Labrador Retriever and Guard Dogs

Labrador Retrievers are very loyal, and we are well known for our dedication to our owners. This is one of the reason that there are so many K-9 police units that use Labrador Retrievers for their partners! Even so, we are not the best type of dog to use for attacking intruders. Since we love people, we are not overly inclined to attack anyone. We can be protective of our owners, but being a guard dog isn't what we're best at.

Since we're so gentle and affectionate, we're usually adopted by families or by people looking for companionship. Even though we're wonderful companion dogs, us Labrador Retrievers aren't very aggressive. This is one of the reasons why we are such a popular breed, but it also means that we're not the best dog to choose when looking for a breed that will be an aggressive guard dog. We were specifically bred over many years for our loyalty and companionship, not for use as a guard dog.

Though we're not usually aggressive, there are times when there are reports of aggressive Labrador Retrievers. This is usually because we were trained from a very early age to be aggressive, or we were raised with physical abuse. Also, in very rare cases, an aggressive Labrador Retriever can result from a breed-based defect in temperament. Most people don't see aggressiveness in a dog to be a good trait for a pet, but a certain level of aggression is needed for a dog to make a good guard dog.

If you are looking for a family guard dog, however, us Labrador Retrievers can meet some of your needs. We are able to display a certain measure of aggressive behavior if we feel that any of our family members are being threatened, since they are fellow members of our “pack”. This is different from typical aggressiveness, though, since protecting fellow pack members is an instinctual trait shared by most dogs.

Though we're not very aggressive, us Labrador Retrievers can make good “alarm” dogs! This allows us to help protect your home, without becoming aggressive. The best way to help us understand to protect your home is to spend a lot of time bonding with us. This is best done by putting our dog bed in your bedroom, frequently spending time with us during the day, and giving us a lot of attention.

When training us to be an alarm dog, it's important that you establish early on which people are allowed into the home. It wouldn't be very useful for us to always be barking at visiting friends! The best way to do this is to socialize us with as many other people as possible, especially people who frequently visit your home. Labrador Retrievers are a very intelligent breed, and if you train us enough, we will become familiar with what is defined as “good” human behavior. If you can take the time to teach us, we can help to protect you and your family to the best of our ability.