Outgoing, eager-to-please, and gentle — these are all hallmark Labrador Retriever traits. It’s no great leap to say that these are pretty much the opposite of what an ideal guard dog should be. Guard dogs need to be naturally wary of strangers and physically menacing when required — neither of these are behaviors that Labs are famous for.
So are Labradors good guard dogs? No. While many dogs have the potential to guard you and your home, in general Labradors aren’t good guard dogs. Guard dogs are expected to be physically threatening when required and most of the time Labradors just aren’t aggressive. While Labs can most certainly tell the difference between strangers and intruders, their lack of hostility holds them back when it comes to being an ideal guard dog.
That said, many Labrador owners will notice that their dogs can make great watchdogs with the right training. Watchdogs are able to alert their owners of physical threats around them without reacting physically to the threat. Labs are naturally inclined to do this, being an intensely loyal breed.
Can I Train My Labrador to be a Guard Dog?
Labradors are naturally affectionate dogs, making it hard to train them to physically threaten people or other animals.
Originally, Labs were bred as hunting dogs.
Far from what the name suggests, hunting dogs are actually renowned for their calm nature and agility — in days gone by hunters wanted to be able to trust that their dog would leave prey alone, serving as a retriever rather than a hunter themselves (hence the name Labrador Retriever).
All of this means that Labradors aren’t naturally menacing most of the time.
While they’re certainly a popular breed of dog, this popularity does not necessarily mean that Labradors are ideally suited to everything. This is especially true of being a guard dog.
That said, it’s not impossible to train your Labrador to become a guard dog. Because of their intelligence and learning capabilities, your Lab is quite capable of picking up pretty much any command you teach them. Some Labradors have a natural instinct to protect, and so tapping into that can help with training them to be guard dogs.
Most Lab owners will tell you that if you want a guard dog you should seek a breed known for the traits that make a good guard dog, rather than trying to turn your Labrador into a guard dog.
Should You Train Your Lab to be a Guard Dog?
You might feel like having a guard dog around your family and home makes for a safe environment — or that your loved ones are protected in case of emergencies. Guard dogs can help secure your property, often being fiercely territorial, and can keep your home safe from people and animals.
But, as with any guard dog, when training Labs to be guard dogs, here are a few words of caution:
Guard dogs are trained to respond to situations with aggression.
They are reactive by design.
This is something can be in direct conflict with creating a safe environment for your family, your kids, and their friends.
While grumpy or reactive Labradors can be ideal guard dogs they are not particularly well suited to being around small children, for example, because of their aggressive tendencies.
In most cases, training your pup to be a watchdog rather than a guard dog can help to ensure that they never respond with hostility inappropriately.
This can also make you feel safer in your own home.
Labradors do have somewhat of a menacing bark, and for many, this bark is enough to deter most opportunistic criminals and keep their family home safe while also making sure they are a gentle member of the family.
What Makes Labradors Good Watchdogs?
While your Lab probably isn’t going to pick a fight with an intruder anytime soon, most owners agree that their loyal and gentle tendencies mean they’re ideally suited for being watchdogs.
As a highly intelligent and trainable breed of dog, labs can be trained to act as an alert to strangers and physical dangers.
Labs are bred for their patient nature but they’re also loyal and so it’s likely your Labrador has an urge to protect you. Tapping into this loyalty can make training them to be watchdogs an easy progression as they grow up.
As with any breed, much of a Lab’s temperament and behavior is in the hands of their owner — this is especially true if you are raising them from a puppy.
Without training, but with proper socialization, most Labradors will naturally revert to a friendly and non-aggressive approach to strangers.
This can be great for owners with small children and a wide social circle, but it can also make using them as watchdogs a struggle. If your Lab loves meeting new people it could be hard to train them to bark at strangers.
Related Questions
Yes! Labs have a natural compassion towards their owners and family. They are also highly trainable because of this affection and loyalty. Though their intelligence can sometimes get them into trouble — you’ll find that most Labs think they’d rather train themselves than be trained by you — they’re generally highly responsive to reward-based training. One thing all Lab owners can agree on is that they are loyal to food, perhaps even more to it than to their owners. When it comes to using Labradors as watchdogs their penchant for food is something most mailmen are well aware of!
Most Labradors are naturally calm and patient, but some vary in temperament and abilities. An ideal watchdog is alert, loyal, and capable of barking at strangers to alert you of nearby danger. While most Labrador puppies won’t do this right off the bat, the best thing to look out for in a Lab is their ability to be trained and follow commands. If your Lab is a natural learner, you can train them to become a watch dog with the right coaxing. Again, just like with humans, you’re not going to be able to force your Lab to do something they don’t want to. If you want to start training your Labrador to be a watchdog the best process is to start small. Observe their behavior and work out whether they’re naturally interested in protecting you and your family. For some Labs, this is easy work, but for others being a watchdog just isn’t in the cards.
In general, a good guard dog is:
– Intelligent
– Loyal
– Territorial
– Brave
– Affectionate
Dog breeds like Rottweilers and German Shepherds are famed for exhibiting all of these behaviors, making them ideal guard dogs. Most canine lovers will agree that a key component of a family guard dog needs to be affection in order to ensure that your kids and friends are safe around your dog in everyday life. Deciding whether you need a guard dog often comes down to your priorities. If your priority is safety in the home, a watchdog might be the better choice because of their ability to be gentle around family members.
