Are Pugs Good Guard Dogs? {Are They Any Good?}

Are pugs good guard dogs? Pug parents might want their pooch to be strong and capable enough to guard them in times of trouble. Pugs are not guarding dogs. However, there are many guard dogs. Pugs mostly fall into the category of companion dogs. There are some areas where pugs shine amazingly. But pugs are not naturally guarding dogs.

As far as protective dogs are concerned, they belong to either guard dogs or watchdogs. Being any of these types of dogs helps you become unique anyway. If you are a good watchdog, even if you aren’t a guard dog you can alert your pug parents. 

Can Pugs be Considered Good Guard Dogs?

Pugs cannot be considered as good guard dogs, but they are good watchdogs. If someone intrudes into your house your pug will alert you by barking. Pugs are very small to protect you and your family. However, with some proper training, pugs can get accustomed to being good watchdogs. 

Difference Between Guard Dogs and Watchdogs

Many pug owners might get confused as to what is a guard dog and watchdog. There are as many as 300 dog breeds and each dog is different, it is very difficult to tell as to what kind of protection they will provide to the family. 

Guard Dogs

Guard dogs can alert you as soon as a threat emerges. They can get physical and try to protect your home from threats. Even if they see a trespasser or an intruder, they might bite to stop them from getting into your home. There is also a slight difference in how they train a guard dog as compared to watchdogs. Guard dogs are trained to guard their homes against any intruders. 

Watch Dogs

Watchdogs on the other hand are a little different. The watchdogs are very alert and they start barking if they see any danger. Watch Dogs won’t jump on the intruder. Watchdogs can only alert you about the intruder. You have to deal with the threat by yourself 

For example, Chihuahuas can be great watchdogs and they can nip a stranger’s ankles. On the other hand, watch dogs are also trained a little bit differently. Watch Dogs try to remain more conscious, and they have to alert their human parents if a problem arises. 

Are Pugs Good Watch Dogs?

You will be happy to know that pugs are the largest dogs in the toy dog category. They are loyal, good with behaviour and they can be trained very nicely. This makes them a perfect fit to become good watchdogs. 

It does not mean that pugs are inherently the top watch dogs. But, yes, with proper training they should be getting better.

How Do You Train Your Pug to Become a Good Watchdog?

Pugs are companion dogs. They inherently love people’s attention and love. But it’s also important to train them as good watchdogs. With a little bit of effort from your end, there is a possibility that your pug can transform themselves into great watch dogs.

It is also important for you to know that a watchdog does not chase and attack people, it just compels people to go by their barking. 

These are the aspects you need to look after while training your pooch to become good guard dogs

The goal of the training

Make sure your pug is barking to fear people away. If your pug is barking without any reason it could also mean that your pug is facing a health problem. Your pug should not bark at random people on the street. Make sure that they know how to identify an intruder? And then bark at them. 

Teaching them when to bark

Pugs in the end need to learn whom to bark at and whom to not. If your pooch is barking at random people on the street, do not encourage them to do that again. Do something so that they get a message, that this behaviour won’t be appreciated. 

Meanwhile, if your pugs start barking at kids, strictly do not allow them to do so. To make them realise what is wrong and right bark, give them treats when they bark at an unknown person entering your home. 

Benefits of keeping a Watchdog as Compared to a Guard Dog

Having a defensive dog comes with its own set of positives. The best thing is that they are like sirens and they alert you whenever they see someone intruding, This is the typical nature of a watchdog. In case you want a dog who not only watches but also acts aggressively in such situations, getting a guard dog according to me should be more advantageous. 

People might judge a guard dog for being aggressive. But they are only aggressive to intruders. They are gentle dogs with pure hearts. At heart, they just want to protect their human parents.

Characteristics That Make a Good Guard Dog

Guard dogs can be very stable in their temperaments. They will have natural confidence, they will be loyal to families and their temperaments will be far more stable. They will engage a threat if they have to. The guard dog characteristic is also a genetic gift that is passed onto parents and offspring.

What Should be a Pug’s IQ?

The Fair/Woking obedience intelligence of canines ranks pug 57th for their capability to be intelligent. They are in the top 60 intelligent dogs. However, pugs suffer from being able to execute commands. Pugs can only be able to follow 30% of commands given by people. This can be considered less efficient when compared to other dogs.

Do Pugs Protect Their Owners?

Pugs do protect their owners, however, they need to be trained properly. Pugs are considered to be a good watch dog breed. They are not guarding dogs. When properly trained pugs can provide you with the signal if someone intrudes your home. 

It is essential to understand that pugs are companion dogs. Do not expect your dog to jump into danger and protect you. Your pooch is very small and cannot do that. 

Are Pugs Friendly with Strangers?

It depends on how you train your dog. Make your pug learn whom to bark at whom to not. This can be done by training your dog on how to learn positive reinforcement. Give your pooch a treat when they do not bark at an intruder. Stop your pug when they start barking at random people or kids that play across the street. The objective here is to make your pug learn certain tricks so that they understand how to act? 

Final Words!

Pugs are not guarding dogs, they are rather watch dogs. Train your pooch to be alert and bark when an intruder comes to your doorstep. If you are expecting your pug to become an exceptional hero, sorry to burst your bubble, they are not guarding dogs. They are known to be companions. They cannot run and catch thieves.