The short answer is no. Although they are intelligent enough and can be quite attentive, Labradors simply don’t have the aggression necessary to become good guard dogs.
Since they were first domesticated, we’ve used dogs as companions, guides, helpers, and, most importantly, protectors and guardians. Of course, some breeds of dogs are better at certain jobs than others, and that includes guard dog duty. Today, we’ll be taking a look at whether Labradors, one of the most popular dog breeds in the world, are any good at being guard dogs.
What Traits Should Guard Dogs Have?
Before we can answer the question of whether Labradors make good guard dogs, we’ll first need to understand what traits a guard dog should have. Once we get a handle on that, we can check whether Labrador retrievers have such traits in the first place. Guard dogs should not only be able to alert you or your family of any potential threats, but they should also be able to defend against them. To do that, they will need at least one or more of the following traits and temperaments:
Related post: Would a Labrador protect its owner?
Aggression
One of the reasons why a guard dog doesn’t do so well as a family dog is its inherent aggression. Of course, like any dog trait, a dog’s aggression can be trained and controlled to your advantage. In this case, an aggressive dog can help you stave off threats to your home by proactively engaging those threats as they come. At the very least, aggressive dogs can intimidate these potential threats so they leave you and your family well enough alone.
Of course, as we’ve mentioned before, too much aggression can be a threat on its own, with even the most well-trained dogs suddenly turning to their owners seemingly out of nowhere. The trick to controlling your pet’s aggression is constant training, making sure that all their energy needs are met, and of course, being consistent about raising them. Naturally, you also wouldn’t want a dog that is too timid or one that would rather run away than confront any dangerous elements threatening your home.
A dog with the right amount of aggression will act calm when handled by familiar people but would remain alert when around unfamiliar ones. They also shouldn’t be too aggressive towards other dogs.
Intelligence
Having an intelligent dog makes them much easier to train, allowing them to easily differentiate which people are a threat and which are not. You wouldn’t want your dog to consider everything and everyone a threat or conversely, not a threat. For example, you wouldn’t want them to chase down delivery personnel or a new neighbor simply coming by to say hello. But you also wouldn’t want a dog that would just approach any stranger in an attempt to play.
You’ll want a guard dog that reacts differently based on different situations at hand and make decisions on short notice, sometimes even when you’re not around.
It’s also possible to train dogs to compensate for any traits they are lacking, like teaching a normally timid dog to be more aggressive or vice versa. A more intelligent animal will make this endeavor a much easier process.
Attentiveness
Another trait you’d want for a guard dog is its ability to maintain focus during specific situations. If you have a dog that’s easily distracted by everything, whether they’re a threat or not, it might compromise its ability to guard your home. For example, if an intruder enters the house, you wouldn’t want a dog that switches its focus on a squeaky toy or the neighbor’s cat at that moment. You’d want them to prioritize what they are trained to do, which is to protect your home.
Dogs with low attention spans are also much more difficult to train. If they act disinterested or distracted each time you are addressing them, then it’s very likely they’ll be distracted when an intruder is on your property. Good guard dogs should be attentive and constantly aware of their surroundings.
Ability to Establish Dominance
Certain dogs just have it to control an area they perceive as their territory or just their immediate vicinity. You can see this happening whenever you take your dog for a walk or when you bring them to the dog park. Ever notice that some dogs give your pet a wide berth or act submissive towards them? This is your dog’s ability to establish dominance. If they were in a pack, a good guard dog would be the alpha.
This one is more for protecting your property from other animals, usually other dogs, though a very dominant dog can also affect people. You wouldn’t want a guard dog that would either show submissiveness to a threat or would approach to try to play with them.
Are Labradors Good Guard Dogs?
So, based on what we’ve discussed, is a Labrador an excellent choice for a guard dog? The short answer is no. Although they are intelligent enough and can be quite attentive, Labradors simply don’t have the aggression necessary to become good guard dogs. This lack of aggression mostly comes down to how the Labradors were bred and used throughout their long history.
Labradors were originally bred for retrieving or flushing prey out of hiding. Although they were bred to handle downed prey, they weren’t used to tracking them down or hunting them. Hunters used them as a way to retrieve prey that gets shot down and falls into areas where they would normally be hard to retrieve, like tall grass or in water. The hunters themselves did all the killing. The Labradors simply fetched the prey.
Another aspect of their personalities that makes them ill-suited for guard duty is that Labradors love pleasing people, even those they are unfamiliar with. This can be problematic if an intruder comes into your home and instead of chasing them off, your dog might simply try to play fetch with them.
Now, although Labradors don’t have all the necessary traits to become good guard dogs, they do have what it takes to become good watchdogs. To be an effective watchdog, all you’ll need is a dog that is attentive, loud and has a great sense of smell. Labradors do have all of these traits, so they can become effective watchdogs if trained well enough. They can alert your family of any danger, and you can deal with it yourself, similar to how they were originally used for hunting.
Are Labradors protective of their owners?
Although Labs are extremely friendly toward humans, they have a protective instinct and their owners and homes. If a Lab feels that its owner is in danger or an intruder has broken into the house Labs will become defensive and act aggressively towards the person or animal they perceive as a threat. Labradors are quite big and have a loud bark so can be quite a powerful deterrent for any foe. Labradors will not be so quick to attack their enemies as other breeds typically used as guard dogs, but they can effectively defend their owners in extreme situations.
Are Labradors aggressive?
Typically Labs are not considered aggressive. Labs are among the least aggressive dog breeds. But, some Labs can be aggressive. If mixed breed Labs can inherence an aggressive nature from one of their parents, even pure breed Labs can become aggressive if they were raised in a hostile environment or were not socialized properly when they were puppies. So most Labs are not aggressive, but some of them can be aggressive dogs.
Related post: Are labradors good apartment dogs?
Research Sources:
- https://www.lovingyourlab.com/do-labradors-make-good-guard-dogs/
- https://fluffyplanet.com/are-labrador-retrievers-good-guard-dogs/
- https://www.easyretrievertraining.com/labradors-protective-guard-dogs/
- https://iheartdogs.com/the-10-worst-guard-dog-breeds/
- https://dogbreedslist.com/dog-breeds/are-labradors-good-guard-dogs/
- https://www.k9ofmine.com/best-dogs-for-protection/
