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Archive for October, 2009
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
 Box training, or as some people may call it, table topping, is almost a dying art. As I’ve said before, the work that we do at Command Control K9 is very special, we incorporate this method in all of our protection dogs. We feel this helps harden the grip and builds confidence with our young German Shepherd puppies and Belgian Malinois puppies to bite on elevation.
The concept is very simple; one would take an elevated table or box with two sides on it, with the front and back open and exposed. The dog is placed in the box with an over-head beam and a harness that is fastened to the dog, so that it does not slip off. It is important to use a very slippery surface; we use sheet metal. The decoy then approaches the dog from the front end. When done correctly, the dog has no choice but to use only his jaw power to bite. This is only effective if your protection dog has already developed their bite. This is very advanced work and should only be done with experienced trainers.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Box Training, dog training, German Shepherd, Protection Dog, Table Topping
Posted in Belgian Malinois Puppies, Crate Training, German Shepherd Puppies, Training | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Clear Lake, Iowa – The Clear Lake Police Department is holding a memorial service for Abby, a hard-working German Shepherd who joined the department in 2007, and died this September 21st after undergoing surgery for a cancerous tumor.
Abby apprehended bank robbers, sniffed for drugs and once helped locate a missing person. Her job was also that of a protection dog, defending her partner, Officer Ryan Eskildsen.
Abby came to the United States eight years ago from the Czech Republic. She was trained as a police dog, not as a pet, but was still popular among school children, recounts Police Chief Greg Peterson.
A display was set up at the service with flowers, photos of Abby, her collar and her badge. The service was emotional, attended by both the police force and members of the public, a true testament to her service in the community.
Tags: Abby, Clear Lake, German Shepherd, News, Police Dog, Protection Dog, Working Dog
Posted in Announcement, German Shepherd, K9 Patrol Unit | No Comments »
Monday, October 12th, 2009
 Kennel Cough is a general term used to describe a highly contagious canine illness which can be caused by a wide variety of airborne bacterial and viral infections. Known medically as tracheobronchitis, it is the inflammation of the airways that connect the dog’s lungs to its throat and mouth. Symptoms are a dry coughing or hacking which is sometimes accompanied by nasal discharge, or fever. If the infection is not identified and treated, it can cause pneumonia by spreading to the lungs of the dog. The term Kennel Cough was given to describe the rapid rate at which the illness can spread in close confines, such as that of a dog kennel. Viral infections such as canine parainfluenza or canine distemper, as well as bacterial infections such as bordetella, are all highly contagious illnesses that can cause Kennel Cough, and be spread through the coughing and sneezing of infected dogs.
Treatment of Kennel Cough is similar to treatment of coughs and colds in humans. Antibiotics can be administered to fight bacterial infections. If no phlegm is being expelled, making it a dry cough, a cough-suppressant can be used. Vaccines can be administered to help prevent against common types of infections. Many kennels will refuse to board a dog without documented proof of vaccination. It is also important that kennels keep their cages cleaned and disinfected. Keeping the kennel well ventilated can also help prevent a buildup of airborne bacteria and viruses. If symptoms of Kennel Cough are detected in a dog, it should be quarantined to prevent the spread of infection.
Here at CCK9, health and well-being is our top priority. Each and every one of our dogs has to be in perfect health and peak physical condition to perform the excercises in our protection dog training. Keeping our facility clean and disinfected is the single most important thing we do to prevent infection and disease. We also give all of our German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds routine medical checkups to ensure that they’re performing at their best.
Tags: Adenovirus, Bordetella, Distemper, Kennel Cough, Parainfluenza, Tracheobronchitis
Posted in Canine Health, CCK9 Policy | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
 The Belgian Groenendael is one of four Belgian sheepdog breeds, the other three being the Laekenois, the Tervuren and the Malinois. All four are physically very similar, with their coat being the only major difference. The majority of countries around the world still classify them as varieties of the some breed. However, the United States has recognized them as different breeds for the past 50 years. The Groenendael is an athletic, muscular, medium-sized dog. Its coat is medium-long, with a thick undercoat, and is almost always solid black, although small patches of white are sometimes found on the chest. Bred as a working sheepdog, the breed is often highly intelligent and energetic. Mostly, health concerns are rare, although overfeeding and lack of proper excercise can lead to laziness and obesity.
The Groenendael was developed in Groenendael, Belgium, by a breeder named Nicholas Rose. Their natural intelligence and protective nature lead to their use as guard dogs, and alongside the Belgian Malinois, they became one of the first breeds to be used by the Belgian police. They also make excellent sporting dogs and often perform well at Schutzhund and K.N.P.V. excercises. However, despite their capabilities, the Groenendael is commonly kept today as a pet and companion, while the Belgian Malinois and Laekenois are used more often as security dogs and protection dogs.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Belgian Shepherd, Groenendael, Laekenois, Protection Dog, Tervuren
Posted in Belgian Malinois, Dog Breeds, Protection Dogs | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
 The Belgian Malinois puppies from Cindy and Ducko are now six months old.
The three males that we held back for fetcher protection dogs, Brutus, Nero and Caesar, are doing well in their training. They are now at a point in their training where they are doing aquatic training, climbing a ladder at a 45 degree angle, man scent tracking, finding an article, and being deployed off lead at 80 yards to take a bite on a K.N.P.V. bite suit.
Not a day goes by that we don’t do some form of training with them, whether it is agility training, man scent tracking, obedience, bite work, or simply just taking them out for a long walk in a downtown environment. The work that we do at Command Control K9 is very special. It is as important to us as it is to our clients that when we deliver a personal protection dog, it is well rounded and will fit right into your home.
Tags: aquatic training, Belgian Malinois, dog training, Protection Dog, Puppies
Posted in Belgian Malinois Puppies, Puppies, Training | No Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
 The Airedale Terrier is one of the largest terrier type breeds, and the largest among those originating in Britain. However, Airedales bred for dog shows are often much smaller. The Airedale has a medium-length double-layered coat with a soft undercoat underneath a coarse, wiry topcoat. The coat is most often black around the back and sides of the dog, with tan around the head, legs and tail. The tail is sometimes docked shortly after birth, although this practise has been made illegal in Britain.
The Airedale Terrier was originally bred in the late 1800′s, and is most likely a cross between smaller Terrier breeds and a larger hunting dog known as the Otterhound. Like the Otterhound before it, the Airedale became popular among hunters. However, unlike Terriers before them who were often accompanied by a pack of Bloodhounds, and expected to enter the dens and burrows of prey after the Bloodhounds had sniffed them out, Airedales became more of a jack-of-all trades breed capable of both sniffing out and taking down larger animals. As well as being efficient hunting dogs, the size and temperament of the breed suited it well to work as a guard dog on British farms. During the the First World War, Airedales were used to deliver messages during battle. Later, they were also given the task of finding and retrieving wounded soldiers from the front lines. After seeing the impressive work of Belgian Malinois police protection dogs in Belgium, Airedales were also adopted into British police forces. However, they were later replaced by the German Shepherd as the most common breed used for police work. During the 1930s, American breeders in Ohio developed what is known as the Oorang strain of Airedale Terrier. Bred to be larger and sturdier than previous Airedales, an attempt was made to market the Oorang as “the greatest utility dog in the history of the world.” The kennel closed and breeding of Oorangs ended in 1970 upon the death of its creator, Walter Lingo. However, some kennels still claim to produce original Oorang Airedale Terriers today.
Today, the Airedale Terrier is still an impressive breed. However, they have mostly been replaced by other breeds for work as security dogs or police dogs, and their role as a hunting breed is now largely obsolete.
Tags: Airedale, Guard Dog, Hunting Dog, Otterhound, Security Dog, Terrier
Posted in Dog Breeds, history of dogs | No Comments »
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
 Mondio Ring sport, sometimes spelled Mondioring without the space, is one of the world’s most recent dog sports. Mondio Ring was established in 1987 and combines the best elements of French Ring, Belgian Ring, K.N.P.V. and Schutzhund into one sport. It’s name can literally be translated into “World Ring”. Teams from all over the world are invited to participate in championships which are held throughout Europe. Despite the diversity of trainers which participate in the sport, the Belgian Malinois breed accounts for about 90% of participating dogs, with only two or three dogs of a different breed each year, usually German Shepherds.
Like the ring sports it is based on, Mondio Ring separates its exercises into three categories; obedience, agility and protection, carried out in that order. Unlike other sports, such as Schutzhund, there are no tracking exercises in Mondio Ring. Protection exercises in Mondio Ring make use of a full bite suit, no unlike those used in French Ring sport. The decoy has a variety of accessories available to use against the dog, such as a tarp to throw at the dog as it comes in for a bite, or a stick not unlike those used in Schutzhund.
Due to the improvisational nature of the protection exercises, and the fact that it combines what are considered to be the best elements of other dog sports, Mondio Ring is perhaps the dog sport that most resembles true protection work. However, this does not make it a substitute for true protection dog training. A sport is just a sport, no matter how you look at it.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dog Sport, German Shepherd, Mondio, Mondioring, Ring Sport
Posted in Belgian Malinois, French Ring Sport, German Shepherd, Protection Dogs, Sporting Dogs | No Comments »
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