|
|
Archive for February, 2010
Friday, February 26th, 2010
 The Labrador Retriever is a loyal, intelligent breed with a reputation for bravery and initiative. Whether they are putting their friendly and social nature to work as therapy dogs, using their intelligence to help the visually impaired navigate busy streets as a guide dog or putting their nose to work for the police as a cadaver dog, the Labrador can be found helping people all over the world. Arguably one of the bravest and most noble jobs this breed has been known to perform is the work of a search and rescue dog.
The work of a search and rescue dog, also known as a disaster dog, is a long, exhausting and often very dangerous process. It requires intense concentration and a keen sense of smell. Earthquakes, avalanches, land-slides, terrorist attacks and any other number of disasters can leave people trapped and injured. It is the search and rescue dog’s responsibility to navigate the dangers of a disaster site, locate survivors, and aid disaster-relief workers in bringing people to safety. Thick smoke, dust, burning debris, broken glass and ruptured gas lines make the work of a disaster dog extremely dangerous. These dogs put themselves in incredible danger in order to save the lives of others.
The calm and gentle nature of the Labrador Retriever makes it especially well suited to this kind of work. As a retriever, they naturally enjoy holding objects in their mouths. It is said that a Labrador can hold an egg in its mouth without breaking it. While a soft and tender bite may make the Labrador unsuitable for work as a police protection dog, it is ideal for helping pull a person to safety from an icy river as a search and rescue dog. Alongside the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois are breeds that also make excellent search and rescue dogs. Large-scale rescue efforts often include a mix of these breeds. However, as a cultural icon, the Labrador Retriever remains a symbol of humanitarian effort on behalf of all canines.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Disaster Dogs, German Shepherd, Labrador, Retriever, Search-and-Rescue
Posted in Dog Breeds | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
 The Beauceron, less commonly referred to as the Berger de Beauce, is a centuries-old breed that originated in Northern France. While the name might imply that the breed is specifically from the Beauce region, its origins are actually spread across several regions in the North of France. The breed was originally developed for use as a shepherd dog, and to guard livestock. Since then, the breed has gained a reputation in France for it’s abilities as a guard dog and its service in both World Wars.
Physically, the Beauceron is a large, muscular dog. The coat is short, course and most commonly Black and Tan. Several color variations also exist, but they are not included in the breed standard. Unlike many other breeds which may or may not have a dewclaw, the Beauceron is known for having a double dewclaw on each rear leg. Similar in appearance to many of the Pinscher breeds, the Beauceron is one of the breeds from which the Doberman Pinscher was developed.
The history of the Beauceron and its natural guard instincts make the breed a suitable candidate for use as a guard dog. However, the mental development of the Beauceron is slower than in other common working dog breeds such as the German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. As a result, care must be taken to avoid rushing into vigorous training exercises before the dog is ready.
Tags: Beauceron, Berger de Beauce, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Guard Dog
Posted in Dog Breeds, Guard Dogs | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
 On Saturday, February 20th at approximately 5am, we were deeply disturbed to discover that our house on the CCK9 facility had been forcefully broken into. Three of our Belgian Malinois puppies at 9 months of age were being kept within the home, and have been stolen. These pups were undergoing training to become Executive Protection Dogs and they are extremely important to us. The pups, Brutus, Nero and Caesar, were litter mates from Cindy and Ducko, and had enormous potential.
Local police are conducting a full investigation, and we pray that these gorgeous Belgian Malinois pups are returned to us without harm. If you have any information that may help us find our pups, please contact us at our toll-free number: 1-866-865-2259. A reward is being offered for their safe return.
Tags: Belgian Malinois Puppies, Reward, Theft
Posted in Announcement, Belgian Malinois | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
 Cadaver dogs perform a grim task, but it is a task that is every bit as essential to modern police forces as the work of a detective or a crime-scene investigator. A cadaver dog is a special type of sniffer dog trained specifically to recognize and pin-point the location of human remains. Extensive research goes into the training of cadaver dogs in order to make them as accurate as possible. Some cadaver dogs are even able to detect the presence of human remains under flowing water. This is especially important to the investigation of homicides. Locating the body of the recently deceased in a homicide case is crucial in obtaining the evidence required for the police to make an arrest, and for the jury to make an informed verdict.
Even in the case of accidental death, locating the body is often an important step in the process of grief and recovery for the families involved. After the attacks of 9/11, while search and rescue dogs were on the look out for survivors, cadaver dogs were also deployed to locate the bodies of unfortunate victims. For many, locating the remains of their loved ones was an essential step in accepting the terrible tragedy that had occurred.
Being a cadaver dog is a trained skill requiring both obedience and a strong nose. Common tracking breeds such as the bloodhound often rely on recently shed skin cells that naturally fall from the skin of living beings. It is because of this that these breeds have greater difficulty in tracking the deceased. The most common breed of dog used as a cadaver dog is the German Shepherd. However, other working breeds such as the Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd, as well as retriever breeds such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever also make excellent cadaver dogs.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Cadaver Dog, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Human Remains Dog, Sniffer Dog
Posted in Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
 The bloodhound is a classic working dog with a long history. As with many hounds, it is speculated that the bloodhound was developed by the Belgian and french people, centuries ago. The bloodhound is mentioned in writings dating back as early as the 14th century, where they were bred for the purpose of hunting deer and wild boar. The bloodhound’s long history of use as a hunting dog have given the breed a reputation for remarkable tracking skills. It is a misconception that bloodhounds were frequently used in packs. In fact, most bloodhounds track solo in order to minimize noise and to avoid startling their game.
As hunting changed over the years, so did the role of the bloodhound as a working dog. Local police forces began to take note of the breed’s incredible ability to track human beings by scent. Before the abolishment of slavery, bloodhounds were imported to the United States and used to track runaway slaves. Since then, they have found more noble work with police forces who have used them to track criminals and locate missing persons.
Today, bloodhounds are a popular cultural icon and often seen on film or on TV. However, the actual use of bloodhounds by the police has diminished. The gentle nature of the bloodhound combined with difficulties in training and obedience have caused the police to take on more protection-oriented breeds such as the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd. However, bloodhounds are still sometimes used in tracking situations where there is little to no risk of danger to the police officer and the dog.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Bloodhound, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Protection Dogs, scent tracking, Sniffer Dogs
Posted in Dog Breeds | No Comments »
Friday, February 12th, 2010
 There are many misconceptions about the purpose of hormones in the development and temperament of a dog. For instance, while many people believe that more testosterone will produce a larger dog, the truth is that testosterone causes the bones of a dog to stop growing earlier. In this article, we will outline the facts of how having your guard dog spayed or neutered will affect it’s growth, temperament, and ability work.
Firstly, you should always wait until your dog is at least 2 years of age before having them spayed or neutered. While it is true that having them spayed or neutered early may produce a larger dog, their bones will not develop evenly, and they will have problems with balance. After 2 years of age, it is mostly a matter of preference. For house pets, having a dog spayed or neutered is an effective method of lowering the number of accidental births and the creation of stray dogs. However, this not something that the responsible owner of a working dog should be concerned with.
We at Command Control K9 don’t spay or neuter our guard dogs, whether they are German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, or Belgian Malinois. We feel that this is unnatural and it does nothing to change the temperament of your Protection Dog. In fact, spaying or neutering your protection dog ruins his or her ability to judge their world correctly.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Guard Dog, Neuter, Protection Dog, Spay
Posted in Canine Health, CCK9 Policy | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
 We at Command Control K9 are extremely fortunate to have been in a position to have purchased Max. Max is a black and tan male German Shepherd from Holland. Max holds a K.N.P.V. PH 1 title; at 2.5 years of age, this is an extraordinarily rare. Max is very large at 92 lb, with nerves of steel. He is very social and lived in a house with four children. Max protection is extremely hard. He comes in fast and hard, with a bone-crushing bite. Max will be for sale after he completes our Elite Family Estate Protection dog program.
Tags: German Shepherd, Guard Dog, K.N.P.V., new dog, PH 1, Protection Dog
Posted in Announcement | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
 Whether it is the introduction of a new protection dog into a home with an infant, or the introduction of a newborn child into a home that already owns a protection dog, the initial introduction is important in establishing a good relationship between your protection dog and your child. A well-trained dog should already be comfortable around children and infants. However, safety should still be a concern. There are a number of steps you can take to help ensure that the introduction goes smoothly.
Introducing a new child into a home that already owns a protection dog can sometimes be troublesome when it causes an abrupt change in your canine’s routine. Negative changes in routine such as suddenly reducing the amount of time and attention spent on your dog will quickly be associated with the new child. In order to prevent this, it is best to change your dog’s routine well in advance of the child’s arrival. It is also advisable to introduce new furniture into the home sooner rather than later. Before the baby is brought home, you can use an article of clothing or a blanket used by the child to familiarize your protection dog with the scent of the newborn. While your dog is in its crate, place the article of clothing next to the crate, and your dog will pick up on the smell. This will help the dog associate the scent with the comfort and familiarity of the crate. It is important that you do not let the dog mouth the article of clothing in any way.
When the time comes for the actual introduction, do not introduce your protection dog to your child immediately upon entering the home. Wait until your dog is in a calm and relaxed state. Your dog will want to sniff the child to investigate the new arrival. You should allow this briefly, and then return the dog to it’s normal routine. As your child ages, he or she may be inclined to pull the hair or ears of your dog. It is up to you to teach your child the correct and incorrect ways to interact with your canine, and to monitor your child closely until he or she is able to make this distinction.
Common protection dog breeds such as the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd are well known for having good temperament and being good around children. Taking the proper precautions when introducing your protection dog to an infant will help reinforce the correct behavior and help build a strong relationship between your canine and your child.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Child safety, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Guard Dog, Protection Dog
Posted in Child safety, Protection Dogs | No Comments »
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
 For many dog owners, an encounter with a skunk is almost an inevitability. Often, it’s simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A skunk will only spray when it believes that it is in danger. Often, it will display warning signs first, such as a making low growling noise, stamping it’s front feet, and raising it’s tail. A skunk’s spray is actually a sulphuric substance known as mercaptan. As well as smelling terrible, mercaptan can actually blind your dog for up two days if it makes direct contact with the eyes. For a guard dog, that’s two days that your canine is unable to work, and unable to defend you, your family or your property.
In the event that your dog gets sprayed, you must act as quickly as possible. The oily spray, if left for too long, can become nearly impossible to remove and may continue to smell for up to two years. Keep in mind that anything that your dog touches from the point of being sprayed will pick up the oils and begin to smell. Keep your dog out of your house, out of its dog house, and away from its bed to prevent them from picking up the smell. Wear old clothes and old gloves, because your clothes and skin will pick up the smell as well. The first thing you should do is to try and determine the exact area that was sprayed. For the first washing, focus only on the areas that were directly sprayed. This will prevent the spray from being spread into otherwise unaffected parts of your dog’s coat. After the initial washing, you will want to bathe your dog again in its entirety to remove the rest of the residue from the spray. The goal at this point is not to remove the smell, but to remove the sprayed substance itself to prevent it from soaking further into your dog’s coat.
Once you’ve washed your dog thoroughly to remove the spray, it is very likely that the scent will remain. Removing the skunk scent can be tricky, but there are a number of methods available. Excess washing and scent-removing chemicals can dry out and irritate your dog’s skin. For a guard dog or protection dog, dry fur and skin can affect your canine’s ability to operate efficiently, especially in harsh weather conditions. Methods such as tomato juice are often questionable and may not do much to remove the smell. Your veterinarian or local dog groomer may able to offer a safer and more effective method of scent removal, or you may have to simply wait it out.
Tags: dog groomer, Guard Dog, Protection Dog, remove skunk, skunk spray
Posted in Canine Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
 We were very fortunate to be in a position to have purchased Oma. Oma is a K.N.P.V. PH1 title female German Shepherd that we are importing from Holland. She earned her coveted title a year ago. For a female German Shepherd to have a K.N.P.V title is almost unheard of. There are only 800 to 1000 Dogs a year that are awarded this difficult title, and only 1% are German Shepherds. Oma is NOT for sale. After she completes our Elite Family Estate Protection Dog program, she will be held back for our breeding program. Her first breed will take place in Holland, where she will be bred to the top K.N.P.V. German Shepherd dog in Holland, Carlo.
Tags: German Shepherd, Holland, K.N.P.V., PH1 Title, Protection Dog
Posted in Announcement | No Comments »
Call Us Toll Free 877.687.CCK9 (2259) / Or Email Us
|
 |