A Canine Shield

Training Any Dog As a Watch Dog

In the last 3 years, crime has been rising, inflation is staggering, gas prices are crazy, food has gotten more expensive, and many have turned to crime just to make ends meet. But we are all in this boat and most of us worry about protecting ourselves and our homes somehow. In just one article I read recently, some guy, probably doesn't even have a record, stopped in the street, ran up onto the driveway of a disabled person trying to get her groceries out of her car, grabbed her purse dragging her halfway across her lawn before she finally let go of the purse.

This type of activity got me thinking. I've trained protection dogs in the past, in the generally accepted ways with the breeds that are recommended. But just about any breed can be effective in its own way. Even a Shih Tzu can bark up a storm, run at a dangerous person, detect odors that are commonly associated with criminals, basically warning their human of impending danger.

Many people already have a dog (or 2 or 3). Probably not a recommended protection breed, but most likely capable of some type of effective action. These dogs can all be trained as a Canine Shield in some manner.

In the past, when looking to train your dog to guard your home or looking to purchase a guard dog, there were a few things to keep in mind. The dog's obedience, dog's breed, and your type of training style may all affect how well of a guard dog your pet will be. But not everyone can have one of those breeds (apartment living), or for whatever reason, can’t do a bigger dog. 

Protecting your family, home, and personal belongings are important parts of keeping your family safe and secure. Having a guard dog who is trained to protect your property can not only be beneficial to your personal life but also if you own a business needing extra protection.

Many home and business owners have security cameras to capture any crime, but security cameras alone will not be completely effective in warding off criminals. Guard dogs can be left alone in a home or store when the owners are away and can act as a frontline defense system. Guard dogs can also be present when you, or your family, might not be able to.

Many people who want a guard dog, have some sort of past trauma that they felt defenseless in. Whether that was your home or store being burglarized or just a general uneasy feeling being alone, guard dogs act on certain trigger words and their own instincts. Having a guard dog at standby for your home can stop potential burglaries and criminal mischief.

But a Canine Shield is different.  You can take your Shield trained dog anywhere that dogs are welcome (any dog, not just service dogs). 

Today, with our current political and social climate, having protection is almost a necessity and should not depend on a past trauma or incident.  And depending on where you live, a definite necessity. Shield dogs are good for individuals and families that need an extra layer of security for their homes.

But not everyone, in fact very few, can afford the money necessary to acquire a guard or protection dog. Detection dogs aren’t even available for purchase. I’ve seen ads for up to $100,000 for a fully trained protection dog. Add to that initial outlay just for the training, and the insurance for such a dog is astronomical, as well as being able to convince a landlord that you need a big dog despite company policy.

Many people are not able to cater to the needs of big human-sized guard dogs. This is why there are breeds that fill in the role of guard dog despite their small stature. Detection dogs can be of any size.

Although not as effective as large guard dogs, small Shield dogs will be able to provide you enough protection that you can sleep soundly through the night. Small Shield dogs are great friends for all pet lovers out there. Some may require more attention than the average dog, but their loyalty and dedication to protecting their masters know no bounds. And who knows, trained in detecting common smells that criminals have, can alert you when danger is possible.

So, what is one to do? Can a Shih Tzu be a Shield dog? In my opinion, yes 😊

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Training Your Canine Shield Book

1)       Foundation Skills (much more than just the basic 6 obedience skills)
2)       Impulse control and self-control (how to remain calm in the face of temptation)
3)       Focus and Engagement
4)       Distractions, similarities, and differences (i.e. what tables look like in general preventing fear of a table that is blue instead of yellow, or short instead of tall)
5)       Environmental Awareness
6)       Boundary training, not just your property lines, but what to do at doors and windows, in and out of cars and when to “stop” on cue
7)       How to recognize and alert to danger
8)       How to sniff out those smells common to criminals and criminal activity and alert you to their presence
9)       For the bigger dogs – how to effectively handle danger

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Your Canine Shield Class

Most people would, in a potentially dangerous situation, see their dog hide behind them, or attempt to run away. There is major difference between a dog that will go after a tug toy and a dog that will jump over obstacles in a dark house to get to an armed attacker or even just bark at a stranger.


There are different triggers that motivate dogs to bark. What many people assume to be an aggressive bark is usually the result of fear. The dog is barking out of discomfort, not out of boldness. As soon as an attacker makes a move, the dog will drop its “tough guy” facade and run, cower, or a dog I saw in a YouTube video, actually lick the attacker’s face which is a behavior in puppies that communicates “Don’t hurt me, I’m not dangerous”.


Dogs in the wild may be used to fighting with their mouths, but a home-raised pet has no idea about fighting and how a bite will affect another dog or a person and often have been taught bite inhibition. When we test dogs that have not been trained to bite properly, the few that latch on at all will release at any sign of motion, yelling or striking. In most bite cases of pet dogs, the dog bit once and then ran.  It’s rare you see multiple bits and those that do continue biting are basically insane.

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