’t provide a specific list of requirements that a dog must meet to qualify as a service dog, there are some general standards they must follow to be considered ready to accompany their owner in public. These criteria include:
- No aggressive or unruly behavior toward people and other animals.
- No excessive barking.
- No overexcitement or solicitations for food or affections.
- Able to tolerate a variety of sounds and other distractions in various public spaces.
If you believe that your dog is capable of following these standards and you are willing to either train them yourself or find someone to train them, then your Golden retriever may be a suitable fit to be a service dog.
Our Final Thought: Dog Golden Retrievers Make Good Guard Dogs
Although there have been sufficient examples of golden retrievers who’re trained to guard all types of jobs.
You can read the stories where the Navy trains a Golden Retriever to guard the Navy’s base perimeter and search cars.
However, if you are willing to put the time and effort into training, there is a high chance that you to the protector of your home in no time.
However, it’s important to bear in mind, they aren’t the intimidating dog breeds out there. From German Shepherds to Bullmastiffs there are plenty of dogs bred for this job, whereas Golden Retrievers are better off being your best pet-companions.
Training Golden Retrievers To Be Excellent Service Dog Breeds
As a breed, the Golden Retriever has the ability to adapt to new situations. This makes the dog one of the most ideal service dog breeds.Service dogs must be highly trainable as they have to dedicate themselves to a special life mission.
So, how can you train a Golden Retriever to be a good service dog?
Well, there are several types of disabilities that service dogs cater to. The tasks that service dogs are responsible include:
- Guide dogs for the visually impaired
- Hearing dogs for those with hearing impairment
- Therapy dogs
- Assistance dogs that can turn lights on and off, open and close doors, and much more
Tending to different disabilities means that the dog needs to undergo different amounts of training.
For example, schools that train guide dogs for blind masters prepare them to safely guide the masters around. This training is different for different disabilities. Some service dogs that simply receive instruction from their owners don’t need extensive training.
Most therapy dogs are trained to fit the disability that the master has.
Golden Retrievers are naturally sensitive to people who are hurting. These dogs just need a little bit of training to learn about things such as wheelchairs or any other equipment they might come across.
One area that needs a therapy dog as gentle and friendly as the Golden Retriever is animal assisted therapy.
Three Methods To Train Your Golden To Be A Better Guard Dog
You can make your Golden Retriever a better guard dog if you invest a little time in training them. We’re going to go over three training methods pretty quickly and we’ll probably have a complete post with much more details later.
Method 1 – Teach Them to Pay Attention to Visitors
Objective: To train the dog to pay attention when someone comes to the door.
In this method, you should start training your dog when they are very young to pay closer attention to strangers. I have not used this method before, but it gets recommended a lot, and here how it goes;
This should teach they should pay attention to visitors and keep an eye on the door. This will make them more attentive of their surrounding.
Method 2 – The ‘Bark’ Verbal Cue
Objective: The goal of this method is to teach your dog to bark on command. Here is how it should go:
Here how it should go:
What Traits Make A Good Sentry Guard Protection Or Watchdog
Certain individual traits and breeds tend to lend themselves better to specific tasks. It’s common to see a Doberman Pinscher as a protection dog, just as it’s more common to see a Golden Retriever as a therapy dog or a Border Collie herding sheep.
The category of traits that makes one dog better than another at being a guard, protection, or watchdog are:
- Temperament – fearless, vigilant, and a natural, deeply instilled protective instinct
- Size – large, strong, muscular, fast, and powerful
- Intelligence/Trainability– highly intelligent, easy to train, and very obedient
- Barking/Growling– loud bark and growl as an alarm and deterrent
So, let’s see how the Golden Retriever stacks up in each trait and its suitability in each category of a sentry, guard, protection, and watchdog.
Do Male Or Female Golden Retrievers Make Better Guard Dogs
Generally speaking, male golden retrievers will make better guard dogs than females. However, the only reason for this is because males are larger. Personality and temperament wise, they’re going to be equal when it comes to which sex makes the better guard dog, and training is more important than whether they’re a boy or a girl.
Interested In Training Your Golden Retriever The Right Way
If you haven’t trained your golden retriever properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.
With Brain Training For Dogs you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact, you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!
And in most cases it’s still going to be:
- Cheaper than hiring a professional.
- Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
- And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your border collie completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT.
Differences Between A Sentry Guard Protection And Watchdog
While there are differences in how certain entities define each category of security dog, the purpose of their use and level of training is what distinguishes them. However, the words “guard, protection, and watchdogs” are often interchanged, muddying the waters and making it confusing to know the difference.
Are Golden Retrievers Good Guard Dogs Are They Protective
A Golden Retriever’s friendly personality and sweet disposition make them less effective guard dogs. But they can be great guard dogs if trained correctly. There are some instinctual traits that you’ll need to work out before they can be trusted with guard dog duties. Goldens can be guard dogs, just like Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers.
Whats An Ideal Guard Dog Attributes Of A Great Guard Dog
What Are The Cons Of Having A Protective Golden Retriever
Before deciding whether you want your golden retriever to be a guard dog or not, you should get to know this breed a little bit better. Let’s take a look at three cons of training your golden retriever to guard you and your property.
Since golden retrievers are born with a protective instinct, they won’t wish to cause harm to any human, even if the other person is posing a serious threat to their owner. You can teach your dog to attack a stranger who intends to harm you, but it may take some time for them to learn this behavior as this goes against their instincts.
Golden retrievers are famous for their undying affection. They’re gentle creatures that are bred to love humans. Their affectionate nature can get in their way of becoming good guard dogs as they may not be able to sense if a human has harmful intentions.
Golden retrievers are surprisingly silent when they’re compared to other dog breeds of their size. They’re less likely to bark, which is why it can be difficult to train them to act as natural alarms.