Laizhou Hongthe red dog

Living with

Training and dog sports

Principles#

  • Start as soon as the puppy arrives (8 weeks).
  • Positive, consistent and firm methods: positive reinforcement, clear rules, never any violence (it traumatises the dog and destroys trust, and with a 50 kg dog it is also dangerous).
  • Short (10-15 min), frequent and fun sessions.
  • A calm, consistent and self-assured owner: the breed will test a hesitant owner.
  • Recall, loose-lead walking and "leave it" are priorities given the dog's size. Advanced Animal Care advises putting these foundations in place before any protection work: recall, loose-lead walking, wait, "leave it", settle, calm behaviour with visitors, cooperative handling and muzzle training.

Socialisation#

  • Critical window: 3 to 16 weeks, to be continued until 12-18 months.
  • It begins at the breeder's, and some kennels publish their protocol. At Alysium: early neurological stimulation from day 3, a "Puppy Culture" programme and, preferably, going home at 12 weeks. At Laizhou Hong Brasil: handling from week 1 to week 3, surfaces, sounds and people from week 4 to week 7, other animals and first lessons from week 8 to week 12.
  • Provide positive exposure to: people of all ages and appearances, other dogs, cats and animals, urban noise, the car, the vet, visitors to the home.
  • Goal: a dog that is neutral with strangers, that watches without reacting, and that can tell a visitor from an intruder.
  • An unsocialised Laizhou Hong becomes an over-zealous guard dog: this is the main cause of reported problems.

Key periods, from birth to 2 years

  1. SocialisationThe most important window runs from 3 to 16 weeks. It starts at the breeder's and continues until 12 to 18 months.
  2. Arrival homeAt around 8 weeks at the earliest: training starts on the very first day.
  3. Wariness of strangersIt appears at around 6 to 7 months and settles between 1 and 2 years: the period when training matters most.

Working ability#

The breed was created to work, and it proves it in dog sports:

  • IGP (formerly Schutzhund: tracking, obedience, protection): the first Laizhou Hong to earn IGP1 and then IGP2, according to her breeder (Rieka, United States, titles earned between 2024 and 2026), 92 points in IGP3 protection, BH (companion dog test) passed by several dogs.
  • Detection / tracking / scent work: UKC nosework titles earned.
  • Obedience, rally, agility.
  • Therapy / emotional support dog: at least one dog certified.
  • Assistance dog: a few Laizhou Hongs are being trained as assistance dogs in the United States. On a forum devoted to these dogs, however, several contributors consider the breed too protective for public-access work.
  • Guarding and protection of property and people, guarding livestock or farms. In China, a guard dog for farms and businesses (local police use is claimed by Chinese encyclopaedias, without any source).

Official results exist. In the United States, the female Rieka qualified in scent work in February 2023 (entered in a category for dogs of unrecognised breeds), then won the UKC Novice A obedience class three times in 2024. In June 2024, another Laizhou Hong, Garcia, won the PreNovice class.

Some kennels steer their puppies towards work. The Alysium kennel, for instance, has offered a working female in co-ownership, on condition that the buyer commits to titling her to at least the first level of a bite sport, and placed one of its puppies with a family that practises PSA (an American protection sport).

Breeders compare it with the German Shepherd and the Malinois for versatility, with the added ability to "switch off" and stay calm at home after an intense session.

Mistakes to avoid#

  • Leaving the puppy to guard on its own "because it comes naturally".
  • Encouraging growling at visitors.
  • Following Chinese online guides that explain how to make the dog "more ferocious" (provoking it, getting it to give chase, praising it when it barks). These amateur methods are dangerous and must be avoided.
  • Isolating it in the garden or on a chain (the "ferocious dog" portrayed in Chinese sources).
  • Handing an untrained adult dog to an inexperienced family.