Golden Guards
You may find it hard to believe that those adorable furry golden dogs that are so good with kids could be great guard dogs too. How do you reconcile Golden Retrievers with the traits of what you perceive as “guard dog qualities”? You’d expect that guard dogs are fierce and unfriendly, wouldn’t you? Well, you’d be surprised at how Golden Retriever pups can be trained well enough to grow into disciplined and reliable protectors of their families.
Golden Retriever Qualities
Right, so now we’ve established that Golden Retrievers can make super guard dogs, let’s see what qualities they possess to make them protective of all they hold dear. Although they may need more training, rather more intensive training, to make them guard dogs than some other breeds, they can be trained to do the job. For starters, they aren’t as aggressive as, say, a German Shepherd. Nonetheless, they are very affectionate and loyal to their owners and familiar caregivers. As a result, they can be taught to attack when there is an imminent threat to people they share close bonds with.
Golden Retrievers As Good Candidates
Golden Retrievers have four primary characteristics that potentially make them good guard dogs:
- Intelligence – This is probably the most important aspect of Golden Retrievers. They have a degree of intellectual ability that few other dog breeds can boast of. If you have ever owned Golden retriever pups, you would have noticed this from an early stage. This makes them easy to train as well as distinguish between a known person and an intruder.
- Size – An obvious quality since these are large dogs. That’s not to say that smaller breeds can’t be intimidating, but larger dogs who grit their teeth at a threatening person may scare them off quickly.
- Obedience – Although this trait is related to intelligence, it’s worth mentioning on its own. Golden Retrievers are extremely obedient dogs to have around. They start following commands at a young age if trained with rewards. Once they know what to do, they will do things swiftly. From fetching newspapers to scaring away stray cats, these dogs will rise to the occasion. These dogs love their owners, and their sole aim is to please.
- Loyalty – Dogs of every breed are noteworthy for their quality of loyalty. Nonetheless, the term, “man’s best friend” is most true for Golden Retrievers. Dogs that are so loyal to their owners will undoubtedly scare off someone they perceive as a threat to their beloved caregivers.
