At K9 Services, it is very important to us to provide potential clients with as much information as possible, regarding questions that are frequently asked. The answers in the following section are based on general experiences and training dogs. As potential clients, please realize that every dog is different and each dog can and will respond differently to training. The answers in this section are based on our opinions that we have experienced over the years in training dogs.

1. Will protection training make my dog mean? More people aggressive? More dog aggressive?

If your dog is social and friendly when you begin protection training, in the majority of cases, your dog will remain social and friendly. If your dog is aggressive towards other animals when they come to training, we will try to discourage them from this behavior.

It is our opinion that, in most cases, protection training should be done before obedience training Your dog should understand what "NO" means, but we prefer to wait to complete formal obedience.

3. At what age should you begin protection training?

Age differs from breed to breed. We have started formal protection at four months and we have started as late as Two years of age.

4. What can I do at home to prepare my dog for protection training?

You need to play fetch with your dog and also play tug-of-war. These games help develop drives that we need to train your dog. When playing tug-of-war, always remember, your dog AL WAYS WINS!!

5. Is a protection dog and an attack dog the same thing?

It is our opinion that the difference between a protection dog and attack dog is day and night. An attack dog hates everyone, is very aggressive for no apparent reason and is a dog that is not easily controlled. A protection dog is a dog that has a specific function. Its function is to protect its owner from threat or harm. This job is done by conditioned instinct and/or on command. During protection training, we train your dog and we train you. We train you to be able to control your dog at all times.

6. Can any dog be protection trained?

There are breeds that are more likely to do protection work. Dogs from the working lines tend to be better candidates (such as Malinois, German Shepherds, Dobermans and Rottweilers'). The most important factor to consider when buying a dog is, genetics. Remember, just because they may be registered and said to be from "good bloodlines" does not mean they will do protection work

7. How long does protection training last?

Each dog is different. Average time for basic personal protection is six to eight months. This consists of one training session per week.

8. Is it O.K to have strangers around a dog that has been protection trained?

You want as many people, as possible, around your dog to help keep him or her socialized, however, you have to realize that with ownership of a personal protection dog comes added responsibility and potential liability.

9. What are the best breeds to buy for personal protection training?

Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, American Bull Dogs and Rottweiler's are the most common breeds used, however you also need to consider you families' needs when purchasing a pet.

10. After my dog is protection trained, what do I do to keep his skills sharp?

You need to keep working with obedience training and occasionally come back for refresher training.

11. When my dog barks in public, at someone, do I correct him or her or trust their judgement?

If you're not absolutely sure of the situation, trust his or her judgement and avoid the contact.

12. Will the agitator in protection training become my dog's enemy?

In most cases, we try to keep all the dogs in a social atmosphere, before and after training sessions.

13. Are any cruel methods used in protection training? Will my dog be struck with sticks? Will my dog be yelled at or teased?

We never use cruelty in training dogs. We train dogs for "real life" situations. In real life, the bad guy may be armed with a stick or device that makes noise. We do train with these items and encourage that your dog be introduced to as many obstacles ( training devices) as possible.

14. Should I ever use the agitation collar in any other situation besides protection training?

We would recommend leaving the collar on your dog. You should be able to have a correction collar on your dog without interference from your agitation collar.

15. After my dog is protection trained, will he attack only on command or on instinct?

He or she should protect you on command or he or she senses that your are in danger.

16. Should a dog that is protection trained be neutered or spayed?

We don't recommend neutering or spaying your pet however, if you have this desire, we recommend doing it after they are trained.

17. What is the best way to educate family, friends and the general public about protection training? A lot of people think it's barbaric.

The best way that we know of is to encourage them to come to training sessions. As far as cruel or barbaric, we feel that all dogs bite from instinct and survival, we try to channel this energy into a positive action.

Please feel free to email me any questions you may have.