First, some background. I regularly lecture around the world, giving seminars in my specialties: Protection Dogs Sports, Police K9 units, Search and Rescue, and Advanced Obedience. I specialize in protection dogs, but also train “sport” dogs, “service” dogs, and their handlers to achieve their highest potential. In my work, I have come across many disreputable trainers who advertise dogs that are poorly trained for large amounts of money.
II am sometimes frustrated by the dishonesty of some disreputable dog “trainers” advertising dogs and training, especially on the Internet. I have trained a large number of dogs for high-level sport as well as for professional protection work, both personal and professional law enforcement K-9 programs.
If I’m in the market for a protection dog, how can I identify a reliable dog trainer?
If you’ve searched the web, you know how many titles can be put in front of or behind a name. Some of these titles are valid and recognized worldwide, but others are only catchy words, giving no information about the skills of a trainer whatsoever. Titles such as “President,” “CEO,” “Master Trainer,” etc., of a company that has the name “xxx International, Inc.,” “K9,” or “Protection,” in the name—in and of themselves—mean nothing.
Anyone can open a business with a catchy name, pay someone to build a state-of-the-art website, and target someone like you to buy a “fully trained dog” with many guarantees. If you’re just beginning to look for a dog or trainer, it is very easy to be misled. Don’t be a victim of such scams.
Investing $10,000 to $35,000 in a dog is not a guarantee that the dog is worth this kind of money. I will be the first to tell you that for sure a dog can be worth such an amount, but the fact is that such highly valuable dogs are very rare. When you browse the Web long enough, you will see many dogs in this price range.
The fact is that they are probably worth $4,000 at the most, if that. There are simply not that many highly trained dogs out there, and I assure you there are not that many trainers capable of training a dog of that caliber.
The best way to compare trainers/instructors is by examining their achievements. For this reason, if you cannot find any information about performance and training records on a given website, do not waste your time.
Here are some typical taglines to watch out for:
“30 years of combined experience.” If someone has 30 years of successful experience (or, in the case of “combined” experience, if several people together have worked for a sum total of 30 years), one would expect numerous valid accomplishments that can be verified easily. The statement on its own means nothing. What has been achieved? That’s what counts.
“Master Trainer” is one of the most misused titles in the dog-training world. For example, it can mean that someone is in charge of the training of a large number of dogs and handlers in the army. It can also mean that someone has his own business with one employee and he is in charge of the training. The second obviously has no merit. You can be a “Master Trainer” too!
“Expert Trainer” This must be someone who has expertise, right? So ask the person who considers himself an expert and see for yourself it this is true. People like this should provide you with references and credentials of the people/companies who see them as experts.
“Training Director” is normally associated with the person in charge of the training in Schutzhund, Ring, or any other dog sport club. He is generally also the helper or decoy who works the dogs in protection.
There are many such dog clubs out there. Some, of course, are better than others. In some instances it takes three people to form a club, but not one of them may have sufficient knowledge of dog training. As with all other credentials, research the club to determine if the training director is likely to be a qualified trainer.
“Members of xxxx Club.” Being a member of a club in most cases involves simply joining the organization and paying annual dues. It is in no way a measure of training skill or achievement.
What about video clips and photographs of trained dogs?
Seeing a video clip of a demo dog is not enough to make a sound judgment. First of all, a video does not prove that the dog on the clip is trained by the company in question. In addition, with current technology, videos are very easy to edit. The dog may look strong only because it is in a familiar environment with a familiar decoy and has repeated the scenario numerous times before the filming. Most likely, you as a buyer have no idea what to look for when you look at protection training videos. Something that looks very attractive can be worth nothing in a real-life situation.
A clip of a dog does not serve as proof of the quality and abilities of a dog or company. Pictures obviously give even less information. They are tools that can be used truthfully or not. Finally, videos and pictures are very often stolen from someone else’s website. So what do you look for?
Look for achievements in relevant areas.
Don’t be hesitant to ask for performance records.
After all, you are a client who is willing to invest serious money in a dog. You deserve accurate representation of the trainer’s expertise. Schutzhund, Ring sports, and others are competitive sports that exist to determine who the top trainers are.
Some organizations have a very small number of members, and competition is not as strong, so make sure to learn about the competitive sport most appropriate for the dog you’re trying to buy.
Most of the dog sports have club level competition, which leads to the regional level, then the national level, and finally the world championships. Similarly, many have categories, such as Levels 1, 2, 3, and so on. The top “Level 1” dog at a given show or competition will be weaker than the bottom “Level 2” dog at the same show. Dog sports have specific structure and rules to go by, so everyone who competes is judged equally.
Some people enter the dog sports arena so they can learn how to train dogs and have fun doing it. Some do so to show the quality of their dogs and their breed, which in some cases is proof of sound temperament and breed worthiness. No matter what other reasons there might be, a dog competition is the outlet for trainers to prove themselves.
A top competition trainer will make sure the dog is controlled, understands commands, and is reliable. That said, being a top competitor is not enough. A trainer must also have proven himself in training strictly protection dogs and handlers as well.
What do I look for in the actual dog?
It is quite common to describe the level of the protection dogs as Level 1, Level 2, executive protection, and so on. In many ways this is based on the structure of competitions. But one company’s Level 2 dog might be very weak compared to another company’s Level 1. There is no unified system for “grading” dogs on the market.
You can judge a company’s own standards by checking out the knowledge of the trainers, which will first be evident in their accomplishments. If all this looks good, then find out about their clients. Where have they placed dogs? Are the dogs working dogs, sport dogs, or pets? Do those clients return for additional dogs? Are they satisfied? Check references.
Sport dog versus the real dog
One thorny issue is that of the sport dog versus the “real” dog. Contrary to the way you should judge the skills of a trainer (competition accomplishments), dogs that have done well in certain sports may actually not be suitable as protection dogs.
In a nutshell, many dogs that do well in dog sports may be only “sport” dogs, meaning they will not protect you or your family if needed. They will not bite an intruder or attacker without a sleeve or a bite suit.
You may see a very fancy video of a dog that works great on a bite suit, but he may not do so well if he has to bite in a real-life situation. This is where a skilled and honest trainer is necessary to tell you about the dog in question.
As an example, on occasion police K9 dogs with the highest performance records in trials will be purchased by a police force and find themselves, say, chasing a suspect in a dark alley. But when the dog finally catches up with the criminal, it becomes highly confused and stressed, because it wants to bite him, but it doesn’t see the familiar equipment. These cases are rare but they are evidence of how important is to select the right training source for your protection dog.
What breed should I look for in a family protection dog?
Pretty much any dog of sound temperament can be used to some extent as a protection dog, or at least as an alert dog. The smaller breeds (up to 50 lb) obviously would not be “man stoppers.” Any larger-size dog could be a protection dog. Most dogs must go through vigorous training in order to understand when they are needed and how to be of help.
As an example, on occasion police K9 dogs with the highest performance records in trials will be purchased by a police force and find themselves, say, chasing a suspect in a dark alley. But when the dog finally catches up with the criminal, it becomes highly confused and stressed, because it wants to bite him, but it doesn’t see the familiar equipment. These cases are rare but they are evidence of how important is to select the right training source for your protection dog.
The dog has to have natural protective instincts, be pack-oriented, and/or territorial. Even an Afghan Hound could do it (a rare case, but I have seen it done). Generally speaking, and only generally speaking, some breeds make better guard dogs, (meaning they would do well protecting their territory), and others would make better owner-protection dogs (meaning they would do well protecting their owners).
Two of the universal protection dog breeds are the German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois. At present, these are the two breeds that stand out from the rest. Around the world it is not an accident that 99% percent of the police and army dogs are mostly Malinois or German Shepherds.
Yes, a Doberman Pinscher or a Bouvier, among others, could do just as fine a job, but the temperament of these breeds has been compromised in recent years by breeding for their looks, and the prevalence of genetic illnesses such as hip dysplasia has risen dramatically.
A dog from a mastiff breed can be very strong and a great deterrent, but their trainability level does not come close to that of a Malinois or a German Shepherd. Therefore, they are limited in what they can be used for in terms of protection.
Another plus for the Malinois and the German Shepherd is that they have double coats, meaning they can function in any climate: snow or desert. They have been bred and used for protection from the late 1800s, and through the decades and around the world they have been selected for their temperament, trainability, agility, strong bite and scent work, and their lack of fear.
In recent years, the Malinois has become the number one choice for protection work due to their work ethic, trainability, and natural protectiveness. In any case, you can find a dog of almost any breed that can serve as a protection dog. But please take the following qualities into consideration:
Stable temperament. The dog should not be performing out of fear.
Good size. A dog has to be big enough to be effective.
Speed. As with an athlete, the weight and speed of a dog have advantages and disadvantages. A dog that has a bit of both is the most universal type, therefore the Malinois and the German Shepherd are clearly the breed of choice.
Health. The Malinois have fewer health problems than any other working breed.
The average age that I find to be most productive is between seven and fourteen months old. Of course, like anything else in dog training, there are exceptions to the age range. This training averages from two to three months.
How do I find a good protection dog?