IMO, a dog is an essential, not only for companionship, but also as a hunting aid, theft deterrent, and to alert you to visitors (especially "visitors" that may not want their presence to be known).
My Chow/Rottweiler mix died last year, and to help fill the hole she left, I got me a Cane Corse/Johnson American Bulldog mix.
I've been thinking of having her trained for personal protection (namely attack, and then recall on command, and hold position while barking), but I have some concerns that I didn’t have with my previous dog that I’m hoping someone with experience with protection trained dogs can answer.
I am currently in a committed relationship (that’s leaning towards marriage) with a wonderful woman (named Penny, no less) who has a beautiful one-year-old son that is the light of my life. So, my question is:
Will training my dog in protection work inadvertently make her think that biting is now acceptable? (She had no bite inhibition when I got her, and it took a lot of work to correct that.) If I were a bachelor, I wouldn't be worried about this, but now that there's a potential I will be sharing my home with a wonderful woman, and beautiful baby boy, I'm hesitant.
I’m sure I could just rely on her protective instincts sans formal protection training, but to me that’s almost like having a gun, but never target practicing.
Anyone with a family had their dog trained for protection? What are your thoughts/opinions? Positives vs. Negatives?
Many thanks,
Stu
(Possibly to be a husband and papa in the near-distant future)