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Archive for April, 2010
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
 The use of land mines in warfare is extremely controversial. Years after a conflict has ended, minefields remain a threat to civilians in the area. Failure to record the precise location of minefields adds considerably to the number of civilian casualties and injuries that they cause.
The removal of mines is a slow and dangerous process. Land mines can be made from both metallic as well as non-metallic materials, meaning that metal detectors are often of no use in detecting mines. Fortunately, mine detection dogs are able to detect both metallic as well as non-metallic land mines by searching for minute traces of scent left behind by explosive devices. Due to the nature of their work, obedience, a calm temperament, and the ability to indicate passively are vital to their success. Sadly, no dog is perfect, and several mine detection dogs and their handlers have been lost to mine removal efforts. However, compared to other detection methods, mine detection dogs are nearly ten times as effective. Their use has effectively saved countless lives. In Afghanistan alone, several million land mines have been removed and deactivated thanks to the efforts of these dogs and their handlers.
From their early use during WWII, to the removal of mines in Vietnam and South Africa, to their current use in Afghanistan, the German Shepherd has always been a popular choice for use as a mine detection dog. Lately, similar working breeds such as the Belgian Malinois have also gained popularity for use in this role. This is largely due to the intelligence and loyalty of both breeds, allowing them to be trained quickly with minimum incidents.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Detection Dogs, German Shepherd, Mine Detection Dogs
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Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
 Belgian Ringsport is a dog sport that the Belgian people have been practising for over a century. Following the introduction of the Belgian Malinois into urban society as a working police dog, breeders began to take interest in displaying the capabilities of their dogs. One breeder in particular known as Edmond Moecheron is often credited as being the father of Belgian Ringsport. The display of skill and obedience put on by three of his Belgian Shepherds became a growing attraction that spread throughout Belgium, Holland, Germany and France. The exercises his dogs performed became the basis of the sport, and in 1908, the first Belgian Ringsport competition with clearly defined exercises and rules took place.
Today, the exercises still consist of tests of obedience, agility and bite-work, but the sport and competitions themselves are now organized and regulated by several different organizations. The oldest organization, and the first host a national ringsport championship, is the Kennel Club Belge, or KCB. Another organization known as the Koninklijke Maatschappij St-Hubertus, or KMSH, started another Belgian Ringsport competition known as the Grand Prix of Belgium in 1926. Finally, due to disputes regarding interpretation of the rules of the sport, several clubs from the KMSH split off to form their own organization known as the Nationaal Verbond van Belgische Kynologen, or NVBK, in 1963.
While competitions by the KCB and KMSH have been won on several occasions by Belgian Shepherd breeds such as the Groenendael, or Tervuren, NVBK titles have been won exclusively by Belgian Malinois since the start of the organization in the 60s. Of the three Belgian Shepherd breeds, the Belgian Malinois has proven itself to be the most capable. It is for this reason that the Belgian Malinois has become one of the most popular working breeds for use a guard dog, police dog, or personal protection dog. However, it is important to remember that the Belgian Malinois that participate in NVBK Belgian Ringsport competitions are being trained and bred for sport. Regardless of the breed, sporting dogs are unsuitable for work as a true protection dog. Only a Belgian Malinois that has been bred and trained for true protection in real situations will make a good personal protection dog.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Belgian Ringsport, Belgian Shepherd, NVBK
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
 Canines have been a vital part of war efforts for thousands of years. Since ancient times they have been used by countless civilizations warring against each other. Certain civilizations even went so far as to honor the memories of dogs who fought bravely through the painting of murals. Since those ancient times, the roles of dogs in warfare have changed considerably, but there is no denying that the military working dog is an essential part of any military campaign.
Military working dogs today are rarely deployed to the front lines of heated battle. Instead, just as military roles for humans have largely shifted to smaller, and more covert operations, military dogs are being deployed for more specialized purposes. The battlefield of today is worlds apart from the battlefields of our forefathers. Enemy soldiers are often hidden among civilians, wearing civilian clothes. Military canines must be able to react in a split-second in the event of a surprise attack from an armed aggressor in civilian attire.
Another important role is that of scouting, surveillance and detection of explosives. Improvised explosive devices can be disguised and hidden in a wide variety of ways. While these devices can quickly catch a human off-guard, a military canine can pick up on the minute scents of explosive materials before they cause harm. Some canines are being outfitted with new technologies to help small teams scout ahead of an area. Small cameras attached to the head of a dog allows the handler to see everything the dog sees before their team moves into position.
The majority of military working dogs are German Shepherds, although Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds are becoming more popular. Sadly, although many military dogs are made to wear specially designed bullet-resistant Kevlar vests, they are far from invincible. Numerous military memorials bare the names of canines who have fallen in service to their countries. They are a true testament to the loyalty and bravery of dogs at war.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Military Dog, Military working dog
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
 Admiration should be shown for those who seek out better lives for themselves and their families in a new country. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing or able to go through the immigration process legally. Illegal immigration is a serious and often dangerous problem. The simple act of attempting to cross national borders has accounted for numerous deaths by drowning or heat exposure as people have attempted to cross through remote areas where they are less likely to encounter border security. Illegal immigrants who make it into a country are often susceptible to exploitation in the form of forced labor or prostitution. It is for reasons such as these that customs and border patrol units must be prepared to ensure the safety of both citizens and illegal immigrants by preventing unlawful entry into the country.
Of the numerous tactics employed by border patrol units, one of the best and most effective is the use of specially trained illegal immigration detection dogs. These dogs must be both athletic and intelligent in order to react quickly and efficiently in a number of different scenarios. Many people guilty of human trafficking will attempt to hide illegal immigrants in unexpected places in their vehicles or amongst packaged goods. Fortunately, the keen noses of illegal immigrant detection dogs are able to precisely locate the scents of hidden human beings. For those that attempt border crossings in more remote areas, the athleticism of the dog becomes very important. Illegal immigrant detection dogs must be able to quickly traverse desert, forest and even water.
The most common breeds of dog used for this purpose are German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds due to their intelligence, athleticism and their success in other working roles such as that of a police dog or protection dog. Illegal immigrant detection is just another way that these are incredible working breeds are being used to help keep our nations safe and secure.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, canine unit, German Shepherd, Guard Dog, illegal immigrant, Protection Dog
Posted in Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd | No Comments »
Monday, April 19th, 2010
 Heidi is a Female German Shepherd, DDR Czech line import, that we had imported from one of the top kennels in the Czech Republic three years ago at 7 weeks of age. She was the pick of the litter, and one of only two, out of the ten puppies, that we had imported in the last three years who was strong enough to pass our Elite Family Guard Dog program.
Heidi has a strong foundation, which includes all of our training. She is very agile, and can walk on a three inch elevated plank, as well as climb a ladder at a 45 degree angle both frontwards and backwards. In her protection she is very strong and fast. She will target the weapon hand with lightning speed. She has a lot of street smarts, and is working on the street each and every day. She is very sociable, affectionate and loves to be around children.
Tags: DDR Czech line, German Shepherd, Puppies
Posted in Announcement | No Comments »
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
 Arson detection dogs, also known as accelerant detection dogs, are a type of working dog employed by police officers, fire marshals and forensics investigators in order to help determine the origin of a fire, and how the fire spread. Determining the origin of a fire is extremely important, but can also be extremely difficult. For a human investigator, finding evidence amongst the charred black remnants of a fire is a long and arduous process. The investigator will often take samples of burnt debris and have them sent to a lab for analysis. Using the superb sense of smell of an accelerant detection dog, investigators are able to find relevant samples and evidence in a fraction of the time it would have taken them otherwise.
Detecting accelerants amongst charred debris is no easy task. For a human investigator, even the otherwise distinct odors of gasoline or alcohol are easily masked by the pungent scent of burnt of plastic or house paint often found at the scene of a fire. This is made even more difficult by that fact that many accelerants evaporate quickly. On the other hand, arson detection dogs are able to pinpoint even minute particles amongst a vast array of other scents. These dogs must undergo rigorous training so that they know which scents to respond to and whether to indicate passively or aggressively. Training is an ongoing process in order to ensure that they are kept accurate throughout their entire careers. An arson detection dog is often able to identify a long list of accelerants ranging from acetone to rubbing alcohol to lamp oils. The identification of any of these substances can help an investigator determine if a fire was accidental, an attempt at insurance fraud, or even an attempted murder.
The dogs used for accelerant detection must be extremely intelligent and loyal. The most common breeds of dog used for this purpose are working breeds such as the Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. Due to the nature of the work, a dog with a calm and patient temperament is preferred. Most arson detection dogs are trained to indicate passively to insure that potential evidence is not disturbed.
Tags: Accelerant detection, arson detection dog, Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, Sniffer Dog
Posted in Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
 Many women come to us trying to decide if a Personal Protection Dog is right for them. The truth is that nearly 70% of our clientele are single women and mothers. Knowing this, we ensure that all of our protection dogs undergo training with female handlers in order to make a smoother transition to their future owners. We also ensure that all of our protection dogs are well socialized and good with children. Our dogs are ideal for canine protection because they can be taken anywhere including airports, to the mall, or to public parks. This means that you get true 100% protection no matter where you go.
The dogs we sell here are very special. We do not buy from wholesalers because they do not produce high quality dogs. Only about 1% of the dogs we see are actually good enough to go through our training program. The breeds we use are also very important. German Shepherds are the most common and most popular breed that we train to be protection dogs, while Belgian Malinois are a close second. All of our German Shepherd puppies and Belgian Malinois puppies come from top of the line litters. They are the best of the best.
To conclude: if you feel that you or your children deserve the safety and security of true protection, then a CCK9 Personal Protection Dog is right for you.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Guard Dog, Personal Protection Dog, Women
Posted in Protection Dogs | No Comments »
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
 The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001 exposed an entire nation to horrors of terrorism like they had never seen before. Unfortunately, acts of terrorism on both a large and small scale remain a threat to the United States and the rest of the world. Hostage situations, bombings and assassinations are only a few more examples of terrorist acts that need to be defended against. Thankfully, specially trained counter-terrorism dogs are working day and night to help defend against the threat of terrorism.
The most important part of defending against terrorism is prevention. With their keen sense of smell, canine units can aid considerably in the early detection of explosives or weapons. Bombings are the single most commonly used terrorist tactic throughout the world. Most people are familiar with the sight of a dog sniffing out a plane’s cargo for explosive material before it goes on board, but routine inspection for such harmful devices also occurs in many other places such as government offices, political venues and even concert halls. Preventing terrorism also involves preventing terrorists from obtaining many potentially devastating devices such as nuclear arms or chemical weapons. Guard dogs play an important role in safe-guarding enriched uranium stock-piles and chemical research facilities to prevent the wrong materials from falling into the wrong hands.
Of course, while prevention is incredibly important, not all situations can be prevented. Counter-terrorism dogs are trained to act fast in a dangerous situation. A well-trained German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois can disarm a would-be assassin faster than any human body-guard.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, counter-terrorism dogs, counter-terrorist, German Shepherd, Guard Dogs, Protection Dogs, terrorism
Posted in Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
 It has now been a year that we at Command Control K9 have been live with our Blog. We would like to thank the thousands of readers that have been supporting us by reading our blog each and every day. We will be continuing to write articles on protection dogs to help educate our loyal readers. Our feature articles will be on training your personal protection dog, the heath and well being of your dog, police dogs, terrorist dogs, explosive detection dogs, drug detection dogs, arson detection dogs, illegal immigrant detection dogs, mine detection dogs, and many more. If you have any comments or questions regarding any of our articles, please feel free to drop us a line. We welcome everyone.
Tags: Anniversary, Articles, Belgian Malinois, Blog, CCK9, Dutch Shepherds, German Shepherds, Guard Dogs, Protection Dogs
Posted in Announcement | No Comments »
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
In the LA Times, a police dog was reported to have been stabbed in the line of duty:
San Marino, CA – A police dog was injured last week during an incident involving an intense standoff following police response to a burglary alarm.
When police arrived at the scene they encountered David Pohung Liu, 45, standing at the doorway with a large knife and a gun. Liu demanded that police shoot him, but then fled into the home whilst refusing to leave.
The standoff lasted approximately 5 hours as police negotiators tried to reason with Liu. Rik, a Belgian Malinois police dog, was sent into the home in an attempt to coax Liu from the building, but was slashed across the head and muzzle. Officers were able to call the injured dog back from the home and have it rushed to emergency surgery.
Shortly after, Liu set fire to the home, but finally surrendered after police began using pepper-spray projectiles as a last-resort non-lethal tactic.
Liu is currently hospitalized for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation during the fire. Thankfully, K9 Officer Rik suffered and no permanent injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
This is just one of many examples proving the true danger of canine protection work. Unfortunately, sporting dogs sold as true protection dogs increase the risk of injury ten-fold. Failure to target the weapon-arm and disarm the opponent is one of the biggest mistakes sporting dogs make, and it can easily mean the difference between life or death. This is why we at Command Control K9 train all of our protection dogs to do real protection work in real-life scenarios involving real danger. Our dogs are very social and love children, but will protect you and your family 100% in an emergency situation.
Tags: German Shepherd, K9 Patrol Unit, k9 unit, Police Dog, Protection Dog
Posted in K9 Patrol Unit | No Comments »
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