Can a Husky learn protection work?

On the other hand, a working dog—in private security, for example—undergoes "civilian" training. This is a dog that is expected to intervene as part of its "job", and it will engage whether or not a training sleeve is used. But as previously mentioned, bite work training isn't open to Huskies (the list of breeds authorised for protection work is the same for both dog sports and private security) and is strictly reserved for professional licence holders. Basically, don't count on your dog for this, and avoid encouraging them in that direction, as you risk developing dangerous or erratic behaviour. Unless proven otherwise, you don't have the training or expertise for this type of instruction... and your dog almost certainly doesn't have the temperament for it; it would be totally against its nature! Thanks for the detailed reply! I actually had no idea about dogs trained for bite work—I’ve definitely learned something there. But as I said, I think I phrased it quite badly. I’m absolutely not looking for protection training or anything of the sort; I just wanted to know if it was possible to teach him to be a bit more of a deterrent. I was attacked once and my dog just bolted. I know they aren't attack dogs or bred for protection, but the fact he just ran for it without even barking or anything really surprised me. At home, he is a deterrent because of his barking; even if he doesn't attack, he alerts me while still being a bit timid. Usually, that's enough for guarding the house, but outside it's a different story entirely. I thought I’d missed something or gone wrong somewhere with his training. I assumed all dogs were naturally "protective" of their owners and that even if they were nervous, they’d react if they felt their owner was stressed. But that wasn't the case at all—does this mean I really can’t expect anything more than that from my dog?

"I know that if I ever get attacked, he won't attack back." Have you tested that in a real-life situation? Yes, several times, and not by choice! I’ve been attacked before and my dog didn’t bark or do anything at all. It got to the point where I had to let go of the lead and he just bolted... I know they aren’t bred to be guard dogs; he’s a good watchdog but ONLY at home. When we’re out and he’s on his lead and so on, he doesn’t do a thing.

"Why are you so set on getting a guard dog? A dog can act as an alarm if someone breaks in, but they shouldn’t be trained to be aggressive..." I didn’t say I definitely wanted a guard dog, I just wanted to know whether or not it’s possible to teach them to be more of a deterrent, but absolutely not to attack. I’m not sure if I’m making myself clear—my dog barks well enough, no problem there—but like I said, he’s still really skittish. If someone were to break in or have a go at me, he’d be no help at all. It’s the same if someone tried to steal him; he’s far too friendly with strangers and trusts people way too quickly if they show him even the slightest bit of kindness.

On the other hand, a working dog—in private security, for instance—is trained for "civilian work". This means they're prepared to engage as part of their "job", and they’ll go for it whether there’s a bite sleeve involved or not. However, as previously mentioned, this kind of bite work isn’t open to Huskies (the list of breeds permitted for protection training applies to both sports and security dogs), and it’s strictly reserved for professional licence holders. Basically, don’t count on your dog for protection. Avoid encouraging this sort of behaviour as you risk them developing dangerous and unpredictable traits; after all, unless you've been taught otherwise, you don’t have the training or knowledge for this kind of work... Plus, your dog almost certainly doesn't have the right temperament for it and would really suffer from something so completely unnatural for their psychology!

Hi there, Aside from the fact that Huskies were never bred for guarding or protection, it's actually forbidden to train this breed in bite-work. It's unlikely that a Husky would be a good candidate for these sorts of disciplines anyway, because the breed hasn't been selected for a "guardian" mindset. Therefore, the necessary psychological traits just haven't been encouraged. Plenty of dogs are capable of deterring a potential "attacker" without any training at all, but when it comes down to it, many will just back off (and I have to say... that's probably for the best, as a dog is considered a weapon depending on how it's used. Imagine the situation if every one of our dogs went into "bodyguard" mode at the slightest suspicious look from some random person... I deal with it enough as it is with my girl lol, especially knowing that more often than not, if a dog bites, it risks being put down depending on the outcome of dangerous dog protocols). Generally speaking, unless you run into someone determined to do harm, a dog is a huge deterrent just by its size and "reputation" (now, a Husky isn't exactly known for being a "hard man" in the same way a Bull breed or a Mastiff is, but it's still quite a large dog). At a dog training club, bite-work is a sport where the dog is conditioned to grab a sleeve or a leg guard. If an animal grabs the decoy's actual clothes or skin, it's a complete no-no—disqualified and banned. This means that many dogs that practice this sport won't bite someone who isn't in a training suit... Even if things go wrong in daily life, if there’s no suit, there’s very little chance of one of these sport dogs turning into a killing machine. That was the case for a friend of mine who has a sport dog and was approached one evening by someone with bad intentions. The dog didn't react at all; luckily, she got rid of the bloke without a scuffle because her pooch—who is great at hitting the suit in training—didn't show the slightest sign of aggression or deterrence in the face of the threat.

"So I wanted to know if it's possible with some training, or even sessions with a dog trainer." Teaching him to bite people? :( At training clubs, bite work isn't open to all breeds, and this kind of discipline doesn't have the best reputation (people say that dogs are beaten to force them to bite—obviously that’s not the case for every club, but it’s something to be aware of). If you’re worried about burglars, get a home alarm or keep a personal alarm under the bed; it’s safer, less of a faff, and it won’t put your Husky’s life at risk. Besides, if your dog raises the alarm, that should be enough to scare off any intruders :)